recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Hotel (Callsign)

**Hotel** is the eighth letter of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, corresponding to the letter "H". The word Hotel is normally used instead of that letter in all communications.

The term "Hotel" appears rarely in *ShackTac* videos (other than when referring to an actual hotel), but is typically used as the callsign for a Squad of Reinforcements. More rarely, it is used for infantry Special Forces squads.

## Uses

* Most commonly, the callsign "Hotel" is assigned to a new Reinforcements Squad joining the battle partway into the mission. It may or may not be the second Squad to join a battle in progress, after "Golf" squad.

* Alternatively, the callsign "Hotel" may be used for Squads that are not part of the main force - whether trapped behind enemy lines, or operating under their own independent command structure. A Special Forces unit, for example, might receive the callsign "Hotel".

* Objectives for Hotel Squad are marked with the letter "H", but will be referred to as "Hotel Objective", "Hotel Rally", "Hotel Resupply", etc.

* In some missions, the NATO letter "Hotel" may instead be used as a callsign for non-unit entities, such as objectives, routes, landing zones, and so forth. If so, new reinforcement units will receive a different callsign to avoid conflicts.

## Examples

Please add below any examples of the use of the term "Hotel" (as a callsign, not when referring to a building) in *ShackTac* videos.
The Last Pony Ride

**The Last Pony Ride** is the sixth and last book in the *Pony Pals:Super Specials* series by Jeanne Betancourt, first published by Scholastic in 2004. It stars all the Pony Pals. It is preceded numerically by Super Special #5 Pony Problem, and chronologically by publication date it is preceded by book #. It is the last book in the entire series and concludes the Pony Pals story.

## Publisher Summary

Pam, Anna, and Lulu thought they'd be Pony Pals forever, but all that is about to change. Lulu's dad wants her to live with him in Africa, and Anna and Pam are growing too tall for their ponies.

Now the girls have to convince Lulu's dad to let her stay in Wiggins and find a way to keep their ponies... or face the end of the Pony Pals.

Will this be the one Pony Pal Problem the girls just can't solve?
JIP

A **Join-In-Progress** (**JIP**) is the act of putting a player into a mission that is already "Weapons Hot", after they had arrived late or had missed the preparatory/early portions of that mission. It is distinct from a "Rejoin-In-Progress" ("REJIP"), which is where players that participated in the mission and were killed in action are reintroduced into the mission.

JIPs are exceedingly rare, and seem to be allowed more often for veteran *Shackers* than for pFNGs and other rookies. Large-scale JIPs are nonexistent, as a large number of players who are not already invested in the mission and were not present in the Briefing stage could cause mass confusion and other problems once they reach the battle.

JIPs will only occur early in the mission, if they occur at all.

For more information, see Reinforcements.
Echo (Callsign)

**Echo** is the fifth letter of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, corresponding to the letter "E". The word Echo is normally used instead of that letter in all communications.

The term "Echo" was originally used as the Callsign for the second Squad in the second Infantry Platoon. A second platoon has become quite rare in ShackTac *ArmA 3* videos, but "Echo" is still used for the same purpose when that happens.

## Uses

* The second Squad in the second Infantry Platoon is almost always called "Echo".

* The term "Echo" is rarely if ever seen in *ArmA 3* videos, due to the smaller Headcounts.

* If Echo Squad has any armed vehicles directly attached to it, whether for transport or close fire support, those vehicles receive the callsign "Echo Victor", meaning "Echo Vehicle". This is typically shortened to "Echo Vic" ("EV" on the map).

* Objectives for Echo Squad are marked with the letter "E", but will be referred to as "Echo Objective", "Echo Rally", "Echo Resupply", etc.

## Examples

An "Echo Squad" appears in many ShackTac videos of the *ArmA 2* era, where it was very common to see two Infantry Platoons operating together. There is no need to provide examples of such videos here.

In *ArmA 3*, the term "Echo" is rarely used as a callsign for any unit. There is rarely if ever a 2nd Platoon to begin with. Should the term "Echo" be used in any such video, please add it below.
Don't Hurt My Pony

**Don't Hurt My Pony** is the tenth book in the *Pony Pals* series by Jeanne Betancourt, first published in July 1996. It stars Lulu. It is followed by Circus Pony.

## Publisher Summary

On the Wiggins trail, Lulu's pony gets her hoof stuck in an animal trap. Why would someone be setting traps on the trail? Who would want to hurt Lulu's pony?

The Pony Pals have to solve this mystery. All of the animals on the trail are in danger! Can the Pony Pals stop the trappers before it's too late?

## Plot Summary

(to be added)

Snow White collecting card found in this book.Bookmark found in this book (front and back)
Mayday

"**Mayday**" is a military aviation term that indicates an Aircraft has lost its ability to fly and is about to crash or crash-land. "Going down" is an alternative term. *Shacker* Pilots tend to use "going down" more often than "Mayday", but both terms are understood.

There could be various reactions to a "Mayday" call, but often there is little anyone can do about it until the aircraft is down on the ground. Should the crew/passengers survive, a rescue mission may be organized to get them back to friendly vicinity or back to base.
Ponies on Parade

**Ponies on Parade** is the thirty-eighth and last book in the *Pony Pals* series by Jeanne Betancourt, first published in September 2003. It stars Anna. While it is the last book in the main series, the last book of the Super Specials, The Last Pony Ride follows this books plotwise and by publication date.

## Publisher Summary

Come one, come all to celebrate fall! For this year's Fall Festival, ten lucky winners get to design and paint their own life-size pony models. Anna's design is sure to win...unless Tommy Rand gets his way!

Tommy and his friend Mike are mad at the Pony Pals, and there's no telling what they'll do to get back at them. But Tommy and Mike aren't mean enough to mess with Anna's pony...are they?
Zulu (Callsign)

**Zulu** is the twenty-sixth (and last) letter of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, corresponding to the letter "Z". The word Zulu is normally used instead of that letter in all communications.

This letter appears very rarely (or not at all) in *ShackTac* videos, so much so that it is impossible to generalize its typical use.

## Examples

The term "Zulu" may or may not have appeared in any *ShackTac* videos whatsoever. If you run across its use in a video, please add it here.

* **Midnight Recovery** by **Dslyecxi** features a Special Forces unit using the callsign "Zulu".
November (Callsign)

**November** is the fourteenth letter of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, corresponding to the letter "N". The word November is normally used instead of that letter in all communications.

This letter appears very rarely (or not at all) in *ShackTac* videos, so much so that it is impossible to generalize its typical use.

## Examples

The term "November" may or may not have appeared in any *ShackTac* videos whatsoever. If you run across its use in a video, please add it here.
A Tale of Cat and Mouse

This is an AU when Frisk completed the 50th genocide route, taken Asgore's soul and goes back to the surface, and prepare for the next reset, however when they reached the surface and was about to do so, the human suddenly noticed that there is a cat that is chasing a mouse, the cat who is chasing the mouse has grey-blue fur, the mouse has a brown and orange color the two of those animals all hits and shattered the reset button at the same time when Chara/Frisk has touched it, this has resulted in a new timeline and universe was born, a new history, a new species of monsters were been born in the Underground.

## Changes:

* Sans was been replaced by Tom Cat.
* Papyrus was been replaced by Jerry.
* Asgore was been replaced by Butch.
* Undyne as Spike Bulldog.
* Alphys as Female Spike Bulldog (Danna)
* Toriel was been replaced by Toodles.
* Tom and Jerry has knowledge of who they were before they became like this.
* Tom has Sans's memories.
* Jerry doesn't have the ability to remember timelines for Tom.
* Tom's quote when he was about to start the execution towards the human is "It's a beautiful day outside, birds are chirping, flowers are being blow, on days like these kids like you...should be thrown out to the street"

## Trivia:

* Tom and Jerry doesn't wants to start battles with each other since because of Sans and Papyrus's personalities it prevents them from doing so.
Stolen Ponies

**Stolen Ponies** is the twentieth book in the *Pony Pals* series by Jeanne Betancourt, first published in May 1999. It stars Anna. It is followed by The Winning Pony.

## Publisher Summary

One day while the Pony Pals are at their secret hide-out they hear thunder and it starts to rain. Anna goes to check on the ponies and discovers that all three ponies are missing!

The ponies may be in great danger! The Pony Pals are afraid for their ponies. Did the ponies run away? But how could they untie their leads? Have the ponies been stolen?
Ground

**"Ground"** is a callsign used for the following purposes:

1. An alternative to "Command", a callsign that refers specifically to the Platoon Leader or Company Commander.
2. Referring to all or any ground units in the mission, including both Infantry and Vehicles.

In both cases, this term is pretty much exclusively used by Aircraft on Platoon Net or Company Net. It may also be used by a ground unit to identify itself when contacting Aircraft.
Tandem Warhead

A **Tandem Warhead** is a type of warhead specifically designed to defeat modern tank armor (ERA - Explosive Reactive Armor). This type of warhead can be found primarily on Medium Anti-Tank Rockets, which would be too small to penetrate such heavy armor reliably without it.

Tandem Warheads carry two separate packs of explosive charges. The first is a small HE charge, stored in an elongated nose at the very tip of the rocket, which explodes when the rocket is at a short range away from its target. This explosion triggers the ERA, causing it to explode outwards prematurely and also mitigating that explosive force. The second explosive charge is a regular HEAT device that triggers when the rocket's body strikes the armor, piercing through it and destroying whatever is inside.

With these explosive charges triggering one after the other, the Tandem Warhead stands a very good chance of penetrating ERA in one hit, relative to its size. This allows designing rockets and launchers that are light enough to be carried by Infantry and fired from the shoulder. By comparison, larger HAT Missiles and ATGMs carry enough explosive power to defeat ERA without any tandem action, but are also significantly heavier - typically fired from a tripod or even a vehicle.
Charlie (Callsign)

**Charlie** is the third letter of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, corresponding to the letter "C". The word Charlie is normally used instead of that letter in all communications.

The term "Charlie" is typically used as the Callsign for the third Squad in the first Infantry Platoon. Since almost all ShackTac videos include at least one infantry platoon, this callsign is one of the most common.

## Uses

* The third Squad in the first (or only) Infantry Platoon is almost always called "Charlie". If there are players on two or more Sides of a mission, each side may have its own Charlie squad.

* If Charlie Squad has any armed vehicles directly attached to it, whether for transport or close fire support, those vehicles receive the callsign "Charlie Victor", meaning "Charlie Vehicle". This is typically shortened to "Charlie Vic" ("CV" on the map).

* Objectives for Charlie Squad are marked with the letter "C", but will be referred to as "Charlie Objective", "Charlie Rally", "Charlie Resupply", etc.

* In an Armored Company with no infantry present, the callsign "Charlie" will typically be assigned to the third Tank Platoon in that company. All of the above applies equally to this tank platoon.

## Examples

Since a "Charlie Squad" appears in almost each and every ShackTac video, specific examples are not necessary.

Please add any atypical uses of the term "Charlie" below.
Bingo

**Bingo** is a military aviation code-word that indicates an aircraft has just enough fuel remaining to make it back to base to refuel. A Pilot declaring "Bingo" on the Radio is typically making it known that they are returning to base immediately.

Pilots may instead decide to stay over the battlefield, *knowing* they won't be able to make it back to base before the engine sputters out, but hoping to make a difference on the battlefield before they inevitably crash. This is extremely rare in *ShackTac*.

Note that the term "Bingo" may also be used (informally) as an alternative to "Winchester", a term that describes an aircraft as having run out of ammunition for one or more of its weapons. In this case, the "Bingo" call will be followed by a description of the weapon/ammo that's been depleted, or just "Bingo on ammunition" to indicate no ammunition left for any (effective) weapon.
NATO Phonetic Alphabet

The **NATO Phonetic Alphabet** is a list of 26 words corresponding to each of the letters in the English alphabet. These words are used in both Radio and Voice communications instead of letters they represent. The advantage of this system is that each word in the Phonetic Alphabet sounds different-enough from all others, making communications clearer.

**ShackTac** uses the NATO Phonetic Alphabet in almost all communications. Additionally, many units, vehicles and weapons are given Callsigns based on this alphabet.

## List

The following is a list of all 26 **NATO Phonetic Alphabet** words, the letter they represent, and the typical use for each letter in ShackTac communications.
My Pony Pals Address Book

**My Pony Pals Address Book** is a supplemental book to the *Pony Pals* series by Jeanne Betancourt, first published in August 1999.

## Inside Summary

Pony Pals,

Here is your very own address, telephone, e-mail, and birthday book. With your Pony Pals Address Book handy at all times, it'll be easy to keep in touch with all your friends and relatives.

So whether it's the address of your best friend who moved across the country, the phone number of the new girl in school, or your older brother's e-mail address at college, write it all down here — and you'll never be caught without an important address or phone number again!

*Keep in touch!*
Tales from Kongo Bongo

Tales from Kongo Bongo is a Donkey Kong Country AU originating on this very page. The creator knows almost nothing about Donkey Kong Country aside from the TV show, and even then it's only because of the memes.

So, he made this article to learn a bit. Basically what happens is anyone who knows anything about Donkey Kong Country can add or change roles to their liking whenever they want as long as they're from the Donkey Kong series. Except Mettaton. I like the Mettaton role too much for you to do that.

"Long ago, the Island of Kongo Bongo was at peace, being the home of all KONGS. Then, one day, the island was invaded by the KREMLINGS..."

### Main Roles

* Frisk remains unchanged.
* Klump, a cannon barrel with two eyes in a dark hole, replaces Flowey
* Kaptain Skurvy replaces Toriel
* Donkey Kong replaces Sans.
* Diddy Kong replaces Papyrus.
* Bluster Kong replaces Mettaton
	+ Leo Luster replaces the Mettaton forms that aren't his box form.
* King K. Rool replaces Asgore.
* Kannon replaces Asriel.
* Chara

### Minor Roles

* Napstablook
* Doggo
* Lanky Kong replaces Lesser Dog
* Dogamy and Dogaressa
* Eddie The Mean Old Yeti replaces Greater Dog.
* Glyde
* Mad Dummy
* Gaster
* Expresso the Ostritch Muffet
* So Sorry

### Shopkeepers

* Swanky Kong replaces the Nice Cream Guy
* Cranky Kong replaces Gerson
* Candy Kong replaces Burgerpants.

### Random Encounters

* Klaptrap (Donkey Kong Country) replaces Froggit
* Klap Trap (Donkey Kong 64) replaces Final Froggit

### Locations

* Bluster Barrel Works replaces the MTT Resort.

### Themes

* Welcome Aboard! (Fallen Down)
* Hurts To Be This Hip (Death By Glamour)
* K ROOL (Asgore)
Parachute

A **Parachute** is a piece of equipment used for surviving a drop from high altitude. Parachutes are seen in *ShackTac* both in the context of Paratroopers and when Pilots eject from various Aircraft. They are also seen attached to air-dropped Resupply Crates.

Parachutes are deployed automatically (at least in *ArmA 3*) as soon as a person carrying one (or a crate fitted with one) is in freefall. This happens when the person/crate is ejected from a flying aircraft, whether voluntarily or automatically. Once the person/crate touches the ground, the parachute disappears from the game entirely. It does not need to be removed.

Personal parachutes come in two distinct flavors: Controllable and non-controllable. Controllable parachutes allow the player using them to maneuver while in the air, and thus be able to determine to some extent where they will touch down. Non-controllable parachutes do not allow this, meaning that the person using the parachute glides along a path determined only by the exact point where they were dropped from the aircraft. The Controllable variety is far rarer in *ShackTac* videos, mostly used by well-equipped Paratroopers such as BLUFOR Special Forces. Their availability can greatly affect the disorganization typically occurring immediately after touch-down.

Crate parachutes are always non-controllable.
Light Vehicle

A **Light Vehicle** is a wheeled ground vehicle with little or no armor. This category includes Trucks and Jeeps as well as lightly armored HMMWVs and similar combat cars. Some Light vehicles may be armed, but most are completely unarmed.

Light Vehicles are unique in that they offer no real protection for the crew and passengers, not even against Small Arms. Pretty much any weapon can either damage or completely defeat a Light Vehicle, either by shooting at the tires, at the driver/gunner, at the fuel tank, or even at the engine.

Light Vehicles typically have room to transport Infantry. Trucks, in particular, can carry a large number of them. Smaller Light Vehicles can carry fewer troops, but are generally much faster and harder to hit, allowing them to quickly move a handful of troops from one place to another.

Armed Light Vehicles may carry widely different weapons, from HMGs to HAT launchers or SPGs. Such a vehicle might even be able to take out enemy Armor, given the element of surprise. However any return fire from the enemy may destroy the Light Vehicle instantly - meaning the that vehicle should avoid any engagement in which it does not have the element of surprise.

The most common models of Light Vehicles include the HMMWV and HEMTT for BLUFOR; the UAZ and KAMAZ for OPFOR; Technicals and private cars for INDFOR. A great variety of other Light Vehicles have also been featured in *ShackTac* over the years.
The Pony and the Bear

**The Pony and the Bear** is the twenty-third book in the *Pony Pals* series by Jeanne Betancourt, first published in November 1999. It stars Anna. It is followed by Unlucky Pony.

## Publisher Summary

The Pony Pals are excited about doing a nature watch in the woods.
People say the black bears are making their way south and maybe the girls will be the first to see one up close. But they're also worried that Charlie will tell Tommy and Mike about their plans.
Anna is on the night watch when she hears a rustling sound. Acorn is restless, pacing up and down. Could it be a black bear? Anna is terrified. Or is it just Tommy and Mike playing their usual annoying tricks on the Pony Pals?

## Plot Summary

(to be added)
Rosalie Lacey

**Rosalie Lacey** is a six-year-old girl with straight blonde hair who tries to hang out with the Pony Pals. She is particularly enamored of Anna's pony, Acorn. She once got lost in the woods at dusk while the Pony Pals were having a campout, because she was looking for Acorn. Luckily, the Pony Pals managed to find her before dark.

## Gallery

Anna prepares to give Rosalie a pony ride on her pony Acorn at the firehouse fair.
Daisy

**Daisy** is a palomino American Shetland pony that Mrs. Crandal uses as a school pony for her students. For a few weeks Pam had a job training Daisy and Splash so they would be ready to be used with students. Initially, Daisy was lazy and slow, but her behavior improved with training.

## Gallery

Daisy's collecting card from Too Many Ponies.Pam working with Daisy
Catastrophic

**Catastrophic** is an adjective used to describe a vehicle that has been damaged beyond repair. This term is typically applied to friendly vehicles. More often than not, this term also indicates that some or all of the crew have escaped the vehicle alive.

For enemy vehicles, the term "Destroyed" is used instead. The term "Dismounts" indicates survivors from an enemy vehicle, though it can also indicate enemy troops unloading from an undamaged transport vehicle.
Uniform (Callsign)

**Uniform** is the twenty-first letter of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, corresponding to the letter "U". The word Uniform is normally used instead of that letter in all communications.

This letter appears very rarely (or not at all) in *ShackTac* videos in its Phonetic Alphabet form. It is almost always used for referring to actual uniforms (military clothing).

## Examples

The term "Uniform" (as a NATO Phonetic Alphabet letter) may or may not have appeared in any *ShackTac* videos whatsoever. If you run across its use in a video, please add it here.
PFNG

A **pFNG** ("Pre-Fucking New Guy" or "Probationary Fucking New Guy") is a ShackTac Rank for a player who has joined *ShackTac* recently, and has not yet been permanently inducted into the group.

While pFNGs have already passed the initial screening, their skill and behavior in actual gameplay has yet to be fully tested, nor their ability to adhere to the minimum mandatory attendance requirements. Players typically stay at this rank for about one month, before being promoted to the full rank of "FNG", or being kicked out for whatever reason.

During the *ArmA 2* era, *ShackTac* would occasionally recruit a large number of new players all at once, and would then run a massive pFNG Session - one or more "easier", large-scale missions meant to test them all "in bulk". This tradition quickly ceased after the transition to *ArmA 3*, and replaced with more gradual but more frequent recruitment of small numbers of new players. This presumably allows better scrutiny of each pFNG's behavior by their superiors during the course of a standard mission, providing a better and more accurate assessment of their performance.

Due to the lack of knowledge about their actual skills and ability to take responsibility, pFNGs are confined to Rifleman roles, including AT Rifleman and Assistant Automatic Rifleman. If only Vehicle Crew roles are available, pFNGs can serve as Drivers. They may not take any other role until promoted to the next rank.

Traditionally, Squads would place a higher importance on keeping the pFNG alive throughout the mission, and would take pride in getting all of their pFNGs to the end of the mission.

## Notable Examples

Please add any examples of pFNG Sessions, or any mission where attention was called to the existence of a pFNG in the Squad, and/or pivoted around that pFNG.

* **Strait Shot** by **Dslyecxi**: Features the first (?) appearance by Cypher as a pFNG. As shown in this video and the accompanying **Decyphering the Area**, Cypher was the only one to survive the entire mission alive. He later went on to become a very prominent member of the group.
* **John's Introduction to ShackTac** by **Dslyecxi**: Footage by Taconic showing Dslyecxi manipulating John - a pFNG on the enemy team - into divulging sensitive intelligence. Sadly, it's been reported that the pFNG was so traumatized and humiliated by the experience that he never came back.
* **How to Traumatize a pFNG** by **Dslyecxi**: Shows Dslyecxi manipulating a whole bunch of regulars and pFNGs (possibly at the start of a pFNG Session) into a panicked firefight against a phantom enemy unit.
Area of Operations

The **Area of Operations** (**AO**) is the general area in which players are currently present and/or fighting, and may include the area of the objective(s) and/or enemy forces. As units move, the "AO" may shift along with them.

The term is typically used by Aircraft to indicate whether they are in the vicinity of the ground forces, leaving that vicinity, or approaching it. For example, an aircraft returning from base to the battle may indicate that it will arrive in the "AO" in two minutes. The term has little use outside that context.

Units inside the "AO" are active and under potential threat. Units outside the AO are relatively safe (barring a completely unexpected attack).

The Area of Operations *does not* directly correspond to the non-shaded area of the in-game map. That area only marks as the boundaries that players are not supposed to cross (and are unlikely to cross) during the mission, and often contains the home base which is *not* normally considered to be in the "AO".
Fallback

A **Fallback** or **Fall Back** is a maneuver in which a unit withdraws away from the enemy in order to seek a more defensible position.

Fallbacks are a common low-level tactic used by all manner of Ground units whenever faced with a superior foe, or whenever caught in an indefensible position. Fallback can be done hastily (Breaking Contact) or as a gradual Peel towards the superior position.

Fallbacks can be done on a larger scale, with an entire Side gradually falling back to previously prepared positions in order to continuously gain a defensive advantage against an ever-encroaching enemy force; This type of mission objective is known as "Defense in Depth". The final Fallback point is known as the "Alamo", where units will typically defend themselves to the death (unless Extracted).

The opposite of a Fallback maneuver is the Push, where a unit moves *forward* - usually towards an enemy - to secure a defensible position for the engagement. Sideways movement for the same purpose is called a Shift.
Victor (Callsign)

**Victor** is the twenty-second letter of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, corresponding to the letter "V". The word Victor, or "Vic" for short, is normally used instead of that letter in all communications.

In NATO military parlance, "Victor" is used as a preferred alternative to the word "Vehicle". In *ShackTac*, individual vehicles and/or vehicle groups may receive callsigns containing the letter "V". Vehicles in general, especially friendly ones, are often referred to by players as "the Vic" or "the Vics" (pl.). Enemy vehicles are typically referred to as "vehicles" instead.

## Uses

The word "Victor" is used in *ShackTac* exclusively to refer to a ground vehicle. It is often (but not always) shortened to "Vic".

There are three primary ways in which the term "Victor" or "Vic" may be used:

* If the vehicle or vehicle group is intended to work closely with an infantry Squad, its callsign may be the name of that squad (e.g. Alpha, Bravo, etc.) followed by the word "Victor"/"Vic". For example, a vehicle group closely assisting Bravo may be called "Bravo Vic" (BV). If it is a group, each individual vehicle receives a number at the end of its callsign, indiciation its position within the group's hierarchy, e.g. "Bravo Vic 1" (BV1).

* Additionally to the above (but more rarely), a Mechanized Infantry Company may use the callsigns described above to distinguish different vehicle groups from one another despite not having any direct association with particular infantry units. For example, if the company contains two IFV sections, one may be called "Alpha Victor" while the other is "Bravo Victor", even if neither unit is associated with the Alpha or Bravo infantry Squads. The same principle may even apply to lighter or heavier vehicle groups.

* Any vehicle or vehicle group (particularly lighter or less-well-armed vehicles) may occasionally be referred to as "the Vic" or "the Vics" regardless of their actual callsign, when it is implicitly clear which vehicles are being discussed. For example, a Fireteam Leader may ask a subordinate to "go bring the Vic closer", referring to the vehicle that the fireteam had been using recently.

## Examples

The term "Victor" or "Vic" is exceptionally common in *ShackTac* videos, especially as a general term for a known friendly vehicle. Therefore there is no reason to list each and every occurrence.

If you find an unusual use of this term, please add it as an example below.
Weapons Cold

**"Weapons Cold"** is the initial state of any mission, where weapons cannot harm anyone. This state persists during the entire Briefing stage of the mission, as well as the early portion of the players' transportation into the battlefield. Once the Game Master feels that the players are sufficiently ready for the mission at hand, he will switch the mission into the "Weapons Hot" state, where weapons can and will hurt players.

So long as the "Weapons Cold" state is active, a message box indicating this is constantly visible in the top right corner of the screen. Once the "Weapons Hot" state takes over, the message in the box is briefly replaced with the "Weapons are now hot!" message, which will disappear shortly afterwards.

"Weapons Cold" is used to prevent players from accidentally injuring one another while preparing for the mission. This prevents any unnecessary delays in having to reset injured (or dead) players due to such accidents. Since there is no enemy presence whatsoever during this stage of the mission, there should be no reason to use weapons anyway.
The Pony and the Missing Dog

**The Pony and the Missing Dog** is the twenty-seventh book in the *Pony Pals* series by Jeanne Betancourt, first published in October 2000. It stars Pam. It is followed by The Newborn Pony.

## Publisher Summary

Pam loves her sheepdog, Woolie. But sometimes he gets in the way- especially when he thinks it is his job to round up the Pony Pals!

Then Woolie disappears. The Pony Pals ride everywhere to look for the missing dog. They put up signs and talk to all the neighbors. But there's still no signs of Woolie. Pam feels sorry for every time she thought he was a pest. Who else can she turn to for help?
Merge (Reorganization)

A **Merge** is a reorganization of the command structure, wherein two units are ordered to become a single unit. The smaller unit (typically) will completely disband and its players join the larger unit, becoming permanent members of that unit and losing their previous Callsign and identity altogether. This order is typically issued when both units (or at least one of them) have lost so many players that it makes more sense to combine them into a single unit instead of keeping them separate.

For example, if a Squad has lost more than half its players, the Squad Leader may decide to consolidate his two Fireteams into a single Fireteam. This restores one strong Fireteam instead of keeping two weak Fireteams - trading tactical flexibility for combat effectiveness. Note that the Squad Leader in this situation may opt to keep his Fireteams separate despite the losses - as a matter of personal preference or due to any other consideration.

Players merge into their "destination" unit by finding a member of that unit and using the ACE Interact menu to join their team. The merging player's name is added to the Roster of their new unit, and is given a white color by default. Once all members of a unit have merged into another unit, the original unit ceases to exist and will no longer be tracked on the Map.

In some cases, a unit may be ordered to merge into *multiple* different units. For example, a Squad that has lost all but a few of its players may be ordered to merge into another Squad, with each player merging into a different Fireteam in that new squad. It is typically up to the leader of the new unit to decide how to distribute players among subordinate elements.

A "Merge" is distinct from a "Collapse", where the unit retains its original Callsign but downgrades its role and falls under the command of another unit. For the most part, Collapses are ordered when the unit is still strong enough to function at a downgraded role; whereas Merges are performed when the unit is so under-strength that there is no more reason to keep it separate.
RTB

**Return To Base** (**RTB**) is a military aviation term indicating that an Aircraft is leaving the battlefield to return to a nearby friendly installation for repair, rearm, or switching over to another Aircraft. The term is also used to instruct an Aircraft to do so.

There are many reasons why an aircraft may RTB. Transport Helicopters may RTB to pick up additional cargo or passengers, or to drop off passengers picked up from the battlefield. Attack Helicopters and Jets may RTB to replenish their ammunition. All Aircraft may need to RTB to refuel, or to repair damage (usu. by switching the aircraft to another of the same model). Occasionally, a Pilot may need to RTB to completely replace the aircraft they are flying with a different model due to changing mission parameters (e.g. switching from an Attack Helicopter to a Transport Helicopter for Extract at the end of a mission).

Aircraft must inform their controller (usu. the FAC) that they are RTB, as this action will likely affect the decision-making process for Command or the other ground forces. If there is no emergency, the Pilot will likely ask for permission to RTB before actually doing so, giving the controller discretion about the exact timing of the action.

An aircraft returning to base is "Off Station" (outside the battlefield and not ready to receive tasking). Once the aircraft has returned to the battlefield, they are known as "On Station".
Keep Out, Pony!

**Keep Out, Pony!** is the twelfth book in the *Pony Pals* series by Jeanne Betancourt, first published in November 1996. It stars Pam. It is followed by The Girl Who Hated Ponies.

## Publisher Summary

Pony Pal Trail is special to all the Pony Pals. The trail connects Pam's backyard to the pony paddock Anna and Lulu share. The shortcut lets the girls see each other and their ponies all the time.

But now everything has changed. New neighbors have built a sheep pen that blocks part of the trail. What will the Pony Pals do if they can't use the trail? Will Pam be the left out Pony Pal?

## Gallery

Lightning's collecting card found in this book.Bookmark found in this book (front and back)
Clusterfuck

A **Clusterfuck** is an informal term that describes any group of friendly Infantry who are stationary in an open-air location while maintaining an unsafe distance between them, in a situation where enemy contact is expected. Enemies firing an Anti-Tank Launcher, Mortar, Cannon shell, or even a Machine Gun at such a group are likely to cause a Mass Cas.

Clusterfucks are often caused when players congregate around an attention-drawing event, such as an injured player, a burning wreck, Resupply Crates. Players may react to seeing a Clusterfuck by exclaiming "Unfuck this cluster!", instructing the players in the Clusterfuck to spread out over a larger area and seek separate cover positions.
My Pony Pals Journal

**My Pony Pals Journal** is a supplementary book to the *Pony Pals* series by Jeanne Betancourt, first published in January 1999. It was written by Susan DerKazarian

## Publisher Summary

The Pony Pals books tell of the adventures of three ten-year-old girls and their beautiful ponies. Pam, Anna, and Lulu are best friends living in the small town of Wiggins, along with their ponies - Lightning, a Connemara pony; Acorn, a Shetland pony; and Snow White, a Welsh pony.

You will love getting to know the Pony Pals and reading about their trail rides along Pony Pal Trail, their sleepovers in the Crandals' barn with their ponies, and the many exciting adventures they have along the way!

In Give Me Back my Pony, Lulu is given a blank journal as a girft so that she can write about all the wonderful places she and her father visit. *My Pony Pals Journal* is our gift to you. It's your very own place to record things about yourself.

*We're happy you have joined the Pony Pals Club!*

## Plot Summary

Pages 1-35 contain activities for the journal owner to fill out and quotes from Pony Pals books.

* This journal belongs to:
* Draw a picture of yourself
* If I had a pony, its name would be \_\_\_\_ and its breed would be \_\_\_\_
* All About Me
* Friends Forever - My best friend is \_\_\_\_\_ and this is how we met \_\_\_\_\_\_.
* Things I Like - The thing I like most about myself is\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
* My Favorite Things
* Things I Don't Like
* School Days - My teacher's name is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_
* Sports and Hobbies - my favorite thing to do is\_\_\_\_\_\_.
* My Birthday
* Vacations and Trips
* My Hopes and Dreams for the Future
* Wishful Thinking
* Join the Club!
* What's in Style
* All About Me - pages 36 to 64 are blank and are for the journal owner to write anything they want.

## Trivia

* Text excerpts in this journal are from the following books: 1, 6, Super Special 1, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17.
Backblast

A **Backblast** or **Back-blast** is an effect applied when firing an Anti-Tank Launcher. The rocket leaving the launcher produces a powerful blast from its engine, exiting out the rear side of the launcher.

The Backblast is dangerous to anyone standing behind the launcher, and can potentially be dangerous to the person firing the weapon:

* People standing a short distance behind the launcher (about a meter or two) may suffer injuries due to the backblast. Even if they do not suffer an actual injury, the backblast (in *ArmA 3*) causes a powerful screen shake, a loud ringing noise that persists for several seconds, and potentially other effects.
* The same can happen to the person who is firing the launcher, if there is a solid obstacle immediately behind them - meaning that the blast has nowhere to go, hurting the player themselves. This often occurs when firing the launcher within a small confined space or simply when standing in front of a wall.

To prevent the backblast from injuring anyone, anyone using a launcher will observe the following:

1. Ensure there is nothing solid behind them, and never fire from inside a building if at all possible.
2. Call out "Clear backblast!" a short time before firing, letting others know to avoid standing behind the launcher.
3. Call out "Rocket!" immediately before firing, as a last warning.

Other players will typically keep their distance from any player who is holding their launcher up, ready to fire, regardless of whether they've called anything out. The assumption should be that the launcher may fire at any time without warning.
Drop Zone

A **Drop Zone** (**DZ**) is a specific location chosen and marked for Aircraft to drop Infantry or Resupply. This is distinct from a Landing Zone or Pickup Zone in that it specifically denotes a drop-off *without* a pick-up. In many cases where the term "Drop Zone" is used, the aircraft will not even touch the ground (e.g. a Paratrooper drop).
Lulu Sanders

**Lulu Sanders** is one of the three Pony Pals, along with Anna Harley and Pam Crandal. Her pony is Snow White. She is the main character in every third book starting with book 1 I Want a Pony.

Lulu (full name Lucinda) is a fifth grader who moves to 'boring Wiggins' to live with her grandmother while her father works in the Amazon in Brazil researching animals, since her mother died when she was four. Her grandmother, Grandmother Sanders, is a hairdresser who runs the Sanders Beauty Salon in town. Before Wiggins, she lived in England, where she learned to ride horses. She and her grandmother live next door to Anna and her family. At the end of the series in Super Special 6 The Last Pony Ride, Lulu moves away to Botswana, Africa with her father.

## Cover Gallery

Book 1 I Want a PonyBook 4 Give Me Back my PonyBook 7 Runaway PonyBook 10 Don't Hurt My PonyBook 13 The Girl Who Hated PoniesBook 16 The Missing Pony PalBook 19 Moving PonyBook 22 Western PonyBook 28 The Newborn PonyBook 31 Ponies from the PastBook 34 The Pony and the Lost SwanBook 37 No Ponies in the House!Pony Pals Planner
Overrun

An **Overrun** Ground unit is one that is being Assaulted by a superior force that it cannot hope to beat back. The term might also indicate that the unit is surrounded and cannot Fall Back, though this is not a necessary component.

Units will report that they are Overrun on the Radio in the hope that another unit could come to their rescue, or simply to notify Command that they are no longer effective at their current position - depending on how badly they are Overrun. Command may react by sending a unit to help, sending CAS to punch a hole in enemy lines to allow the unit to escape, or otherwise shift tactics to try and get people out alive if possible.

Note: An Overrun unit may or may not be able to escape on its own and return to the safety of friendly covering fire. If it cannot escape, it may escalate the radio call to "Broken Arrow", requesting an aerial attack on its own position.
Air Transport

**Air Transport** is a collective term for all Aircraft in a mission whose primary job is to move Infantry, Resupply Crates and/or Vehicles into the Area of Operations, out of the Area of Operations, or from one location to another. The term can also (rarely) be used to refer to any and all Transport Aircraft.

Air Transport is one of the most common ways to move men and equipment in *ShackTac* missions. It is quick and mostly safe, but often requires skilled Pilots and significant pre-planning.

Since the use of Transport Planes and Transport Helicopters is very different, procedures and specifications are explained separately for each of these groups on their own articles.
Whiskey (Callsign)

**Whiskey** is the twenty-third letter of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, corresponding to the letter "W". The word Whiskey is normally used instead of that letter in all communications.

This letter appears very rarely (or not at all) in *ShackTac* videos, so much so that it is impossible to generalize its typical use.

## Examples

The term "Whiskey" may or may not have appeared in any *ShackTac* videos whatsoever. If you run across its use in a video, please add it here.
Bolt-Action Rifle

A **Bolt-Action Rifle** is a Small Arm that fires one bullet per trigger pull from a Magazine or Clip, and needs to be reset manually after each shot by pulling back on the bolt.

Bolt-Action Rifles have an extremely slow rate of fire for an Infantry weapons, due to the time they take to reset between shots. On the other hand, a Bolt-Action Rifle's firing mechanism gives it excellent accuracy at range, and the heavy bullet provides high damage on hits. For this reason, all modern Bolt-Action Rifles in military use are high-powered sniper rifles, some capable of killing at a distance of 1,000 meters or more.

In *ShackTac*, Bolt-Action Rifles have so far appeared almost entirely in World War II scenarios, including the German Kar-98K, the British Lee Enfield, and the Japanese Type 99. These weapons use clips or magazines carrying between 5 and 10 rounds each. Modern Sniper Rifles are not used in *ShackTac* at all, but modern INDFOR may employ old Bolt-Action Rifles when there is no other option.
Small Arms

**Small Arms** is a term describing a category of weapons. Small Arms are small enough to be carried by a person without the assistance of vehicle transportation, and fire bullets less than 12.7mm in diameter (.50 caliber). This category includes all Assault Rifles, Automatic Rifles and Light Machine Guns, Shotguns, Pistols, and even Medium Machine Guns.

Small Arms are carried by pretty much every single combatant, whether for actual combat or simply self defense (e.g. in the case of pilots or tank crews). Some Infantrymen carry two or more such weapons. Small Arms and their ammunition are light enough that a single infantryman may carry hundreds of rounds for his weapon, typically loaded into magazines for automatic or semi-automatic fire.

Small Arms are primarily used against enemy infantry. Most small-arms caliber rounds are powerful enough to penetrate wood, glass, and even thin layers of metal, such as tin or aluminium walls. Therefore, they can be used to kill the crew of unarmored vehicles (Trucks, Jeeps, etc.) and are seen as effective weapons against such threats as well.

Small Arms are not seen as effective against armored vehicles. An infantryman may occasionally be able to get a lucky shot through the vision slits of a BTR, or shoot an exposed commander out of his tank turret, but these are special circumstances that do not present themselves often.

Note that some weapons carried by infantry, such as Grenade Launchers, Light Anti-Tank Launchers, or team-operated weapons (Heavy Machine Guns, Mortars, etc.) are not Small Arms. They fire a much larger caliber projectile, and may be able to get through quite a bit of armor with ease.

## List of Small Arms Categories

Below is a list of all weapon categories (and sub-categories) featured in *ShackTac* videos that are considered to be **Small Arms**. This list may not be comprehensive; Please add any missing links.

* Assault Rifles
* Bolt-Action Rifles
* Battle Rifles
* Automatic Rifles
* Light Machine Guns
* Medium Machine Guns
* Shotguns
* Pistols
* Submachine Guns
Echelon

An **Echelon** is a Formation for all types of units, wherein one unit is situated behind and off to one side of another unit. The terms "Echelon Right" and "Echelon Left" determine the direction of the lateral offset.

In an Echelon formation, the unit at the rear serves as protection on the corresponding flank, and can respond to attacks on that flank accordingly. If an enemy appears off to the side, both units are already arranged in a Line towards it and can attack it together immediately. If enemies are encountered to the front, the echeloned unit (the one behind and to the side) simply needs to move a little forward to create the Line, or it can flank around to attack the enemy from a second direction.

An Echelon formation is typically assumed while moving, when expecting enemies to appear from one particular side. It is most often assumed by Fireteams or Squads traveling together.

"Echelon" can be used as a noun or as a verb. The intended direction of the echelon must be included in the order to assume this formation, unless it has already been indicated previously.
India (Callsign)

**India** is the ninth letter of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, corresponding to the letter "I". The word India is normally used instead of that letter in all communications.

The term "India" appears rarely in *ShackTac* videos (other than when referring to the country), but is typically used as the callsign for a Squad of Reinforcements. More rarely, it is used for infantry Special Forces squads.

## Uses

* Most commonly, the callsign "India" is assigned to a new Reinforcements Squad joining the battle partway into the mission. It may or may not be the third Squad to join a battle in progress, after "Golf" and "Hotel" squads.

* Alternatively, the callsign "India" may be used for Squads that are not part of the main force - whether trapped behind enemy lines, or operating under their own independent command structure. A Special Forces unit, for example, might receive the callsign "India".

* Objectives for India Squad are marked with the letter "I", but will be referred to as "India Objective", "India Rally", "India Resupply", etc.

* In some missions, the NATO letter "India" may instead be used as a callsign for non-unit entities, such as objectives, routes, landing zones, and so forth. If so, new reinforcement units will receive a different callsign to avoid conflicts.

## Examples

Please add below any examples of the use of the term "India" (as a callsign, not when referring to the country) in *ShackTac* videos.