This is a list of initials, acronyms, expressions, euphemisms, jargon, military slang, and sayings in common or formerly common use in the United States Air Force. Many of the words or phrases have varying levels of acceptance among different units or communities, and some also have varying levels of appropriateness (usually dependent on how senior the user is in rank). Many terms also have equivalents among other service branches that are comparable in meaning. Many acronyms and terms have come into common use from voice procedure use over communication channels, translated into the NATO phonetic alphabet, or both. Acronyms and abbreviations are common in Officer and Enlisted Performance Reports, but can differ between major commands.

0–9

1st Lt – First Lieutenant; officer pay grade O-2 2d Lt – Second Lieutenant; officer pay grade O-1 3C – Cross Cultural Competence

A

A1C – Airman First Class; enlisted pay grade E-3, known as Airman Second Class (A2C) from 1952 to 1967 A2C – Airman Second Class; former enlisted pay grade E-3 from 1952 to 1967, now designated as A1C A3C – Airman Third Class; former enlisted pay grade E-2 from 1952 to 1967, now designated as Amn AADS – Alaskan Air Defense Sector AAFES – Army and Air Force Exchange Service (pronounced "A-Fees") AB – Airman Basic; enlisted pay grade E-1 AB – Air Base ABDR – Aircraft Battle Damage Repair ABM – Air Battle Manager ABU – Airman Battle Uniform ABW – Air Base Wing ACA – Airspace Control Authority ACC – Air Combat Command, also Area Control Center ACFT – Aircraft ACO – Aerospace Control Officer ACOT – Advanced Communications Officer Training ACS – Air Control Squadron ACSC – Air Command and Staff College ACT – Air Combat Training ACW – Air Control Wing ADC – Area Defense Counsel ADC – (Obsolete term) Air Defense Command, later Aerospace Defense Command (disestablished MAJCOM) ADCON – Administrative Control ADP – Airman Development Plan ADPE – Automated Data Processing Equipment ADR – Airfield Damage Repair ADSC – Active Duty Service Commitment AEF – Aerospace Expeditionary Force AES – Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron AETC – Air Education and Training Command AETS – Aeromedical Evacuation Training Squadron AEW – Air Expeditionary Wing AFA – Air Force Academy AFA – Air Force Association AFAA – Air Force Audit Agency AFAM – Air Force Achievement Medal AFAMS – Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation AFB – Air Force Base AFC2IC – Air Force Command and Control Integration Center AFCA – Air Force Communications Agency AFCAA – Air Force Cost Analysis Agency AFCAT – Air Force Catalog AFCEC – Air Force Civil Engineering Center AFCEE – Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment AFCENT – Air Forces Central AFCESA – Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency AFCFM – Air Force Career Field Manager AFCLC – Air Force Culture and Learning Center AFCM – Air Force Commendation Medal AFDC – Air Force Doctrine Center AFDW – Air Force District of Washington AFE – Aircrew Flight Equipment AFETS – Air Force Engineering and Technical Services AFFMA – Air Force Frequency Management Agency AFFSA – Air Force Flight Standards Agency AFFSC – Air Force Financial Services Center AFGSC – Air Force Global Strike Command AFH – Air Force Handbook AFHRA – Air Force Historical Research Agency AFI – Air Force Instruction; or as a duty status, awaiting further instructions AFIA – Air Force Inspection Agency AFIAA – Air Force Intelligence Analysis Agency AFIS – Air Force Inspection System AFISRA – Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency AFIT – Air Force Institute of Technology AFLC – Air Force Logistics Command (disestablished MAJCOM; merged with AFSC in 1992 to form AFMC) AFLMA – Air Force Logistics Management Agency AFLOA – Air Force Legal Operations Agency AFMA – Air Force Manpower Agency AFMAN – Air Force Manual AFMC – Air Force Materiel Command AFMOA – Air Force Medical Operations Agency AFMPC – Air Force Military Personnel Center (obsolete), replaced with AFPC AFMS – Air Force Medical Service or Air Force Manpower Standards AFMSA – Air Force Medical Support Agency AFNIC – Air Force Network Integration Center AFNOC – Air Force Network Operations Center AFNORTH – Air Forces Northern AFNSEPO – Air Force National Security Emergency Preparedness Office AFNWCA – Air Force Nuclear Weapons and Counterproliferation Agency AFOG – Air Force Operations Group AFOSI – Air Force Office of Special Investigations AFOQT – Air Force Officer Qualifying Test AFOTEC – Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center AFPAA – Air Force Public Affairs Agency AFPAM – Air Force Pamphlet AFPC – Air Force Personnel Center AFPCA – Air Force Pentagon Communications Agency AFPD – Air Force Policy Directive AFPEO – Air Force Program Executive Office AFPET – Air Force Petroleum Agency AFPOA – Air Force Personnel Operations Agency AFRAT - Air Force Radiation Assessment Team AFRBA – Air Force Review Boards Agency AFRC – Air Force Reserve Command AFRCC – Air Force Rescue Coordination Center AFRIMS – Air Force Records Information Management System AFRL – Air Force Research Lab AFROTC – Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps AFRPA – Air Force Real Property Agency AFS – Air Force Station AFSA – Air Force Sergeants Association AFSC – Air Force Sustainment Center The mission of the Air Force Sustainment Center is to Sustain Weapon System Readiness to generate Air power for America. The center provides war-winning expeditionary capabilities to the war fighter through world-class depot maintenance, supply chain management and installation support. AFSC – Air Force Safety Center AFSC – Air Force Specialty Code AFSC – Air Force Systems Command (disestablished MAJCOM; merged with AFLC in 1992 to form AFMC) AFSCF – Air Force Satellite Control Facility AFSFC – Air Force Security Forces Center AFSO 21 – Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century AFSOC – Air Force Special Operations Command AFSOUTH – Air Forces Southern AFSPC – Air Force Space Command AFSVA – Air Force Services Agency AFT – Alert Fire Team AFTO – Air Force Technical Order AFVA – Air Force Visual Aids AFVEC – Air Force Virtual Education Center AFWA – Air Force Weather Agency AG (TAG) – Adjutant General, (The) AGE – Aerospace Ground Equipment; analogous to Ground Support Equipment (GSE) in USN, USMC and USCG (Naval Aviation) AGE Ranger – An AGE Technician AGR – Active Guard and Reserve AGS – Aircraft Generation Squadron AGSM – Anti-G Straining Maneuver AGOW – Air-Ground Operations Wing AIRA – Air Attaché AKRAOC – Alaska Region Air Operations Center ALCM – Air Launched Cruise Missile ALCON – All Concerned (used in message headers for mass emailings) ALO – Air Liaison Officer ALS – Airman Leadership School AMC – Air Mobility Command AMJAMS – Automated Military Justice Analysis and Management System Amn – Airman; enlisted pay grade E-2 AMMO Troop – Munitions Systems Technician AMMO (U.S. Air Force) AMMS – Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron Missile Badge AMS – Academy of Military Science AMT – Aircraft Metals Technology AMW – Air Mobility Wing/Anti-morale Warfare AMXS – Aircraft Maintenance Squadron ANG – Air National Guard ANR – Alaskan NORAD Region AO – Authorized Outage AOC – Air and Space Operations Center AOG – Aircraft On Ground AP – Air Police (Obsolete term); now called Security Forces (SF) APS – Aerial Port Squadron ARI – Alcohol Related Incident ARS – (Obsolete term) Air Rescue Squadron; formerly ARRS, now known as a Rescue Squadron (RQS) ARRS – (Obsolete term) Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron ART – AEF (Air Expeditionary Force) Reporting Tool ART – Air Reserve Technician ART – Armed or Alarm or Area Response Team ARW – Air Refueling Wing AS – Airlift Squadron AS – Air Station ASAP – As Soon As Possible ASBC – Air and Space Basic Course ASI – Authorized Service Interruption ASOC – Air Support Operations Center (formerly DASC – Direct Air Support Center) ASR – Airport Surveillance Radar ATAG – Assistant to the Adjutant General ATC – Air traffic control ATC – Air Training Command (disestablished MAJCOM; superseded in 1992 by AETC) ATCALS – Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems ATO – Air Tasking Order ATO – Anti-Terrorism Officer ATO – Authority to Operate AU – Air University AU-ABC – Air University Associate to Baccalaureate Cooperative AV – Avionics AW – Airlift Wing AWACS – Airborne Warning and Control System on the E-3 Sentry aircraft AWC – Air War College AWOL – Absent Without Leave AWP – Awaiting Parts

B

BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing BAS – Basic Allowance for Subsistence BASH – Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard BAQ – Bachelor Airman Quarters BCOT – Basic Communications Officer Training BDOC – Base Defense Operations Center BDU – Battle Dress Uniform BEQ – Bachelor Enlisted Quarters BIT – Bystander Intervention Training BITC – Base Information Transfer Center BITS – Base Information Transfer System BFM – Basic Fighter Maneuvers BFT – Blue Force Tracking BLUF – Bottom Line Up Front BMT – Basic Military Training BOHICA – Bend Over, Here It Comes Again; used in response to unfavorable orders. BONE – Nickname for the B-1 Lancer, as in "B-ONE" BOQ – Bachelor Officer Quarters BOS – Base Operating Support BOT – Basic Officer Training Box Nasty – A sandwich & snack meal in a cardboard box handed out for flights BPZ – Below Primary Zone; early promotion of an officer ahead of peers to controlled statutory pay grades of O-4, O-5 and/or O-6 BRAC – Base Realignment and Closure Brig Gen – Brigadier General; officer pay grade O-7 BRM – Base Records Manager BS – Bomb Squadron BSA – Basic Surface Attack BTZ – Below the zone; USAF early promotion program from E-3 to E-4 BUFF – Big Ugly Fat Fucker (Nickname for Boeing B-52 Stratofortress) BW – Bomb Wing BX – Base Exchange (see AAFES)

C

C-Day – The unnamed day on which a deployment operation begins or is to begin C2 – Command and Control C4ISR – Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance CA – Combat Arms CAF – Combat Air Force CAFSC – Control Air Force Specialty Code CAI – Computer Aided Instruction CAOC – Combined Air and Space Operations Center CAMS – Core Automated Maintenance System (database behind IMDS) CANX – Cancelled CAP – Civil Air Patrol, the civilian USAF Auxiliary CAP – Combat air patrol, a kind of sortie mission CAP-USAF – Air Force support, liaison and oversight of Civil Air Patrol Capt – Captain; officer pay grade O-3 CAS – Close Air Support CAST – Combat Airman Skills Training CAT – Crisis Action Team CAT – Camper Alert Team (Security Forces, Missile Field Security) CATCH-22 — Inescapable situation. Stuck between a rock & a hard place. Read the book. Joseph Heller CATM – Combat Arms Training and Maintenance CBCS – Combat Communications Squadron CBMC – Communications Battlespace Management Course CBT – Computer Based Training CBRNE – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High Yield Explosives CC – Commander CCC – Commanders Chief CCG - Computer Control Group CCMDR - Crew Commander CCS – Commanders Secretary CCAF – Community College of the Air Force CCE – Executive Officer CCF – First Sergeant CCT – Combat Control CD – Deputy Commander CDC – Career Development Course CE – Civil Engineering or Civil Engineers CEG – Combat Evaluation Group CEM – Chief Enlisted Manager CES – Civil Engineering Squadron CEVG – Combat Evaluation Group CFEPT – Career Field Education and Training Plan CFP – Communications Focal Point CFR – Crash Fire Rescue CFT – Cockpit Familiarization Trainer CGO – Company Grade Officer (lieutenants and captains) CGOC – Company Grade Officers' Council Ch – Chaplain Charlie Bravo – Cut-back, or being released early from duty Charlie Foxtrot – Cluster Fuck