Joint Publication 1-02 DoD Dictionary of Military ... - AcqNotes.com

As Amended Through 15 August 2011
beachmaster — The naval officer in command of the beachmaster unit of the naval beach
group. Also called BM.
beachmaster unit — A commissioned naval unit of the naval beach group designed to
provide to the shore party a Navy component known as a beach party, which is capable
of supporting the amphibious landing of one division (reinforced). Also called BMU.
See also beach party; naval beach group; shore party. (JP 4-01.6)
beach party — The Navy component of the landing force support party under the tactical
control of the landing force support party commander. See also beachmaster unit;
shore party. (JP 3-02)
beach party commander — The naval officer in command of the naval component of the
shore party.
beach photography — Vertical, oblique, ground, and periscope coverage at varying scales
to provide information of offshore, shore, and inland areas. It covers terrain that
provides observation of the beaches and is primarily concerned with the geological and
tactical aspects of the beach.
beach support area — In amphibious operations, the area to the rear of a landing force or
elements thereof, established and operated by shore party units, which contains the
facilities for the unloading of troops and materiel and the support of the forces ashore; it
includes facilities for the evacuation of wounded, enemy prisoners of war, and captured
materiel. Also called BSA. (JP 3-02)
beach survey — The collection of data describing the physical characteristics of a beach;
that is, an area whose boundaries are a shoreline, a coastline, and two natural or
arbitrary assigned flanks.
beach width — The horizontal dimensions of the beach measured at right angles to the
shoreline from the line of extreme low water inland to the landward limit of the beach
(the coastline).
bearing — The horizontal angle at a given point measured clockwise from a specific datum
point to a second point. See also grid bearing.
begin morning civil twilight — The period of time at which the sun is halfway between
beginning morning and nautical twilight and sunrise, when there is enough light to see
objects clearly with the unaided eye. At this time, light intensification devices are no
longer effective, and the sun is six degrees below the eastern horizon. Also called BMCT.
begin morning nautical twilight — The start of that period where, in good conditions and
in the absence of other illumination, enough light is available to identify the general
outlines of ground objects and conduct limited military operations. Light
38 JP 1-02