FM 1-02.

I
CURSED ICONS (EXPLAINING AMPLIFIER FIELDS)

MEME
MEME

APRIL 2023
DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION:
Approved for public release; distribution is encouraged.
This publication supersedes nothing because it’s not real.
HEADQUARTERS, MAP PEN GANG @fire_meme_alpha
 Cursed Icons
OR
How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Only Use Necessary Amplifiers
The process to construct unit, equipment, activity, and installation icons is explained in depth over dozens of pages
of FM 1-02.2. The concept can be somewhat intimidating as each of the letters (Fig. 1) represent a possible bit of
information that can be included on the icon.

Putting as much information as possible on the icon is tempting because its precise and since there’s space for it,
might as well use it, right?

Unfortunately, maximizing the information on an icon can minimize understanding for two big reasons: 1) most
people don’t even know what all the fields mean and 2) the important bits of information can get lost in the clutter.

The purpose of icons is to communicate, so if nobody understands your icons, you’re just wasting everyone’s time.

Fig 1: Each letter represents somewhere you can put information on a unit icon

To (hopefully) help determine what information is *actually* important enough to depict, we’re going
to take a tour of a couple cursed icons with ALL the fields populated. If you understand how to read
a cursed icon like the ones below, you’ll have no trouble reading simple ones and deciding which
bits of information are useful!

If you look at these cursed icons and think “that’s not too bad”, take a moment and imagine you must draw a
dozen of them with a map pen.

The next pages will go into detail about the information on each of these examples.
Cursed Icons: Units

A: Infantry Main Unit Icon, Armored and Wheeled Modifiers J: Intel source (about this icon) is not usually
AA: Not used (main unit icon would be replaced with the command reliable, possibly true
name (e.g., “EUCOM”) K: Substantially operational effectiveness
AO: This unit is engaging the enemy P: The ID code for this unit is 4321
AS: This unit is from the United States Q: The arrow indicates direction of travel
B: Battalion/Squadron S: This is not a HQ (since the line bends)
C: 497 personnel S2: The end of this line is the unit’s location
D: This unit is a Task Force T: This unit is ID’d as “Manchu”
F: This unit is reduced V: This unit has Strykers
G: The staff noted the unit is on a BDE FTX W: Information as of this DTG
H: 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division X: This is their altitude
Y: This is their location
Z: The unit’s speed
Cursed Icons: Equipment

AO: Engagement Bar

A: Symbol and modifiers
C: Quantity
W: Date-time Group
G: Staff Comments
Y: Location
AQ: Guarded Unit (Missile Defense)
X: Altitude or Depth
H: Additional Info
V: Type

AF: Common ID
AD: Platform Type (Intel)

AE: Equipment Teardown Time (min) J: Evaluation Rating

L: Signature Equipment
T: Unique ID/Track #

N: Hostile
Z: Speed
Q: Direction of Movement P: Identification Code (IFF)
S2: Offset Location

R: Mobility mode AL: Operational Condition

A: Enemy Cargo Helicopter Q: The arrow indicates direction of travel

AO: Hostile Expired Target C: There are 2 pieces of equipment
W: Info as of this DTG G/AQ: This unit is guarded in ballistic missile
X/Y:: Altitude/Location defense (for reasons)
V: Equipment type H/AF: The NATO reporting name for this equipment
AD: Intel Platform Type is “Hip”
AE: It takes 90 minutes to break down this equipment J: The intelligence source is usually reliable,
T: This is the track number assigned to this equipment information probably true
Z: Speed L: The “!” means it has an electromagnetic signature
S2: The end of the line is the exact location N: “ENY” indicates it’s hostile
R: This equipment is being transported on a train car P: This is the helicopter’s IFF code
AL: This equipment is damaged but operational
Here’s an in-depth explanation of some of the less frequently used, but interesting, fields.
These are 100% copy-pasted from FM 1-02.2
Combat Effectiveness:
Fully operational (FO)
Substantially operational (SO)
Marginally operational (MO)
Not operational (NO)
Unknown (UNK)

Evaluation Rating:
“Evaluation Rating” consists of a
single letter reliability rating and a
single digit credibility rating.
Reliability Ratings:
A-completely reliable
B-usually reliable
C-fairly reliable
D-not usually reliable
E-unreliable
F-reliability cannot be judged
Credibility Ratings:
1-confirmed by other sources
2-probably true
3-possibly true
4-doubtfully true
5-improbable
6-truth cannot be judged