List of U.S. Navy acronyms

The United States Navy, like any bureaucratic organization, produces its own acronyms and abbreviations, which often come to have meaning beyond their bare expansions. United States Navy personnel sometimes colloquially refer to these as NAVSpeak. Like other organizational colloquialisms, their use often creates or reinforces a sense of esprit and closeness within the organization.

Official acronyms
For a comprehensive list of unit organizations in the United States Navy, see List of units of the United States Navy.


 * 3M - Maintenance and Material Management (3M System)
 * 3MC - Maintenance Material Management Coordinator

A

 * AA - Airman Apprentice
 * AAW - Anti-Air warfare
 * AB - Aviation Boatswain's Mate
 * ABE - Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Launching and Recovery)
 * ABF - Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuels)
 * ABH - Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handling)
 * AC - Air Controlman
 * ACR - Armored cruiser
 * AD - Aviation Machinist's Mate
 * ADT - Active Duty Training [U.S. Navy Reserves, type of orders, typically more than 30 days but less than 6 months]
 * ADSW - Active Duty Special Work [U.S. Navy Reserves, type of orders, typically 6-months in duration]
 * AE - Aviation Electrician's Mate
 * AF - Aviation Photographer's Mate
 * AFC - Aviation Fire Control
 * AFCM - Master Chief Aircraft Maintenanceman
 * AFFF - Aqueous film forming foam
 * AG - Aerographer's Mate
 * AIMD - Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (or Detachment)
 * AK - Aviation Storekeeper
 * ALPO - Assistant Lead Petty Officer
 * AM - Aviation Structural Mechanic
 * AMMRL - Aviation Maintenance Material Readiness List
 * AMO - Assistant Maintenance Officer
 * AN - Airman
 * AO - Aviation Ordnanceman
 * AOW - Auxilliaryman of the Watch
 * AR - Airman Recruit
 * ASAU - Air Search and Attack Unit
 * ASUW - Anti-surface warfare
 * ASVAB - Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
 * ASW - Anti-submarine warfare
 * ASWO - Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer
 * ASW - Auxiliary SeaWater system
 * AT - Aviation Electronics Technician
 * AT - Annual Training [U.S. Navy Reserves, type of orders, typically less than 30 days]
 * AUTEC - Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center
 * AUXO - Auxiliaries Officer
 * AVGAS - AViation Gasoline
 * AWCS - Assistant Work Center Supervisor
 * AWOL - Absent without leave
 * AZ - Aviation Maintenance Administrationman

B

 * BB - Battleship
 * BCD - Bad Conduct Discharge (also colloquially known as "Big Chicken Dinner")
 * BCGs - Birth Control Glasses
 * BJOQ - Blue Jacket of the Quarter
 * BJOY - Blue Jacket of the Year
 * BM - Boatswain's Mate
 * BMOW - Boatswain's Mate of the Watch
 * BOHICA - Bend Over Here It Comes Again
 * BOL - Bupers Online
 * BU - Builder
 * BUMED - Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
 * BUPERS - Bureau of Naval Personnel
 * BZ - Bravo Zulu (meaning Well Done)

C

 * CA - Construction Apprentice
 * CA - Heavy Cruiser (outdated)
 * CAG - Guided Missile Heavy Cruiser (outdated) or Commander Air Group
 * CAPT - Captain
 * CDB - Career Development Boards
 * CDO - Command Duty Officer
 * CDR - Commander
 * CE - Construction Electrician's Mate
 * CEC - Civil Engineer Corps
 * CENTCOM - U.S. Central Command
 * CF - Charlie Foxtrot Polite form of "Cluster Fuck"
 * CG: Guided Missile Cruiser
 * CGN: Guided Missile Cruiser, Nuclear Powered.
 * CM - Construction Mechanic
 * CMC - Command Master Chief
 * CMS-ID - Career Management System-Interactive Detailing
 * CN - Constructionman
 * CNO - Chief of Naval Operations
 * CO - Commanding Officer
 * COB - Chief Of the Boat (traditionally found only on submarines). Can also be used for "close of business."
 * COD - Carrier Onboard Delivery
 * COMDESGRU - COMmander, DEStroyer GRoUp
 * COMLANTFLT - COMmander, u.s. atLANTic FLeeT (see CINCLANTFLT)
 * COMEX - Commence Exercise
 * COMMO - COMMunications Officer
 * COMNAVAIRFOR - COMmander, NAVal AIR FORces
 * COMNAVAIRLANT - COMmander, NAVal AIR forces, atLANTic
 * COMNAVAIRPAC - COMmander, NAVal AIR forces, PACific
 * COMNAVSEASYSCOM - COMmander, NAVal SEA SYStems COMmand
 * COMNAVSECGRU - COMmander, NAVal SECurity GRoUp
 * COMPACFLT - COMmander, PACific FLeeT (formerly CINCPACFLT)
 * COMPTUEX - COMPosite Training Unit EXercise
 * COMSEC - COMmunications SECurity
 * COMSUBFOR - COMmander, SUBmarine FORce
 * COMSUBLANT - COMmander, SUBmarine force AtLANTtic
 * Carrier (Lighter-than-air) (No longer in use)
 * CMC - Command Master Chief
 * CMDCM - Command Master Chief
 * CMDCS - Command Senior Chief
 * CNET - Command Naval Education and Training
 * CPO - Chief Petty Officer
 * CPOM - Chief Petty Officer's Mess
 * CR - Construction Recruit
 * CS - Culinary Specialist
 * CSC - Command Senior Chief
 * CSC - Combat Systems Coordinator
 * CSC - Culinary Specialist Chief (E-7)
 * CSEC - Computerized Self Evaluation Checklist
 * CSOOW - Combat Systems Officer of the Watch
 * CT - Cryptologic Technician
 * CTI - Cryptologic Technician Interpretive
 * CTM - Cryptologic Technician Maintenance
 * CTN - Cryptologic Technician Networks
 * CTR - Cryptologic Technician Collection
 * CTT - Cryptologic Technician Technical
 * CVN - Nuclear-powered Aircraft Carrier (Aircraft Carrier, Nuclear), i.e. CVN-72 USS Abraham Lincoln
 * CVW - Carrier Air Wing
 * CWO - Chief Warrant Officer

D

 * DAPA - Drug and Alcohol Programs Advisor
 * DC - Damage Controlman
 * DCA - Damage Control Assistant
 * DCAG - Deputy Air Wing Commander (see CAG)
 * DCC - Damage Control Central
 * DCO - Damage Control Officer (Chief Engineer)or Direct Commission Officer
 * DCPO - Damage Control Petty Officer
 * DD - Destroyer
 * DDG - Guided Missile Destroyer
 * DDR - Radar Picket Destroyer
 * DE - Destroyer Escort
 * DESDIV - DEStroyer DIVision
 * DESRON - DEStroyer squadRON
 * DEVGRU - Naval Special Warfare DEVelopment GRoUp, formerly (and informally still) SEAL Team SIX
 * DFM - Diesel Fuel Marine (F-76), standard Navy bunker fuel
 * DIRNSA - DIRector of the National Security Agency
 * DL - Destroyer Leader
 * DLG - Guided Missile Destroyer Leader
 * DLGN - Nuclear-powered Guided Missile Destroyer Leader
 * DM - Destroyer Minelayer
 * DMHRSi - Defense Medical Human Resources System - internet
 * DoD - Department Of Defense
 * DON - Department Of the Navy
 * DRB - Discipline Review Board

E

 * EAOS - End of Active Obligated Service
 * EAWS - Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist
 * ECRC - Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center
 * EDMC - Engineering Department Master Chief (Submarines)
 * EDO - Engineering Duty Officer
 * EEBD - Emergency Escape Breathing Device
 * EIDWS - Enlisted Information Dominance Warfare Specialist
 * EM - Electrician's Mate
 * EM - Emergency Management
 * EMI - Extra Military Instruction
 * EN - Engineman
 * ENS - Ensign
 * EO - Equipment Operator
 * EOOW - Engineering Officer of the Watch
 * EOS - Enclosed Operating Space
 * EOSS - Engineering Operational Sequencing Systems
 * ERS - Engineroom Supervisor
 * ESWS - Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist
 * ET - Electronics Technician
 * EWS - Engineering Watch Supervisor
 * EXW - Expeditionary Warfare

F

 * FA - Fireman Apprentice
 * FAC - Forward Air Controller
 * FAC/A - Forward Air Controller/Airborne
 * FC - Fire Controlman
 * FCDSSA - Fleet Combat Direction Systems Support Activity
 * FCF - Functional Check Flight
 * FCPCP - Fleet Computer Programming Center of the Pacific
 * FCPOM - First Class Petty Officer's Mess
 * FDO - Flight Deck Officer
 * F/MC - Fleet (or Force) Master Chief
 * FMF - Fleet Marine Force
 * FMSS - Field Medical Service School
 * FN - Fireman
 * FOD - Foreign Object Damage (Debris and Detection also used in some cases)
 * FR - Fireman Recruit
 * FRC - Fleet Readiness Center
 * FRS - Fleet Replacement Squadron (Formerly RAG)
 * FSA - Food Service Attendant
 * FSO - Food Service Officer
 * FTN - Forget the Navy (Polite Form)
 * FTN - Full-time Navy (Humorous Form)

G

 * GQ - General Quarters (Call to battle stations)
 * GCCS-M - Global Command Communications System-Maritime
 * GM - Gunner's Mate
 * GSA - Global War on Terrorism Support Assignments also General Services Administration

H

 * HA - Hospital Apprentice
 * HELO - Helicopter
 * HM - Hospital Corpsman
 * HMFIC - Head M F In Charge (See SOPA Below)
 * HN - Hospitalman
 * HR - Hospital Recruit
 * HS - Helicopter Squadron (HS-4 Black Knights)
 * HT - Hull Maintenance Technician

I

 * IAP - In Assignment Processing
 * IAMM - Individual Augmentation Manpower Management
 * IAW - "in accordance with"
 * IC - Interior Communications Electrician
 * ICO - "in case of" "in care of"
 * IMF - Intermediate Maintenance Facility
 * IMRL - Individual Material Readiness List
 * IP - Irish Pennant - A loose thread of a Naval or Marine uniform.
 * IRT - "in reference to..."
 * IT - Information System Technician

J

 * JAG - Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy
 * JBD - Jet Blast Deflector (carriers)
 * JO - Journalist
 * JP-5 - Jet Propellant no. 5, standard Navy jet fuel (F-44, AVCAT)
 * JTF - Joint Task Force
 * JTFEX - Joint Task Force Exercise

L

 * LANTCOM - Atlantic Command
 * LCDR - Lieutenant Commander
 * LCPO - Leading Chief Petty Officer
 * LDO - Limited Duty Officer
 * LES - Leave and Earnings Statement
 * LPD - Land Platform Dock (Amphibious Class Ship, Diesel Propulsion), i.e. LPD-18 USS New Orleans
 * LPO - Leading Petty Officer
 * LPOD - Last Plane On Deck
 * LSO - Landing Signal Officer
 * LT - Lieutenant
 * LTJG - Lieutenant Junior Grade

M

 * MAA - Master At Arms
 * MALS - Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron
 * MCPO - Master Chief Petty Officer
 * MCPON (pronounced "Mick Pon") - Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
 * MCO - Material Control Officer
 * MIDRATS - MIDnight RATions
 * MMCO - Maintenance/Material Control Officer
 * MMCPO - Maintenance Master Chief Petty Officer
 * MPA - Main Propulsion Assistant
 * MPA - Military Patrol Craft (P-3 Orion, etc.)
 * MO - (pronounced "Moe") Maintenance Officer
 * MOA - Memorandum of Agreement
 * MOU - Memorandum of Understanding
 * MM - Machinist's Mate
 * MSW - Main Seawater System
 * MSG - Message
 * MT - Missile Technician

N

 * NALCOMIS - Naval Aviation Logistics Command Management Information System
 * NAS - Naval Air Station
 * NAVAIR - Naval Air Systems Command
 * NAWCAD - Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division
 * NAVCOMP - Comptroller of the Navy
 * NAVEDTRA - Chief of Navy Education and Training
 * NAVFAC - Naval Facilities Engineering Command
 * NAVFLIGHTDEMRON - Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels)
 * NAVMAT - Naval Material Command
 * NAVMILPERSCOM - Navy Military Personnel Command
 * NAVSEA - Naval Sea Systems Command
 * NAVSECGRUACT - Naval Security Group Activity
 * NAVSTA - Naval Station
 * NAVSUP - Naval Supply Systems Command
 * NAVTRA - Chief of Naval Training
 * NAWCWD - Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (now Pacific Missile Test Center)
 * NBSD - Naval Base San Diego
 * NCDU - Navy Combat Demolition Unit
 * NCIS - Naval Criminal Investigative Service
 * NCTAMS - Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station
 * NCTS - Naval Computer Telecommunications Station
 * NECC - Navy Expeditionary Combat Command
 * NeL - Navy eLearning
 * NEX - Navy Exchange
 * NFO - Naval Flight Officer / Normal Fuel Oil
 * NKO - Navy Knowledge Online
 * NMCI - Navy/Marine Corps Intranet
 * NMPS - Navy Mobilization and Processing Site
 * NNSY - Norfolk Naval Shipyard
 * NOSC - Navy Operational Support Center
 * NPC - Navy Personnel Command
 * NROTC - Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps
 * NJROTC - Navy Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
 * NSAWC - Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center
 * NSIPS - Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System
 * NSY - Naval Shipyard
 * SSES - Ships Signal Exploitation Space
 * NSGA - Naval Security Group Activity
 * NSWG - Naval Special Warfare Group
 * NSWC - Naval Surface Warfare Center
 * NUWC - Naval Undersea Warfare Center
 * NWTD - Non Watertight Door

O

 * OBA - Oxygen Breathing Apparatus
 * OCS - Officer Candidate School, located at Naval Station Newport
 * OFS - Out Freaking Standing (polite)
 * OM - On the Move
 * OMPF - Official Military Personnel File
 * OOD - Officer of the Deck
 * OOMA - Optimized Organizational Maintenance Activity
 * OPS-O - Operations officer
 * OPNAV - Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
 * OSA - Overseas Contingency Operation Support Assignments

P

 * PACOM - Pacific Command
 * PCS - Permanent Change of Station
 * PDHA - Post-Deployment Health Assessment
 * PDHRA - Post-Deployment Health Re-Assessment
 * PFA - Physical Fitness Assessment
 * PHA - Physical Health Assessment
 * PHRA - Physical Health Re-Assessment
 * POD - Plan of the Day
 * POM - Plan of the Month
 * POTUS - President of the United States
 * POW - Plan of the Week
 * POW - Prisoner of War
 * PRD - Projected Rotation Date
 * PRIFLY - PRImary FLight Control (Aircraft carriers)
 * PRT - Physical Readiness Test
 * PSNS and IMF - Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility
 * PT - Physical Training
 * PTS - Perform to Serve
 * PWD - Public Works Department

Q

 * QM - Quartermaster

R

 * RADCON - RADiation CONtrol
 * RADM - Rear Admiral
 * RAG - Replacement Air Group, now known as Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS)
 * RDC - Recruit Division Commander
 * RIMPAC - Rim of the Pacific
 * RIO - Radar Intercept Officer
 * RL - Restricted Line Officer
 * RMD - Restricted Maneuvering Doctrine
 * RT - Radiotelephone (voice radio)
 * RTC - Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois
 * RPOC - Recruit Petty Officer in Charge or Recruit Chief Petty Officer

S

 * SA - Seaman Apprentice
 * SAG - Surface Action Group
 * SAM - Surface-to-air missile
 * SAPR - Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
 * SAU - Search and Attack Unit
 * SCAT - Small Craft Attack Team
 * SE - Support Equipment
 * SEALs - United States Navy SEALs (stands for SEa, Air, Land), officially termed Special Warfare Operators.
 * SECDEF - United States Secretary of Defense
 * SECNAV - United States Secretary of the Navy
 * SCBA - Self-contained breathing apparatus
 * SCPO - Senior Chief Petty Officer
 * SCW - Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist insignia
 * SICLOS - Shift Inspect Clean Lube Oil Strainers
 * SLBM - Submarine-launched ballistic missile
 * SN - Seaman
 * SNA - Student Naval Aviator
 * SO - Special Warfare Operator, aka US Navy SEAL.
 * SOFA - Status of Forces Agreement
 * SOPA - Senior Officer Present Afloat
 * SOP(A) - Senior Officer Present (Ashore)
 * SPAWAR - Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command
 * SPAWARSYSCEN - Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center
 * SR - Seaman Recruit
 * SRB - Selective Reenlistment Bonus
 * SRW - Shutdown Roving Watch
 * SS - Submarine or submersible ship
 * SSBN (aka Boomers) - Hull classification symbol for ballistic missile submarine. The SS denotes submarine, the B denotes ballistic missiles, and the N denotes nuclear-powered.
 * SSGN - Hull classification symbol for cruise missile submarine. The SS denotes submarine, the G denotes guided missile, and the N denotes nuclear-powered.
 * SSN - Hull classification symbol for general-purpose fast attack submarines. The SS denotes submarine, while N denotes nuclear-powered.
 * SSTG - Ships Service Turbo Generator
 * ST – Sonar Technician
 * STREAM - Standard Tension REplenishment Alongside Method
 * SUBRON - SUBmarine squadRON
 * SUBSAFE - SUBmarine SAFEty program
 * SUPPO - SUPPly Officer
 * SWCC (swick) - Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen, the Special Operations Forces who operate and maintain an inventory of boats used to support special operations missions, particularly those of the U.S. Navy SEALs.
 * SWO - Surface Warfare Officer

T

 * TAD - Temporary Additional Duty
 * TADCEN - Training and Distribution Center
 * TAO - Tactical Action Officer (Fights the ship under the supervision of the Captain)
 * TE - Task Element
 * TF - Task Force
 * TFOA - Things Falling Off Aircraft
 * TG - Task Group
 * TM - Torpedoman's Mate
 * TOPGUN - United States Navy Fighter Weapons School
 * TU - Task Unit

U

 * UA - Unauthorized absence, equivalent to Army absent without leave
 * UA - Urinalysis
 * UAS - Unmanned Aerial System
 * UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
 * UCMJ - Uniform Code of Military Justice
 * UDT - Underwater Demolition Team
 * UNODIR - UNless Otherwise DIRected
 * UNREP - Underway replenishment
 * USMC - United States Marine Corps, organized under the United States Department of the Navy)
 * USN - United States Navy
 * URL - Unrestricted line officer
 * USNA - United States Naval Academy (Annapolis)
 * UWT - Underwater telephone

V

 * VERTREP - Vertical replenishment
 * VCNO - Vice Chief of Naval Operations
 * VAQ - Fixed Wing Electronic-Attack Squadron
 * VAW - Fixed Wing Airborne Early Warning Squadron
 * VF - Fixed Wing Fighter (no longer used)
 * VFA - Fixed Wing Strike Fighter Squadron
 * VP - Fixed Wing Patrol Squadron
 * VRC - Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC-30 Providers)
 * VTU - Volunteer Training Unit

W

 * WCS Workcenter Supervisor
 * WO Warrant Officer
 * WSO (Wizzo) - Weapon Systems Operator/Naval Flight Officer
 * WTD Watertight Door
 * WTF - Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, usually an interrogative phrase, but may also be used in a declarative manner
 * WTH - Water Tight Hatch

X

 * XO - Executive officer

Y

 * YN - Yeoman