Military Acronyms and Abbreviations

While I am sure you will never need to know all of these, you will come across many of them during your time as a military spouse, especially during those rather...involved discussions with your spouse!

A

AAFES- Army and Air Force Exchange Service
ACAP- Army Career and Alumni Program
ACES- Army Continuing Education System
ACS/FPC- Army Community Service/Family Program Coordinator
ADJ- Adjutant
ADSW- Active Duty for Special Work
AER- Army Emergency Relief
AFAP- Army Family Action Plan
AFN- Armed Forces Network
AFRTS- Armed Forces Radio and Television Services
AFTB- Army Family Team Building
AG- Adjutant General
AGR- Active Guard Reserve
AIT- Advanced Individual Training
AMC- Army Materiel Command
AMMO- Ammunition
ANCOC- Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course
ANG- Air National Guard
AO- Area of Operations/Administrative Officer
APC- Armored Personnel Carrier
APF- Appropriated Funds
APFT- Army Physical Fitness Test
APO- Army Post Office
AR- Army Reserve/Army Regulation/Armor
ARCOM-Army Reserve Command
ARNG- Army National Guard
ARPERCEN- Army Reserve Personnel Center
ASAP- As Soon As Possible
AT- Annual Training
AUSA- Association of the United States Army
AWOL- Absent Without Leave
B
BOQ- Bachelor Officers Quarters
BAQ- Basic Allowance for Quarters
BAS- Basic Allowance for Subsistence
BC- Battery Commander
BCT- Basic Combat Training
BDE- Brigade
BDU- Battle Dress Uniform (jungle, desert, cold weather)
BN- Battalion
BNCOC- Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course

C

CAR- Chief of Army Reserve
CASCOM- Combined Arms Support Command
CDR- Commander
CDS- Child Development Services
CG- Commanding General
CGSC- Command and General Staff College
CHAMPUS- Civilian Health and Medical Program for the Uniformed Services
CID- Criminal Investigation Division
CINC- Commander in Chief
CNGB- Chief, National Guard Bureau
CO/Co- Commanding Officer/Company
COB- Close of Business
COLA- Cost of Living Allowance
CONUS- Continental United States
CP- Command Post
CPO- Civilian Personnel Office
CPX- Command Post Exercise
CQ- Charge of Quarters (duty required after duty hours)
CS/C of S- Chief of Staff
CSA- Chief of Staff, Army
CY- Calendar year
CYA- Cover your A**

D

DA- Department of the Army
DDP- Delta Dental Plan
DDRP- Drug Demand Reduction Program
DeCA- Defense Commissary Agency
DEERS- Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System
DEH- Director of Engineering and Housing
DPW- Director of Public Works
DENTAC- United States Army Dental Activity
DEROS- Date of Estimated Return from Overseas
DFAS- Defense Finance and Accounting Systems
DI- Drill Instructor
DO- Duty Officer
DOB- Date of Birth
DOD- Department of Defense
DOR- Date of Rank
DPCA- Director of Personnel and Community Activities
DCA- Director of Community Affairs
DPP- Deferred Payment Plan
DSN- Defense Switched Network (current term for Autovon)

E

EANGUS- Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States
EDRE- Emergency Deployment Reaction Exercise
EE- Emergency Essential
EER/OER- Enlisted/Officer Evaluation Report
EFMP- Exceptional Family Member Program
EM- Enlisted Member
EN- Enlisted
ESGR- Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
ETS- Estimated Time of Separation
EWC- Enlisted Wives Club

F

FAC- Family Assistance Center
FCP- Family Care Plan
FDU- Full Dress Uniform
FEHBP- Federal Employees Health benefits Plan
FLO- Family Liaison Office
FM- Family Member/Field Manual
FMEAP- Family Member Employment Assistance Program
FORSCOM- Forces Command
FOUO- For Official Use Only
FPC- Family Program Coordinator (for Guard and Reserve)
FRG- Family Readiness Group
FRO- Family Readiness Officer
FSA- Family Separation Allowance
FSG- Family Support Group
FTX- Field Training Exercise
FY- Fiscal Year
FYI- For Your Information

G

GED- General Education Diploma
GO- General Officer
GS- General schedule (Government civilian employee pay grades)

H

HHC- Headquarters and Headquarters Company
HOR- Home of Record
HQ- Headquarters
HQDA- Headquarters, Department of the Army
HS- Home station

I

IADT- Initial Active Duty Training
IDT- Inactive Duty Training
IE- Initial entry
IET- Initial Entry Training
IG- Inspector General
IMA- Individual Mobilization Augmentee
ING- Inactive National Guard
IO- Information Officer
IRF- Immediate Reaction Force
IRR- Individual Ready Reserve
ITO- Information Travel Office/Invitational Travel Order
ITT- Information, Tours, and Travel
IVC- Installation Volunteer Coordinator

J

JAG- Judge Advocate General
JR EN- Junior Grade Enlisted Personnel
JR NCO - Junior Grade Noncommissioned Officer
JUMPS- Joint Uniform Military Pay System

K

KIA- Killed In Action
KISS- Keep it simple stupid/sweetie
KP- Kitchen patrol

L

LES- Leave and Earnings Statement
LN- Local National
LOD- Line of Duty
LZ- Landing zone

M

MACOM- Major Army Command
MEDDAC- Medical Department Activity
METL- Mission Essential Task List
MFO- Multinational Forces and Observer
MI- Military Intelligence
MIA- Missing In Action
MOS- Military Occupational Specialty
MP- Military Police
MRE- Meals Ready to Eat
MSO- Morale Support Officer
MUSARC- Major U.S. Army Reserve Command
MUTA- Multi-unit Training Assembly
MWR- Morale, Welfare, and Recreation

N

NA- Not applicable
NAF- Nonappropriated funds (generated locally)
NATO- North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NCOA- Noncommissioned Officers Association
NCOER- Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report
NCOIC- Noncommissioned Officer In Charge
NCOWC- Noncommissioned Officers' Wives Club
NEO- Noncombatant Evacuation Operation
NG- National Guard
NG- National Guard Association of the United States
NGB- National Guard Bureaus
NLT- Not Later Than

O

O CLUB- Officers Club
OBC/OAC- Officer Basic/Advanced Course
OCONUS- Outside Continental United States
OCS- Officer Candidate Schools
OD- Officer of the Day
OIC- Officer-in-Charge
OJT- On the Job Training
ORE- Operational Readiness Exercise
OWC- Officers' Wives Club

P

PAC- Personnel Administration Center
PAM- Pamphlet
PAO- Public Affairs Officer
PCS- Permanent Change of Station
PDQ-Pretty Darn Quick
PERSCOM- Total Army Personnel Command
PLDC- Primary Leader Development Course
PLT- Platoon/Primary Level Training
PM- Provost Marshal (police chief)
PMOS- Primary Military Occupational Specialty
POA- Power of Attorney
POC- Point of Contact
POE- Point of Embarkation
POI- Program of Instruction
POV- Privately Owned Vehicle
PT- Physical Training
PX- Post Exchange
PZ- Primary Zone

Q

QM- Quartermaster
QTRS- Quarters (living area)

R

RA- Regular Army
RC- Reserve Component
RD- Rear Detachment
RDC- Rear Detachment Commander
RDF- Rapid Deployment Force
R&D- Research and Development
REG- Regulation
REGT- Regiment
R&R- Rest and Recreation
RFO- Request for Orders
RIF- Reduction in Force
RO- Roundout
ROTC- Reserve Officer Training Corps
RSVP- Reply whether or not you can attend (repondez s'il vous plait)

S

SBP- Survivor Benefit Plan
SD- Staff Duty
SDNCO- Staff Duty Noncommissioned Officer
SDO- Staff Duty Officer
SES- Senior Executive Service (senior civilian employee grades)V SGLI- Servicemen's Group Life Insurance
SIDPERS- Standard Installation/Division Personnel Reporting System
SJA- Staff Judge Advocate
SMI- Supplemental Medical Insurance
SOCOM- Special Operations Command
SOP- Standard Operating Procedure
SQD- Squad (a unit within a platoon)
SQT- Skills Qualification Test
SRB- Selective Reenlistment Bonus
SSN- Social Security Number
STARC- State Area Command
SZ- Secondary Zone

T

TAG- The Adjutant General
TASC- Training and Support Center
TDY- Temporary Duty
TIG- Time in Grade
TLA- Temporary Living Allowance
TMP- Transportation Motor Pool
TPU- Troop Program Unit
TRADOC- Training and Doctrine Command
TTAD- Temporary Tour Active Duty

U

USAR- United States Army Reserve
USARC- United States Army Reserve Command
USARF- United States Army Reserve Forces (Schools)
USO- United Service Organization
UTA- Unit Training Assembly

V
VA- Department of Veterans Affairs (formerly Veterans Administration)
VA CBOC- Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic
VAMC- Veterans Affairs Medical Center
VHA- Variable Housing Allowance
VISN- Veterans Integrated Service Network
VOLAR- Volunteer Army

W

WG- Wage Grade
WO- Warrant Officer
WOAC- Warrant Officer Advanced Course
WOC- Warrant Officer Candidate Course
WOSC- Warrant Officer Senior Course

X

XO- Executive Officer