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    Do you ever wonder what your service member is trying to say?  Here is a list of popular military acronyms! 

    AAR – After Action Report

    AAR – After Action Review

    AFI – Air Force Instruction. 

    AO – Area Of Operations

    APO – Army Post Office

    APRT – Army Physical Readiness Test (U.S. Army)

    ASAP – Army Substance Abuse Program (U.S. Military)

    ASAP – As Soon As Possible

    ASVAB – Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

    AWOL – Absent With Out Leave

    BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing

    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

    BN – Battalion (U.S. Army)

    BDE – Brigade (U.S. Army)

    BX - Base Exchange (Air Force)

    CENTCOM – Central Command (U.S. Military)

    Chief – Chief Warrant Officer

    CM – Continue Mission.

    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

    Col – Colonel

    COMSEC – Communication Security

    CONUS – Continental United States (U.S. military, pron. "cone-us")

    CPL – Corporal (U.S. Army and Marine Corps E-4)

    CPO – Chief Petty Officer (USCG/USN E-7)

    CPT – Captain (US Army O-3)

    CP – Check Point (Usually Numbered i.e. "CP1")

    CWO – Chief Warrant Officer

    DFAC – Dining Facility.

    DFAS – Defense Finance and Accounting Service (U.S. Military)

    DONSA – Day of no scheduled activity. A U.S. Army acronym.

    ENDEX – End Exercise. Used by the U.S. Army.

    EOD – Explosive Ordnance Disposal

    ETA – Estimated time of arrival

    ETS – Estimated Termination of Service

    FAN – Forward Air Navigator. 

    FISH – Fighting In someone's House. Acronym describing urban warfare.

    FTA – In the U.S.M.C.: Failure to Adapt. A reason why recruits may fail out of basic.

    GPS – Global Positioning System

    HANO – High Altitude, No Opening. Refers to a parachute jump where the parachute fails to deploy. This is usually a fatal situation.

    HIC – Head in Clouds/Concrete. Used to describe officers who insist on ineffective courses of action.

    HQ - Headquarters

    HHB – Headquarters and Headquarters Battery

    HHC – Headquarters and Headquarters Company

    HHT – Headquarters and Headquarters Troop

    ID – IDentification

    IED – Improvised Explosive Device

    IG – Inspector General (US Military)

    KIA – Killed In Action

    KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid. 

    LT – Lieutenant

    LTC or Lt Col – Lieutenant Colonel

    LTG or Lt Gen – Lieutenant General

    MAJ – Major

    MIA – Missing In Action

    MRE – Meal Ready to Eat. A 3,600 calorie meal packaged in a wrapper. 

    MSG – Master Sergeant (US Army E-8)

    MSgt – Master Sergeant (USAF E-7)

    NCO – Non-Commissioned Officer

    NCOIC – Non Commissioned Officer in Charge

    NLT – No Later Than

    OCONUS – Outside Continental United States 

    OCS – Officer Candidate School

    OIC – Officer in Charge

    OIG – Office of Inspector General

    PCS – Permanent Change of Station

    PFT – Physical Fitness Test

    PII – Personally Identifiable Information or Personal Identity Information

    PL – Platoon Leader (U.S. Army)

    PLT – Platoon (U.S. Army)

    PMCS – Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services.

    PMS – Preventative Maintenance Scheduled. 

    POV – Privately Owned Vehicle.

    PV2 – Private 2nd class (U.S. Army E-2)

    PVT – Private (U.S. Army and Marine Corps E-1)

    PX – Post Exchange (U.S. Army)

    RCPO – Recruit Chief Petty Officer. Pronounced "are-pock." Not inherently derogatory, but may be used in a dismissive way.

    ROAD – Retired On Active Duty. Generally refers to any service member who is lazy and ineffective, typically those weeks or months away from leaving the military.

    RTB – Return to Base. 

    SA – Situational Awareness.

    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

    SOCOM – Special Operations Command.

    SOP – Standard Operating Procedures

    SP – Start Point. A U.S. Army term.

    SPC – Specialist (U.S. Army E-4)

    SSG – Staff Sergeant (US Army E-6)

    SSgt – Staff Sergeant (US Air Force E-5) (U.S. Marines E-6)

    TBD – To Be Determined

    TDY – Temporary Duty (U.S. Military)

    TOC – Tactical Operations Center

    IC – Troops In Contact

    TS – Top Secret. 

    TSgt – Technical Sergeant (USAF E-6)

    USO – United Service Organizations (U.S. Military)

    WIA – Wounded In Action

    WO1 – Warrant Officer 1

    XO – Executive Officer