Term or
Acronym
|
Definition |
AAFES |
Army & Air Force Exchange Service – the military
agency that operates Army Post Exchanges (PX) and Air Force
Base Exchanges (BX). PX and BX are “department store” like
activities that can be used by eligible military personnel
and their families. |
AC |
Active
Component – active duty forces
of the military. |
ACS |
Army
Community Services – provides
a range of services to military families. |
AD |
Active
Duty – a
period of time when a service member is working for and
paid by the military on a full-time basis.
Active duty may be for the purpose of training or mission tasks. |
ADSW |
Active Duty for Special Work. |
ADT |
Active Duty for Training. |
AER |
Army
Emergency Relief – each service has a relief
society. A private non-profit organization funded by donations
providing
emergency assistance to Army military members and families
in need. |
AFB |
Air Force Base |
AFN |
American
Forces Network – Network of TV and radio
stations operated by AFRTS. |
AFRTS |
Armed
Forces Radio and Television Service – A military
activity that provides radio and television services to overseas
commands. |
AG |
Adjutant
General – a senior military official. The
State Adjutant General is the most senior office in a state’s
National Guard. The Adjutant General of the Army is the Army’s
senior official for administrative activities. |
AGR |
Active
Guard Reserve – National Guard and Reserve
members who are on voluntary active duty providing full time
support
to National Guard, Reserve, and Active Component organizations
for the purpose of organizing, administering, recruiting,
instructing or training the Reserve Components. |
AIT |
Advanced Individual Training; in which soldiers learn a particular
skill after they complete basic training. |
Air Force Aid Society |
A private non-profit organization funded by donations providing
emergency assistance to military families in need. |
Allotment |
A specified amount of money the member designates to be paid
to a particular place or person each month directly from his/her
pay. |
ANG |
Air
National Guard – State National Guard units
supported by the Air Force who may be called to active duty
to contribute
to the mission of the US Air Force. |
ARC |
American Red Cross |
Armory |
A building serves as the headquarters for military reserve
personnel; used for storing arms and military equipment. |
ARNG |
Army
National Guard – State National Guard units
supported by the Army who may be called to active duty to
contribute
to the mission of the US Army. |
AT |
Annual
Training – A
period of active duty attended by members of the Guard
and Reserve for the purpose of training. |
|
| BAH |
Basic Allowance
for Housing – a financial allowance
given to individuals on active duty when government quarters
are not provided. |
| BAS |
Basic Allowance
for Subsistence – monthly food assistance
provided to members who do not eat a military facilities. |
| BDU |
Battle Dress Uniform – the
camouflaged field uniform. |
| BT |
Basic Training – initial
entry military training also known as IET. |
| BX |
Base Exchange – a “department store” like
activity on an Air Force base that can be used by eligible
military members and their dependents. |
|
| CACO |
Casualty Assistance
Calls Officer – also knows and
CAO. This officer provides assistance to family members in
case of the death of a military member. |
| Chain of Command |
A military structure that defines responsibility for units.
Every unit has a chain of command. Units on active duty have
a chain of command that extends from their immediate commander
to the President (Commander in Chief). National Guard units
not on federal service, have a chain of command through the
State Adjutant General to the Governor. |
| Change of Command |
The Change of Command ceremony is a clear, legal and symbolic
passing of the authority and responsibility from one commander
to the next. |
| Chaplain |
A military member of the clergy. |
| Classified Information |
Information or material that cannot be divulged to others
without express permission and/or consent of competent authority. |
| CO |
Commanding Officer – and
officer officially appointed to command a unit. |
| COB |
Close of Business – end
of the official business day. |
| COLA |
Cost of Living
allowance – the amount of money paid
monthly to compensate for the high cost of living. The amount
authorized, if any, varies depending on the location. |
| Commander-in-Chief |
The President of
the United States – Commander in Chief
of al military activities under federal control. |
| Commissary |
The store where members and their families can purchase food
products. |
| CONUS |
Continental United States |
|
| DEERS |
Defense Enrollment
Eligibility Reporting System – the
automated system that lists those enrolled and indicates their
eligibility for military benefits. |
| DFAS |
Defense
Finance and Accounting Service – the federal military
activity responsible for all civilian and military pay processing. |
| Dependent |
A person for whom
a member is legally and financially responsible – usually
a spouse or child (also called family member) |
| Deployment |
Temporary relocation of a military unit. |
| DOB |
Date of Birth |
| DOR |
Date of Rank – the
date on which an individual was officially promoted to a
specific grade. |
| DSN |
Defense Switched
Network – the military telephone service. |
|
| EFMP |
Exceptional Family
Member Program – a program designed
to provide support to military families who have members with
handicaps or other special needs. |
| EM |
Enlisted Member – a
member of the military who is not an officer, warrant officer,
or cadet. |
| Emergency Data Card |
A form kept with official records that lists important information
for quick reference in case of emergency. It includes names
of relatives, addresses, and telephone numbers. |
| EO |
Equal Opportunity |
| ESGR |
Employer Support
Guard and Reserve – a program designed
to educate employers and encourage them to support their employees’ service
in the Guard and Reserve. |
| ETS |
Expiration of Term of Service |
| Exchange |
Military Department Store |
|
| FAC |
Established in times of contingency call-up, mobilization
and large scaled deployment to provide support and assistance
to Guard and Reserve Members and their families. |
| FCP |
Family Care Plan – soldiers
provide written instructions and notarized documents for
the care of their family members
during separation (can include provisions for finances, wills,
and guardianship). |
| FLO |
Family Liaison Office. |
| FPD |
Family Program Director for the Guard and Reserve |
| FRC |
Family Readiness
Center – similar to FAC. It’s
a family service program. |
| FRG |
Family Readiness
Group – an officially sanctioned organization
of officer and enlisted personnel and their family members.
This group provides information and acts as a support network
for families and guard members during their association with
the unit, especially during periods of separation, e.g., weekend
drills, annual training, deployments, and/or mobilization. |
| FRO |
Family Readiness
Officer – the commander’s staff
officer assigned to work family related matters. |
| FY |
Fiscal Year – a
year running from 1 October to through the end of September
of the following year. Fiscal years are
used by congress and the military to budget and control funding
for military activities. |
|
| GFAP |
A standardized management tool that is used to create an
information loop between the National Guard community and leadership,
which provides a means of monitoring the process of issue gathering,
submission, dispersion, and resolution. See www.gfap.org |
| GFTB |
Education and training program for and about the National
Guard Community. Program modules cover a wide variety of topics
most often requested by families and National Guard leadership.
See www.gftb.org |
|
| ID |
Uniformed
Services Identification Card – a distinct ID card identifying
individuals as active duty, Reserve, Guard, or retired members
authorizing them to receive uniformed services. ID cards
are also issued to eligible dependents and other eligible
individuals authorizing them to receive uniformed services
benefits and privileges. |
| I&R |
Information and Referral |
| ITO |
Invitational Travel
Order – a document authorizing
travel by someone not under military authority. Often used
to provide government-funded travel to family members. |
|
| JAG |
Judge Advocate
General – a military lawyer. Often used
to identify the senior military legal advisor to a commander. |
|
| KIA |
Killed in Action |
|
| Leave |
Paid vacation days. A period of time when a service member
is on paid vacation and not performing military duties. |
| LES |
Leave and Earning
Statement – a service member’s
pay slip for military pay. It includes information on gross
pay, taxes and other deductions as well as leave earned and
taken during a month. |
|
| MIA |
Missing in Action – a
term applied to individuals who cannot be located and whose
status in unknown. |
| MGIB, MGI |
Montgomery G.I.
Bill – tuition assistance for service
members |
| Mission |
The primary task of the military organization. |
| Mobilization |
The assembling of forces in preparation for deployment. The
act of the President of the United States to bring members/units
of the Guard ad Reserve to active duty for national emergencies. |
| MRE |
Meals Ready to
Eat – food packets that do not require
refrigeration and can be used by service members who do not
have access to prepared hot food. |
| MTF |
Military Treatment
Facility – A medical facility operated
by military that may provide inpatient and/or ambulatory care
to eligible TRICARE beneficiaries. |
| MWR |
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation |
|
| NAF |
Noncommissioned
Officer – senior enlisted service members
commonly referred to as sergeants. |
| NG |
National Guard |
| NGB |
National Guard
Bureau – a joint bureau of the Department
of the Army and Department of Air Force to serve as the channel
of communication for the National Guard, Army National Guard,
and Air National Guard between the Department of the Army,
Department of Air Force, and the several states. |
| NMFA |
National Military
Family Association – a not-for-profit
private association dedicated to improving the quality of life
for military families. |
|
| OCONUS |
Outside the Continental United States. The continental United
States include all states except Hawaii and Alaska. |
| OIC |
Officer in Charge – the
individual managing or supervising an activity. |
| OSD |
Office of Secretary
of Defense – the office of the
cabinet official responsible for national defense. |
|
| PAO |
Public Affairs
Officer – military officer responsible
for responding to inquiries from the Press. |
| POA |
Power of Attorney – a
legal document that enables one person to sign documents
or take actions on behalf of another
person. |
| POC |
Point of Contact – a
person responsible for a program. The person you call when
you need information or assistance. |
| POV |
Privately Owned
Vehicle – your family’s car or
truck. |
| Promotion |
The advancement in grade and pay of members in recognition
of their ability to perform at a higher level. The basic ceremony
includes the reading of the official orders. |
| PT |
Physical training – Army
exercise program |
| PX |
Post Exchange – a “department state” like
activity on Army installations. |
| |
|
| Quarters |
Government–owned
housing assigned to personnel or living spaces. |
| |
|
| RC |
Reserve Components—Reserve
Components of the Armed Forces of the United States are:
(a). the Army National Guard
of the United States; (b). the Army Reserve; (c). the Naval
Reserve; (d). the Marine Corps Reserve; (e). the Air National
Guard of the United States; (f). the Air Force Reserve; (g).
the Coast Guard Reserve |
| RDC |
Rear Detachment
Commander – an individual, typically
an officer, designated to remain behind after a unit’s
departure and deployment and other unit members who did not
move with unit. |
| Readiness |
A measure of a unit's ability to accomplish its assigned
mission. Factors that contribute to readiness are manning,
training and equipment. |
| Reunion |
A period of readjustment that follows a members return from
mobilization or training. |
| R&R |
Rest & Relaxation or Return & Reunion. |
|
| SBP |
Survivor Benefit
Plan – a federal program designed
to provide annuity to the spouse and/or dependents after a
retired service member dies. |
| SGLI |
Service Member’s Group Life Insurance – an
optional federal program designed to provide insurance coverage
to eligible
military service members. |
| SOP |
Standard Operating
Procedure – a set of fixed instructions
for routine operations. |
| Sponsorship program |
Military program in which volunteers greet and help members
who have been assigned to a new duty station or unit. |
| SRP |
Soldier Readiness Processing |
| SSN |
Social Security Number |
|
| TAG |
The Adjutant General |
| TDY/TAD |
Temporary Duty – military
duty or active duty away from the unit of assignment normally
for a period of 139 days
or less. |
| Telephone Tree |
Also known as a telephone roster. It is a way of transmitting
information to a larger group of people. |
| TRICARE |
A health insurance program for eligible military members
and their eligible dependents. See TRICARE
Glossary of Terms. |
| TSP |
Thrift Saving Plan
- It offers participants the same type of savings and tax
benefits that many private corporations
offer their employees under so-called “401(k) plans.” Beginning
on October 9, 2001, members of the uniformed services will
be able to enroll in the TSP during a special 60-day enrollment
period. |
|
| VA |
Department of Veterans
Affairs – the federal agency
responsible for administering veterans’ benefits and
providing services to veteran. |
|
| WIC |
Women, Infants,
Children – a program of the Department
of Agriculture providing nutrition and education. |
