Appendix Glossary: Terms, Definitions, Military Acronyms
AA – Acquisition Agency
ABL - ammunition basic load (ABL)- that quantity of ammunition authorized and required to be on hand in a unit to meet combat needs until resupply can be accomplished; approved by the General Staff and expressed in rounds for ammunition items fired by weapons and in other units of measure for bulk allotment in the Corps ammunition depot - an area designated to receive, store, and issue ammunition. Normally stored by the CAD for the unit.
Aboveground magazines Any type of magazine above grade other than standard or nonstandard earth covered types of magazines.
AINS - Ammunition Information Notices
airhead - a designated location in an area of operations used as a base for supply and evacuation by air
ammo - ammunition
Ammunition and explosives Includes (but is not limited to) all items of ammunition; propellants, liquid and solid; high and low explosives; guided missiles; warheads; devices; pyrotechnics; chemical agents; and components and substances associated therewith, presenting real or potential hazards to life and property.
ammunition transfer depot (ATD) - a designated temporary site where munitions are transferred from logistics command transportation to supported unit vehicles, normally located in the brigade area, operated by the brigade logistics battalion supply company
AO - area of operations
APM – Ammunition Program Manager
APMO – Ammunition Program Management Office
AT - antitank
Basic load ammunition holding area (BLAHA) A storage area for basic load ammunition located within the boundaries of a barracks or in the immediate vicinity thereof, in armored vehicles, trucks, trailers, structures, or on pads to ensure mission readiness. BLAHAs consist of one or more storage sites and involve acceptance of risks to personnel, facilities and equipment that are greater than that normally permitted.
BCT - brigade combat train
bde - brigade
bn - battalion
BSA - brigade support area
CAO - corps ammunition officer
cbt - combat
CEA - captured enemy ammunition
controlled supply rate (CSR) - the rate of ammunition consumption that can be supported, considering availability, facilities, and transportation; expressed in rounds per unit, individual, weapon, or vehicle per day. The General Staff announces the CSR for each item of ammunition; in turn, the commander of each subordinate unit determines the CSR for the unit.
A unit may not draw ammunition in excess of its CSR without authority from its next higher HQ.

convoy - a group of vehicles organized for the purpose of control and orderly movement with or without escort protection
Compatibility Ammunition or explosives are considered compatible if they may be stored or transported together without increasing significantly either the probability of an accident or, for a given quantity, the magnitude of the effects of such an accident.
Component Any part of a complete item whether loaded with explosives, inert (not containing explosives), or empty (not filled with explosives).
Compatibility group The compatibility group for ammunition, explosives and/or other hazardous materials which can be stored and/or transported together without significantly increasing the probability of accident or, for a given quantity, the magnitude of the effects of such an accident. The compatibility groups are based on the system recommended for international use by the United Nations Organization (UNO) and as adopted by NATO and the
Department of Defense.
CP – Command Post
CTIL - commander’s tracked items list
CTO – Corps transportation officer
CTOC - corps tactical operations center
CSS - combat service support; logistics
CSR - controlled supply rate
dir – director
Department of Defense Identification Code – A United States alphanumeric designation used to identify a specific item or component part of ammunition
DOS - days of supply
DPG - Defense Planning Guidance
Dud Explosive munition which has not armed as intended or which has failed to function after being armed. (See misfire.)
Dummy ammunition Ammunition or ammunition components having the appearance of actual items and not having any explosives components.
Explosion A chemical reaction of any chemical compound or mechanical mixture that, when initiated, undergoes a very rapid combustion or decomposition, releasing large volumes of highly heated gases that exert pressure on the surrounding medium. Depending on the rate of energy release, an explosion can be categorized as a deflagration or a detonation.
Fixed ammunition Ammunition, except small arms and rocket ammunition, consisting of a cartridge case loaded with propellant and a projectile which are loaded in one operation into the weapon, the cartridge case being firmly attached to the projectile.
Flammable A material which has the characteristic of being easily ignited and burning readily.
Fragment A piece of an exploding or exploded munition. Fragments may be complete items, subassemblies, pieces thereof, or pieces of equipment or buildings containing the items.
Fragment distance The limiting range, based on a specific density of hazardous fragments, expected from the type and quantity of explosives involved. Used in establishing certain Q-D criteria. A hazardous fragment is a fragment having an impact energy of 58 foot-pounds or greater. Hazardous fragment density is a density of hazardous fragments exceeding one per
600 square feet.

Hangfire Temporary failure or delay in the action of a primer, igniter, or propelling charge.
Hazard Any real or potential condition that can cause injury, illness, or death of personnel, or damage to or loss of equipment or property.
Hazard analysis The logical, systematic examination of an item, process, condition, facility, or system to identify and analyze the probability, causes, and consequences of potential or real hazards.
Hazard class The United Nations Organization (UNO) hazardous classification system, which contains nine hazard classes, is used for dangerous materials to identify the hazardous characteristics of A&E. Hazard Class 1 (A&E) is further divided into seven division designators that indicate the primary characteristics and associated hazards.
HD hazard class/division
Hazardous material The component of, or an item of, ammunition which is inherently designed to produce the necessary energy required for ignition, propulsion, detonation, fire or smoke, thus enabling the item to function. Also, a material (corrosive, oxidizer, etc.) which inherently is dangerous and capable of serious damage and which, therefore, requires regulated handling to avoid creating accidents in connection with its existence and use.
High explosive equivalent or explosive equivalent The amount of a standard explosive that, when detonated, will produce a blast effect comparable to that which results in the same distances from the detonation or explosion of a given amount of the material for which performance is being evaluated. For the purpose of these standards, TNT is used for comparison.
Hygroscopic A tendency of material to absorb moisture from its surroundings.
Hypergolic A property of various combinations of chemicals to self-ignite upon contact with each other without a spark or other external initiation.
GS2 – General Staff Intelligence Function
GS3 - General Staff Operations and Plans Function
GS4 – General Staff Logistics Function
General Staff – Highest military Headquarters of the Ministry of Defense
HQ - headquarters
IAW - in accordance with
IED - improvised explosive device
Inert ammunition Ammunition containing no explosives.
Inhabited buildings Buildings or structures, other than operating buildings occupied in whole or in part by human beings, both within and outside MoD establishments.
Inhabited building distance (IBD) The minimum distance permitted between an inhabited building and an ammunition or explosives location for the protection of administration, quarters, industrial and other similar areas within a naval shore establishment.
Inspection station A designated location at which trucks and railcars containing ammunition and explosives are inspected.
Intraline distance The distance to be maintained between any two operating buildings and sites within an operating line, of which at least one contains or is designed to contain explosives, except that the distance from a service magazine for the line to the nearest

operating building may be not less than the intraline distance required for the quantity of explosives contained in the service magazine.
Liquid propellants Substances in fluid form (including cryogenics) used for propulsion or operating power for missiles, rockets, ammunition, and other related devices (See table 5–16.).
Hydrocarbon fuels used in the operation of ships, aircraft and other vehicles are not considered liquid propellants for the purpose of this pamphlet. Those dual purpose hydrocarbon fuels which are used in both missiles/rockets/ammunition and in ships/aircraft/vehicles are considered liquid propellants only when the fuel is actually charged into the missile/rocket/ammunition.
lift - (of ammunition) the use of MHE to pick up ammunition and put it down, with each pickup and put-down constituting one lift.
LK - logistics Kandak (battalion)
LOC - lines of communication
Magazine Any building or structure, except an operating building, used for the storage of ammunition and explosives.
Magazine distance The minimum distance permitted between any two magazines depending on the type of magazine and the class/division quantity of explosives and ammunition involved; the type and quantity of explosives requiring the greater distance will govern the magazine separation. Also called “Intermagazine Separation.”
Magazine, earth-covered, nonstandard All earth-covered magazines which are not constructed in accordance with DDESB approved drawings.
Mass-detonating ammunition/explosives Ammunition or explosives, almost all of which can be expected to explode virtually instantaneously when a small portion is subjected to fire, to severe concussion or impact, to the impulse of an initiating agent, or to the effect of a considerable discharge of energy.
METT-T - mission, enemy, troops, terrain and weather, and time available
MHE - materials-handling equipment
Military munitions All ammunition products and components produced or used by or for
Afghan Ministry of Defense for national defense and security. The term military munitions includes: confined gaseous, liquid, and solid propellants, explosives, pyrotechnics, smokes, and incendiaries used, rockets, , bombs, warheads, mortar rounds, artillery ammunition, small arms ammunition, grenades, mines, depth charges, cluster munitions and dispensers, demolition charges, and devices and components thereof. Military munitions do not include wholly inert items or improvised explosive devices.
Military pyrotechnics Ammunition manufactured specifically for use as signals, illuminants, and like items.
Misfire Failure of a component to fire or explode following an intentional attempt to cause an item to do so. (See dud.)
MoD – Afghanistan Ministry of Defense
MoD ANA form – Ministry of Defense Afghanistan National Army form
Munitions – weapons, arms, weapon systems; ammunition and explosives and components
NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NATO standardization agreement - the record of an agreement among several member nations to adopt like or similar military equipment, ammunition, supplies, and stores and operational, logistic, and administrative procedures.
NCO - noncommissioned officer
NEQ Net explosive quantity expressed in kilograms.
NEW Net explosive weight expressed in pounds.
Noncombustible Not burnable in the ordinary sense of the word.
Normal maintenance Work performed on ammunition to prevent deterioration and to correct minor defects not requiring renovation or major modification operations.
OPCON - operational control
OPLAN - operation plan
OPLOG - operational logistics
OPORD - operation order
POL - petroleum, oils, and lubricants (Class III)
Potential explosion site The location of a quantity of explosives that will create a blast, fragment, thermal, or debris hazard in the event of an accidental explosion of its contents. ‘
Practice ammunition Ammunition or ammunition components used for training. Practice ammunition simulates a service item in weight, design, and ballistic properties. A practice round may be inert or have a small quantity of explosive filler, such as black powder, used as a spotting charge.
Propellant, solid Explosives compositions used for propelling projectiles and rockets and to generate gases for powering auxiliary devices.
Public traffic route Any public street, road, highway, navigable stream, or passenger railroad
(includes roads on a military reservation that are used routinely by the general public for through traffic).
push/pull system - push system: the automatic resupply of ammunition consumed by the user; consumption rate is calculated by the type and quantity of ammunition issued to the user from stocks on hand at the issuing facility. Issues are reported through daily transaction reports to the Corps G-4 by the issuing activity (such as an CAD, an ATD, or CAO). That quantity along with any new or additional requirements is pushed into the supply pipeline at the national ammunition depot to replenish or add to mission stocks forward. Pull-system: uses CAO requests for ammunition by type and quantity to satisfy mission requirements
Pyrotechnic material The explosive or chemical ingredients, including powdered metals, used in the manufacture of military pyrotechnics.
QA - quality assurance (ammunition surveillance)
QC - quality control
Quantity-distance The quantity of explosives material and distance separation relationships that provide defined types of protection.
Ready ammunition storage A location where ammunition is stored for near term tactical or training use. Generally, ready ammunition storage locations will supply one or more armament pads.
required supply rate (RSR) - the quantity of ammunition expressed as rounds per weapon per day for ammunition items fired by weapons; as other units of measure per day, for bulk

allotment and other items required to sustain operations of any designated force without restriction for a specified period
Risk The product of the probability or frequency and the expected damage or consequences
Risk acceptance The practice of having the proper authority to review risks for acceptability.
Risk assessment The evaluation of the risk associated with an activity which may include one or more analysis methodologies.
Risk decision The decision to accept or not accept the risks associated with an action made by an individual responsible for performing that action.
Risk management The practice of assessing risk and thereafter accepting the risk based on a consistent logic. .
RSR - required supply rate
S3 - Operations and Training Officer
S4 - Supply Officer
Semifixed ammunition Ammunition loaded into a weapon in one operation and whose cartridge case is not firmly attached to the projectile so that the propelling charge may be adjusted for zone firing.
SFC - sergeant first class
short ton - the equivalent of 2000 pounds (0.907 metric ton) of weight
Simultaneous detonation Detonation of separated quantities of explosives of ammunition occurring so nearly at the same time that the effect on the surroundings is the same as if the several quantities were not separated and were detonated en masse.
Single-chamber storage site An excavated chamber with its own access to the natural ground surface not connected to any other storage chamber.
SITREP - situation report
Small arms ammunition Ammunition for small arms; for example, all ammunition up to and including 20mm.
SOP - standing operating procedure
Spall Spall refers to pieces of a material (and the process by which they are formed) that are broken loose from the surface of a parent body by tensile forces that are created when a compression shock wave travels through the body and reflects from the surface. For underground storage, spall normally refers to the rock broken loose from the wall of an acceptor chamber by the shock wave transmitted through the rock from an explosion in a nearby donor chamber.
spt - support
ST/STON - short ton
Standard igloo magazine An earth-covered, arch-type magazine with or without a separate door barricade, constructed according to an approved standard drawing.
Storage compatibility A relationship between different items of ammunition, explosives, and other dangerous materials whose characteristics are such that a quantity of two or more of the items stored or transported together is no more hazardous than a comparable quantity of any one of the items stored alone.

Surveillance The observation, inspection, investigation, test, study, and classification of ammunition, ammunition components, and explosives in movement, storage, and use with respect to degree of serviceability and rate of deterioration.
TOA - table(s) of authorization for organization and equipment
US - United States (of America)
UXO - unexploded ordnance
VIP - very important person
Waiver A written authority that permits a temporary deviation from a short term (5 years or less) mandatory requirement of Ammunition and Explosives Safety Instruction or Decree.
Warhead That portion of a rocket or guided missile containing the high explosives charge or other destructive agent.
WD - weapons density