chalk
n. the personnel and equipment that make up the load of an aircraft.
English. Jargon. Military. Almost certainly an extension of a
chalk as a record-keeping mark, which dates at least 400 years.
1993 Dept. of the Army
Field Manual 55-9: Unit Air Movement Planning (Apr. 5) “Glossary”:
Chalk—Designated troops, equipment, and/or cargo that constitute a complete aircraft load.
1999 Dept. of Army
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Gold Book (Fort Campbell, Ky.) (Feb. 4): The following information is placed on a 3x5 inch index card and handed to the pilot by the chalk leader. This serves as a contract between the pilot and the chalk of soldiers to ensure coordination of LZ data. In case the chalk lands in a different LZ, the pilot will write the grid of the new LZ and hand the 3x5 card back to the chalk leader before the soldiers exit the helicopter.
2004 Joseph M. Bossi
Screaming Eagle Veterans Website (Jan. 25) “327th Infantry And Other Units Come Home!”: Included in this Chalk was also most of Abu Company member’s and other attachments from the 101st Airborne Division.
2005 [majorsamuel]
The Kosovo Kronichles (Jan. 17) “Out Of Washington”: The evening before the flight I was informed, joy of joys, that I would be the movement commander for one plane load of soldiers (in military parlance a “chalk”).
*2005 Dennis J. Reimer
Filipino Airsoft (Feb. 1) “Glossary”:
Chalk—A squad of soldiers, usually about a dozen, assigned to a helicopter.
lol Think I said that below, just a clip I found.
Well thats my 2 cents worth........