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 of the United States. Note that this list is intended to be specific to the United States government and military—other nations will have their own acronyms.

0–9 0K – Zero Killed (pronounced OK, as the expression that everything is okay) 1LT – First Lieutenant (U.S. Army) (USMC uses "1stLt" and USAF uses "1st Lt") 2LT – Second Lieutenant (U.S. Army) (USMC uses "2ndLt" and USAF uses "2d Lt") 2IC – Second In Command 1SG – First Sergeant (E-8 Army) 777 – (Pronounced triple 7) Refers to the M777 howitzer, a towed 155 mm artillery weapon. It succeeded the M198 howitzer in the United States Marine Corps and United States Army in 2005. The M777 is also used by the ground forces of Australia, Canada, India, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine. It made its combat debut in the War in Afghanistan.

A A – Analog A1C – Airman First Class (USAF E-3) A2C2 – Army Airspace Command And Control A-3 – (Operations Directorate (COMAFFOR)) A-5 – (Plans Directorate (COMAFFOR)) AA – Anti-Aircraft AA – Armed Forces America AA – Assembly Area AA – Assessment Agent AA – Avenue Of Approach AAA – Army Audit Agency AAA – Antiaircraft Artillery AAA – Arrival And Assembly Area AAA – Assign Alternate Area AAAD – Airborne Anti-Armor DefenseUS Army Termonology/82nd Airborne Division Termonology (late 1970s era) AAAS – Amphibious Aviation Assault Ship AABB – American Association of Blood Banks AABWS – Amphibious Assault Bulk Water System AAC – Activity Address Code 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 AAO – Approved Acquisition Objective 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 ABU – Airman Battle Uniform (U.S. Air Force) ABV – Assault Breacher Vehicle (U.S. Army) ABFC – Advanced Base Functional Component ACU – Army Combat Uniform (U.S. Army) ADOS – Active Duty, Operational Support ADSW – Active Duty, Special Work AE – Armed Forces Europe AEW&C – Airborne Early Warning And Control AFI – Awaiting Further Instruction/Air Force Instruction (requirement guide) AFMC – Armed Forces Medical College AFOQT – Air Force Officer Qualifying Test AFOSI – United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations AFSC – Air Force Specialty Code AHA – Ammunition Holding Area AIM – Airborne Intercept Missile (U.S. Military) AIP - Assignment Incentive Pay AIPD – Army Institute For Professional Development AIS – Automated Information System AIT – Advanced Individual Training (U.S. Army) Amn – Airman (USAF E-2) ALCON – All Concerned (U.S. Military) AMU – Aircraft Maintenance Unit AMXG – Aircraft Maintenance Group AMXS – Aircraft Maintenance Squadron ANG – Air National Guard (USAF) AOC – Air Operations Center AOL – Absent Over Leave (U.S. Navy) AO – Area Of Operations AOR – Area of responsibility A&P – Administrative And Personnel AP – Armed Forces Pacific AP – Armor-Piercing APC – Armored Personnel Carrier APFSDS – Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot APFT – Army Physical Fitness Test (U.S. Army) APFU – Army Physical Fitness Uniform (U.S. Army) APO – Army Post Office; See Also FPO APPN – Appropriation Number (U.S. Military) APRT – Army Physical Readiness Test (U.S. Army) ARCENT/TUSA – US Army Central/HQ Third US Army (TUSA)US CENTCOM Command Structure ARPANET – Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (e.g., 1969 to 1989; antecedent of the information superhighway; now DARPA) ARM – Anti-Radar Missile ARM – Anti-Radiation Missile ARMS – Automated Recruit Management System (U.S. Military) ARMS – Aviation Resource Management System (USAF) ARNG – Army National Guard (U.S. Army) ARS – Air Refueling Store ART – Alarm Response Team (USAF) ARVN – Army Of The Republic Of (South) Viet Nam (U.S. Military) ASA – Ammunition Supply Activity 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 ASCM – Anti-Ship Cruise Missile ASROC – Anti-Submarine ROCket ASP – Ammunition Supply Point ASV – Anti-Surface Vessel (airborne radar) ASVAB – Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery ASW – Anti-Submarine Warfare ATC – Air Training Corps ATC – Air Traffic Control ATFU – Ate The Fuck Up (not squared away) ATO – Air Tasking Order (USAF) ATO – Antiterrorism Officer ATP – Ammunition Transfer Point ATRRS – Army Training Requirements And Resources System AWACS – Airborne Warning and Control System AWOL – Absent Without Leave

B BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing BAMCIS – Begin planning, Arrange recon, Make the plan, Complete the plan, Issue the order, Supervise (U.S. Marine Corps five paragraph order) BAR – Browning Automatic Rifle BAS - Basic Allowance for Subsistence BAU – Behavioral Analysis Unit BCD – Battlefield Coordination Detachment BCD – Bad Conduct Discharge (aka Big Chicken Dinner) BCG – Birth Control Glasses (U.S. military slang) BCT – Basic Combat Training (U.S. Army) BCT – Brigade Combat Team BDA – Bomb Damage Assessment or Battle Damage Assessment BDE – Brigade (U.S. Army) BDF – Barbados Defence Force (Barbados) BDU – Battle Dress Uniform (U.S. military) Be – Beriev (Russian) BEA – Budget Execution Authority (U.S. Navy) BEQ – Batchelor Enlisted Quarters (U.S. military) BFT – Blue Force Tracker (U.S. military) BG – Bodyguard BGHR – By God He's Right (U.S. military) BLUF – Bottom Line Up Front (U.S. military) BMNT – Begin Morning Nautical Twilight (U.S. Army) BMOW – Boatswain's Mate Of The Watch (U.S. Coast Guard) BN – Battalion (U.S. Army) BOHICA – Bend Over Here It Comes Again (U.S. military slang) BRAC – Base Realignment And Closure BRAT (American) – Born Raised And Transferred (American usage, refers to dependent children of military personnel) Usually pronounced "Military Brat" (Or "Air Force BRAT", or Army "Brat", Navy "Brat" etc.). BRAT (British) – British Regiment Attached Traveler (British military usage, may have been the original usage, which was later adapted to the American military: Means "child that travels with a soldier"), or "Born, Raised and Trapped". Usually pronounced "Military Brat" or "Base Brat".Clifton, Grace, "Making the Case for the BRAT (British Regiment Attached Traveler)", British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 30, No. 3 2004 BUB – Battle Update Brief BVR – Beyond Visual Range (USAF) BX – Base Exchange (USAF) BZ – spoken "Bravo Zulu", meaning "congratulations, job well done"

C C1 – Command C2 – Command And Control C3 – Command Control And Communication C4ISTAR – Command, Control, Communication, Computers; Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, And Recognition C6ISR – Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber-defense and Combat systems, and Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance CAC – Common Access Card (U.S. DoD, pron. "cac") CAG – Commander, Air Group (U.S. Navy, pron. "cag") CAG – Civil Affairs Group. Term used for military members assigned to assist civilian governments with restoring infrastructure (All U.S. branches, pron. "cag") CAGE – Commercial and Government Entity CALL – Center for Army Lessons Learned CAP - Combat Air Patrol CAP - Civil Air Patrol CAPT – Captain (U.S. Navy, USCG O-6) Capt – Captain (USMC O-3) CPT – Captain (U.S. Army, USAF O-3) CAS – Close Air Support CASEX – Coordinated Anti-Submarine EXercise CASEVAC – Casualty Evacuation CAT – Combat Application Tourniquets CBRN – Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear CBU – Cluster Bomb Unit CCD - Camouflage, Concealment, and Detection CCIP – Continually Calculated Impact Point (USAF/USMC Aviation) CCIR – Commanders Critical Information Requirements CCP – Casualty Collection Point CCRP – Continually Calculated Release Point (USAF/USMC Aviation) CDAT – Computerized Dumb Ass Tanker (M1 Abrams Crewmen) CDD – Capabilities Development Document 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") CHU – Containerized Housing Unit Chief – Chief Warrant Officer CIA – Central Intelligence Agency CIB – Combat Infantry Badge 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) CIV – Civilian, performing work as an employee for the Department of Defense CIWS – Close-In Weapon System CJOTUS – Chief Justice of the United States CMB – Combat Medical Badge 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 COA – Course of Action COB – Chief Of the Boat (Chief Petty Officer in charge of the Boat usually a Master Chief (USN Submariner Terminology)) CoB – Close of Business (End of the duty day) COCOM – Combatant Commander CODELS – Congressional Delegations COL – Colonel COMINT – Communications Intelligence COMPACFLT – Commander, Pacific Fleet (U.S. Navy) COMSEC – Communication Security CONUS – Continental United States (U.S. military, pron. "cone-us") CONUSA – Continental United States Army (numbered Armies of U.S. military) CORDS – Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (U.S. military, Vietnam era) COP – Combat Out Post CoS – Chief of Staff COT – Commissioned Officer Training CPL – Corporal (U.S. Army and Marine Corps E-4) CPO – Chief Petty Officer (USCG/USN E-7) CPT – Captain (U.S. Army O-3) CP – Check Point (Usually Numbered i.e. "CP1") CPX – Command Post Exercise CQB – Close Quarters Battle CRC – CONUS Replacement Center (a military processing center at Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S.) CSM – Command Sergeant Major (U.S. Army E-9 highest Army enlisted rank)) CSAR – Combat Search And Rescue CT – Counter-terrorism Team CTA – Common Table of Allowances CTR – Close Target Reconnaissance CUB – Commander Update Brief CVN – Nuclear-powered Aircraft Carrier (NOTE: the V comes from the expression "heavier than air flying machine") CWO – Chief Warrant Officer 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 DA – Defence Attaché DAC – Department of the Army Civilian DAGO – Department of the Army General Officer DAGR – Defense Advanced GPS Receiver DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (U.S. Military) DASA – Division Artillery Security Area DAT – Dumb Ass Tanker DC3 – Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center DCAA – Defense Contract Audit Agency DCMA – Defense Contract Management Agency