List of U.S. government and military acronyms

List of initialisms, acronyms ("words made from parts of other words, pronounceable"), and other abbreviations used by the government and the military:

0–9

 * 1LT – First Lieutenant (U.S. Army) (USAF uses "1st Lt")
 * 2LT – Second Lieutenant (U.S. Army) (USAF uses "2d Lt")
 * 2IC – Second In Command

A

 * A – analog
 * A1C – Airman 1st Class (USAF E-3)
 * A2C2 – Army airspace command and control
 * A-3 – (Operations Directorate (COMAFFOR))
 * A-5 – (Plans Directorate (COMAFFOR))
 * AA – Anti-Aircraft
 * AA – assessment agent
 * AA – avenue of approach
 * AAA – antiaircraft artillery
 * AAA – arrival and assembly area
 * AAA – assign alternate area
 * AAAS – amphibious aviation assault ship
 * AABB – American Association of Blood Banks
 * AABWS – amphibious assault bulk water system
 * AAC – activity address code
 * AAC – Army Air Corps (British)
 * AAC – Australian Army Cadets (Australia)
 * AACG – arrival airfield control group
 * AADC – area air defense commander
 * AADP – area air defense plan
 * AA&E – arms, ammunition, and explosives
 * AAEC – aeromedical evacuation control team
 * AAFC – Australian Air Force Cadets (Australia)
 * AAFES – Army and Air Force Exchange Service
 * AAFIF – automated air facility information file
 * AAFS – amphibious assault fuel system
 * AAFSF – amphibious assault fuel supply facility
 * AAGS – Army air-ground system
 * AAI – air-to-air interface
 * AAM – air-to-air missile
 * AAMDC – US Army Air and Missile Defense Command
 * AAOE – arrival and assembly operations element
 * AAOG – arrival and assembly operations group
 * AAP – Allied administrative publication
 * AAP – assign alternate parent
 * AAR – after action report
 * AAR – after action review
 * AAS – Army Apprentice School (Australia)
 * AAST – aeromedical evacuation administrative support team
 * AAT – automatic analog test
 * AAT – aviation advisory team
 * AAU – analog applique unit
 * AAV – amphibious assault vehicle
 * AAW – antiair warfare
 * AB – airbase
 * AB – Airman Basic (USAF E-1)
 * ABCA – American, British, Canadian, Australian Armies Program
 * ABCS – Army Battle Command System
 * ABD – airbase defense
 * ABFC – advanced base functional component
 * ADF – Australian Defence Force (Australia)
 * ADFA – Australian Defence Force Academy (Australia)
 * ADFC – Australian Defence Force Cadets (Australia)
 * ADOS – Active Duty, Operational  Support
 * ADSW – Active Duty, Special Work
 * AFI – Awaiting Further Instruction
 * AFO – Another Fucking Observer
 * AFOSI – Air Force Office of Special Investigations
 * AHA – AmmunitionHoldingArea
 * AIM – Airborne Intercept Missile (U.S. military)
 * AIPD – Army Institute For Professional Development
 * AIRTC – Air Training Corps (former name for the Australian Air Force Cadets)
 * AIT – Advanced Individual Training (U.S. Army)
 * Amn – Airman (USAF E-2)
 * ALCON – All CONcerned''' (U.S. military)
 * AMU – Aicraft Maintenance Unit
 * AMXG – Aircraft Maintenance Group
 * AMXS – Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
 * An – Antonov (Russian)
 * ANZAC – Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
 * AOL – Absent Over Leave (U.S. Navy)
 * AO – Area of Operations
 * A&P – administrative and personnel
 * AP – Armor-Piercing
 * APC – Armored Personnel Carrier
 * APFSDS – Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot
 * APO – Army Post Office; See also FPO
 * APPN – Appropriation Number (U.S. Military)
 * APRT – Army Physical Readiness Test (U.S. Army)
 * ARA – Australian Regular Army (Australia)
 * ARes – Army Reserve (Australia)
 * ARM – Anti-Radar Missile
 * ARM – Anti-Radiation Missile
 * ARMS – Automated Recruit Management System (U.S. military)
 * ARMS – Aviation Resource Management System (USAF)
 * ART – Alarm Response Team (USAF)
 * ARVN – Army of the Republic of (South) Viet Nam (U.S. Military)
 * ASAP – Army Substance Abuse Program (U.S. military)
 * ASAP – As Soon As Possible
 * ASEAN – Association of South East Asian Nations
 * ASM – Air to Surface Missile
 * ASM – Anti-Ship Missile
 * ASV – Anti-Surface Vessel (airborne radar)
 * ASW – Anti-Submarine Warfare
 * ATC – Air Training Corps
 * ATC – Air Traffic Control
 * ATO – Air Tasking Order
 * ATO – Antiterrorism Officer
 * ATTRS – Army Training Requirements And Resources Development
 * AWOL – Absent Without OfficialLeave

B

 * BAMCIS – Begin planning Arrange Recon Make the plan Complete the plan Issue the order Supervise (US Navy Seabees)
 * BAR - Browning Automatic Rifle
 * BAU – Behavioural Analysis Unit
 * BCG – Birth Control Glasses (U.S. Military)
 * BCT – Basic Combat Training (U.S. Army)
 * BDF – Barbados Defence Force (Barbados)
 * Be – Beriev (Russian)
 * BEA – Budget Execution Authority (U.S. Navy)
 * BGHR – By God He's Right (U.S Military)
 * BOHICA – Bend Over Here It Comes Again (US Military)
 * BRAC – Base Realignment And Closure Comission
 * BRAT – Born RaisedAndTransferred (refers to dependent children of military personnel)
 * BUB - Battle Update Brief
 * BVR – Beyond Visual Range (USAF)

C

 * C1 – Command
 * C2 – Command And Control
 * C3 – Command Control And Communication
 * C4IR – Command Control Communication Computers Intelligence And Recognition
 * CAC – Common Access Card (U.S. DoD, pron. "cac")
 * CAG – Commander, Air Group (U.S. Navy, pron. "cag")
 * CAGE – Commercial and Government Entity
 * CAS – Close Air Support
 * CASEX – Coordinated Antil-Submarine EXercise
 * CAT – Combat Application Tourniquets
 * CBRN – Chemical Biological Nuclear Radiological
 * CBU – Cluster Bomb Unit
 * CCIR – Commanders Critical Information Requirements
 * CDIAC – Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center
 * CDRUSPACOM Commander United States Pacific Command
 * CENTCOM – Central Command (U.S. Military)
 * CF – Cluster Fuck (always pronounced phonetically "Charlie Foxtrot")
 * CIA – Central Intelligence Agency
 * CIC – Command Intelligence Center (U.S. Navy)
 * CINCLANT – Commander-in-chief, Atlantic Forces (U.S. Navy before 2002)
 * CINCLANTFLT – Commander-in-chief, Atlantic Fleet (U.S. Navy before 2002)
 * CINCPAC – Commander-in-chief, Pacific Forces (U.S. Navy before 2002)
 * CIWS – Close-In Weapon System
 * 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
 * CO – Company
 * COA – Course of Action'''
 * COCOM – Combatant Commander
 * CODELS – Congressional Delegations
 * COMINT – Communications Intelligence
 * COMPACFLT – Commander, Pacific Fleet (U.S. Navy)
 * CONUS – Continental United States (U.S. military, pron. "cone-us")
 * CONUSA – Continental United States Army (numbered Armies of U.S. military)
 * CORDS – (U.S. military, Vietnam era)
 * CoS – Chief of Staff
 * CPL – Corporal (U.S. Army and Marine Corps E-4)
 * CPO – Chief Petty Officer (USCG/USN E-7)
 * CPT – Captain
 * CPX – Command Post Exercise
 * CQB – Close Quarters Battle
 * CRC – CONUS Replacement Center (a military processing center at Fort Benning, Georgia, US)
 * CSM – Command Sergeant Major (U.S. Army E9)
 * CT – Counter-terrorism Team
 * CUB - Commander Update Brief
 * CVN – Nuclear-powered Aircraft Carrier (NOTE: the V comes from the expression "heavier than air flying machine")
 * CZN – Nuclear-powered Airship Carrier (NOTE: the Z comes from the use of the word Zeppelin although non-Zeppelin airships would also be transported on a CZN)

D

 * DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (U.S. Military)
 * DFAC – Dining Facility (U.S. Military)
 * DFAS – Defense Finance and Accounting Service (U.S. Military)
 * DINFAC – Dining Facility (U.S. Military)
 * DMS – Defense Message System (U.S. Military)
 * DMZ – Demilitarized Zone
 * DoDAAC – Department of Defense Activity Address Code (U.S. Military)
 * DoDAF – Department of Defense Architectural Framework (U.S. Military)
 * DoDIC – Department of Defense Identification Code (U.S. Military)

E

 * ECP – Entry Control Point
 * ELINT – Electronic Intelligence
 * EPW – Enemy Prisoner of War
 * EOD – Explosive Ordnance Disposal
 * ETA – Estimated time of arrival
 * EUCOM – European Command (U.S. Military)
 * Exfil – Exfiltration
 * EMP- Electronic Magnetic Pulse

F

 * FA – Field Artillery
 * FAK – First Aid Kit
 * FAR – Federal Acquistion Regulation
 * FBCB2 – Force XXI Battlefield Command Brigade and Below
 * FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation
 * FEBA – Forward Edge of the Battle Area
 * FIDO – FIre Direction Officer
 * FIDO – Fuck It, Drive On
 * FIFO – First In First Out
 * FIGMO - Fuck You, I've Got My Orders
 * FISINT – Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence
 * FitRep – Fitness Report
 * FLOT – Forward Line of Troops
 * FLOTUS – First Lady of the United States (U.S. – see POTUS)
 * FM -  Field Marshal
 * FMC – Fully Mission Capable
 * FMS – Fuck Me Sideways (exclamatory)
 * FNG – Fucking New Guy (US Military/British Army)
 * FOB – Forward Operating Base
 * FOD – Foreign Object Damage (U.S.)
 * FOD – Foreign Object Debris (U.S.)
 * FPO – Fleet Post Office; See also APO
 * FSA – Force Structure Allowance
 * FSTE – Foreign Service Tour Extension
 * FTUS – Full Time Unit Specialist
 * FUBAR – Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition
 * FUBAR - Fucked Up By Army Regulations

G

 * G1 – General Staff Level office for Personnel and Manpower
 * G2 – General Staff Level office for Military Intelligence
 * G3 – General Staff Level office for Operations and Plans
 * G4 – General Staff Level office for Logistics
 * G5 – General Staff Level office for Military/Civil Affairs
 * G6 – General Staff Level office for Signal and Communication
 * G7 – General Staff Level office for Training and Exercises
 * G8 – General Staff Level office for Force Development and Analysis
 * G9 – General Staff Level office for Civil Operations
 * GBU – Guided Bomb Unit
 * GEN – General
 * GI – General Issue
 * GIGO – Garbage In Garbage Out
 * GO – General Officer
 * GOCO – Government owned, contractor operated
 * GPMG – General Purpose Machine Gun
 * GPS – Global Positioning System
 * GROM – Polish Special Operations Team (Polish Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego)
 * Gulag – The Chief Administration of Collective Labor Camps (Russian Главное Управление Лагерей, "Glavnoye Upravleniye Lagerey")

H

 * HEAT – High Explosive Anti-Tank warhead
 * HMAS – Her Majesty's Australian Ship (Australia)
 * HMCS – Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (Canada)
 * HMMWV – High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (U.S. Military)
 * HMNZS – Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship (New Zealand)
 * HMS – Hans Majestäts Skepp (His Majesty's ship, Sweden)
 * HMS – Her Majesty's Ship (Royal Navy) (His Majesty's Ship if King)
 * HOMSEC – Homeland Security
 * HUMINT – Human Intelligence
 * HYT – High Year Tenure (USAF)

I

 * IAF – Indian Air Force
 * IAF – Israeli Air Force
 * ICBM – Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
 * IED – Improvised Explosive Device
 * IFAK – Individual First Aid Kit
 * IFF – Identification Friend or Foe
 * IFF – Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (USAF)
 * IFV – Infantry Fighting Vehicle
 * INSCOM – United States Army Intelligence and Security Command
 * Il – Ilyushin
 * Interpol – International Criminal Police Organization
 * ISO – Inter School Course
 * ISR – Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconaissance
 * IYAOYAS – If You Aint Ordnance You Aint Shit

J

 * JETDS – Joint Electronics Type Designation System
 * JSTAR – Joint Surveillance Target Acquisition Radar
 * JSOC – Joint Special Operations Command

K

 * KIA – Killed In Action
 * KP – Kitchen Police or Kitchen Patrol

L

 * LAAD  – Low Altitude Air Defense
 * LCDR – Lieutenant Commander (US Navy)
 * LCPL – Lance Corporal (US Marines)
 * LGOP – Little Group Of Paratroopers
 * LLMF – Lost Like a Mother Fucker
 * LT – Lieutenant
 * LTC or Lt Col – Lieutenant Colonel
 * LTG or Lt Gen – Lieutenant General
 * ''LTJG – Lieutenant, Junior Grade (US Navy)
 * LZ – Landing Zone

M

 * MARCORSYSCOM – MARine CORps SYStems COMmand (U.S. Military)
 * MARFORRES – MARine FORces REServe (U.S. Marine Corps)
 * MAW Maximum Allowable Weight
 * MBT – Main Battle Tank
 * MCEN – Marine Corps Enterprise Network (U.S. Military)
 * MCEITS – Marine Corps Enterprise Information Technology Service (U.S. Military)
 * MCPO – Master Chief Petty Officer (USCG/USN E-9)
 * MFA – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 * MG – Major General
 * Mi – Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant (Russian)
 * MIA – Missing In Action
 * MedEvac – Medical Evacuation
 * MICV – Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle
 * MiG – Mikoyan-Gurevich (Russian)
 * MK – Mark
 * MK – Machinery Technician (U.S. Coast Guard)
 * MOA – Military Operating Area (USAF Airspace)
 * MOAB – Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (U.S. military)
 * MOB – Main Operating Base
 * MOBCOM – MOBile COMmand
 * MOPP – Mission Oriented Protective Posture
 * MPDS – Military Planning Data Allowance
 * MRAP – Mine Resistant Ambush Protected
 * MRE – Meal Ready to Eat (U.S. Military)
 * MRX – Mission Rehearsal Exercise
 * MSgt – Master Sergeant (USAF E-7)
 * MTOE – Modified Table Of Organizational Equipment
 * MTS+ – Movement Tracking System Plus
 * MSDC+ – Marine Science Diving Club (Diving Club Of Hasanudin University)

N

 * NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement
 * NAS – Naval Air Station
 * NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
 * NCIS – Naval Criminal Investigative Service (U.S. Navy)
 * NCO – Non-Commissioned Officer
 * NMC – Not Mission Capable
 * NMCI – Naval Marine Corps Internet (U.S. Navy)
 * NNMSA – Non-Nuclear Munitions Storage Area

O

 * OBE – Overcome by Events (DoD)
 * OCONUS – Outside Continental United States
 * OFO – Out Fucking Off
 * OFP – Own Fucking Program
 * OM – On the Move (Normally just spelled out Oscar Mike)
 * O&M, MC – Operations & Maintenance, Marine Corps (U.S. Navy)
 * O&M, N – Operations & Maintenance, Navy (U.S. Navy)
 * OODA – Observe, Orient, Decide, And Act
 * ORM – Operational Risk Management
 * OSM – Oh Shit Moment (U.S. Marine Corps)
 * OPSEC – Operations Security
 * OTV – Outer Tactical Vest

P

 * PACOM – Pacific Command
 * PDS – Permanent Duty Station (U.S. Military)
 * PDT – Pre-Deployment Training
 * PFC – Private First Class (U.S. Military)
 * PFT – Physical Fitness Test
 * PLT – Platoon (U.S. Army)
 * PMC – Partially Mission Capable
 * PME – Professional Military Education
 * PMS – Planned Maintenance Schedule (U.S. Navy)
 * PO – Post Office
 * PO1 – Petty Officer 1st Class (USCG/USN E-6)
 * PO2 – Petty Officer 2nd Class (USCG/USN E-5)
 * PO3 – Petty Officer 3rd Class (USCG/USN E-4)
 * POBCAK – Problem Occurs Between Chair And Keyboard
 * POC – Point Of Contact
 * POTUS – President of the United States
 * POG – Person Other than Grunt (All Branches save Air Force)
 * POW – Prisoner Of War
 * POV – Privately Owned Vehicle
 * PRP – Personll ReliabilityProgram
 * PRP – Pretty Retarted Program
 * PRT – Provincial Reconstruction Team
 * PT – Physical Training
 * PV2 – Private 2nd class (U.S. Army E-2)
 * PVT – Private (U.S. Army and Marine Corps E-1)

R

 * RAAF – Royal Australian Air Force (Australia)
 * RAF – Royal Air Force (UK)
 * RAN – Royal Australian Navy (Australia)
 * RCSC – Royal Canadian Sea Cadets (Canada)
 * REMF – Rear Echelon Mother Fucker
 * RFL – Response Force Leader '''
 * RFP – Request for Proposal (U.S.)
 * RMC – Royal Military College of Canada (Canada) in Kingston, Ontario
 * RN – Royal Navy (UK)
 * ROE – Rules Of Engagement
 * ROWPU – Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit
 * RNZAF – Royal New Zealand Air Force (New Zealand)
 * RPG – Rocket-Propelled Grenade
 * RPM – Rounds per minute
 * RS – RatShit (Australia – related to US – Unserviceable)
 * RSS – Regional Security System (Caribbean)
 * RTB – Return To Base
 * RV – Rendez-Vous

S

 * SA – Seaman Apprentice (USCG/USN E-2)
 * SAS – Special Air Service (British special forces)
 * SAAS – Standard Army Ammunition System (U.S. Army)
 * SAM – Surface-to-air Missile
 * SARSS – Standard Army Retail Supply System (U.S. Army)
 * SCPO – Senior Chief Petty Officer (USCG/USN E-8)
 * SEAL – Sea, Air and Land (US Navy SEALs)
 * 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
 * SMA – Sergeant Major of the Army (U.S. Army E9 – Senior Enlisted Member)
 * SMSgt – Senior Master Sergeant (USAF E-8)
 * SN – Seaman (USCG/USN E-3)
 * SNAFU – Situation Normal: All Fucked Up
 * SOCOM – United States Special Operations Command
 * SOFA – Status of Forces Agreement
 * SOP – Standard Operating Procedures
 * SOS – Shit On a Shingle, or creamed chipped beef on toast.
 * SPC – Specialist (U.S. Army E-4)
 * SR – Seaman Recruit (USCG/USN E-1)
 * SrA – Senior Airman (USAF E-4)
 * SSDD - Same Shit Different Day
 * SSG – Staff Sergeant (US Army E-6)
 * SSgt – Staff Sergeant (US Air Force E-5)(U.S. Marines E-6)
 * SOL  – Shit  Out'' of Luck (US Army)
 * SUSFU - Situation Unchanged, Still Fucked Up

T

 * TAD – Temporary Additional Duty (U.S. Military)
 * TBD - To Be Determined
 * TDY – Temporary Duty (U.S. Military)
 * TFOA – Things Falling Off Aircraft
 * TIC – Troops In Contact
 * TSgt – Technical Sergeant (USAF E-6)
 * TU – Tits Up (Dead, Inoperable), a.k.a. "tango uniform"
 * TARFU – Things Are Really Fucked Up, or Totally And Royally Fucked Up

U

 * UA – Unauthorized Absence
 * UAS – Unmanned Aerial System
 * UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
 * UCAV – Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle
 * ULLS – Unit Level Logisitics System (U.S. Army)
 * UMA – Unit Mobilization Assistor
 * UN – United Nations
 * US – Unserviceable
 * USSS – United States Secret Service
 * USAF – United States Air Force
 * USAFE – United States Air Forces in Europe
 * USA PATRIOT Act – Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act
 * USAREC – US Army REcruiting Command
 * USAREUR – US Army European Command
 * USMC – United States Marine Corps
 * USN – United States Navy
 * USO – United Service Organizations (U.S. Military)
 * USR – Unit Status Report
 * UUV – Unmanned Underwater Vehicle
 * UXB – Unexploded Bomb (bomb disposal; British)
 * UXO – Unexploded Ordanance

V

 * VBIED – Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device
 * VDM – Visual Distinguishing Mark
 * VFD – Volunteer Fire Department
 * VFR – Volunteer Fire and Rescue

W

 * WIA – Wounded In Action
 * WO1 – Warrant Officer 1
 * WSA – Weapons Storage Area
 * WMD – Weapons of Mass Destruction
 * WILCO - WILl COmply

X

 * XO – Executive Officer

Z

 * Z – Zulu time/Zulu hours
 * ZEP – Zeppelin