A question about military language.?

Question

Is there a coded way to say friendly fire. Would this sound right, I just wanted to know because I'm writing a fictional story and I wanted to get the language the military would use right. This is the radio exchange I've written and I just wanted to get the language as correct as it can be to make the story more realistic.

“Talon 30, this is Footman 28, requesting close air support on our location. At least 16 enemy combatants have gathered, do you have a visual on the location?” The soldier said into his radio.

“Roger that, we have kept eyes on you, and have captured multiple contacts on screen. Targets are inside danger close, hold position within the house until strike is complete to avoid friendly fire, do you copy?” A male voice came in over the radio.

“Roger that, you are cleared hot to engage. Footman 28, over and out.” The Soldier replied.

Answer 1

In short, no. No one calls for friendly fire nor warns about it. We just take steps to avoid it.

Your guy on the ground will call for fire and identify a strike target. HE will advise targets are danger-close.

He knows to make himself small so no one is even going to mention friendly fire.

Direct radio between your guy on the ground and the strike aircraft is pretty unlikely but he IS likely to communicate directly with indirect fire-support thus (use your own call-signs and details:)

Artillery this is Infantry. Fire for effect over

Infantry this is artillery. Fire for effect out

target location (grid coordinate polar coordinate etc). over (if this is not PRECISELY known, the initial call will be to adjust fire, not fire for effect)

target location out.

16 troops in the open danger close over

16 troops in the open danger close out

HE 2 rounds (or whatever munitions suit you story situation) over (if adjusting fire, the munition isn't specified until you have it bulls-eyed and call fire for effect)

HE 2 rounds out

(fire control computes time on target and warns when impact is a few seconds away)

Splash over

Splash out



If you want to keep it an airstrike, higher command will give the clear to engage, not the guy on the ground. He's nothing but an observer for combat control in this case.



Over and out is fiction.

Over means it's your turn to talk.

Out means we're done



Also, I'm assuming encrypted communication. If not, fire control with say "authenticate (a,b)" the guy calling for fire will check the day's code chart (looks like a multiplication table) and read back what's at the intersection of the two letters FDC called. this goes right after the target description



If you're going to write a lot of this sort of thing, go to EBAY or an Army/Navy store and buy some Field Manuals. They aren't classified (Technically, they are, but at an extremely low level. You're not supposed to just go around handing them out)

You can learn all sorts of stuff about steps military personnel take, how they use the radio for various purposes etc. - then talk to some vets to get a feel for some common "off the books" stuff they sometimes did instead.

Answer 2

Its just out not over and out, and you can get rid of this is before Footman 28. I have to agree that it is pretty wordy. It should be pretty easy to come up with a list of common radio jargon on the internet

Answer 3

Way off, you are missing all the proper terminology..."Contact, Tally Ho, Play Time, Cleared Hot Guns Hot, Authentication procedures for dangerous close, in from, etc.

Answer 4

way too chatty for the usual communications...............they are not asking each other on a date, they are much more shorter and to the point.

Answer 5

I don't like questions like this...