Acronyms

Army Airfield

Army and Air Force Exchange Service

Army Achievement Medal; Air-to-Air Missile (see ATAM); Automated Acquisition Module

After-Action Review (formerly After-Action Report); Air-to-Air Receive; Air-to-Air Refueling; Aircraft Accident Report

Airborne

Aircraft Commander; Active Component; Alternating Current; Aircraft; Aircraft Carrier; Air Conditioning; Air Controller; Aircrew; Armament Computer; Associate Contractor

Army Combat Uniform; Assault Craft Unit; Annunciator Control Unit; Automatic Calling Unit; Administrative Control Unit

Advanced Infantry Training; Advanced Individual Training (specialty training post-BCT); Aircraft Interface Tester; Automated Interactive Target; AUTODIN Interface Terminal; Automated Identification Technology

All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment

Army Modular Force

Army/Navy; see JETDS

Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course

Accounts Office; Acquisition Objective; Action Officer; Aircraft Operator; Oiler (underway replenishment); Administration Officer; Air Officer; Area of Operations; Aviation Ordnance Person

Air and Space Operations Center; Air Operations Center; Army Operations Center; Air/Oil Cooler; Approach On Course; Auxiliary Output Chips; Aviation Ordnance Chief; Area of Concentration

Area of Operations; Aviation Ordnance Officer

Area of Responsibility; Allowance Overrides; Annual Operating Requirement; Area of Operations; Replenishment Oiler (underway replenishment)

Armored Personnel Carrier; Acquisition Professional Community; Accelerated Provision Concepts; Account Processing Code; Activity Process Codes; Agency Program Coordinator; Air Project Coordinator; Aerial Port Commander; Assign Pre-programmed Conference (list); Air Program Coordinator; Approach Power Compensator; Approach Power Control; Approach Control; Assistant Project Coordinator

Army Physical Fitness Test

Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal

Army Commendation Medal

Army Force Generation

As Soon As Possible (pronounced AY-sap), but usually meaning, "Do it right now."; Army Streamlined Acquisition Process; Army Substance Abuse Program

Army Service Component Command

Additional Skill Identifier, such as F7 (Pathfinder) or W5 (Jumpmaster). Used at the end of an MOS code to designate skill-trained personnel. EXAMPLE: 11B4VW5= 11B (Infantryman) 4 (Skill level 4 or SFC/E-7) V (an SQI or Skill Qualification Identifier of V equaling airborne ranger) W5 (Jumpmaster); Airspeed Indicator; Authorized Shipping Instructions; Automated Shore Interface; Assign (and display) Switch Initialization

Air Support Operations Center

Area Support Team

Anti-Submarine Warfare; Average Surface Wind

Air-To-Air Missile

All-Volunteer Force

Absent Without Official Leave. Not at one's place of duty, and not authorized to be absent, for more than 24 hours.

Air Worthiness Release

Bombardier/Navigator. The observer on a US Air Force fighter-bomber.

Basic Allowance for Housing (formerly BAQ)

Basic Allowance for Quarters; Basic Aircraft Qualification

Bad Conduct Discharge; Binary-Coded Decimal; Battlefield Coordination Detachment

Basic Combat Training (familiarly Basic Training or Basic), Brigade Combat Team (see also HBCT, IBCT, SBCT); Best Conventional Technology

Battle-Dress Uniform; Bomb Dummy Units

Bachelor Enlisted Quarters

Bottom Line Up Front (i.e., get to the point)

Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course

Beach Operations Group

Bachelor Officers' Quarters

Basic Rifle Marksmanship

Base Support Battalion

Battlefield Weather Team

Base eXchange. Air Force name for a PX (see below.)

Combat Aviation Brigade; Cabin; Centralized Accounting & Billing (Navy); Contract Adjustment Board; Cost Analysis Brief; Combat Action Badge

Common Access Card; Community Activity Center

Corrective Action through Physical Exercise

CASualty EVACuation

Cavalry (Armored Cavalry Regiment); Cavalry Fighting Vehicle

Chemical-Biological-Radiological (see NBC); Charger Battery Relay

United States Central Command (AFB MacDill, FL)

Combat Infantryman Badge; Combined Information Bureau; Controlled Image Base

Central Issue Facility

Commanding Officer (also conscientious objector); Certifying Officer; Change Order; Contracting Officer

Course of Action

Close Of Business. The end of the day or duty shift. MEANING: by the end of the duty day. USAGE: "Get that to me by COB today!!!"; Contingency Operating Base. Example: Contingency Operating Base (COB) Speicher, near Tikrit, Iraq

CONtinental United States

Command Post Exercise

Charge of Quarters. A company-level position of responsibility for units who house troops in their areas. Given to a mid-level or junior NCO who is responsible for the company's barracks and area during off-duty hours when the company commander and/or First Sergeant are not present. Lasts from COB (usually 1700 hours) to First Formation (usually 0600 hours) the next day during the work week. On weekends, the duty hours are adjusted accordingly.

Common Table of Allowances

Combat Training Center

Chief Warrant Officer; Communications Watch Officer

Combat Water Survival Test

Combat Weather Team

Department of the Army; Data Adapter aerospace drift; Data Administrator; Direct Action; Directorate for Administration (DIA); Decision Agent; Developing Agency; Design Agent; Development Activity; Disbursing Advisory Notice; Drift Angle

Distinguished Conduct Medal; Data Channel Multi-plexer; Deputy Chief of Mission; Data Communication Module

Data Control Unit; Document Control Unit; Desert Camouflage Uniform (not official)

Destroyer (Navy ship); Defense Department (see "Department of Defense")

Dining Facilities Administration Center (i.e., mess hall or cafeteria)

Defense Finance and Accounting System

Department of Defense (Defense Department, see "DD")

Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (i.e., an artillery round)

Direct Reporting Unit

Direct Exchange (of damaged equipment)

Explosively-Formed Projectile

Expert Infantryman's Badge

Emergency Medical Technician; Emergency Medical Treatment; Elapsed Maintenance Time

Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Expiration of Term of Service (scheduled date of separation from active duty); Electronic Time Keeping System; Emergency Temporary Standard; Engineering (and) Technical Services (Request); Engineering Time Standards; Estimating Tracking System; Estimated Time of Separation

United States European Command (Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany)

Executive Summary

Forward Arming and Refueling Point/Forward-Arming Replenishment Package

Forward Edge of Battle Area

Forward Line of Own Troops

Field Operating Agency

Forward Operating Base; Forward Operations Base

United States Army Forces Command (Ft. McPherson, GA)

For Official Use Only

Field Training Exercise

Good Conduct Medal; General Court-Martial; Guidance Section

General/Flag Officers' Quarters

General Military Course

'High-Altitude High-Opening parachute technique (type of parachute jump, self-explanatory);also referred to as a Stand-off infiltration technique.

High-Altitude Low-Opening parachute technique (type of parachute jump, self-explanatory); High Altitude Learjet Observatory

High-Altitude No-Opening parachute technique (type of parachute jump, self-explanatory)

Heavy gade Combat Team

High-Explosive; Handling Equipment; Housing Expense; Heavy Equipment

Heavy Extended-Mobility Tactical Truck

High-Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle

Headquarters

High-Value Target

In Accordance With

Infantry Brigade Combat Team

Imminent Danger Pay

Improvised Explosive Device

Inspector General

Infantry Officer Basic Course

Individual Ready Reserve

Joint Electronics Type Designation System (e.g. AN/PRC-xx)

Killed in Action

Load-Bearing Vest. Used for carrying ammunition, water, and other tactical loads while in the field, or during an assault.

Light Medium Tactical Vehicle. Used to transport troops or supplies.

Landing Zone

Army MEDical COMmand

MEDical EVACuation to an aid station or field hospital, usually by air ambulance.

Mission Essential Task List

Missing in Action. Missing in a battle situation, not known if alive or dead.

Multiple-Launch Rocket System

Military Medal

officially, Massive Ordnance Air Blast (slang: Mother Of All Bombs

short for MOBilization. Also, DEMOB

MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment

Mission-Oriented Protective Postures. Established procedures to deal with the effects of CBR/NBC weapons use. Chemical Protective Suits are called "MOPP suits."

Military Occupational Specialty. Formal job classification, usually expressed as a number or number/letter combination (e.g., 11B Infantryman.)

Military Police

officially, Meals, Ready to Eat; (slang: Meals Rejected/Refused by Everyone/Ethiopians, Meals Rejected by the Enemy, Meals Refusing to Exit, Meals Regurgitated by Everyone, Materials Resembling Edibles, etc.)

Nuclear-Biological-Chemical weapons, equipment, environment, and procedures

Non-Commissioned Officer. An enlisted person with command responsibility; Corporal to Command Sergeant Major˜; see also Specialist.

On or About

Order of Operations

Outside CONtinental United States, includes Alaska and Hawaii

Office (Officer) of Co-Responsibility

Officer Candidate School

Officer Evaluation Report

Oak-Leaf Cluster (signifying subsequent awards)

OPosing FORce/s

Operations Order

Office (Officer) of Primary Responsibility

Operational Security

Operational Tempo. The pace of an operation or operations; includes all of the activities the unit is conducting; can be a single activity or series of operations.

Office of the Secretary of Defense. Also, SECDEF.

One-Station Unit Training. Combination of BCT and AIT, where the soldier remains in the same unit for both training portions.

Pre-combat inspection; an inspection of equipment before a mission

Permanent Change of Station. Reassignment to a different duty station.

PERSonnel COMmand, short for United States Army Personnel Command. Now known as HRC, or the Human Resources Command.

Personnel Tempo. Refers to the unit workload level and number of deployed days per year.

Parachute Infantry Regiment

Primary Leadership Development Course

Parachute Landing Fall

Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services

Point Of Contact

Psychological Operations Group

Program Objective Memorandum

Privately-Owned Vehicle. A soldier's personal automobile.

Privately-Owned Weapon. A soldier's personal weapon.

Physical Training. Used in the plural (PTs), it refers to the PT Uniform.

Prisoner of War

Post eXchange. A multi-purpose store which usually includes a barber shop and a convenience store.

Quick Reaction Force

Regional Air Defense Commander

Rapid Fielding Initiative, Request For Information, Ready For Issue

Radar Intercept Officer, or "Rio". An observer on a US Naval Aviation two-seater fighter.

Rules of Engagement

Reserve Officer Training Corps, often pronounced ("ROT-see")

Rocket-Propelled Grenade

Satellite Communications

Stryker Brigade Combat Team

Support by Fire

Staff Duty Officer. Same duty as CQ (see above) but done by a Senior NCO at Battalion-level or above.

Special Forces

Special Forces Operational Detachment (Alpha), Also known as an ODA.

Special Forces Qualification Course

SITuational REPort

Subject Matter Expert

Special Operations COMmand. This is the military organization that oversees the activities of such elite units as the US Navy SEALs and US Army Delta Force, among others.

Solenoid

Standing Operating Procedure, Standard Operating Procedure

Security Policy Translation Table

Strategic Readiness System. An integrated strategic management and measurement system that was developed by the Army G-3 at the direction of the Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA).

Supply Service Center. Located in all major DoD buildings, SSCs provide a full range of common use, expendable supplies and forms, as well as reproduction services. Expendable supply items normally not stocked will be procured on special order if requested. Special supply items urgently needed may be procured on short notice if circumstances justify.

STRategic Army Corps; STRAC units were those designated to be on high alert to move anywhere in 72 hours or less; as slang, means tight, together, by the book; when said with sarcasm by a combat unit about a REMF unit it refers to stupid troops running around in circles.

Situational Training Exercise

TACtical Standard Operation Procedure. The ?game-plan? that units follow when conducting tactical operations. Similar to sports team and ?secret? plays, most units have a pre-determined default method for initiating attacks and solutions to problems that could arise.

Tank Commander

Temporary Duty/Temporary Divorce for a Year

Task Force

Transfer of Authority

Tactical Operations Center

US Army TRAining and DOCtrine Command

Training Resource Model

Unit of Action

US Army Europe (HQ: Heidelberg)

UneXploded Ordnance

Very Respectfully. The standard closure line on official mail/e-mail.

Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device

Will Comply

Warning Order

White Phosphorus

Weapon Systems Officer, or "Wizzo". The observer, navigator or individual in control of weapon systems in a two-seater fighter.

Executive Officer. Officer second-in-command to the CO.

Zone of Interior, World War II official term for the United States. The term CONUS replaced it.