Military Surplus Glossary of Terms

Gear, clothing, camo, and acronyms explained by a surplus retailer.

This is Army Navy Outdoors' glossary of military surplus terms. We've sold surplus gear and clothing for over 50 years, and this page explains the gear, apparel, camouflage patterns, and acronyms our customers ask about most, in plain English. For how we grade used surplus, see our Surplus Condition Guide.

Gear

Packs & Load Carrying

ALICE

All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment

The Army's nylon load-carrying system from the 1970s. It's built around a pistol belt, suspenders, and clip-on pouches, plus medium and large rucksacks on external frames. MOLLE eventually replaced it, but ALICE gear is still a surplus favorite because it's simple and tough.

See also: MOLLE, LBE, BUTT PACK, LC-1 (LC-I), LC-2 (LC-II)

Shop ALICE

MOLLE

MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment

The modular system the Army started fielding around 2000. Instead of fixed pockets, pouches attach to packs, vests, and belts through PALS webbing, so you build the loadout you actually need.

See also: PALS, ALICE, SUSTAINMENT POUCH

Shop MOLLE

PALS

Pouch Attachment Ladder System

The rows of 1-inch nylon webbing sewn onto MOLLE gear. You weave a pouch's straps through the rows and it locks in place. Most people just call it MOLLE webbing.

FILBE

Family of Improved Load Bearing Equipment

The Marine Corps pack system that replaced ILBE around 2011. It comes in coyote brown and includes an internal-frame main pack, an assault pack, and a hydration carrier. It carries heavy loads well, which is why it's become popular with hikers and hunters too.

See also: ILBE, ASSAULT PACK, COYOTE BROWN

Shop FILBE

ILBE

Improved Load Bearing Equipment

The Marine Corps pack system from the mid-2000s, before FILBE took over. The main pack is an internal-frame design known for its large capacity.

LBE

Load Bearing Equipment

A pistol belt and suspenders setup that carries ammo pouches, canteens, and other gear on your body. It's the general term for this style of web gear.

LBV

Load Bearing Vest

A vest with built-in pouches that carries your gear on your chest and torso instead of on a belt and suspenders.

PLATE CARRIER

A vest built to hold armor plates front and back, usually covered in PALS webbing so you can add pouches. Carriers are sold without plates unless the listing says otherwise.

IFAK

Individual First Aid Kit

The personal first aid kit issued to each service member. It typically holds a tourniquet, pressure bandage, and gauze in a MOLLE pouch, all focused on treating serious bleeding fast.

ASSAULT PACK

A smaller pack for short missions or day trips. It often attaches to a larger rucksack, so you can drop the big pack and move light. The FILBE and Army 3-day assault packs are common examples.

RUCKSACK

The military name for a large backpack built to carry several days of gear. You'll hear it shortened to ruck.

SUSTAINMENT POUCH

A large MOLLE pouch that attaches to the side of a rucksack when you need more room. It's one of the easiest ways to add capacity to a pack.

BUTT PACK

A pouch that rides at the back of an ALICE or LBE belt. Troops used it for small gear and rations.

TAP

Tactical Assault Panel

A chest rig made by Eagle Industries and issued to the Marine Corps. It holds magazines and gear across your chest and works on its own or clipped onto a plate carrier. You'll also see it called the Tactical Assault Platform.

See also: PLATE CARRIER, MOLLE, CHEST RIG

Shop TAP

CHEST RIG

A panel worn on your chest to carry magazines and small gear. Unlike a plate carrier, it holds no armor, so it's lighter and cooler to wear.

LC-1 (LC-I)

Load Carrying, version 1

The first version of ALICE gear, introduced in the 1970s. LC-1 pieces use metal hardware, like steel belt buckles and fasteners. You'll see LC-1 stamped on the item's tag.

LC-2 (LC-II)

Load Carrying, version 2

The updated version of ALICE gear that followed LC-1. The main change is plastic hardware in place of metal, which cut weight and noise. If you're matching parts, check the tag, since LC-1 and LC-2 pieces work together but look different.

Helmets & Head Protection

PASGT

Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops

The Kevlar helmet and vest system the military fielded in the 1980s. The helmet picked up the nicknames K-pot and Fritz, the second because its shape resembles the German helmet of World War II. It's still a common surplus find.

MICH

Modular Integrated Communications Helmet

A lighter, cut-down helmet first developed for special operations. It fits better and works better with headsets and comms gear, and it became the basis for the ACH.

ACH

Advanced Combat Helmet

The Army helmet that replaced the PASGT. It's lighter, uses pads instead of a sling suspension, and fits better with comms gear.

ECH

Enhanced Combat Helmet

A helmet that offers more protection than the ACH, made from advanced composite materials.

IHPS

Integrated Head Protection System

The Army's current helmet system. It's modular, with rails, mounts, and optional add-on armor so it can be set up for different missions.

HELMET PADS

The foam pads that line the inside of a modern helmet. They set the fit and absorb impact, and they replaced the older sling suspension. Replacement pad kits are an easy way to refresh a used helmet.

HELMET SUSPENSION

The web or sling system inside older helmets like the PASGT that holds the shell off your head. Newer helmets use pads instead.

CHIN STRAP

The strap that keeps a helmet on your head. Newer helmets use a 4-point design that holds more securely.

RAIL MOUNT

The rails along the sides of a helmet. They let you attach lights, counterweights, and other accessories.

SHROUD

The mount on the front of a helmet where night vision attaches.

NVG MOUNT

Night Vision Goggle Mount

The bracket that connects night vision goggles to the helmet shroud.

Body Armor

IOTV

Improved Outer Tactical Vest

The Army's armor carrier that holds both soft armor and hard plates, with a quick-release so it can come off fast in an emergency. It replaced the earlier OTV.

OTV

Outer Tactical Vest

The earlier Army armor carrier, part of the Interceptor body armor system used in the early years of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The IOTV replaced it.

SAPI / ESAPI

Small Arms Protective Insert / Enhanced SAPI

Hard ceramic armor plates. ESAPI is the upgraded version and stops higher-velocity rounds than the original SAPI. Plates are sold by cut and size.

See also: PLATE CARRIER, IOTV, PLATE CUT

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PLATE CUT

The shape of an armor plate. A shooter's cut has angled top corners so your arms move freely, while a SAPI cut follows the military plate shape.

NIJ LEVEL

National Institute of Justice protection level

The rating scale that tells you what an armor plate or vest is built to stop. It runs from Level IIA up to Level IV, with Level IV being the highest standard rating.

SOFT ARMOR

Flexible armor panels that stop handgun rounds and fragments but not rifle rounds. You can wear it alone or behind hard plates.

TRAUMA PLATE

A small hard plate worn over soft armor to add protection over a vital area.

Uniforms & Camo

BDU

Battle Dress Uniform

The combat uniform the military wore from the early 1980s to the mid-2000s, most often in M81 Woodland. It's still one of the most popular pieces of surplus because it's durable, comfortable, and fits a lot of uses.

DCU

Desert Camouflage Uniform

The desert uniform worn in the 1990s and early 2000s, printed in the 3-color desert pattern.

ACU

Army Combat Uniform

The Army uniform introduced in the mid-2000s. It was first issued in UCP and is now issued in OCP. ACU refers to the uniform's design, not the camo pattern on it.

UCP

Universal Camouflage Pattern

The gray-green digital pattern the Army issued on the ACU starting in the mid-2000s. The Army later phased it out in favor of OCP.

See also: ACU, OCP, FOLIAGE GREEN, AR 670-1

Shop UCP

OCP

Operational Camouflage Pattern

The current Army and Air Force combat pattern, also called Scorpion W2. It looks a lot like MultiCam, but it's a separate pattern.

MULTICAM

A commercial camo pattern made by Crye Precision and worn by US forces in Afghanistan. It looks close to OCP but isn't identical, so colors won't match exactly if you mix the two.

MARPAT

Marine Pattern

The Marine Corps digital camo, made in woodland and desert versions. It's reserved for Marine use, so commercial digital woodland is not true MARPAT.

M81 WOODLAND

The classic four-color woodland pattern of green, brown, tan, and black. It covered BDUs and field gear from the 1980s through the 2000s and is still one of the most recognized camo patterns around.

NWU

Navy Working Uniform

The Navy's working uniform. The blue and gray Type I has been retired, and the woodland digital Type III is the current standard.

ABU

Airman Battle Uniform

The Air Force's digital tiger stripe uniform, worn from 2007 until the Air Force switched to OCP.

COYOTE BROWN

The tan-brown color used on Marine Corps and special operations gear, including FILBE. You'll often see it listed as shade 498, the government color standard number used to keep gear from different makers matching.

FOLIAGE GREEN

The gray-green color used on Army MOLLE gear during the UCP era. It's often listed as shade 504, the government color standard number for that green.

OLIVE DRAB (OD)

The classic US military green. It's been used on gear and uniforms since World War II.

MCCUU

Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform

The Marine Corps' current utility uniform, printed in MARPAT woodland or desert. Marines usually just call them cammies or utilities.

DBDU

Desert Battle Dress Uniform

The desert uniform printed in the 6-color chocolate chip pattern. It was worn through the 1980s and the Gulf War before the DCU replaced it.

See also: 6-COLOR DESERT, CHOCOLATE CHIP, DCU, BDU

OG-107

Olive Green Shade 107

The olive green cotton utility uniform worn from the 1950s into the early 1980s, including through Vietnam. The name comes from its government color shade number, 107.

ERDL

Engineer Research and Development Laboratories pattern

A Vietnam-era woodland camo pattern and the direct ancestor of M81 Woodland.

TIGER STRIPE

A Vietnam-era pattern of bold horizontal stripes, worn by advisors and special operations units. It later inspired the Air Force ABU pattern.

AOR1 / AOR2

Area of Responsibility patterns

The Navy's digital camo patterns. AOR1 is the desert version and AOR2 is the woodland version, used on the NWU Type II and Type III.

FRACU

Flame Resistant Army Combat Uniform

The flame-resistant version of the ACU, issued for deployments.

ACS

Army Combat Shirt

A flame-resistant combat shirt with a moisture-wicking body and camo sleeves. It's made to be worn under body armor, where a regular uniform top gets hot and bulky.

IHWCU

Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform

The Army's OCP uniform made from lighter, faster-drying fabric for hot climates.

FROG

Flame Resistant Organizational Gear

The Marine Corps flame-resistant clothing system, which includes shirts, gloves, and balaclavas.

DESERT NIGHT CAMO

A grid-pattern overgarment from the Gulf War, designed to make troops harder to spot through early night vision.

AR 670-1

Army Regulation 670-1: Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia

The Army regulation that sets the rules for how uniforms, insignia, and items like boots are worn. When you see gear labeled AR 670-1 compliant, that's the maker's or seller's claim that it meets those rules. The Army does not test, certify, or approve individual commercial products.

6-COLOR DESERT

The desert camo nicknamed chocolate chip, after its black and white rock spots. It was used on the DBDU from the 1980s and was the main desert pattern US troops wore in the Gulf War.

See also: DBDU, CHOCOLATE CHIP, 3-COLOR DESERT

3-COLOR DESERT

The desert camo of light tan, pale olive, and brown that replaced the 6-color pattern in the 1990s. It was used on the DCU and is nicknamed coffee stain, not chocolate chip.

Cold Weather & Sleep

ECWCS

Extended Cold Weather Clothing System

The Army's layered cold weather clothing system. It has come in three generations, and Gen III breaks it into seven levels, from base layers up to an extreme cold parka. You wear the layers you need for the conditions.

ECWCS GEN III LEVELS

Level 1 is a lightweight base layer and Level 2 is a midweight base layer. Level 3 is the fleece jacket, Level 4 the wind jacket, and Level 5 the soft shell. Level 6 is the waterproof jacket and pants, and Level 7 is the insulated parka and pants for extreme cold.

PONCHO LINER

A quilted nylon blanket made to tie into a military poncho. It's light, warm, and packs small, which is why troops call it the woobie and hate to give it up.

Shop PONCHO LINER

M-65 FIELD JACKET

The cotton and nylon field jacket introduced in 1965, with a hood tucked into the collar and a removable liner. It's one of the most copied military designs ever made.

MICKEY MOUSE BOOTS

Extreme Cold Weather Vapor Barrier Boots

Insulated rubber boots built for extreme cold, nicknamed for their big, rounded shape that looks like Mickey Mouse's shoes. The insulation is sealed between layers of rubber, a vapor barrier design that traps warmth and keeps sweat from soaking the insulation. The black version handles serious cold, and the white version adds more insulation for the harshest conditions.

Shop MICKEY MOUSE BOOTS

PCU

Protective Combat Uniform

A layered cold weather clothing system developed for special operations forces.

MODULAR SLEEP SYSTEM (MSS)

The Army's sleeping bag system: a patrol bag, an intermediate cold weather bag, a waterproof bivy cover, and a compression sack. You combine the pieces as the temperature drops.

BIVY COVER

A waterproof, breathable shell that goes over your sleeping bag to keep it dry. It's part of the Modular Sleep System.

Shop BIVY COVER

Rations & Field Gear

MRE

Meal, Ready-to-Eat

The self-contained field meal for US forces. Each one has an entree, sides, and snacks, and most include a flameless heater so you can eat hot without a stove.

FRH

Flameless Ration Heater

The heater packed with MREs. Add a little water and it heats your entree with no flame.

CANTEEN

The military water bottle. The 1-quart plastic canteen rides in a pouch on your belt, and the 2-quart is a collapsible bladder.

E-TOOL

Entrenching Tool

The folding military shovel, used for digging fighting positions like foxholes. It folds down small enough to carry on a pack or belt.

550 CORD

Type III Parachute Cord

Nylon parachute cord with a 550 lb minimum breaking strength and 7 inner strands when it's made to mil-spec. Plenty of commercial paracord doesn't meet that spec, so it's worth knowing what you're buying.

Acronyms & Government Terms

DEMIL

Demilitarization

The rules that control how military property has to be altered or destroyed before it can be sold to the public. Items coded DEMIL A need no changes.

NSN

National Stock Number

The 13-digit number that identifies an item in the federal supply system. The first 4 digits are the supply class, the next 2 are the country code, and the last 7 identify the item. It's the surest way to match a surplus part to its original issue.

MIL-SPEC

Military Specification

A government document that spells out the materials, construction, and testing an item has to meet before the military will buy it.

BERRY AMENDMENT

The law that requires the Department of Defense to buy certain items, including clothing, textiles, and food, made in the United States.

TAA

Trade Agreements Act

The law that requires products sold to the federal government to come from the US or approved countries.

DLA

Defense Logistics Agency

The Defense Logistics Agency, the part of DoD that manages military supply, from food and clothing to selling off surplus.

CAGE CODE

Commercial and Government Entity Code

The 5-character ID assigned to companies that do business with the federal government.

IR TAB

A small patch that reflects infrared light, so friendly forces can spot each other through night vision.

NIR COMPLIANT

Near-Infrared Compliant

Fabric dyed so it's harder to see under night vision. Issue camo is made this way, and so is some commercial gear.

GI

Government Issue

Short for government issue. It means an item was made under military contract and issued to troops, not a commercial copy.

SURPLUS

Government property the military no longer needs and has released for sale, usually through DLA Disposition Services.

Slang & Nicknames

WOOBIE

The nickname for the poncho liner. It's lightweight, warm, and so well loved that troops are known for never giving theirs back.

RUCK

Short for rucksack. It's also a verb: to ruck is to march carrying a loaded pack.

BOONIE

The wide-brim, floppy field hat with a band around the crown. The name comes from the boonies, slang for the remote backcountry where it was worn.

P-38 / P-51

Small folding GI can openers. The P-51 is the bigger version and easier to grip. Troops put them to work well beyond cans, using the flat end as a makeshift screwdriver or pry tool, and some swear by it for helping break down a rifle in the field. They also call them John Waynes, after a bit of military lore that the actor showed how to use one in a training film.

DEUCE GEAR

A nickname for web gear: the belt, suspenders, and pouches of an LBE setup.

SNIVEL GEAR

A nickname for cold weather clothing and the comfort items that make bad weather bearable. To snivel is to whine, so it's a joke about gear for people who complain about the cold.

KEVLAR / K-POT

Nicknames for the combat helmet, after the Kevlar it's made from.

PT BELT

The reflective safety belt worn during physical training and around base. Troops have been required to wear it in so many situations, even broad daylight, that it became a running joke about military safety rules.

Shop PT BELT

BLOUSING BANDS

Elastic bands that hold your trouser legs tucked or rolled at the top of your boots.

CHOCOLATE CHIP

The nickname for the 6-color desert pattern on the DBDU, named for its dark spots. Don't confuse it with the later 3-color desert pattern, which is a different camo.

See also: 6-COLOR DESERT, DBDU, 3-COLOR DESERT

MOON BOOTS / BUNNY BOOTS

Other names for the military's extreme cold vapor barrier boots, the same boots called Mickey Mouse boots. Bunny boots usually means the white version.

Radio & Voice Procedure

CHARLIE MIKE

Means continue mission. It's C-M spelled out in the military phonetic alphabet, where each letter is spoken as a word (C is Charlie, M is Mike) so it can't be misheard over the radio.

OSCAR MIKE

Means on the move. It's O-M spelled out in the military phonetic alphabet, where each letter is spoken as a word (O is Oscar, M is Mike).

ROGER

Radio talk for received and understood. It comes from the older phonetic alphabet, where Roger stood for R, short for received.

WILCO

Will Comply

Short for will comply. It means you got the message and you'll do it.

COPY

Radio talk for I heard you.

OVER

Radio talk for I'm done speaking and waiting for your reply.

OUT

Radio talk for this conversation is finished, no reply needed. Over and out don't go together, even though the movies say otherwise.

TANGO DOWN

T is for target in the phonetic alphabet, so tango down means an enemy has been taken out. You'll hear it more in movies than in real radio traffic.

FIVE BY FIVE

Loud and clear. Radio signals get rated 1 to 5 for strength and clarity, so five by five is a perfect signal.

BOLO

Be On the Lookout

Short for be on the lookout. It's an alert to watch for a specific person, vehicle, or item.

SITREP

Situation Report

Short for situation report, a quick update on what's happening and where things stand.

FUBAR

F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition

Slang for something so broken or botched it's beyond saving.

SNAFU

Situation Normal, All F***ed Up

Slang for a mess that's just business as usual.