List of government and military acronyms

List of initialisms, acronyms ("words made from parts of other words, pronounceable"), and other abbreviations used by the government and the military:

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

0–9

• 1LT - First Lieutenant (U.S. Army)(U.S. Marines) (USAF uses "1Lt")
• 2LT - Second Lieutenant (U.S. Army)(U.S. Marines) (USAF uses "2Lt")
• 2IC - Second In Command

A

• A - analog
• A1C - Airman 1st Class (USAF E-3)
• A2C2 - Army airspace command and control
• A-3 - (Operations Directorate (COMAFFOR))
• A-5 - (Plans Directorate (COMAFFOR))
• AA - Anti-Aircraft
• AA - assessment agent
• AA - avenue of approach
• AAA - antiaircraft artillery
• AAA - arrival and assembly area
• AAA - assign alternate area
• AAAS - amphibious aviation assault ship
• AABB - American Association of Blood Banks
• AABWS - amphibious assault bulk water system
• AAC - activity address code
• AAC - Army Air Corps (British)
• AAC - Australian Army Cadets (Australia)
• AACG - arrival airfield control group
• AADC - area air defense commander
• AADP - area air defense plan
• AA&E - arms, ammunition, and explosives
• AAEC - aeromedical evacuation control team
• AAFC - Australian Air Force Cadets (Australia)
• AAFES - Army and Air Force Exchange Service
• AAFIF - automated air facility information file
• AAFS - amphibious assault fuel system
• AAFSF - amphibious assault fuel supply facility
• AAGS - Army air-ground system
• AAI - air-to-air interface
• AAM - air-to-air missile
• AAMDC - US Army Air and Missile Defense Command
• AAOE - arrival and assembly operations element
• AAOG - arrival and assembly operations group
• AAP - Allied administrative publication
• AAP - assign alternate parent
• AAR - after action report
• AAR - after action review
• AAS - Army Apprentice School (Australia)
• AAST - aeromedical evacuation administrative support team
• AAT - automatic analog test
• AAT - aviation advisory team
• AAU - analog applique unit
• AAV - amphibious assault vehicle
• AAW - antiair warfare
• AB - airbase
• AB - Airman Basic (USAF E-1)
• ABCA - American, British, Canadian, Australian Armies Program
• ABCS - Army Battle Command System
• ABD - airbase defense
• ABFC - advanced base functional component
• ADF - Australian Defence Force (Australia)
• ADFA - Australian Defence Force Academy (Australia)
• ADFC - Australian Defence Force Cadets (Australia)
• ADOS - Active Duty, Operational Support
• ADSW - Active Duty, Special Work
• AFI - Awaiting Further Instruction
• AFO - Another Fucking Observer
• AFOSI - Air Force Office of Special Investigations
• AIM - Airborne Intercept Missile (U.S. military)
• AIPD - Army Institute For Professional Development
• AIRTC - Air Training Corps (former name for the Australian Air Force Cadets)
• AIT - Advanced Individual Training (U.S. Army)
• Amn - Airman (USAF E-1)
• ALCON - All CONcerned (U.S. military)
• AMU - Aicraft Maintenance Unit
• AMXG - Aircraft Maintenance Group
• AMXS - Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
• An - Antonov (Russian)
• ANZAC - Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
• AOL - Absent Over Leave (U.S. Navy)
• A&P - administrative and personnel
• AP - Armor-Piercing
• APC - Armored Personnel Carrier
• APFSDS - Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot
• APO AE - American Post Office Armies in Europe
• APPN - Appropriation Number (U.S. Military)
• APRT - Army Physical Readiness Test (U.S. Army)
• ARA - Australian Regular Army (Australia)
• ARes - Army Reserve (Australia)
• ARM - Anti-Radar Missile
• ARM - Anti-Radiation Missile
• ARMS - Automated Recruit Management System (U.S. military)
• ARMS - Aviation Resource Management Ssystem (USAF)
• ART - Alarm Response Team (USAF)
• ARVN - Army of the Republic of (South) Viet Nam (U.S. Military)
• ASAP - Army Substance Abuse Program (U.S. military)
• ASAP - As Soon As Possible (U.S. military)
• ASEAN - Association of South East Asian Nations
• ASM - Air to Surface Missile
• ASM - Anti-Ship Missile
• ASV - Anti-Surface Vessel (airborne radar)
• ATC - Air Training Corps
• ATO - Air Tasking Order
• ATO - Antiterrorism Officer
• ATTRS - Army Training Requirements And Resources Development
• AWOL - Absent Without Leave

B

• BAU - Behavioural Analysis Unit
• BCG - Birth Control Glasses (U.S. Military)
• BCT - Basic Combat Training (U.S. Army)
• BDF - Barbados Defence Force (Barbados)
• Be - Beriev (Russian)
• BEA - Budget Execution Authority (U.S. Navy)
• BOHICA - Bend Over Here It Comes Again (US Military)
• BRAC- Base Realignment And Closure Comission
• BRAT- Born RaisedAndTransferred (refers to dependent children of military personnel)
• BVR - Beyond Visual Range (USAF)

C

• C1 - Command
• C2 - Command And Control
• C3 - Command Control And Communication
• C4IR - Command Control Communication Computers Intelligence And Recognition
• CAC - Common Access Card (U.S. DoD, pron. "cac")
• CAG - Commander, Air Group (U.S. Navy, pron. "cag" )
• CAGE - Commercial and Government Entity
• CAS - Close Air Support
• CAT - Combat Application Tourniquets
• CBRN - Chemical Biological Nuclear Radiological
• CBU - Cluster Bomb Unit
• CCIR - Commanders Critical Information Requirements
• CDIAC - Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center
• CDRUSPACOM Commander United States Pacific Command
• CENTCOM - Central Command (U.S. Military)
• CF - Cluster Fuck (always pronounced phonetically "Charlie Foxtrot")
• CIA - Central Intelligence Agency
• CIC - Command Intelligence Center (U.S. Navy)
• CINCLANT - Commander-in-chief, Atlantic Forces (U.S. Navy before 2002)
• CINCLANTFLT - Commander-in-chief, Atlantic Fleet (U.S. Navy before 2002)
• CINCPAC - Commander-in-chief, Pacific Forces (U.S. Navy before 2002)
• CIWS - Close-In Weapon System
• CMSgt - Chief Master Sergeant (USAF E-9; highest AF enlisted rank)
• CMSAF - Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force(USAF E-9 - Senior Enlisted Member)
• CO - Commanding Officer
• CO - Company
• COA - Course of Action
• COCOM - Combatant Commander
• CODELS - Congressional Delegations
• COMPACFLT - Commander, Pacific Fleet (U.S. Navy)
• CONUS - Continental United States (U.S. military, pron. "cone-us")
• CONUSA - Continental United States Army (numbered Armies of U.S. military)
• CORDS - (U.S. military, Vietnam era)
• CoS - Chief of Staff
• CPT - Captain
• CPX - Command Post Exercise
• CQB - Close Quarters Battle
• CRC - CONUS Replacement Center (a military processing center at Fort Benning, Georgia, USA)
• CSM - Command Sergeant Major (U.S. Army E9)
• CT - Counter-terrorism Team
• CVN - Nuclear-powered Aircraft Carrier (NOTE: the V comes from the expression "heavier than air flying machine")
• CZN - Nuclear-powered Airship Carrier (NOTE: the Z comes from the use of the word Zeppelin although non-Zeppelin airships would also be transported on a CZN)

D

• DARPA - Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (U.S. Military)
• DFAC - Dining Facility (U.S. Military)
• DFAS - Defense Finance and Accounting Service (U.S. Military)
• DINFAC - Dining Facility (U.S. Military)
• DMS - Defense Message System (U.S. Military)
• DMZ - Demilitarized Zone
• DoDAAC - Department of Defense Activity Address Code (U.S. Military)
• DoDAF - Department of Defense Architectural Framework (U.S. Military)
• DoDIC - Department of Defense Identification Code (U.S. Military)

E

• ECP - Entry Control Point
• EPW - Enemy Prisoner of War
• EOD - Explosive Ordnance Disposal
• ETA - Estimated time of arrival
• EUCOM - European Command (U.S. Military)
• Exfil - Exfiltration

F

• FA - Field Artillery
• FAK - First Aid Kit
• FAR - Federal Acquistion Regulation
• FBCB2 - Force XXI Battlefield Command Brigade and Below
• FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation
• FEBA - Forward Edge of the Battle Area
• FIDO - FIre Direction Officer
• FitRep - Fitness Report
• FLOT - Forward Line of Troops
• FLOTUS - First Lady of the United States (U.S. – see POTUS)
• FOB - Forward Operating Base
• FOD - Foreign Object Damage (U.S.)
• FOD - Foreign Object Debris (U.S.)
• FSA - Force Structure Allowance
• FSTE - Foreign Service Tour Extension
• FTUS - Full Time Unit Specialist
• FUBAR - Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition

G

• G1 - General Staff Level office for Personnel and Manpower
• G2 - General Staff Level office for Military Intelligence
• G3 - General Staff Level office for Operations and Plans
• G4 - General Staff Level office for Logistics
• G5 - General Staff Level office for Military/Civil Affairs
• G6 - General Staff Level office for Signal and Communication
• G7 - General Staff Level office for Training and Exercises
• G8 - General Staff Level office for Force Development and Analysis
• G9 - General Staff Level office for Civil Operations
• GBU - Guided Bomb Unit
• GEN - General
• GI - General Issue
• GIGO - Garbage In Garbage Out
• GO - General Officer
• GOCO - Government owned, contractor operated
• GPMG - General Purpose Machine Gun
• GPS - Global Positioning System
• GROM - Polish Special Operations Team (Polish Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego)
• Gulag - The Chief Administration of Collective Labor Camps (Russian Главное Управление Лагерей, "Glavnoye Upravleniye Lagerey")

H

• HEAT - High Explosive Anti-Tank warhead
• HMAS - Her Majesty's Australian Ship (Australia)
• HMCS - Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (Canada)
• HMMWV - High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (U.S. Military)
• HMNZS - Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship (New Zealand)
• HMS - Hans Majestäts Skepp (His Majesty's ship, Sweden)
• HMS - Her Majesty's Ship (UK)
• HOMSEC - Homeland Security
• HUMINT - Human Intelligence
• HYT - High Year Tenure (USAF)

I

• IAF - Indian Air Force
• IAF - Israeli Air Force
• ICBM - Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
• IED - Improvised Explosive Device
• IFAK - Individual First Aid Kit
• IFF - Identification Friend or Foe
• IFF - Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (USAF)
• IFV - Infantry Fighting Vehicle
• Il - Ilyushin
• Interpol - International Criminal Police Organization
• ISO - Inter School Course
• ISR - Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconaissance
• IYAOYAS - If You Aint Ordnance You Aint Shit

J

• JETDS - Joint Electronics Type Designation System
• JSTAR - Joint Surveillance Target Acquisition Radar

K

• KIA - Killed In Action
• KP - Kitchen Patrol

L

• LAAD - Low Altitude Air Defense
• LZ- Landing Zone
• LGOP- Little Group Of Paratroopers

M

• MARCORSYSCOM - MARine CORps SYStems COMmand (U.S. Military)
• MAW Maximum Allowable Weight
• MBT - Main Battle Tank
• MCEN - Marine Corps Enterprise Network (U.S. Military)
• MCEITS - Marine Corps Enterprise Information Technology Service (U.S. Military)
• MFA - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• MG - Major General
• Mi - Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant (Russian)
• MIA - Missing In Action
• MICV - Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle
• MiG - Mikoyan-Gurevich (Russian)
• MK - Mark
• MOAB - Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (U.S. military)
• MOB - Main Operating Base
• MPDS - Military Planning Data Allowance
• MOA - Military Operating Area (USAF Airspace)
• MRAP - Mine Resistant Ambush Protected
• MRE - Meal Ready to Eat (U.S. Military)
• MRX - Mission Rehearsal Exercise
• MSgt - Master Sergeant (USAF E-7)
• MTOE - Modified Table Of Organizational Equipment
• MTS+ - Movement Tracking System Plus
• MSDC+ - Marine Science Diving Club (Diving Club Of Hasanudin University)

N

• NAFTA - North American Free Trade Agreement
• NAS - Naval Air Station
• NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
• NCIS - Naval Criminal Investigative Service
• NCO - Non-Commissioned Officer
• NMC - Not Mission Capable
• NMCI - Naval Marine Corps Internet (U.S. Navy)
• NMMSA - Non-Nuclear Munitions Storage Area
• NonCom - NCO

O

• OBE - Overcome by Events (DoD)
• OCONUS - Outside Continental United States
• OFO - Out Fucking Off
• OM - On the Move (Normaly just spelled out Oscar Mike)
• O&M, MC - Operations & Maintenance, Marine Corps (U.S. Navy)
• O&M, N - Operations & Maintenance, Navy (U.S. Navy)
• OODA - Observe, Orient, Decide, And Act
• OPSEC - Operations Security
• OTV - Outer Tactical Vest

P

• PACOM - Pacific Command
• PDS - Permanent Duty Station (U.S. Military)
• PDT - Pre-Deployment Training
• PFC - Private First Class (U.S. Military)
• PFT - Physical Fitness Test
• PLT - Platoon (U.S. Army)
• PME - Professional Military Education
• PMS - Planned Maintenance Schedule (U.S. Navy)
• PO - Post Office
• POTUS - President of the United States
• POG - Person Other than Grunt (All Branches save Air Force)
• POW - Prisoner Of War
• PT - Physical Training

R

• RAAF - Royal Australian Air Force (Australia)
• RAF - Royal Air Force (UK)
• RAN - Royal Australian Navy (Australia)
• RCSC - Royal Canadian Sea Cadets (Canada)
• REMF - Rear Echelon Mother Fucker
• RFP - Request for Proposal (U.S.)
• RMC - Royal Military College of Canada (Canada) in Kingston, Ontario
• RN - Royal Navy (UK)
• ROE - Rules Of Engagement
• RNZAF - Royal New Zealand Air Force (New Zealand)
• RPG - Rocket-Propelled Grenade
• RPM - Rounds per minute
• RS - RatShit (Australia - related to US - Unserviceable)
• RSS - Regional Security System (Caribbean)
• RV - Rendez-Vous

S

• SAS - Special Air Service (British special forces)
• SAAS - Standard Army Ammunition System (U.S. Army)
• SAM - Surface-to-air Missile
• SARSS - Standard Army Retail Supply System (U.S. Army)
• SEAL - Sea, Air and Land (US Navy SEALs)
• SFC - Sergeant First Class (U.S. Army E7)
• SGM - Sergeant Major (U.S. Army E9 - Sometimes referred to as Staff Sergeant Major)
• SGT - Sergeant (U.S. Army E5)(U.S. Marines uses Sgt)
• SITREP - Situation Report
• SMA - Sergeant Major of the Army (U.S. Army E9 - Senior Enlisted Member)
• SMSgt - Senior Master Sergeant (USAF E-8)
• SNAFU - Situation Normal: All Fucked Up
• SOCOM - United States Special Operations Command
• SOP - Standard Operating Procedures
• SOS - Shit On a Shingle, or creamed chipped beef on toast. A delicacy served served in Mess Halls.
• SrA - Senior Airman (USAF E-4)
• SSG - Staff Sergeant (US Army E-6)
• SSgt - Staff Sergeant (US Air Force E-5)(U.S. Marines E-6)
• SOL - Shit Out of Luck(US Army)

T

• TAD - Temporary Additional Duty (U.S. Military)
• TDY - Temporary Duty (U.S. Military)
• TFOA - Things Falling Off Aircraft
• TIC - Troops In Contact
• TSgt - Technical Sergeant (USAF E-6)
• TU - Tits Up (Dead, Inoperable), a.k.a. "tango uniform"

U

• UA - Unauthorized Absence
• UAS - Unmanned Aerial System
• UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
• UCAV - Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle
• ULLS - Unit Level Logisitics System (U.S. Army)
• UMA - Unit Mobilization Assistor
• UN - United Nations
• US - Unserviceable
• USSS - United States Secret Service
• USAF - United States Air Force
• USAFE - United States Air Forces in Europe
• USA PATRIOT Act - Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act
• USAREC - US Army REcruiting Command
• USAREUR - US Army European Command
• USMC - United States Marine Corps
• USN - United States Navy
• USO - United Service Organizations (U.S. Military)
• USR - Unit Status Report
• UUV - Unmanned Underwater Vehicle
• UXB - Unexploded Bomb (bomb disposal; British)
• UXO - Unexploded Ordanance

V

• VBIED - Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device
• VDM - Visual Distinguishing Mark
• VFD - Volunteer Fire Department
• VFR - Volunteer Fire and Rescue

W

• WIA - Wounded In Action
• WO1 - Warrant Officer 1
• WSA - Weapons Storage Area
• WOMD- weapons of mass destruction

X

• XO - Executive Officer

Z

• Z - Zulu time/Zulu hours
• ZEP - Zeppelin

See also

• List of acronyms
• List of U.S. Air Force acronyms and expressions
• List of U.S. Marine Corps acronyms and expressions
• List of U.S. Navy acronyms

External links

• AcronymFinder - Military & Government
• Abbreviation.com - Military Abbreviations
• All Acronyms - Military Acronyms
• Acronyms List - US Military Acronyms