ARMY LINGO
Acronyms
—A—
AAA – Anti-aircraft Artillery
AAFES – Army Air Force Exchange System
AAR – After Action Report
ACAP – Army Career and Alumni Program (helps soldiers separating from the military)
ACP – Access Control Point
ACS – Army Community Services (provides family services)
AD – Active Duty
ADA – Air Defense Artillery
AER – Army Emergency Relief (emergency funds for families and soldiers)
AFN – Armed Forces Network
AFTB – Army Family Team Building (teaches dependents about military life)
AG – Adjutant General
AIT – Advanced Individual (or Infantry) Training
AOB – Armor Officer Basic
ANCOC – Advanced Noncommisioned Officer Course (needed for promotion to E-7)
ANG – Air National Guard
AO – Area of Operations
APC – Armored Personnel Carrier
APFT – Army Physical Fitness Test
APO – Army Post Office
AR -Army Regulation
ASAP – Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program
ATC – Annual Training Conference
AWOL – Absent Without Leave
—B—
BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing (money for rent for soldiers with dependents)
BAS – Basic Allowance for Sustinence (money for food for soldiers with dependents)
BCT – Basic Combat Training (formerly known as boot camp)
BDE – Brigade
BDU – Battle Dress Uniform (camouflage uniforms)
BOGINT – Bogus Intelligence
BOHICA – Bend Over Here It Comes Again
BOQ – Bachelor Officer Quarters
BN – Battalion
BNCOC – Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course (needed for promotion to E-6)
—C—
CAC – Community Action Counsel
CG – Commanding General (in charge of the base or post)
CDC – Child Development Center
CENTCOM – Central Command
CIB – Combat Infantry Badge
CID – Criminal Investigation Division
CO – Commanding Officer
COB – Close of Business
COLA – Cost of Living Allowance (given in Hawaii, Alaska and overseas)
CONUS – Continental United States
CPS – Child Protective Services
CQ – Charge of Quarters
CY – Calendar Year
—D—
DA – Department of the Army
DCU – Desert Camouflage Uniform
DeCa – Defense Commissary Agency (run grocery stores on base or post)
DEERS – Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System
DEROS – Date of Estimated Return from Overseas
DFAS – Defense Finance Accounting System (in charge of our pay)
DI – Drill Instructor
DITY – Do It Yourself (in relation to moving)
DLA – Dislocation Allowance (money to help with the cost of moving)
DoD – Department of Defense
DOR – Date of Rank
DPP – Deferred Payment Plan (military credit card, now called the Star Card)
DPW – Directorate of Public Works (maintains the base or post)
DSN – Defense Switched Network (secured communication lines)
—E—
EEO – Equal Employment Opportunity
EER – Enlisted Evaluation Report
EFMB – Excellence in Field Medicine Badge
EFMP – Exceptional Family Member Program (helps with special medical needs)
EIA – Excellence in Armor
EIB – Excellence in Infantry Badge
EM – Enlisted Member
ETS – Estimated Time of Separation (date that you may leave the military)
EWC – Enlisted Wives Club
—F—
FAC – Family Assistance Center/Family Advocacy Commitee
FAQ – Family Advocacy Program
FCP – Family Care Plan
FDU – Full Dress Uniform
FLO – Family Liason Officer
FM – Field Manual
FORSCOM – Forces Command
FRG – Family Readiness Group (provides support to families)
FRO – Family Readiness Officer
FSA – Family Separation Allowance (paid to married soldiers gone for 30+ days)
FTX – Field Training Exercise
FY – Fiscal Year (begins 1 Oct and ends 30 Sep)
—G—
GO – General Officer
GS – General Schedule (pay schedule for civilian employees)
—H—
HFP – Hostile Fire Pay
HHC – Headquarters and Headquarters Company
HHT – Headquarters and Headquarters Troop
HQ – Headquarters
HQDA – Headquarters, Department of the Army
HS – Home Station
—I—
IE – Initial Entry
IET – Initial Entry Training (basic training)
IG – Inspector General (investigates questionable situations on base or post)
ITO – Information Travel Office
—J—
JAG – Judge Advocate General (military lawyers)
JUMPS – Joint Uniform Military Pay System
—K—
KIA – Killed in Action
KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid
KP – Kitchen Patrol
—L—
LES – Leave Earnings Statement (military pay stub)
LN – Local National
LOD – Line of Duty
LZ – Landing Zone
—M—
MACOM – Major Army Command
MEDDAC – Medical Department Activity
METL – Mission Essential Task List
MI – Military Intelligence
MIA – Missing in Action
MILPO – Military Personnel Office
MOS – Military Occupational Specialty (job)
MP – Military Police
MRE – Meal Ready to Eat (field rations)
MTF – Military Treatment Facility (military hospital)
MWR – Morale, Recreation and Welfare
—N—
NBC – Nuclear Biological Chemical
NCO – Noncommissioned Officer
NCOER – Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report
NCOIC – Noncommissioned Officer in Charge
NG – National Guard
NPD – No Pay Due
—O—
OBC – Officer Basic Course
OCONUS – Outside Continental United States
OCS – Officer Candidate School
OD – Officer of the Day
OER – Officer Evaluation Report
OIC – Officer in Charge
OWC – Officers Wives Club
—P—
PAO – Public Affairs Officer
P-38 – Small can opener for C-Rations
PAM – Pamphlet
PCS – Permanent Change of Station (moving time)
PERSCOM – Army Personnel Command (in charge of promotion, movement, etc.)
PFU – Physical Fitness Uniform
PLDC – Primary Leadership Development Course (needed for promotion to E-5)
PLT – Platoon
PM – Provost Marshall
PMOS – Primary Military Occupational Specialty (primary job)
POA – Power of Attorney
POC – Point of Contact
POV – Privately Owned Vehicle
POW – Prisoner of War
PT – Physical Training
PX – Post Exchange (store on base or post)
PZ – Primary Zone (in reference to promotion)
—Q—
QM – Quarter Master
—R—
R&R – Rest and Recreation
RA – Regular Army
RC – Reserve Component
RCP – Retention Control Point (gives cutoffs for promotion)
RD – Rear Detatchment (soldiers who stay behind from a deployment or exercise)
RDC – Rear Detatchment Commander
RDF – Rapid Deployment Force
REG – Regulation
RIF – Reduction in Force
—S—
SBP – Survivor Benefit Plan
SCO – Squadron Commanding Officer
SDNCO – Staff Duty Noncommissioned Officer
SDO – Staff Duty Officer
SGLI – Soldiers Group Life Insurance
SIDPERS – Standard Installation/Division Personnel Reporting System
SMO – Squadron Maintnence Officer
SOP – Standard Operating Procedure
SRB – Selective Reenlistment Bonus
SSI – Single Soldier Initiative
SSN – Social Security Number
STRAC – Skilled, Tough, Ready Around The Clock
SZ – Secondary Zone (in reference to promotion)
—T—
TDY – Temporary Duty Assignment
TIG – Time in Grade
TLA – Temporary Living Allowance
TLE – Temporary Lodging Expense
TM – Training Manual
TRADOC – Training and Doctrine Command
—U—
UCDPP – Uniform Clothing Deferred Payment Plan (military credit plan for clothing)
UCMJ – Uniform Code of Military Justice (military law)
USAR – United States Army Reserve
USARC – United States Army Reserve Command
USAREC – United States Army Recruiting Command
USMA – United States Military Academy
USO – United Service Organization
UTA – Unit Training Assembly
—V—
VA – Veteran Affairs
VHA – Variable Housing Allowance
—W—
WMD – Weapons of Mass Destruction
WO – Warrant Officer
WOAC – Warrant Officer Advanced Course
WOC – Warrant Officer Candidate Course
WOCS – Warrant Officer Candidate School
WOSC – Warrant Officer Senior Course
—X—
XO – Executive Officer
Military Phonetic Alphabet (1957-Present)
ALPHA – ‘A’
BRAVO – ‘B’
CHARLIE – ‘C”
DELTA – ‘D’
ECHO – ‘E’
FOXTROT – ‘F’
GOLF – ‘G’
HOTEL – ‘H’
INDIA – ‘I’
JULIETT – ‘J’
KILO – ‘K’
LIMA – ‘L’
MIKE – ‘M’
NOVEMBER -‘N’
OSCAR – ‘O’
PAPA – ‘P’
QUEBEC – ‘Q’
ROMEO – ‘R’
SIERRA – ‘S’
TANGO – ‘T’
UNIFORM – ‘U’
VICTOR – ‘V’
WHISKEY – ‘W’
X-RAY – ‘X’
YANKEE – ‘Y’
ZULU – ‘Z’
Numbers
4-F – Classification given to those deemed unfit for military service
50-cal -.50 caliber machine gun
51-cal – heavy machine gun used by the enemy
79 – an M-79 grenade launcher
82 mm – a mortar used by the enemy
105 – a 105-mm howitzer
201 file – a US Army personnel file
Terms
Alert – call to be ready on short notice
Allotment – deduction from pay to bank or individual
Allowance – special pay or compensation
Article 15 – punitive action
Blanket Party – unofficial punishment of company goof off
Billets/Barracks/Dorms – where single soldiers live
Brownnoser – person who sucks up to seniors
Chit – paper given by medical to be excused from certain types of work or exercise
Chow hall – dining facility (AKA mess hall)
Dependent – family member entitled to military benefits
Detail – job or assignment
Dining in – social gathering for soldiers only
Dining out – social gathering for soldiers and spouses
Dog And Pony Show – doing something for the Brass or the public
Full Bird – Colonel
Garrison – post or community
GI Party – cleanup duty
Grade – pay level
Guidon – unit flag
Grunt – Infantry Soldier
Hash marks – stripes on uniform to show time in service
Hoo ah – slang meaning something is acknowledged and understood
Insignia – indicates branch of service
Jody call – cadence
Klick – slang for Kilometer
Latrine – restroom
Motor pool – area where vehicles are kept and maintained
Orderly room – company office
Orders – written or spoken directive
Organization day – outing that is usually mandatory for soldiers and optional for families
Poge (or Poggie) bait – junk food
Police call – cleanup duty
Rank – official title of the service member
Re-up – reenlist
Reveille – bugle call at the beginning of the day
Retreat – bugle call at the end of the day
Sick call – where soldiers go for medical treatment
Short timer – someone who is about to leave the military
Short tour – unaccompanied overseas tour
Staff Duty – 24 hour watch over the unit area and barracks
TA50 – field gear
Tricare – our medical insurance
United Concordia – dental insurance for family members
Zero Dark Thirty – very early in the morning
AIRBORNE ALL THE WAY!