Authors: Rob Maylor
AFP | Australian Federal Police |
AME | air medical evacuation |
ANA | Afghan National Army |
AO | Area of Operations |
AP | armour piercing |
ATV | all-terrain vehicle |
BPT | brigade patrol troop |
CDF | Chief of the Defence Force |
CO | commanding officer |
CT | counter-terrorism |
CTC | Commando Training Centre |
DOP | drop-off point |
DS | directing staff |
FOB | forward operating base |
GPMG | general purpose machine-gun |
HE | high explosive |
HME | home-made explosive |
IA | immediate action |
IED | improvised explosive device |
IRA | Irish Republican Army |
IRR | incident response regiment |
JTAC | joint terminal attack controller |
KIA | killed in action |
LP | landing point |
LRPV | long-range patrol vehicle |
LSW | light support weapon |
LUP | lay-up position |
LZ | landing zone |
MVT | medium-value target |
NBC | nuclear, biological and chemical warfare |
NVG | night vision goggles |
OHP | overhead protection |
OP | observation post |
PLCE | personal load carrying equipment |
PRC | potential recruits course |
PSD | personal security detail |
PT | physical training, âphys' |
PTI | physical training instructors |
Q | quarter-master |
QRF | quick reaction force |
RPG | rocket-propelled grenade |
RPs | restriction of privileges |
RSM | regimental sergeant major |
RUC | Royal Ulster Constabulary |
RV | rendezvous |
SAS | Special Air Service |
SASR | Special Air Service Regiment |
SF | sustained fire |
SNCO | senior noncommissioned officer |
SOP | standard operating procedure |
SRO | special recovery operations |
SSM | squadron sergeant major |
STG | Special Tactics Group |
TCL | tactical coordination line |
TGT | target |
TI | thermal imagers |
TNI | Indonesian Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia) |
TOW | tube-launched, optically tracked, wire command, data link, guided missile |
UFF | Ulster Freedom Fighters |
Me with an average Bathurst goat.
Waiting for a night extraction by Black Hawk in East Timor.
Airborne rappelling from a Black Hawk during a training day, Maliana, East Timor.
The end of a patrol in East Timorâthis was a patrol where we used a tracker dog.
Tying off to a tree during a live fire field exercise.
In the Afghan mountainsâlooking north from an elevated Observation Post from behind a .338 sniper rifle.
On a 6Ã6 Polaris ATV in Afghanistan.
Destroying ordnance from a severely damaged long-range patrol vehicle after being hit by an IED.
An American AME Black Hawk coming in to pick up Sean McCarthy.
Providing security while the specialist engineers cleared a suspect area of the track.
Looking down over IED alley. It was at the top of this feature that we found three decapitated locals from Saraw.
Riding through the villages just outside of TK. Dave O'Neil is on my left.
Typical Oruzgãn terrain. The vegetation and high mud brick walled compounds provide excellent cover for the Taliban, and high and inaccessible mountain ranges give them perfect observation conditions.