KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — An Army company commander is in hot water after briefing his superior last week. Capt. James Broadfoot received a formal letter of reprimand yesterday after using the term “hajji” in a briefing to his battalion commander, sources confirm.

“When he said the name 'Operation Hajji Stomp,' you could have heard a pin drop in the briefing room,” said one officer present at the meeting. “The BC [battalion commander] lost his fucking mind, screaming about local sensibilities and a complete lack of understanding for basic human decency. It was pretty bad.”

The plan called for a ground assault into the village of Shia Khot, a known Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. Once close to the target, company machine gunners would initiate the attack using overwhelming firepower to kill any personnel on the roofs of the houses.