Infantry Callouts & Phrases

A reference for common (and less common) radio callouts, brevity terms, and phrases used in our operations. If you’ve ever heard something on the net and had no idea what it meant, start here.

This is a working glossary tuned to our community - not a verbatim copy of any single military publication. Where definitions are simplified for clarity, that’s deliberate. If you want the deep version, links to source material are at the bottom.

How to read this guide

CAPS = the actual word said on the radio.
Italics = what it means or how it’s used.
“Wrong / Right” pairs show common mistakes new players make.
Examples assume a generic modern infantry context. Adjust to fit the mission.

Part 1 - Common Phrases (Everyone Must Know)

Prowords (radio basics)

These are the universal building blocks of radio comms. Get these wrong and everything else falls apart.

Proword	Meaning
OVER	I’m done talking, your turn to respond.
OUT	I’m done, conversation ends. (Never “over and out”.)
ROGER	I received and understood your last transmission.
WILCO	I received it AND will comply with it. (Implies ROGER, so don’t say “roger wilco”.)
COPY	I received your transmission.
AFFIRMATIVE / NEGATIVE	Yes / No. Don’t use “yeah” or “nope” on the radio.
SAY AGAIN	Repeat your last transmission. (Never “repeat/repeat last” - in artillery, REPEAT means fire the same mission again.)
STAND BY/WAIT	Wait, I’ll get back to you.
BREAK	Pause between thoughts in a long message, so the receiver can keep up.
BREAK BREAK	Urgent - I’m interrupting current radio traffic for something important.
INTERROGATIVE	I’m about to ask a question.
HOW COPY?	Did you receive and understand? Asking for a readback.
GOOD COPY / SOLID COPY	Yes, I got it clearly.
RADIO CHECK	Can you hear me? Standard response is “LIMA CHARLIE” (loud and clear) or “5 BY 5”.

Wrong: “Yeah I got it man, anyway…” Right: “Roger, out.”

Contact Reports

The single most important thing infantry call out. Bad contact reports get people killed.

The 3 Ds - Direction, Distance, Description

The bare-minimum format when you spot enemy. Used immediately, before any formal report.

“Contact front, 200 metres, two enemy in tree line!”

Direction: front / left / right / rear, OR a cardinal direction (north, east, etc.), OR a clock bearing if everyone shares the same 12 o’clock.
Distance: in metres. Estimate if you have to - “close” (under 50m), “near” (50–200m), “far” (200m+) is acceptable in a pinch.
Description: what it is - number, type, what they’re doing.

Wrong: “Tangos over there!” Right: “Contact left, 150, three infantry moving north along the wall!”

Clock vs Cardinal - when to use which

Cardinal directions (N/S/E/W) work for everyone in the squad regardless of where they’re facing. Use these by default.
Clock bearings only work if everyone shares a common 12 o’clock - i.e. inside a vehicle, or when a leader has set a reference direction. Don’t shout “contact 3 o’clock” to a squad in a 360° perimeter; nobody knows which way your 12 is.

Engagement Calls

Call	Meaning
TALLY	I see the enemy / target you described.
NO JOY/NO EYES	I do NOT see the enemy / target.
VISUAL	I see the friendly you mentioned.
BLIND	I do NOT see the friendly.
EYES ON	I’m watching the target. (Less formal than TALLY.)
LOST EYES	I had the target/friendly but I’ve lost track of it.

Common confusion: TALLY = enemy, VISUAL = friendly. Don’t mix them up. NO JOY (no enemy in sight) vs BLIND (no friendly in sight) follows the same logic.

Fire Commands & Weapons Status

These tell you when you’re allowed to shoot.

Call	Meaning
HOLD FIRE	Do not engage. Hold fire unless you’re being engaged or about to be.
WEAPONS TIGHT	Engage only positively identified hostiles. (Default for most ops.)
WEAPONS FREE	Engage anything not positively identified as friendly. (Rare - used in declared hot zones.)
HOLD FIRE	Stop firing now, but stay ready. Reversible.
CHECK FIRE	Stop firing immediately - something’s wrong (friendlies in line of fire, ROE issue, mistaken ID).
CEASE FIRE	Stop firing, engagement is over. Often paired with safing weapons.
ENGAGE	Open fire on the designated target.
FIRE AT WILL	Engage targets as you identify them, no need to wait for further commands.

Wrong: “Cease fire, cease fire!” (when you actually meant “check fire” because of friendlies in the way) Right: “Check fire, check fire, friendlies on the objective!”

The difference matters: CEASE FIRE implies engagement is over; CHECK FIRE means stop immediately for a reason that may resolve.

Reload & Ammo Status

When you reload, your firepower drops. If you’re a key shooter (AR, MG, marksman) you tell people. Riflemen don’t always need to call it - use judgement.

Call	Meaning
RELOADING	I’m reloading right now. Cover me.
COVERING	I’m covering for someone reloading or moving.
UP	I’m back in the fight. (E.g. “AR up!“)
DRY	My weapon is empty. (Worse than RELOADING - means you ran the mag dry, not a tactical reload.)
LAST MAG	I’m on my last magazine.
BLACK ON AMMO	I’m out of ammo.
GREEN ON AMMO	I’m fully supplied.
AMBER / RED ON AMMO	Intermediate states - getting low.

Standard pattern: “AR reloading, give me cover!” → teammate: “Covering!” → “AR up!”

Grenade Callouts

Get these wrong and you injure your own team. Three rules:

Always call out before you throw.
Outgoing and incoming are called differently.
If in doubt, shout louder.

Call	Meaning
FRAG OUT!	I am throwing a fragmentation grenade. Get behind cover.
SMOKE OUT!	I am throwing smoke. (Specify colour if relevant: “Red smoke out!“)
FLASH OUT!	I am throwing a flashbang. Look away / shut your eyes.
GRENADE!	INCOMING enemy grenade. Get to cover, NOW.
BANGING!	About to use a flashbang on a room/doorway (CQB).

Wrong: “Grenade!” when you mean you’re throwing one. Half the squad will dive thinking they’re about to die. Right: “Frag out!” (outgoing) vs “Grenade!” (incoming).

Movement & Status

Call	Meaning
MOVING	I am moving (usually to a new position). Pairs with “Covering!” from teammates.
SET	I’m in position and ready.
POSTED	I’m holding security at this position.
HOLD	Stop, stay put.
PUSH	Move forward / advance to the next position.
FALL BACK / BUG OUT	Withdraw to the rear. BUG OUT implies more urgency.
RALLY	Move to the rally point.
OSCAR MIKE (O.M.)	On the move. (We’re moving / unit is moving.)
CHARLIE MIKE/CARRY ON/CRACK ON	Continue mission. (Carry on with what you were doing.)
RTB	Return to base.
STAND TO / STAND DOWN	Go to full alert / drop from full alert.

Common pattern (bounding): “Bravo team, moving!” → Alpha team: “Covering!” → Bravo gets to next cover → “Bravo set!” → Alpha: “Alpha moving!” → Bravo: “Covering!”

Friendlies & IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe)

Call	Meaning
FRIENDLY!/BLUE!	I am a friendly - don’t shoot me. Shouted when approaching another friendly position.
FRIENDLIES LEFT/RIGHT/FRONT	There are friendlies in this direction - don’t engage that arc.
BLUE	Friendly forces.
BLUE ON BLUE	Friendly fire incident.
CHECK FIRE, FRIENDLIES!	Stop firing immediately, friendlies are in your line of fire.
CLEAR LEFT/RIGHT/FRONT	No friendlies in this direction - engagement OK from this angle.

Casualty Calls

Call	Meaning
MAN DOWN	A friendly is hit. Doesn’t specify dead or wounded.
MAN DOWN, [NAME/POSITION]	Specifies who. Always include this if you can.
KIA	Killed in action.
WIA	Wounded in action.
WALKING WOUNDED/AMBULATORY	Wounded but can still move themselves.
LITTER	Wounded, cannot walk, needs evac soon.
URGENT / PRIORITY / ROUTINE	MEDEVAC categories (see 9-line MEDEVAC below).
MEDIC!	Calling for the medic to come to your position.
CASEVAC / MEDEVAC	Unplanned Medical Evac / Planned Medical Evac

Common Acronyms

Acronym	Meaning
AO	Area of operations.
TAOR	Tactical area of responsibility.
FOB	Forward operating base.
COP	Combat outpost.
OP	Observation post.
LP/OP	Listening post / observation post.
RV	Rendezvous (meeting point).
ORP	Objective rally point - pre-objective hold position.
PB	Patrol base.
SP / LD	Start point / line of departure (where the operation begins).
LZ / PZ / HLZ	Landing zone / pickup zone / helicopter landing zone.
EOA	End of advance.
ROE	Rules of engagement.
TOC	Tactical operations centre (command post).
CO / 2IC	Commanding officer / second in command.
PL / PSG	Platoon leader / platoon sergeant.
SL / FTL	Squad leader / fireteam leader.
TIC	Troops in contact.

Part 2 - Advanced

Standard Report Formats

Memorise the formats - they’re how command builds the picture.

SALUTE (used for sighting/contact reports)

Letter	Stands for	Example
S	Size	”Squad-sized element, ~8 personnel”
A	Activity	”Setting up a checkpoint”
L	Location	”Grid 047 318” or “200m NE of objective ALPHA”
U	Unit / Uniform	”OPFOR regulars, woodland fatigues”
T	Time	”Observed 1430 local”
E	Equipment	”AKs, one PKM, one technical with DShK”

Used before or after contact, not during - during contact, send a TIC (Troops In Contact) instead.

SITREP (Situation Report) - pushed up to higher

A brief on your current state. Format varies by SOP, but a common version:

Location (where you are)
Activity (what you’re doing)
Status (ACE REPORT)
Next intentions (what you plan to do next)

“Bravo SITREP: holding ORP grid 047 318, 100% strength, green on ammo, prepping to step off at 1500.”

SPOTREP (Spot Report)

Similar to SALUTE but for any noteworthy observation, not just enemy contact. Three lines:

ALPHA: Who observed it (omit if it’s you).
BRAVO: What was observed (use SALUTE format).
CHARLIE: Actions taken and recommendations.

ACE Report

A quick after-contact check on the team’s state. Usually called for by the leader after an engagement, all measured by RED/AMBER/GREEN

Ammunition
Casualties
Equipment

Team members respond in turn: “Alpha 1, Green, Green, Amber”

9-Line MEDEVAC

The standard format for requesting medical evacuation. Memorise the order - line numbers stay fixed even if a line is “N/A”.

Line	Content
1	Location of pickup site (grid).
2	Radio frequency, call sign, and suffix.
3	Number of patients by precedence (A=Urgent, B=Urgent Surgical, C=Priority, D=Routine, E=Convenience).
4	Special equipment required (none, hoist, extraction equipment, ventilator).
5	Number of patients by type (L=Litter, A=Ambulatory).
6	Security at pickup site (N=No enemy, P=Possible enemy, E=Enemy in area, X=Armed escort required).
7	Method of marking pickup site (panels, smoke, flares, IR strobe).
8	Patient nationality and status (friendly mil, friendly civ, EPW, etc.).
9	NBC / terrain description at pickup site.

Tip: Lines 1–5 are pre-contact info (sent first). Lines 6–9 are on-scene info (can be sent after).

Fire Types & Terminology

Term	Meaning
SUPPRESSING FIRE	Fire intended to keep the enemy’s heads down, not necessarily to hit them.
COVERING FIRE	Suppressing fire specifically to enable a friendly’s movement.
MARKING FIRE	Fire to mark a target for someone else (often tracers for an MG or aircraft).
AREA FIRE	Fire spread across an area to engage suspected positions.
POINT FIRE	Fire directed at a single specific target.
GRAZING FIRE	MG fire kept low to the ground (knee-high or below) - devastating against infantry.
PLUNGING FIRE	High-angle MG fire that comes down from above (typically over a crest).
ENFILADE / ENFILADING FIRE	Fire along the long axis of an enemy formation - maximum effect for minimum rounds.
FPF / FINAL PROTECTIVE FIRE	Pre-planned defensive fire, “last line” against an assault.
MAD MINUTE	Brief, high-volume volley by Machine Gunners - usually for response to contact.

Formation Calls

Call	Shape	When to use
WEDGE	V-shape, point forward.	Default for open terrain - good 360° awareness.
COLUMN	Single line, nose-to-tail.	Tight terrain (woods, urban alleys), or when speed matters more than fire.
STAGGERED COLUMN	Two offset files.	Roads, where you want some lateral spread.
LINE	Side by side, all facing forward.	Assault into an objective - maximum forward firepower.
ECHELON LEFT / RIGHT	Diagonal line.	Flank security on one side.
DIAMOND	Box with point forward and rear.	360° security, used during VIP missions.

Calling it: “Alpha, form wedge, 10m spacing, axis north” - formation, spacing, direction of travel.

Movement Techniques

Term	Meaning
TRAVELING	Standard movement, low threat expected.
TRAVELING OVERWATCH	Lead element moves, trail element keeps a small distance back ready to react.
BOUNDING OVERWATCH	Trail element holds in position covering while lead element moves; alternates. Slowest, most secure.
SUCCESSIVE BOUNDS	Same element always leads; the other always follows up.
ALTERNATE BOUNDS	Elements leapfrog past each other - the one behind becomes the one in front.
PEELING / PEEL	Break contact technique: rearmost shooters peel off one by one, retrograding past those still firing.

Battle Drill Terminology

These are pre-rehearsed responses to common situations.

Drill	Meaning
REACT TO CONTACT	Standard response when contacted by enemy - return fire, take cover, locate, suppress, manoeuvre.
BREAK CONTACT	Disengage from an enemy you can’t or shouldn’t fight.
NEAR AMBUSH	Ambush within ~50m (grenade range). Assault directly through it.
FAR AMBUSH	Ambush beyond ~50m. Return fire, manoeuvre to a flank/break contact.
REACT TO IED	Stop, isolate the area, 5-and-25 search, call up the contact.
5 AND 25	Search 5m around yourself, then 25m, for secondary devices/threats before doing anything else.

CQB / Urban Terminology

Term	Meaning
STACK	Line up on a doorway or breach point, ready to enter.
STACK UP	Get into the stack.
SET (in CQB)	I’m in position on the door / corner / window, ready to go.
BREACH	Force entry (kick, ram, charge, shotgun). “Breach, breach, breach!” = doing it now.
HOLDING SHORT	Stopped just before a corner or doorway, waiting.
PIE-ING / SLICING THE PIE	Clearing a corner by stepping out in small arcs to expose only a slice of the unknown space at a time.
CLEAR	This room/sector has been checked, no threats.
CLEAR LEFT / CLEAR RIGHT	My assigned sector is clear of threats.
LAST MAN	I’m the last one through this door - useful so the team knows the doorway is no longer being covered from behind.
CORNER FED	Door is in the corner of a room (different clearing approach to a centre-fed door).
CENTRE FED	Door is in the middle of a wall.
STRONG WALL / WEAK WALL	Long walls of a room, named relative to entry.
POINT OF DOMINATION	Each entry team member’s pre-assigned corner of a room.

Helicopter & Vehicle Ops

Term	Meaning
LZ HOT / LZ COLD	Landing zone under fire / not under fire.
WHEELS DOWN / WHEELS UP	Aircraft has landed / has taken off.
FAST ROPE / FRIES	Inserting by rope from a hovering helicopter. Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction System.
HOT EXTRACT	Extraction under fire.
EXFIL / INFIL	Exfiltration / infiltration.
CHALK	A specific load of troops on a specific aircraft. “1st chalk on the lead bird.”
BIRD	Helicopter.
TRACK	Tracked vehicle (tank, IFV).
WAGON	Wheeled vehicle.
CONVOY	Vehicle column moving together.
HERRINGBONE	Convoy defensive halt - vehicles alternate facing left/right off the road.

Threat & Engagement Specialist Terms

Term	Meaning
DANGER CLOSE	Friendly forces are within minimum safe distance of incoming fires (artillery, CAS).
TROOPS IN CONTACT (TIC)	Friendly forces currently engaged with the enemy. Priority radio traffic.
BDA	Battle damage assessment - what we destroyed/wounded after an engagement.
MANPADS	Man-portable air defence (E.G Stinger/Strela/Igla).
AAA / TRIPLE-A	Anti-aircraft gun.
SAM	Surface-to-air Missile
CAS	Close air support.
TIC / TROOPS IN CONTACT	Worth knowing twice - get this one right.
QRF	Quick reaction force - standby element that responds to TICs.

Bullseye / Reference-Point Calls

A way to give locations relative to a shared reference point (“BULLSEYE”), used heavily in aviation but useful for ground too if everyone briefs the BULLSEYE before the op.

“Enemy infantry, BULLSEYE 270, 4 clicks.” = enemy is bearing 270° from the bullseye, 4km out.

Time Terminology

Term	Meaning
H-HOUR	The hour an operation kicks off. “H minus 30” = 30 minutes before kickoff.
D-DAY	The day an operation begins.
ZULU TIME	UTC. Often used in orders to avoid timezone confusion.
LOCAL TIME	Time in the AO. Usually called “LIMA”.

Common Confusions - Quick Reference

The mistakes I hear most often from new players:

“Repeat” vs “Say again” - say “say again”. REPEAT means fire again, in artillery.
TALLY vs VISUAL - tally is enemy, visual is friendly.
Cease fire vs check fire - check fire stops shooting for a reason that may pass; cease fire ends the engagement.
Frag out vs Grenade! - Frag out = me throwing; Grenade! = incoming.
Clock bearings without a reference - don’t shout “3 o’clock” in a 360° perimeter. Use cardinal directions unless you’re in a vehicle.
“Roger that, wilco, copy” - pick one. Roger or Wilco is enough.
Contact reports without distance/description - “CONTACT!” tells no one anything useful.
Reload without cover - never reload without telling someone.
Stepping on transmissions - if you hear someone keying up, wait. Cutting them off means the message has to be re-sent, twice as long.
Long transmissions without BREAKs - anything over ~5 seconds, BREAK so the receiver can catch up.

Quartz 4

Explorer

Callouts