Military Glossary

Returned to military control
(DOD) The status of a person whose casualty status of duty status - whereabouts unknown or missing has been changed due to the person's return or recovery by US military authority.

Riot control agent
(DOD, NATO) A substance which produces temporary irritating or disabling physical effects that disappear within minutes of removal from exposure. There is no significant risk of permanent injury, and medical treatment is rarely required.

Road clearance time
(DOD, NATO) The total time a column requires to travel over and clear a section of the road.

Roll-on/roll-off discharge facility
(DOD) Provides a means of disembarking vehicles from a roll-on/roll-off ship to lighterage. The roll-on/roll-off discharge facility consists of six causeway sections, nonpowered assembled into a platform that is two sections long and three sections wide. When use of landing craft, utility, as lighters, is being considered, a seventh "sea end" causeway section, on-powered, fitted with a rhino horn, is required. The roll-on/roll-off discharge facility assembly includes fendering, lighting, and a ramp for vehicle movement from ship to the platform.

Rough terrain container handler
(DOD) A piece of materials handling equipment used to pick up and move containers.

Rules of engagement
(DOD) Directives issued by competent military authority which delineate the circumstances and limitations under which United States forces will initiate and/or continue combat engagement with other forces encountered.

Radar countermeasures
See electronic warfare; chaff.

Radar netting station
(DOD, NATO) A center which can receive data from radar tracking stations and exchange this data among other radar tracking stations, thus forming a radar netting system.

Radarscope photography
(DOD, NATO) A film record of the returns shown by a radar screen.

RADINT
See radar intelligence.

Radio direction finding data base
(DOD) The aggregate of information, acquired by both airborne and surface means, necessary to provide support to radio direction finding operations to produce fixes on target transmitters/emitters. The resultant bearings and fixes serve as a basis for tactical decisions concerning military operations, including exercises, planned or underway.

Radio recognization and identification
See Identification, Friend or Foe.

Rainfall (nuclear)
(DOD) The water that is precipitated from the base surge clouds after an underwater burst of a nuclear weapon. This rain is radioactive and presents an important secondary effect of such a burst.

Rationalization
(DOD) Any action that increases the effectiveness of allied forces through more efficient or effective use of defense resources committed to the alliance. Rationalization includes consolidation, reassignment of national priorities to higher alliance needs, standardization, specialization, mutual support or improved interoperability, and greater cooperation. Rationalization applies to both weapons/materiel resources and non-weapons military matters.

Readiness condition
See operational readiness.

Reallocation authority
(DOD, NATO) The authority given to NATO commanders and normally negotiated in peacetime, to reallocate in an "emergency in war" national logistic resources controlled by the combat forces under their command, and made available by nations, in order to influence the battle logistically.

RECCEXREP
See reconnaissance exploitation report.

Receipt into the supply system
(DOD) That point in time when the first item or first quantity of the item of the contract has been received at or is en route to point of first delivery after inspection and acceptance.

Reconnaissance exploitation report
(DOD, NATO) A standard message format used to report the results of a tactical air reconnaissance mission. Whenever possible the report should include the interpretation of sensor imagery.

Rectified airspeed
See calibrated airspeed.

Reduced operational status
(DOD) Applies to the Military Sealift Command ships withdrawn from full operational status (FOS) because of decreased operational requirements. A ship in reduced operational status is crewed in accordance with shipboard maintenance and possible future operational requirements with crew size predetermined contractually. The condition of readiness in terms of calendar days required to attain full operational status is designated by the numeral following the acronym ROS (i.e., ROS-5).

Regimental landing team
(DOD) A task organization for landing comprised of an infantry regiment reinforced by those elements which are required for initiation of its combat function ashore.

Reinforcement training unit
See voluntary training unit.

Releasing commander (nuclear weapons)
(DOD) A commander who has been delegated authority to approve the use of nuclear weapons within prescribed limits.

Repair and restoration
(DOD) Repair, beyond emergency repair, of war-damaged facilities to restore operational capability in accordance with combatant command standards of construction, which includes repair and restoration of pavement surfaces. Normally, repairs to facilities will be made using materials similar to those of the original construction. For severely damaged facilities (i.e., essentially destroyed), restoration may require reconstruction.

Representative downwind direction
(DOD, NATO) During the forecast period, the mean surface downwind direction in the hazard area towards which the cloud travels.

Reserve aircraft
(DOD) Those aircraft which have been accumulated in excess of immediate needs for active aircraft and are retained in the inventory against possible future needs.

Response force
(DOD) A mobile force with appropriate fire support designated, usually by the area commander, to deal with Level II threats in the rear area.

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