List of U.S. 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:

0–9

• 1LT – First Lieutenant (U.S. Army) (USAF uses "1st Lt")
• 2LT – Second Lieutenant (U.S. Army) (USAF uses "2d Lt")
• 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
• AHA – AmmunitionHoldingArea
• 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-2)
• 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)
• AO – Area of Operations
• A&P – administrative and personnel
• AP – Armor-Piercing
• APC – Armored Personnel Carrier
• APFSDS – Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot
• APO – Army Post Office; See also FPO
• 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 System (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
• ASEAN – Association of South East Asian Nations
• ASM – Air to Surface Missile
• ASM – Anti-Ship Missile
• ASV – Anti-Surface Vessel (airborne radar)
• ASW – Anti-Submarine Warfare
• ATC – Air Training Corps
• ATC – Air Traffic Control
• ATO – Air Tasking Order
• ATO – Antiterrorism Officer
• ATTRS – Army Training Requirements And Resources Development
• AWOL – Absent Without OfficialLeave

B

• BAMCIS – Begin planning Arrange Recon Make the plan Complete the plan Issue the order Supervise (US Navy Seabees)
• BAR - Browning Automatic Rifle
• 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)
• BGHR – By God He's Right (U.S Military)
• 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)
• BUB - Battle Update Brief
• 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
• CASEX – Coordinated Antil-Submarine EXercise
• 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
• COMINT – Communications Intelligence
• 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
• CPL – Corporal (U.S. Army and Marine Corps E-4)
• CPO – Chief Petty Officer (USCG/USN E-7)
• CPT – Captain
• CPX – Command Post Exercise
• CQB – Close Quarters Battle
• CRC – CONUS Replacement Center (a military processing center at Fort Benning, Georgia, US)
• CSM – Command Sergeant Major (U.S. Army E9)
• CT – Counter-terrorism Team
• CUB - Commander Update Brief
• 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
• ELINT – Electronic Intelligence
• EPW – Enemy Prisoner of War
• EOD – Explosive Ordnance Disposal
• ETA – Estimated time of arrival
• EUCOM – European Command (U.S. Military)
• Exfil – Exfiltration
• EMP- Electronic Magnetic Pulse

F

• FA – Field Artillery
• FAK – First Aid Kit
• FAR – Federal Acquistion Regulation
• FBCB2 – Force XXI Battlefield Command Brigade and Below
• ' – Federal Bureau of Investigation
• FEBA – Forward Edge of the Battle Area
• FIDO – FIre Direction Officer
• FIDO – Fuck It, Drive On
• FIFO – First In First Out
• FIGMO - Fuck You, I've Got My Orders
• FISINT – Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence
• FitRep – Fitness Report
• FLOT – Forward Line of Troops
• FLOTUS – First Lady of the United States (U.S. – see POTUS)
• FM - Field Marshal
• FMC – Fully Mission Capable
• FMS – Fuck Me Sideways (exclamatory)
• FNG – Fucking New Guy (US Military/British Army)
• FOB – Forward Operating Base
• FOD – Foreign Object Damage (U.S.)
• FOD – Foreign Object Debris (U.S.)
• FPO – Fleet Post Office; See also APO
• FSA – Force Structure Allowance
• FSTE – Foreign Service Tour Extension
• FTUS – Full Time Unit Specialist
• FUBAR – Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition
• FUBAR - Fucked Up By Army Regulations

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 (Royal Navy) (His Majesty's Ship if King)
• 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
• INSCOM – United States Army Intelligence and Security Command
• 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
• JSOC – Joint Special Operations Command

K

• KIA – Killed In Action
• KP – Kitchen Police or Kitchen Patrol

L

• LAAD – Low Altitude Air Defense
• LCDR – Lieutenant Commander (US Navy)
• LCPL – Lance Corporal (US Marines)
• LGOP – Little Group Of Paratroopers
• LLMF – Lost Like a Mother Fucker
• LT – Lieutenant
• LTC or Lt Col – Lieutenant Colonel
• LTG or Lt Gen – Lieutenant General
• LTJG – Lieutenant, Junior Grade (US Navy)
• LZ – Landing Zone

M

• MARCORSYSCOM – MARine CORps SYStems COMmand (U.S. Military)
• MARFORRES – MARine FORces REServe (U.S. Marine Corps)
• 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)
• MCPO – Master Chief Petty Officer (USCG/USN E-9)
• MFA – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• MG – Major General
• Mi – Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant (Russian)
• MIA – Missing In Action
• MedEvac – Medical Evacuation
• MICV – Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle
• MiG – Mikoyan-Gurevich (Russian)
• MK – Mark
• MK – Machinery Technician (U.S. Coast Guard)
• MOA – Military Operating Area (USAF Airspace)
• MOAB – Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (U.S. military)
• MOB – Main Operating Base
• MOBCOM – MOBile COMmand
• MOPP – Mission Oriented Protective Posture
• MPDS – Military Planning Data Allowance
• 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 (U.S. Navy)
• NCO – Non-Commissioned Officer
• NMC – Not Mission Capable
• NMCI – Naval Marine Corps Internet (U.S. Navy)
• NNMSA – Non-Nuclear Munitions Storage Area

O

• OBE – Overcome by Events (DoD)
• OCONUS – Trespassing Outside Continental United States
• OFO – Out Fucking Off
• OFP – Own Fucking Program
• OM – On the Move (Normally 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
• ORM – Operational Risk Management
• OSM – Oh Shit Moment (U.S. Marine Corps)
• 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)
• PMC – Partially Mission Capable
• PME – Professional Military Education
• PMS – Planned Maintenance Schedule (U.S. Navy)
• PO – Post Office
• PO1 – Petty Officer 1st Class (USCG/USN E-6)
• PO2 – Petty Officer 2nd Class (USCG/USN E-5)
• PO3 – Petty Officer 3rd Class (USCG/USN E-4)
• POBCAK – Problem Occurs Between Chair And Keyboard
• POC – Point Of Contact
• POTUS – President of the United States
• POG – Person Other than Grunt (All Branches save Air Force)
• POW – Prisoner Of War
• POV – Privately Owned Vehicle
• PRP – Personll ReliabilityProgram
• PRP – Pretty Retarted Program
• PRT – Provincial Reconstruction Team
• PT – Physical Training
• PV2 – Private 2nd class (U.S. Army E-2)
• PVT – Private (U.S. Army and Marine Corps E-1)

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
• RFL – Response Force Leader
• RFP – Request for Proposal (U.S.)
• RMC – Royal Military College of Canada (Canada) in Kingston, Ontario
• RN – Royal Navy (UK)
• ROE – Rules Of Engagement
• ROWPU – Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit
• 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)
• RTB – Return To Base
• RV – Rendez-Vous

S

• SA – Seaman Apprentice (USCG/USN E-2)
• 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)
• SCPO – Senior Chief Petty Officer (USCG/USN E-8)
• 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)
• SN – Seaman (USCG/USN E-3)
• SNAFU – Situation Normal: All Fucked Up
• SOCOM – United States Special Operations Command
• SOFA – Status of Forces Agreement
• SOP – Standard Operating Procedures
• SOS – Shit On a Shingle, or creamed chipped beef on toast.
• SPC – Specialist (U.S. Army E-4)
• SR – Seaman Recruit (USCG/USN E-1)
• SrA – Senior Airman (USAF E-4)
• SSDD - Same Shit Different Day
• 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)
• SUSFU - Situation Unchanged, Still Fucked Up

T

• TAD – Temporary Additional Duty (U.S. Military)
• TBD - To Be Determined
• 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"
• TARFU – Things Are Really Fucked Up, or Totally And Royally Fucked Up

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
• USA – United States Army
• 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
• WMD – Weapons of Mass Destruction
• WILCO - WILl COmply

X

• XO – Executive Officer

Z

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

See also

• 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 and Government
• Abbreviation.com – Military Abbreviations
• All Acronyms – Military Acronyms
• Acronyms List – US Military Acronyms