1/C – 1st Classman or Senior
2/C – 2nd Classman or junior
3/C – 3rd Classman or sophomore
3Q – Triple Qualified - Informal term for being qualified physically (CFA), academically (GPA and test scores), and medically (DoDMERB)
4/C – 4th Classman or freshman
A&F – Accounting and Finance
ABCT – Armored Brigade Combat Team (Army)
ABM – Air Battle Manager
ABU – Airman Battle Uniform (USAF)
AAP – Academy Admissions Partner (USCGA)
AAR – After Action Review
AC – Active Component
ACC – Air Combat Command
ACER – Advanced Camp Evaluation Report (Army ROTC)
ACFT – Army Combat Fitness Test (formerly ACRT)
ACR – Armored Cavalry Regiment (Army)
ACRT – Army Combat Readiness Test (changed to ACFT)
ACU – Army Combat Uniform
A–day – Acceptance Day (USMA)
AD – Active Duty
ADAF – Active Duty Air Force
AD/DS or AD/DW – Active Duty Dependent Spouse or Active Duty/Dependent Wife
ADO – Assistant Director of Operations
ADSC – Active Duty Service Commitment
ADSO – Active Duty Service Obligation
Advanced Camp – (formerly LDAC) Mandatory Army training for AROTC conducted the summer before commissioning.
AEDO – Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer (Navy)
AETC/SGPS – Air Education & Training Command / Surgeon General-Physical Standards - (Waiver authority for AFROTC)
AFA – Applicant Fitness Assessment (NROTC)
AFAST – Alternate Flight Aptitude Selection Test (Army - replaced by SIFT)
AFB – Air Force Base
AFCEC – Air Force Civil Engineer Center
AFI – Air Force Instruction (A general order)
AFIT – Air Force Institute of Technology
AFOQT – Air Force Officer Qualifying Test
AFROTC – Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps
AFSC – Air Force Specialty Code
AFSPC – Air Force Space Command
Aft – Rear of a Ship
AI – Additional Instruction
AIAD – Academic Individual Advanced Development
AIM – Academy Introduction Mission
AIT – Advanced Individual Training (Army)
ALO – Admissions Liaison Officer (USAFA)
ALO – Air Liaison Officer -- calls in air strikes for the Army via AF
AMA – "Ask me anything"
AMI – Additional Medical Information (DoDMERB - Formerly a "remedial")
AMS – Academy of Military Science
ANG – Army National Guard
AOC – Air Officers Commanding (USAFA)
AOG – Association Of Graduates
AOM – Academic Order of Merit (USNA)
AOTC – American Opportunity Tax Credit
APFT – Army Physical Fitness Test
ARC – Army Reconnaissance Course
ARI– Alcohol Related Incident
AROTC – Army Reserve Officer Training Corps
ASR – Alternative Scholarship Reservation (NJROTC)
ASTB – Aviation Selection Test Battery (Navy, Marines, Coast Guard)
ASU – Army Service Uniform
ASVAB – Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (enlisted)
AY – Academic Year
BAC – Base Administration Center
BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing
Basic Camp – AROTC summer training for those cadets who joined AROTC late in freshman or sophomore year.
BCT – Basic Cadet Training (USAFA)
BCT – Brigade Combat Team (Army)
BDE – Brigade (Army)
BDE – Below Deck Equipment (Navy/CG)
Beast – Beast Barracks or USMA’s Cadet Basic Training
BFE – Big Fat envelope (usually an acceptance/appointment package)
BGO – Blue Gold Officer (USNA)
BLUF – Bottom Line Up Front (close relative of KISS)
BMC – Branch Medical Clinic
BOLC – Basic Officer Leader Course (Army - Formerly called OBC - pronounced boh-lick)
BOQ/VOQ – Bachelor Officer's Quarters/Visiting Officer's Quarter
Bow – Front of a ship
BRADSO – Branch of Choice Program, adding years to ADSO in exchange for branch (Army)
Bright-work – anything shiny, generally needs to be polished daily
BRM – Basic Rifle Marksmanship
BRS – Blended Retirement System
BUDS – Basic Underwater Demolitions School
Bulkhead – Wall
BUMED – Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
BZ/IBZ/ABZ – Below Zone/In/Above --- promotions
BZ – Bravo Zulu; a compliment meaning "well done"
C-number – cargo/transport i.e 5, 130
CAB – Combat Action Badge (Army - for non-infantry)
CAC – Common Access Card (DoD identification card)
Cadet – A Student who is attending USMA, USMAPS, USAFA, USCGA, AROTC or AFROTC
CAS – Close Air Support
CBEF – Cadet Background and Experiences questionnaire (AROTC)
CBRN – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear defense
CBT – Cadet Basic Training
CC – Commander of the squadron
CC – Cadet Candidate at USMAPS (West Point Prep)
CCBT – Cadet Candidate Basic Training
CCEB – Cadet Candidate Evaluation Board
CCFA – Cadet Command Fitness Assessment (Army ROTC)
CCIMS – Cadet Command Information Management System
CDO – Command Duty Officer
CE – Conditional Event
CFA – Candidate Fitness Assessment (Service Academies)
CFAD – Cadet for a day (USCGA campus visitation program)
CFS – Candidate Fitness Score
CFT – Cadet Field Training
CGAS – Coast Guard Academy Scholars program
CGO – Candidate Guidance Office (Admissions Office)
CI – Civil Involvement (AFROTC)
CIB – Combat Infantryman Badge (Army)
CIET – Cadet Initial Entry Training (summer training for AROTC cadets, usually taken after completing the MS-I year - Now called "Basic Camp")
CIS – Cadet Information System (USNA)
CIV Team – Third party contractor that works with DoDMERB in scheduling and processing medical examinations (formerly handled by Concorde)
CLDT – Cadet Leader Development Training
CNO – Chief of Naval Operations
CNRC – Commander, Navy Recruiting Command
CO – Commanding Officer (not used in the Air Force)
COC – Chain of Command
COLA – Cost of Living Allowance
Company grade – O-1 to O-3
Component – Term used to describe Active Duty or Reserves/National Guard (Army ROTC)
Concorde – Former government contractor assigned by DoDMERB to process the medical exam for SA and ROTC candidates (Now CIV Team)
CONUS – Continental United States
COR – Cadet Observation Report
CORTRAMID – Career Orientation and Training, Midshipmen (For 3/C Mids)
COT – Commissioned Officer Training
Cow – Junior at USMA
CPR – Complete Pending Review
CRS – Corneal Refractive Surgery
CSB – College Scholarship Branch (DoDMERB)
CSO – Combat Systems Officer
CTA – Cadet Training Assistant (USAF)
CTLT – Cadet Troop Leadership Training
CTO – Company Training Officer
CULP – Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency
CV – Curriculum Vitae
CVW – Candidate Visitation Weekend
CWO – Chief Warrant Officer
CWSA – Combat Water Survival Assessment
CWST – Combat Water Survival Test
DANT – Commandant
DD – Dear daughter
Deck – Floor
DEP – Delayed Entry Program
DEERS – Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System
DFAS – Defense Finance and Accounting Services
DG – Distinguished Graduate
DGD – Dear Granddaughter
DGS – Dear Grandson
DHS – Department of Homeland Security
DITY – Do it yourself [move] (deprecated, now PPM)
DLA – Dislocation Allowance - paycheck you get for moving
DMG – Distinguished Military Graduate
DNP – Do Not Promote
DO – Deputy Ops
DOD – Department of Defense
DoDMERB – Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (The agency)
DoDMETS –Department of Defense Medical Exam Testing System (The online system)
DOR – Drop on Request (i.e., quit) or Date of Rank
DOT – Department of Transportation
DP – Definitely Promote
DPS – Department of Public Safety
DQ – Disqualified (usually referencing DoDMERB)
Dream Sheet/Form 90 – Your wish list submitted for next assignment
DS – Dear son/Dear spouse
DWO – Deck Watch Officer
E – anything --- electronic - EA 6
EA – Early Action admissions
EA – Enrollment Allocation (AFROTC)
EAS – End of Active Service
ECA – Extracurricular activity
ECP – [ROTC] Early Commissioning Program (Army only as of Jan 2017)
EDO – Engineering Duty Officer (Navy)
EGA – Eagle Globe and Anchor
EIB – Expert Infantryman Badge (Army)
El Cid – Nickname for The Citadel
ENJJPT – Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program
EOD – Explosive Ordnance Disposal
EOIT – Engineering Officer in Training
EP – Emergency Procedure
EQ – Exceptionally Qualified (grading system)
EQIP – Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing
ETS – Expiration - Term of Service
EWO – Electronic Warfare Officer
F – anything --- fighters i.e. F-15, 16, 22, 35, etc
FAIP – First Assignment Instructor Pilot (USAF)
FAO – Foreign Area Officer
FEB – Flight Evaluation Board
FFR – Field Force Representative (USMA)
Field Grade – O-4 to O-6
Firstie – Senior
Fish – Freshman at Texas A&M
FIST – Fire Support Team
Flag – Generals and above
Flight Deck – Top Floor
FNG – Friggin New Guy/Gal
FOGO – Flag Officer/General Officer
FR&W – Formal Room & Wing Inspection
FS – Fighter Squadron
FSO – Fire Support Officer
FTP – Field Training Preparation (AFROTC)
FTU – Fighter Training Unit
FTX – Field Training Exercise (AROTC)
FVE – Falcon Visitation Experience
FW – Fighter Wing
FYSA – For Your Situational Awareness
GIB – Guy in Back = WSO/RIO
GLP – Group Leadership Project or Group Leadership Problem (AFROTC)
GMC – General Military Course (AFROTC)
Goat – The West Point cadet finishing at the bottom rank of the class
GOMOR – General Officer Memorandum (or letter) of Reprimand
Gouge – Informal information channel; the "grapevine" (Navy, CG slang)
GRFD – Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (Army)
GTTC – Government Travel Charge Card (Sometimes abbreviated as GTC)
HBCT – Heavy Brigade Combat Team
HBCU – Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Head – Bathroom
HQ – Head Quarters
HSSP – High School Scholarship Program (AFROTC)
HYPSM – Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT
I-Day – USNA Induction Day
IC – intercollegiate [athlete]
ICSP – In-College Scholarship Program (AFROTC)
ICV – Infantry Carrier Vehicle (e.g. Stryker)
IDC – Independent Duty Corpsman (Navy)
IERW – Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training
IFS – Initial Flight Screening
IFV – Infantry Fighting Vehicle (e.g. Bradley)
IHWC – Improved Hot Weather Combat (U.S. Army tropical uniform)
IMA – Individual Mobilization Augmentee (Army Reserves)
IME – Initial Medical Examination (DoDMERB)
IMHO – In my humble opinion
Indoc – USMMA Induction
IOBC – Infantry Officer Basic Course (Army) - Now renamed IBOLC (Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course)
IOC – Infantry Officer Course (USMC)
IOCT – Indoor obstacle course test
IOTC – Indoor Obstacle Training Course
IP/IWSO – Instructor Pilot/WSO
IRR – Individual Ready Reserve (Army)
ISR – Immediate Scholarship Reservation
IST – Infantry Skills Team
IT – Incentive Training, inspirational Training, Punishment PT
JAG – Judge advocate general
JFTC – Joint Force Training Center
JIATF – Joint Interagency Task Force
JPME – Joint PME
JROTC – Junior Reserve Officer training Corps
JRTC – Joint Readiness Training Center (Army)
JSOTF – JT Special Operations Task Force
JTAC – Joint Terminal Attack Controller
JTF – Jt Task Force
JUCO – Junior College or Community College
Kings Point – United States Merchant Marine Academy
Knob – Freshman at The Citadel
Ladder well – Stairs
LDAC – AROTC, Leader Development and Assessment Course (Now called "Advanced Camp")
LDO – Limited Duty Officer, someone commissioned in the Navy having technical expertise in their field, not eligible for command
LDX – Leadership Development Exercise (AROTC)
LE – Law Enforcement
LEAD program – Leaders Encouraging Airman Development – USAF Program which delegates authority to Unit Commanders to nominate enlisted airmen to attend USAFA or the Prep School.
LES – Leave/Earning Statement -- paycheck
LMO – Last Military Obligation
LOA – Letter of Assurance
LOD – Line of Duty
LOE – Letter of Encouragement (USMA)
MAGTF – Marine Air-Ground Task Force (pronounced MAG-TAF)
Main Deck – Bottom Floor
MALO – USMA Military Academy Liaison Officer
MARAD – Maritime Administration
MEPS – Military Entrance Processing Station (enlisted)
MGS – Mobile Gun System
MIAD – Military Individual Advanced Development
MID/MIDN – Midshipman
Midshipman – A student training to be a commissioned officer at either the USNA, USMMA, or in NROTC
MMA – Massachusetts Maritime Academy
MMI – Marion Military Institute
MO – Movement Order (USNA); Marine Option (NROTC)
MOC – Member of Congress
MOH – Medal of Honor
MOI – Marine Officer Instructor
MOS – Military Occupational Specialty
MPC – Military Personnel Center (for the AF where your assignment comes from)
MRP – Medical Rehabilitation Platoon
MSC – Military Sealift Command
MSISR – Minority Serving Institution Scholarship Reservation
MSSQ – Mission Support Squadron
Mustang – An officer in the Naval service that served generally more that 4 years as an enlisted person
NAMI – Naval Aerospace Medicine Institute
NAPS – Naval Academy Preparatory School
NAS – Naval Air Station
NASS – Naval Academy Summer Seminar
NCO – Non Commissioned Officer
New Cadet – USMA cadet during Beast, on A-day they become a cadet
NG – National Guard
NIFT – Navigator Introductory Flight Training
NJP – Non-judicial punishment
NMMI – New Mexico Military Institute
NPQ – Not Physically Qualified (DoDMERB)
NPS - Naval Postgraduate School
NROTC – Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps
NROTC (MO) – Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (Marine Option)
NSI – New Student Indoctrination (NROTC)
NSO – New Student Orientation (NROTC)
NSW – Naval Special Warfare
nULL – Freshman in the VWIL program at Mary Baldwin College
NWL – National Waiting List
NWU – Navy Working Uniform
OAR – Officer Aptitude Rating (Navy)
OCC – USMC Officers Candidates Course
OCONUS – Outside Continental United States
OCP – Operational Camouflage Pattern (Army)
OCS – Officer Candidate School
ODU – Operational Dress Uniform
OER/OPR – Officer Evaluation Review or Performance
OG – Old Grad (West Point alumnus)
OGC – Office of General Counsel
OIC – Officer in Charge
OML – Order of Merit List
OOS – Out of state
OPAT – Occupational Physical Assessment Test (Army)
OQT – Officer Qualifying Test
OP – Original Poster, the person who started a thread on the forum
OPFOR – Opposing Force (usually in simulations)
OPTEMPO – Operating Tempo or Operations Tempo
ORM – Operational Risk Management
OSO – Officer Selection Officer (Marine Corps)
OSUT – One Station Unit Training (Army) combining basic and AIT into one session
OTS – Officer Training School (USAF)
P – Promote
PA – Public Affairs
PACAF – Pacific Air Force
PAI – Personal Appearance Inspection
Passageway – (P-Way) Hallway
PCP – Physical Conditioning Platoon
PCQ – Pre-Candidate Questionnaire (USAFA)
PCS – Permanent Change of Station
PDA – Public Display of Affection
PEP – Performance Enhancement Program
PFA – Physical Fitness Assessment (USAF)
PFE – Physical Fitness Exam (USCG)
PFT – Physical Fitness Test (USMC or US Army)
PI – Personnel Inspection
PIAD – Physical Individual Advanced Development
PJOC – Pararescue and Survival Orientation Course (Civil Air Patrol)
PKT – Plebe Knowledge Test
PLC – USMC Platoon Leaders Course
PLT – Platoon
Plebe – A freshman student at either USMA, USNA, or USMMA
PME – Professional Military Education
PMP – Permanent Military Professor (USNA)
PMS – Professor of Military Science
PNS – Professor of Naval Science
POC – Professional Officer Course (AFROTC) or "point of contact"
POG – "Person other than grunt" refers to non infantry/non combat Soldiers and Marines
Port – Left hand side of a ship when facing the bow
POV – Privately Owned Vehicle
PPM – Personally Procured Move (formerly DITY)
PPQ – Potentially Pilot Qualified
PPW – Plebe Parent Weekend
PRB – Performance Review Board
Prep School – USAFA Preparatory School
PRIME BEEF - Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force - Air Force Primary Civil Engineer Forces
PRT – Physical Readiness Test (Navy)
PSEO – Post Secondary Enrollment Options (earning college credit while in high school)
PT – Physical Training
PTR – Permit to Report (USNA - report instructions for Plebe Summer)
PTRP – Physical Training and Rehabilitation Program (Army)
P-Way or Passageway – Hallway
QMED – Qualified Member of the Engineering Department
QNS – Qualified not selected
QNV – Qualified no vacancy
RA – Regular Admissions (USCGA)
RABS – Recommendations of the Admissions Board (USNA)
RAO – Regional Affairs Officer
Rack – Bed
RAP week – Ranger Assessment Phase (First four days of Ranger School)
RASP – Ranger Assessment and Selection Program
RAT – A Freshman at VMI
Rat mass – The entire freshman class at VMI
Ratline – Freshman induction at VMI
RC – Regional Commander
RC – Reserve Component
RCOT – Reserve Commissioned Officer Training
RD – Regional Admissions Director
R-Day – USMA Reception Day and Reporting in day at USCGA.
RECONDO – Reconnaissance Commando Badge (Army)
RED HORSE – Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer - Air Force Expeditionary Civil Engineering Forces
RFD – Referred for Disenrollment
RHIP – Rank Has Its Privileges
RIF – Reduction in Force - comparable to a layoff
RIO – Radio Intercept Officer = WSO
RIP/TOA – Relief in Place/Transfer of Authority
RL – Restricted Line (Navy)
ROCI – Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination
ROM – Restriction of Movement
ROO – Recruiting Operations Officer (AROTC)
ROTC – Reserve Officer Training Corps
RPA – Remote Piloted Aircraft or Ranger Physical Assessment
RTO – Regimental Training Officer
RTOA – Regimental Training officer Assistant
RTU – Replacement Training Unit
SA – Service Academy
SAMI – Saturday AM Inspection
SAP – Study Abroad Program
SAR – Search and Rescue
Scuttlebutt – water fountain or gossip
SDVET – Service Disabled Veteran
Seabee/CB - Navy Construction Battalion (Navy Civil Engineers)
SEAL – SEa Air Land (Navy Special Forces)
SERB – Selective Early Retirement Board
SERE – Survival Evasion Resistance Escape training
SF – US Army Special Forces or US Space Force
SFROTC – Space Force Reserve Officer Training Corps
SFT – Summer Field Training (AFROTC)
Shack – Direct hit on target (e.g., bullseye)
SIFT – Selection Instrument for Flight Training (Army)
SLCDA – Summer Leadership and Character Development Academy (USMC)
SLE – Summer Leaders Experience (West Point)
SMC – Senior Military College (Norwich, VMI, Virginia Tech, Texas A & M, University of North Georgia, The Citadel)
SMP – Simultaneous Membership Program (ANG)
SNCO – Senior Non-Commissioned Officer
SOE – School Official Evaluation
SOF – special operations forces (various branches)
SOS – Squadron Officer School (USAF)
South Com – Southern Command
SQ3R – Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review
SQD – Squad
SRO – Senior Rating Official
Starboard – Right hand side of a ship when facing the bow
STEM– Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
STX – Situational Training Exercise (Army)
SUNT – Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training
Supe – Superintendent
SUPT – Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training
Swab – USCGA Freshman (4th class Cadet)
SWO – Surface Warfare Officer (Navy)
TA – Tuition Assistance (Army)
TAB – Talent Assessment Battery (Army)
TACP – Tactical Air Control Party
TAD – Temporary Assigned Duty
TATTOO – CTO training time with plebes
TBS – The Basic School (USMC)
TDY – Temporary Duty Assignment
TEE – Term End Exam
TEMDU - Temporary Duty
TemDUINS – Temporary Duty Under INStruction
TFOT – Total Force Officer Training
TIS – Time in Service
TLA – Temporary Living Allowance (subsidy for living in a hotel when you PCS)
TLQ – Temporary Living Quarters (hotel/housing on base while you receive TLA)
TM – Team Movement
TMO – Transportation Movement Office (your movers)
TPS – Test Pilot School (Navy)
TPU – Troop Program Unit (Army Reserves)
TRADOC – United States Army Training and Doctrine Command
TS/SCI –Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information
TSP – Thrift Savings Plan (A retirement plan similar to a 401k but for Federal Employees)
TWE – Thin White Envelope (usually a rejection letter)
UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or "drone"
UCMJ – Uniform Code of Military justice
UNT – Undergraduate Navigator Training
UPT – Undergraduate Pilot Training
URL – Unrestricted Line (Navy)
USA – United States Army
USACC – United States Army Cadet Command
USACE – US Army Corps of Engineers
USAF – United States Air Force
USAFA – United States Air Force Academy
USAFASS – United States Air Force Academy Summer Seminar
USAFE – USAF Europe
USAREC – U.S. Army Recruiting Command
USCG – United States Coast Guard
USCGA – United States Coast Guard Academy
USMA – United States Military Academy
USMAPS – United States Military Academy Preparatory School
USMC – United States Marine Corps
USMMA – United States Merchant Marine Academy
USN – United States Navy
USNA – United States Naval Academy
USNS – United States Naval Ship (non-commissioned but owned by the US Navy)
USS – United States Ship (commissioned by the US Navy)
USSF – United States Space Force
UXO – Unexploded Ordnance
VMI – Virginia Military institute
VWIL – Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin College
Wardroom – Officers mess or cafeteria
WCS – Whole Candidate Score
WIC – Weapons Instructor Course - Nellis for AF
Wing King – Commander of the Wing
WA – Waiver Authority (DoDMERB)
WO – Warrant Officer
WP – West Point or USMA
WPM – Whole Person Multiple (USNA)
WPR – Written Partial Review (USMA midterm exams)
WSO – Weapon System Officer
XO – Executive Officer
Yearling – A Sophomore (at USMA)
Youngster – A Sophomore (at USNA)
YMMV – Your mileage may vary (internet slang)
YP – Yard Patrol Craft, a small USNA training ship
Yuk – slang for yearling or sophomore (At USMA)
Zero Deck – Basement
Thanks to all who contributed to the original thread.This acronym list is fantastic, as a new Mishipman candidate (MC) mom (whose son is at NSI 3 right now) this is great, thank you!
