C172 PLT AFTER TKOF AT PAFB BECAME CONFUSED WHEN CTLR INSTRUCTED A R TURNOUT.

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APPROX XA00 ON DEC/SAT/01; I WAS DEPARTING PATRICK AFB; FL. AFTER GND RUNUP AND TAXI TO RWY 20; I CONTACTED THE TWR; 'TWR; [FLT NUMBER] READY FOR TKOF; HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 20 AT TXWY L; REQUEST L TURN AND DEP S ALONG THE BEACH.' THE TWR CTLR STATED; '[FLT NUMBER] CLRED FOR TKOF' ALONG WITH A CLRNC TO INCOMING TFC ON BASE; WITH NO COMMENT ON MY REQUESTED TURNOUT AND DEP. I TYPICALLY WAIT UNTIL APPROX 700 FT AGL; NEAR END OF THE RWY TO BEGIN TURNOUT; BUT KNOWING THERE WAS ALSO AN F16 WAITING TO DEPART BEHIND ME; I REPEATED MY DEP REQUEST AT APPROX 400 FT AGL. THE CTLR STATED; '[FLT NUMBER]; TURN R;' WITH NO SPECIFICS ON HDG. I REPEATED MY REQUEST FOR A DEP S ALONG THE BEACH; AND AGAIN WAS INSTRUCTED; '[FLT NUMBER]; TURN R.' HAVING NEVER RECEIVED OR HEARD AN INSTRUCTION FROM ATC TO MAKE A TURN WITHOUT REF TO A HDG (AND ALT); AND NOT GIVEN ANY REASON FOR AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION TURN; I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTION AND DELAYED MAKING A TURN. NEXT; A SECOND CTLR XMITTED A VERY FIRM DIRECTIVE; '[FLT NUMBER] TURN R!' AND I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO A 270 DEG HDG AND CONTINUED MY CLB. THIS DELAY IN MAKING THE R TURN FRUSTRATED THE SECOND CTLR. HE IDENTED HIMSELF AS THE TWR SUPVR AND ANGRILY STATED THAT MY DELAYED TURN CAUSED HIM TO HOLD A PLANE ON THE GND. I WOULD ATTRIBUTE THE CAUSE OF THIS MISUNDERSTANDING ON THE TWR NOT USING STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY; AND MY RECEIVING A TURN OPPOSITE MY REQUESTED DIRECTION. I BELIEVE A MORE APPROPRIATE COM WOULD HAVE BEEN '[FLT NUMBER] TURN R HDG 270 DEGS FOR DEPARTING TFC;' OR '[FLT NUMBER] I NEED YOU TO TURN R FOR DEPARTING TFC TO 270 DEGS; WILL HAVE A SBOUND TURN ASAP.' OTHER SUGGESTED ACTIONS: BE READY FOR UNEXPECTED ROUTING OR TURNS. ASK FOR CLARIFICATION 'PLEASE CLARIFY TURN AND REQUESTED HDG.'