Glossary
The Military has so many acronyms, there is no way to record them all. Here are a few for starters. Feel free to email the museum to add to our list: info@militaryfamilymuseum.org
Acronyms/Terms:
ACS-Army Community Service –A support and resource agency for military families
ADA-Air Defense Artillery
AAFES-Army/Air Force Exchange Service- Runs the department stores on military installations
ARTEP-Army Training and Evaluation Program—A graded exercise to show proficiency
ASR- Alternate Supply Route
ASV- Combat vehicle
Autovon- Automatic Voice Network- A military phone system built in the 1960s
AUX-Auxiliary
AYA-American Youth Association-A youth or recreation center for the children of service members—usually on the military installation
BDE-Brigade
BDU-Battle Dress Uniform
BRAT- Originally from “British Regiment Attached Travelers”. A term given to the children of military members
Buffalo-Combat vehicle, specific for IED determent
BX/PX-Base Exchange/Post Exchange—Department stores on military posts/bases run by AAFES
CAB-Combat Action Badge
CAP-Civil Air Patrol
CAS-Close Air Support
CASEVAC- Casualty Evacuation (Non-designated medical vehicle)
CDC-Child Development Center
CINCLANTICFLT-Commander in Chief (Atlantic Fleet)
CINCPACFLT-Commander in Chief (Pacific Fleet)
CINC USAREUR- Commander in Chief (Europe)
CJCS SROE- Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Standard rules of Engagement
CONUS- Continental United States –also known as “stateside”
CNATRA- Chief of Naval Air Training
CNAVRES-Chief of Naval Reserve
CND- Chief of Naval Development
CNET-Chief of Naval Education and Training
CNO-Chief of Naval Operations
Commissary- Food Store (supermarket) found on most military installations
Convoy OPS-Convoy Operations
CO-Commanding Officer
COB-Combined Operations Post
COP-Combat Outpost
COS-Chief of Section
Court Martial- a military court
CSH (pronounced Cash)-Combat Surgical Hospital
Dependent- The spouse or child of a sponsor (usually active duty)
Demob-Demobilization
DFAC-Dining Facility (used to be referred to as “mess hall”)
DIF-Determent Integration Facility
DISA-Defense Information Systems Agency
DIV-Division
DIVARTY-Division Artillery
DoD-Department of Defense
DODDS-Department of Defense Dependent Schools
DODDSEUR- Department of Defense Dependent Schools-Europe
DOIM (US Army) Directorate of Information Management
DONSA-Day of No Scheduled Activity
DSN-Defense Switch Network- a DoD communication network
DYA-Dependent Youth Association
EFP-Explosive Formed Penetrator-a type of IED
EOD- Explosive Ordnance Disposal –“Bomb squad”
EOR- Explosive Ordnance Reconnaissance
EWC-Enlisted Wives Club
FIST-Fire Support Team- responsible for directing artillery fire and close air support
FLOTUS-First Lady of the United States
FO- Forward Observer-
FOB-Forward Operating Base
FOUO- For Official Use Only
FPCON- Force Protection Condition- Terrorist threat system which has five progressive levels:Normal, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta
FRAGO-Fragmentary Order
Gunship- Apache/Cobra attack helicopter
GI-Government Issued
GWOT-Global War on Terrorism
HME-Home-Made Explosive, a type of Improvised Explosive Device
HOW-Howitzer
IED- Improvised Explosive Device
M2 50 Caliber-Machine gun
MAX PRO-Combat vehicles
MEDEVAC- Medical Evacuation
MFO-Multinational Force of Observers
M4 -Standard weapon
M9- Standard pistol
MK19 (Mark 19) Automatic grenade launcher
MWR- Morale, Welfare and Recreation
MAGTF or MAGTAF-Marine Air Ground Task Force
MSR- Main Supply Route
NATO-North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NBC-Nuclear, Biological, Chemical
NCO-Noncommissioned Officer
NEO-Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations-these are conducted to assist the US State Department to evacuate family members from host-nations in times of danger.
OCS- Officer Candidate School
OEF/OIF/OND-Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn
OPORD-Operation Order
OWC-Officers’ Wives Club
PCS-Permanent Change of Station (a move to another duty station)
PLT-Platoon
PCMS-Preventative Maintenance Checks Service
POTUS-President of the United States
POV-Privately owned Vehicle-(car)
RG33- Combat vehicle
RGT-Regiment
ROTC- Reserve Officer’s Training Course
Route Clearance- IED Hunters
RP- Release Point
SAW-Squad Automatic Weapon-small machine gun
SCOTUS-Supreme Court of the United States
SNAFU-Situation Normal-All Fouled Up
SP- Start Point
Sponsor- The Active Duty member
Spouse-The wife/husband of the Sponsor
Stryker- Combat Vehicle
TF- Task Force
Track-Any vehicle with treads, like a tank or Howitzer
TDY-Temporary Duty- going somewhere on business
TOC (pronounced Talk)-Tactical Operations Command
Top- 1st Sergeant (1SG) also known as “First Shirt”
TOPS (Scouting) Troops on Foreign Soil
UCMJ-United States Code of Military Justice
USA-United Sates of America or United States Army
USAADS-US Army Air Defense School
USAARMS-US Army Armor School
USAAF-United States Army Air Force
USAF-United States Air Force
USAREUR-United States Army European Command
USDESEA-United States Department of Defense Schools European Area. Shortly after the end of World War II, schools for the children of military serving abroad were built. The DoD school system has had several different names over the years.
USCG-United States Coast Guard
USMC-United States Marine Corps
USN-United States Navy
VBED- Vehicle Born IED (Improvised Explosive Device)
WAAC-Women’s Auxiliary Army Air Corps
WAC-Women’s Army Corps
WAF-Women (in the) Air Force
WARNO-Warning Order
Warrant Officer-
XO-Executive Officer
Expressions:
Article 15- a punishment for minor infractions, which can be handed out by a commanding officer or officer in charge.
Butter Bar- 2nd Lieutenant (2LT)
Buck Sergeant-the lowest rank sergeant
Chaptered out—being involuntarily discharged from the military
Chow-food, meal
(the) Economy- living off post/base
Head-bathroom (Navy)
Out-goodbye (phone/radio)
Roger-got it, yes, right, etc.
TCK-Third Culture Kids-a child who has spent significant time outside his/her parent’s culture-a term coined by Ruth Hill Useem
WILCO- “Will Comply”
One of the sources for the acronyms above is Wikipedia (http:www.wikipedia.org)
Military Alphabet: Military Time:
Alpha 0100 1 AM
Bravo 0200 2 AM
Charlie 0300 3 AM
Delta 0400 4 AM
Echo 0500 5 AM
Foxtrot 0600 6 AM
Golf 0700 7 AM
Hotel 0800 8 AM
India 0900 9 AM
Juliet 1000 10 AM
Kilo 1100 11 AM
Lima 1200 Noon
Mike 1300 1 PM
November 1400 2 PM
Oscar 1500 3 PM
Papa 1600 4 PM
Quebec 1700 5 PM
Romeo 1800 6 PM
Sierra 1900 7 PM
Tango 2000 8 PM
Uniform 2100 9 PM
Victor 2200 10 PM
Whiskey 2300 11 PM
X-ray 0000 Midnight
Yankee
Zulu