This is where I attempt to define much of the slang and abbreviations that I use in the book. Most of the slang is commonly used in the Intelligence field.
Air America (AA) - An airline front company for the CIA.
AA took over the task from CAT of supplying materials and transporting "special" passengers in Laos during the Secret War.
Air America Homepage
Agency, The - Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
A common slang word used when talking with other Intelligence agents.
Back Stop - A very plausible job, telephone number, or address.
When a pseudonym for an agent is created, sometimes a back stopped identity has to be created. If an enemy agent suspects the agent's background and he checks on where he works, the back stop will be good enough to fool him into thinking that his suspicions were false.
Cable from Station in Laos
Cable - A secure message.
Before there was email, the CIA used cables to communicate between Stations and HQ. Cables were condensed and concise messages, sort of like telegrams, where you are concerned about using too many words.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) - The government agency responsible for overseas Intelligence gathering using Human Intelligence (HUMINT) and sometimes Electronic Intelligence (ELINT).
Central Intelligence Agency
Civil Air Transport (CAT) - An airline front company for the CIA.
The predecessor to Air America (AA) in Laos.
Code Name - Alias for an agent
Similar to an pseudonym, a code name is an alias for an agent. Code names were used when the pseudonym is not to be revealed. The double agent FBI man Robert Hanssen's code name was "Ramon". When he communicated with his KGB handlers, "Ramon" was what he was known as. Also known as Cover Name.
Company, The - Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
A common slang word used when talking around non Intelligence agents.
Cover Story - A semi plausible story to protect the true identify of the agent.
A typical cover story for an agent traveling overseas is that he is working for a company that sells electronic parts.
Forward Air Controller (FAC) - A spotter in a forward area.
They loitered in the area of the enemy, sometimes marking it with flare rockets if the FAC is airborne, so that fighters and bombers could hit their targets accurately. A highly dangerous job, especially considering that the Ravens used low and slow propeller driven aircraft.
Front Company - A legitimate company to conceal Intelligence activities.
One of the more famous front companies was Air America (AA), which at its height in Laos was the largest private airline in the world. Intelligence agencies use front companies to help provide personnel and material support to a secret operation without drawing attention to itself.
Ho Chi Minh Trail (HCMT) - A large number of trails and roads that the Communists used to supply their war effort and infiltrate.
The word trail is actually a misnomer, since the HCMT was a large network of paths, roads, and trails. The HCMT started in North Vietnam (NVN) and winded through Laos and Cambodia and into South Vietnam (SVN).
Laos - A country in Southeast Asia (SEA)
Laos is a land locked, poor country that was a springboard for CIA operations during the Vietnam War.
Map of Laos pre 1974
Merc - Short for Mercenary
A non-military person that is for hire, and that specializes in hazardous assignments. Also known as a Contractor. Usually has a military background, especially with some type of Special Forces, like Army Rangers, Green Berets, Airborne, Air Commandos, Navy SEALS, or Marine RECON. Mercenaries that were used in Laos came from a wide range of countries in SEA.
Microdot - A miniature picture the size of the head of a pin.
Microdots are shrunken pictures that can be transported underneath a postage stamp on a letter. The agent receiving the microdots has a microdot viewer that enlarges the picture so that it is readable. Microdots can also be hidden in-between the layers of a book binding and any where else that one can imagine.
Microdot Viewer
Microfilm - Very small picture film.
Microfilm can be used in miniature cameras and easily transported or concealed. A Minox is a type of microfilm camera.
Minox Camera
National Security Agency (NSA) - The government agency tasked with making codes, breaking foreign government codes, and intercepting Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Photographic Intelligence (PHOTINT), and Communications Intelligence (COMINT) overseas. The technical term for codes is cryptography. They are also involved in Information Systems Security (INFOSEC), to help protect U.S. government computer systems from foreign governments.
National Security Agency
NVA - North Vietnamese Army
The formal Communist forces of North Vietnam. They had actual uniforms and had formal military formations and training. This is in contrast to the VC which did not have official uniforms and formations.
NVN - North Vietnam
PL - Pathet Lao
The Communist Laotians who fought against the CIA and American friendly forces. Contrary to what you read on the Internet, The PL did not win the war in Laos, they took over by default after we withdrew at the end of the Vietnam war.
Pseudonym - A fake name and identity
When an agent is in the field, many times he has one or more pseudonyms that he uses. A pseudonym within the Intelligence world is written LAST NAME, first name, with the last name in all caps. The reason for this is that when you are reading a document that has names in it, you know if it is a true name or a pseudonym.
Ravens, The - An unofficial group of pilots that served in Laos
They flew high risk missions in Laos to rescue downed pilots of AA and CAT, do surveillance of the HCMT, and acted as Forward Air Controllers (FAC) so that fighters and bombers could hit their targets accurately. All the members of the Ravens were sheep dipped, for plausible deniability.
Raven FAC Homepage
SEA - Southeast Asia
Includes Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia.
Secret War - The undeclared war in Laos
The so called "Secret War" in Laos was the CIA's attempt to disrupt and harass the PL, NVA, and VC.
Secret War in Laos
Secret Writing - Methods of concealing messages in plain sight
Agents in the field use secret writing to communicate with other agents. Typically secret writing uses some sort of gimmick to conceal the message, like an invisible ink. The hidden message is written in the margins of an ordinary letter and then sent to the agent of choice. The receiving agent has a chemical that he wipes on the letter to reveal the secret message.
Sheep Dipped - Change of job or duties
Sometimes agents change jobs to other non-intelligence agencies or military assignments so that they cannot be traced back to their source agency.
Spook - Intelligence agent.
Any intelligence agent like a CIA agent.
Sterilized - Non traceable back to the source agency.
Many times weapons and airplanes have their serial numbers removed or paperwork "lost" so that they are not traceable back to the source agency. The CIA also purchased material from the open market using front companies so that it could not be traced back.
SVN - South Vietnam
Tradecraft - The methods and techniques of Intelligence agents.
For example, surveillance of an enemy agent is a tradecraft.
True Name - The actual real name of the agent
True names are a closely guarded secret and therefore pseudonyms and code names are used extensively to protect it. It is standard procedure to never write the true name and the pseudonym or and code name in the same message or memo. This is done in case an enemy agency intercepts and decodes the message, they will not be able to connect the dots unless they have both messages.
TSD - Technical Services Division of the CIA
The division of the CIA that created many of the gadgets for field agents.
VC - Viet Cong
The irregular Communist forces in and around Vietnam. Many wore black pajamas and operated only at night. This contrasts with the NVA which had uniforms and operated like a formal army. Many of the VC were farmers during the day, and then conducted military raids during the night. The movies blur the line between VC and NVA, but they were very different in how they operated but with the same objective.
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