📡 Decoded
Jargon Translator
Military brevity, Arma-speak, server-ops lingo, veteran transition terms, and government contracting — decoded. Whether you're a new recruit, a grizzled admin, or someone trying to understand what a veteran is actually saying.
Military Brevity
AO Area of Operations. The geographic zone where a mission takes place.
AWOL Absent Without Leave. Not where you're supposed to be.
BLUFOR Blue Forces. Your side. Friendly units.
CAS Close Air Support. Air assets providing fire support directly to ground troops.
CASEVAC Casualty Evacuation. Moving a wounded soldier off the battlefield.
CO Commanding Officer. The person running the operation.
DZ Drop Zone. Designated area for parachute insertion.
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival.
EXFIL Exfiltration. Extracting from hostile territory.
FOB Forward Operating Base. A secure position used to support operations in the field.
FUBAR Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition. When things have gone completely sideways.
HVT High Value Target. A priority target for capture or elimination.
INFIL Infiltration. Inserting into hostile territory covertly.
JTAC Joint Terminal Attack Controller. Coordinates air support with ground forces.
KIA Killed In Action.
LZ Landing Zone. A designated area for helicopter insertion or extraction.
MEDEVAC Medical Evacuation. Getting wounded personnel to medical care.
MIA Missing In Action.
OBJ Objective. The target or goal of the mission.
OPFOR Opposing Forces. The enemy.
ORBAT Order of Battle. The structure and composition of a force going into an operation.
QRF Quick Reaction Force. A standby unit that responds rapidly to emergencies.
ROE Rules of Engagement. Guidelines governing when and how force may be used.
SITREP Situation Report. A brief update on current operational status. (Also our name.)
SNAFU Situation Normal, All Fouled Up. Controlled chaos that's become routine.
WIA Wounded In Action.
XO Executive Officer. Second-in-command.
Arma Reforger
ACE Advanced Combat Environment. A mod adding realistic medical, explosives, and interaction systems.
ACRE Advanced Combat Radio Environment. A radio mod that ties in-game comms to voice software.
Admin The player with server control permissions. Can kick, ban, and manage the session.
JIP Join In Progress. Entering a mission that's already underway.
Milsim Military Simulation. A style of play that emphasises realism, tactics, and proper radio comms.
Mod A modification to the base game. Can add maps, weapons, mechanics, or overhaul everything.
PBO Packed Binary Object. The file format Arma uses to package missions and mods.
Slotting The process of players picking their roles before a mission starts.
TFAR Task Force Arrowhead Radio. A mod that ties in-game radio comms to TeamSpeak.
TK Team Kill. Killing a friendly — accidentally or otherwise.
Vanilla Unmodded. The base game with no modifications applied.
Whitelist A list of approved players or Steam IDs allowed to connect to the server.
Zeus A game master role in Arma. Controls the mission environment in real time from above.
Server Ops
BattlEye Anti-cheat software used by Arma servers to detect and ban cheaters.
BEC BattlEye Extended Controls. A tool for scheduling server restarts and admin tasks.
GUID Globally Unique Identifier. A unique ID assigned to each player by BattlEye.
Headless Client A clientless game instance used to offload AI computation from the main server.
Mission File The scenario loaded by the server. Controls the map, objectives, and rules of the session.
Ping Network latency between a player and the server. Lower is better.
Port The network port your server listens on. Default for Arma Reforger is 2001.
RCON Remote Console. A protocol for sending admin commands to a game server without being in-game.
Restart Cycling the server process to apply updates, load a new mission, or clear memory.
Tick Rate How often the server updates the game state per second. Higher means smoother, heavier load.
Plain-English translations of military terms, ranks, acronyms, and culture — written for the job recruiter, the hiring manager, and anyone else trying to understand what a veteran is telling them.
Leadership
NCO Non-Commissioned Officer A frontline team leader promoted from within — the backbone of daily operations. NCOs manage people, enforce standards, and make things actually happen. In civilian terms: first-line supervisor, team lead, or operations manager.
NCOIC NCO in Charge The NCO responsible for a specific section, function, or task. Civilian equivalent: department head, shift supervisor, or section manager. The NCOIC is accountable for outcomes even when not physically present.
XO Executive Officer The second-in-command of a military unit — manages internal operations so the Commanding Officer can focus externally. Direct civilian parallel: Chief Operating Officer (COO) or Deputy Director.
CO Commanding Officer The officer legally and operationally responsible for a military unit — equivalent to a CEO or President at the unit level. Final authority on all unit decisions, personnel, and mission.
Sergeant Major SGM / CSM / SgtMaj The senior enlisted advisor to a commander — the highest non-officer rank. Civilian equivalent: Chief of Staff or Senior VP of Operations. Represents the enlisted force and ensures command intent translates into actual behavior.
E-7 SFC / Sergeant First Class / GySgt A mid-senior enlisted rank indicating roughly 12–16 years of service and significant leadership responsibility. Civilian frame: senior manager with a track record of leading teams and managing resources under pressure.
O-3 Captain / CPT / Capt A mid-grade officer rank — typically commands a company of 80–200 soldiers. Civilian equivalent: Director or Senior Manager. At O-3, officers have significant P&L-equivalent responsibility over personnel, equipment, and mission execution.
Career
MOS Military Occupational Specialty / AFSC / Rating Your military job title and specialty code. When translating a resume: describe the actual function rather than the MOS code. A 92A (Automated Logistical Specialist) is an inventory management and supply chain professional.
NCOER NCO Evaluation Report / OER The annual performance review for military personnel — rates leaders on character, presence, intellect, leads, develops, and achieves. Civilian equivalent: performance appraisal or annual review. Military evaluations are typically more rigorous and consequential than most civilian performance reviews.
TDY Temporary Duty / TAD A temporary assignment away from your primary duty station — with authorized travel and per diem reimbursement. Civilian equivalent: business travel, temporary assignment, or rotational posting.
PCS Permanent Change of Station A mandatory relocation to a new duty station — the military equivalent of a company-directed geographic transfer. Service members typically PCS every 2–3 years, gaining broad organizational exposure at the cost of personal stability.
Structure
S-1 G-1 / J-1 The Human Resources department of a military unit — handles personnel records, awards, assignments, and administrative actions. Direct civilian parallel: HR Department.
S-3 G-3 / J-3 Operations and Training — the department that plans and executes the unit's activities. Civilian equivalent: Strategy, Operations, or Project Management Office.
S-4 G-4 / J-4 The Logistics department — responsible for supply, maintenance, transportation, and materiel. Civilian equivalent: Supply Chain, Logistics, or Operations department.
S-6 G-6 / Signal Signal and Communications — the IT and communications infrastructure department. Civilian equivalent: IT Department or Communications Technology team.
Operations
TOC Tactical Operations Center The nerve center where commanders and staff monitor ongoing operations in real time. Civilian equivalent: operations center, war room, or command center. Where decisions are made and situations are tracked.
FOB Forward Operating Base A secured position established in a forward area to support tactical operations. Civilian equivalent: a regional office, satellite facility, or remote work hub established to support field operations.
SOP Standard Operating Procedure A documented, step-by-step process for performing a recurring task — ensures consistent outcomes regardless of who executes it. Identical to civilian SOPs, policy manuals, and runbooks. Military SOPs are often more rigorously maintained than their civilian counterparts.
AAR After Action Review / After Action Report A structured debrief held after completing a mission or exercise — identifies what was planned, what actually happened, why it differed, and what to do differently next time. Civilian equivalent: post-mortem, retrospective, or lessons-learned meeting. Often more honest and action-oriented than civilian equivalents.
SITREP Situation Report A standardized status update reporting current conditions, what has changed, and what action is being taken. Civilian equivalent: status report, executive update, or project briefing. Military SITREPs are typically brief, factual, and action-oriented — a discipline most civilian teams would benefit from.
Battle Rhythm battle-rhythm / meeting cadence The recurring schedule of meetings, reports, and events that keep an organization synchronized. Civilian equivalent: meeting cadence, operating rhythm, or management calendar. A well-designed battle rhythm ensures the right information reaches the right people at the right time.
Mission Essential mission-critical A task, system, or individual whose failure would directly prevent mission accomplishment. Civilian equivalent: business-critical or core function. Military culture treats mission-essential items with absolute priority — delays and excuses are not acceptable responses.
COP Common Operating Picture A shared, real-time display of all relevant operational information available to all decision-makers simultaneously. Civilian equivalent: a live dashboard, shared project board, or operations status display. The concept — everyone working from the same current data — is directly applicable to business operations.
AOR Area of Responsibility The geographic or functional area for which a commander is specifically responsible. Civilian equivalent: territory, jurisdiction, or department scope. In civilian roles: the geographic sales territory, the product area, or the functional domain a manager owns.
Planning
CONOP Concept of Operations A planning document that describes how an operation will be executed — who does what, when, and why. Civilian equivalent: project plan, operational brief, or statement of work. Designed to align all stakeholders before execution begins.
OPORD Operations Order The formal directive that initiates a military operation — covers situation, mission, execution, sustainment, and command/signal. Civilian equivalent: a detailed project brief or program kickoff document. The five-paragraph format (SMEAC) is a communication structure that transfers directly to business.
ROE Rules of Engagement The directives that define the circumstances and limits under which military force may be used. Civilian equivalent: operating parameters, decision authority matrix, or escalation policy. In business: the boundaries within which a team can act without seeking higher approval.
Security
Security Clearance Secret / Top Secret / TS/SCI A government-granted authorization to access classified information, issued after a background investigation. In civilian hiring — especially defense contracting — an active clearance is a significant asset that can take 12–18 months and thousands of dollars to obtain from scratch.
OPSEC Operational Security The practice of protecting sensitive information from adversaries — identifying critical information, analyzing threats, and implementing countermeasures. Civilian equivalent: information security, confidentiality protocols, or competitive intelligence protection. The mindset transfers directly to any role handling proprietary or sensitive data.
Need to Know need-to-know / compartmentalization The principle that access to sensitive information is restricted to those who require it to perform their duties — regardless of clearance level. Civilian equivalent: information compartmentalization, data access controls, or role-based permissions.
Transition
DD-214 Certificate of Release The most important document a veteran carries — the official record of military service, discharge status, decorations, and training. For employers: it verifies service history the way a college transcript verifies education. Honorable discharge is the gold standard.
VA Department of Veterans Affairs The federal agency responsible for providing benefits and services to U.S. military veterans — including healthcare, disability compensation, education benefits (GI Bill), home loan guarantees, and vocational rehabilitation.
GI Bill Post-9/11 GI Bill / Chapter 33 Federal education benefits for qualifying veterans — covers tuition, housing allowance, and books at approved schools. For employers: a veteran using GI Bill benefits is actively investing in credentialing their military skills into civilian qualifications.
TAP Transition Assistance Program A mandatory pre-separation program that helps service members prepare for civilian employment — covers resume writing, interview skills, job searching, and benefits orientation. The civilian equivalent would be an employer-sponsored outplacement program.
Honorable Discharge separated honorably The highest characterization of military service — indicates the service member met or exceeded the standards of conduct and duty performance. For employers: equivalent to leaving a job in good standing with a positive reference.
Disability Rating VA rating / service-connected disability A percentage assigned by the VA reflecting the degree to which a service-connected condition affects a veteran's earning capacity. This is a private medical-legal matter — employers cannot ask about it, and it does not reflect overall capability or work capacity.
Compensation
BAH Basic Allowance for Housing A monthly tax-free stipend to cover housing costs, based on duty station location and dependency status. Not a salary — it is a compensation component that disappears on separation. Civilian employers should understand this when veterans discuss total compensation expectations.
Culture
Chain of Command CoC The formal hierarchy of authority through which orders and information flow. Civilian equivalent: organizational hierarchy or reporting structure. Military chain of command is more rigidly respected than most civilian equivalents — bypassing it without cause is a serious cultural violation.
Accountability head count / sensitive items check In the military, accountability means knowing the location and status of every person and piece of equipment at all times — not a quarterly review, but a constant, verifiable state. This standard transfers powerfully to civilian operations and inventory management roles.
PT Physical Training / APFT / ACFT Physical Training — mandatory fitness activities and periodic fitness assessments. Civilian equivalent: employee wellness program or fitness requirement. PT culture instills discipline, stress management, and team cohesion that persist in civilian careers.
Federal contracting and government employment terms decoded for veterans entering the civilian workforce and contractors learning the language of their clients.
Contracting
IDIQ Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity A federal contract type that does not specify a firm quantity of services or supplies — it sets a ceiling and a floor, and the government issues task orders as needs arise. For contractors: like a retainer agreement where the scope is defined but the exact work is ordered over time.
BPA Blanket Purchase Agreement A pre-negotiated agreement between the government and a vendor that streamlines repeat purchases — no need to re-compete for each order. Civilian equivalent: a preferred vendor agreement or master service agreement with standing terms.
LPTA Lowest Price Technically Acceptable A procurement method where the contract goes to the lowest bidder who meets the minimum technical requirements — price wins over quality. Contractors competing on LPTA must be cost-efficient; there is no reward for exceeding requirements.
SOW Statement of Work The document defining exactly what work a contractor must deliver — scope, schedule, deliverables, and performance standards. The SOW is the legal anchor of a government contract. Civilian equivalent: project scope document or service agreement.
FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation The comprehensive rulebook governing all federal government purchasing — defines allowable costs, competition requirements, ethics rules, and contract types. Every federal contractor must understand and comply with FAR. Civilian equivalent: procurement policy manual, but with the force of federal law.
RFP Request for Proposal A formal solicitation inviting vendors to submit competitive bids for a government contract. The RFP defines requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission rules. Civilian equivalent: a competitive bid process or vendor selection process.
Federal Employment
GS General Schedule / GS-9 / GS-13 / GS-15 The General Schedule pay system for federal civilian employees — grades run from GS-1 (entry) to GS-15 (senior executive). A GS-13 in 2026 earns roughly $95K–$125K depending on locality. When transitioning from military to federal civilian employment, GS grade is the equivalent of civilian salary band.
SES Senior Executive Service The Senior Executive Service — the top tier of federal civilian management, above GS-15. Equivalent to C-suite or VP level in a large corporation. SES members are the senior leaders who run federal agencies and programs.
Operations
CONUS Continental United States The 48 contiguous states — everything inside the continental US, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and overseas territories. OCONUS (Outside CONUS) means any assignment or operation outside this area.
Compliance
PII Personally Identifiable Information Any data that can identify a specific individual — name, SSN, date of birth, address, biometrics. Federal agencies and contractors are legally required to protect PII under the Privacy Act and agency-specific regulations. Civilian equivalent: personal data under GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA.
Finance
FY Fiscal Year The U.S. federal government's budget year runs October 1 through September 30 — not the calendar year. Government spending typically accelerates in September (end of fiscal year) as agencies spend remaining budget or risk losing it. Contractors should plan for this cycle.
CR Continuing Resolution A temporary funding measure that keeps the government operating at existing levels when Congress has not passed a full budget. During a CR, agencies cannot start new programs or make significant new purchases — this directly delays contract awards and project starts.
Translating across the table — explaining what Sitrep's tech actually means to an investor, executive, or family member, and explaining what business terms mean to the developer building it.
Tech → Business — what the developer is saying
BYOH Bring Your Own Hardware Business Model Customer-owned infrastructure model. The customer supplies and pays for all hardware and electricity — we sell only the software license. This eliminates capital expenditure and carrying costs on our side entirely.
SaaS Software as a Service Business Model A business model where customers pay a recurring subscription to access software managed by the provider, rather than buying it outright. Sitrep's licensing model is SaaS; customers pay monthly for access to the platform.
Self-Hosting self-hosted / self-host Business Model The practice of running software on hardware the customer personally owns and maintains. Our target customers already do this today without a management tool — we are selling them the control panel for infrastructure they already paid for.
Backend API API / back-end API Architecture The core software engine that processes all business logic behind the scenes. Think of it as the accounting ledger that records and validates every transaction — customers never see it, but nothing works without it.
Tech Stack stack / technology stack Architecture The combination of software tools and platforms used to build and operate the product. Similar to listing the equipment in a manufacturing facility — each tool has a specific role and they work together as a system.
Sentinel Windows service / background service Product A lightweight program pre-installed on the customer's computer that acts as a remote representative on their hardware. Similar to a utility company's smart meter — it reports status and accepts instructions without requiring anyone to be physically present.
React React frontend / web frontend Product The visual interface — the website customers log into and click around. This is the storefront customers see. The back-end engine is complete; React is the display window installed on top of it.
RCON RCON connection Product A standardized remote-control protocol for game servers — essentially a built-in command line that lets our software issue instructions to the game engine without requiring manual access to the customer's machine.
Windows Installer installer / .exe / setup file Product A standard installation package — customers download and run it like any commercial software (QuickBooks, Adobe, etc.). No technical setup required. This differentiates Sitrep from competitors that require Linux expertise.
Sitrep the platform / the panel / web panel Product The product name for the game server management platform — Spare Time Game Hosting LLC's primary software asset. It is the web-based control panel that allows customers to manage their game servers remotely.
Cloudflare Tunnel Cloudflare / tunnel Infrastructure An encrypted, private communication channel between the platform and the customer's hardware. Equivalent to a secure dedicated phone line — no data is exposed to the public internet, and there is no bandwidth cost on the server side.
MRR Monthly Recurring Revenue / ARR Finance The predictable, subscription-based income collected every month. Unlike one-time sales, MRR compounds as the customer base grows and is the primary valuation metric for SaaS (subscription software) businesses.
Bootstrapped self-funded / self-financed Finance The business is being built entirely with the founder's own time and existing resources — no outside investment. The founder bears 100% of the risk and retains 100% of the equity. All costs to date are sweat equity.
Server Node node / server instance Pricing One billable unit — a single customer computer running under an active software license. Pricing is per node per month. A customer with two game servers has two nodes.
Soft Launch soft-launch Go-to-Market A limited initial commercial release to a small group of paying customers. The purpose is to validate pricing, stress-test support workflows, and confirm revenue collection before investing in broad marketing.
Private Beta beta / beta test / closed beta Go-to-Market A controlled pilot program with a hand-selected group of invited users — comparable to a restaurant's soft-opening week. Participants test the product under real conditions in exchange for early access; the company gathers feedback before public release.
Pterodactyl Ptero Competitive The primary indirect competitor — a free, open-source control panel used by the target market today. The value proposition must clearly justify a monthly subscription cost versus a free alternative, primarily on ease of use and Windows compatibility.
AMP CubeCoders AMP Competitive A secondary competitor offering a one-time license for multi-game server management. Established market presence but an aging interface. Sitrep's advantage is a modern web panel and zero-setup Windows installation.
Open Source open-source / OSS Competitive Software whose source code is publicly available, typically distributed at no cost. Key implication: Pterodactyl is free because it is open-source. The competitive moat is not price — it is ease of installation and a modern Windows-native experience.
Deploy deployed / deployment Operations The act of making software live and operational on a server — equivalent to opening for business. 'The infrastructure has been deployed' means the system is installed, running, and accessible to authorized users.
Migration database migration / schema migration Operations The process of updating the structure of a database — comparable to reorganizing a filing system to accommodate new categories of records without losing existing data. Standard practice when a software product evolves.
Seed seed data / seeded Operations Initial baseline records pre-loaded into the system to allow it to operate from day one. Equivalent to pre-populating a spreadsheet with starting values before the first real transactions are entered.
Authentication auth / Google auth / login Security The identity verification system that confirms who a user is before granting access. Google's login infrastructure is used — customers sign in with an existing Google account, eliminating password management and reducing security liability.
IP intellectual property / codebase Legal Intellectual Property — the proprietary software code, business logic, and brand assets owned by the LLC. Establishing the LLC protects this IP from personal liability and clarifies ownership before any outside parties contribute work or capital.
Arma Reforger Arma / Bohemia Interactive Market The initial target game title — a military simulation game by Bohemia Interactive with an active self-hosting community. Expanding to additional titles grows the addressable market without changing the core platform.
Business → Tech — what the executive is asking
Operating Agreement operating contract Legal The LLC's internal rulebook — defines who owns what percentage, who can make what decisions, how profits are split, and what happens if a member leaves. Essential before any outside party contributes money or labor.
Articles of Organization articles of incorporation / LLC filing Legal The public-facing document filed with the state that officially creates the LLC. In Oklahoma, this is a one-page online form. Think of it as registering the domain name of your legal entity.
Liability limited liability / indemnification Legal Legal and financial exposure if something goes wrong. The LLC structure limits personal liability — if a customer's server crashes and they sue, they can only go after LLC assets, not personal property.
Capital Contribution capital / initial contribution Finance Money or assets a member puts into the LLC in exchange for ownership. A defined contribution buys you a defined ownership percentage as spelled out in the operating agreement.
Promissory Note note / loan agreement Finance A written IOU with interest — the LLC borrows money and promises to repay it on a set schedule at a defined interest rate. No equity changes hands; the lender is a creditor, not an owner.
Profit Sharing revenue sharing / distribution Finance An arrangement where a percentage of net profit (revenue minus expenses) is paid out to an investor or partner on a recurring basis. The percentage and calculation method must be defined in the operating agreement.
Capitalization Table cap table / ownership table Finance A spreadsheet showing exactly who owns what percentage of the LLC and the value of each stake. Simple at the start, but becomes critical before accepting any investment or adding partners.
Sweat Equity sweat-equity Finance Ownership earned through labor rather than cash investment — the hundreds of hours invested in building the platform. These hours represent real value in the business even though no money changed hands.
Operating Costs OpEx / operating expenses / overhead Finance Recurring expenses to keep the business running. The BYOH model keeps these near zero — adding more customers requires no new hardware, only slightly more cloud database capacity.
Revenue Recognition recognize revenue / accrual Accounting The accounting rule for when income is officially counted. For subscription software, revenue is typically recognized monthly as the service is delivered — not when the customer first pays. A 12-month prepay is recognized 1/12 per month.
Due Diligence diligence / DD Process The verification process before committing to a business decision or investment. In this context: reviewing the actual code, confirming the live demo works, and validating cost and revenue assumptions before any money changes hands.
Scalability scalable / scale Strategy The ability to grow revenue without a proportional increase in costs. BYOH makes this software extremely scalable — adding 100 customers requires no new hardware on the company's end, only slightly more cloud infrastructure.
B2B business-to-business / enterprise Strategy Business-to-Business — selling to companies rather than individual consumers. The long-term expansion path: selling Sitrep to esports venues or LAN centers managing dozens of game servers, rather than individual home users.
Addressable Market TAM / total addressable market Market The total pool of potential customers who could realistically buy the product. The addressable market is self-hosting game server operators — a niche but passionate segment willing to pay for a better management experience.