AAFES Army and Air Force Exchange Service; also called the BX
Covers the retail stores on the Air Force base available to authorized users
(someone who as a valid military ID card, e.g. active duty member, family
member, retiree, or spouse of a retiree).
AB Air Base (Overseas)
ABU Airman Battle Uniform
ABW Air Base Wing
Provides base operating support for an Air Force Base.
ACC Air Combat Command
Accompanied Tour Tour of duty with family members
ACSC Air Command and Staff College
AD Active Duty
ADSC Active Duty Service Commitment
Advanced Pay Payment before actually earned
AEF Air Expeditionary Force
Deployed Air Force wings, groups, and squadrons committed to a joint operation.
AETC Air Education Training Command
AFAF Air Force Assistance Fund
Annual campaign to raise money for four official Air Force charitable
organizations.
AFAS Air Force Aid Society
Organization located at the A&FRC that provides emergency financial assistance
to active duty, retirees, and their family.
AFB Air Force Base
AFI Air Force Instruction (Regulations)
AFIT Air Force Institute of Technology
AFMC Air Force Materiel Command
A&FRC Airman & Family Readiness Center
Designs, develops, and conducts quality of life programs according to base and
community needs and capabilities. The A&FRC mission is to ensure resources
required to support the entire base are available and accessible.
AFRC Air Force Reserve Command
AFSC Air Force Specialty Code
Allotment Designated payment by member to bank or individual
Allowance Pay and special compensation
ALS Airman Leadership School
AMC Air Mobility Command
AMN Airman
ANG Air National Guard
APO Air Post Office (overseas)
ARC American Red Cross
Article 15 Disciplinary action
ASAP As Soon As Possible
AT Annual Tour
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AWOL Absent Without Leave
When a military member is away from duty without authorized leave
BAH Basic Allowance for Housing
The intent of BAH is to provide uniformed service members accurate and
equitable housing compensation based on housing costs in local civilian housing
markets. Replaced Basic Allowance for Quarters or BAQ.
Barracks Where military members who are not accompanied by family members live (Also
known as dorms).
BAS Basic Allowance for Subsistence
Meant to offset costs for a member's meals. Each year it is adjusted based upon
the increase of the price of food as measured by the USDA food cost index.
Benefits Medical, dental, commissary, BX, etc
Blues Dress uniform
Butterbar Slang term applying to a Second Lieutenant because their rank insignia
are gold bars.
BX/PX Base Exchange (Managed through AAFES)
CC Commander
The officer in charge of an entire unit of military members.
CCAF Community College of the Air Force
CCC Command Chief Master Sergeant
CCF First Sergeant
CDC Career Development Course
CDC Child Development Center
CE Civil Engineer
CFC Combined Federal Campaign
Annual charity fundraising for multiple charities
Chain of Command This is the leadership structure of the military established rank for both
enlisted members and officers.
Chaplain Military minister, priest, rabbi, imam or pastor
Civilian Refers to civilian employees who work for the Department of Defense.
COB Close of Business
Code of Conduct Rules by which military members must live
COLA Cost of Living Allowance
Commissary The base grocery store available to authorized users (someone who has a
valid military ID card, e.g. active duty member, family member, retiree, or
spouse of a retiree). No sales tax is added but there is a small surcharge.
CONUS Continental United States
Forty-eight adjoining states and the District of Columbia (does not include Alaska
or Hawaii)
Court martial Trial system within the military
CSS Commander’s Support Staff (Squadron’s main administrative office)
DeCA Defense Commissary Agency (See Commissary)
DEERS Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System
Registration system for benefits for military members and their family
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Deployment Relocation of a military unit/member for operation purposes outside the
United States for an extended and specific period of time.
DEROS Date Estimate Return from Overseas
DFAS Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Organization which monitors military pay
Dining In Formal dinner for military members only
Dining Out Formal dinner for military members and spouses
DITY Do-It-Yourself Move
DOB Date of Birth
DoD Department of Defense
DoDDS Department of Defense Dependent Schools
DOR Date of Rank
DOS Date of Separation
DPP Deferred Payment Plan
DSN Defense Switched Network
Worldwide military telephone system
EAF Expeditionary Aerospace Force
EFMP Exceptional Family Member Program
Enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to
provide comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing,
educational, medical, and personnel services to families with special needs.
EFMP-S Exceptional Family Member Program – Support
Housed in the Airman & Family Readiness Center and designed to provide
support to those with special needs.
Enlisted An individual who is not commissioned (see NCO); either an Airman (rank
of E-1 to E-4) or an NCO (non-commissioned officer, rank of E-5 to E-9).
EPR Enlisted Performance Report
ESC Enlisted Spouses Club
Esprit de Corps Morale within unit or organization
ETS Expiration of Term of Service
Scheduled date of separation from active duty
Family Advocacy Program that addresses family issues and concerns.
Field Grade Majors, Lieutenant Colonels, and Colonels
First Sergeant A key member of every squadron, the First Sergeant (or “Shirt” as
sometimes called) is a senior NCO (see below), who has received specialized
training in dealing with “people issues.” The First Sergeant works directly
for and with the Squadron Commander. He/she is knowledgeable about
on-base resources available to assist in finding answers/solving problems,
as well as managing the recognition of active duty military members’
superior performances. The First Sergeant also responds to emergencies
within his/her squadron.
FCC Family Child Care
Child care provided in a licensed provider’s home.
FLT Flight
Formation Gathering of military in a prescribed way
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GI Bill Education entitlement
GOV Government Owned Vehicle
GS General Schedule (Civil Service employee)
GSU Geographically Separated Unit
HAWC Health and Wellness Center
HHG Household Goods
Hold Baggage Unaccompanied baggage or personal belongings
Housing Office Responsible for managing base housing
HQ Headquarters (Generally Wing Commander’s office)
IAW In Accordance With
ID Card Identification card issued to legally recognized member of military family.
IG Inspector General
JAG Judge Advocate General (also known as the Base Legal Office)
K-9 Dogs specifically trained for military service; also known as Military
Working Dogs (MWD).
Key Spouse Outreach program that uses Squadron Commander- or First Sergeantappointed
spouses in units to help address concerns and issues of the
families. These volunteers offer support, information and a personal
connection to available resources, as well as act as the liaison between the
Commander and the families.
Last 4 The last four numbers of a person’s Social Security number.
Leave Approved time away from duty.
LES Leave and Earnings Statement
Pay stub
Mess Dress Formal attire for the military member
MFLC Military and Family Life Consultant
MPS Military Personnel Section (formerly MPF/Military Personnel Flight)
MRE Meal, Ready to Eat
MTF Military Treatment Facility (Base Clinic/Hospital)
MWR Morale, Welfare, and Recreation
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NCO Non-Commissioned Officer
Enlisted, an individual who is not commissioned, rank of E-5 to E-9
NCOA Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
NCOIC Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge
NLT Not Later Than
OCONUS Outside the Continental United States
Overseas tour, INCLUDES Alaska and Hawaii
Officer An individual who is commissioned, holding the rank of Second Lieutenant
(O-1) through General (O-10).
OIC Officer in Charge
OJT On the Job Training
OPR Officer Performance Report
OPR Office of Primary Responsibility
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OPSEC Operational Security
OPTEMPO Operational Tempo
The pace of an operation or operations; includes all of the activities the unit is
conducting; can be a single activity or series of operations.
ORI Operational Readiness Inspection
Orders Spoken or written instructions to military/civilian members (usually for
TDY, deployments, or PCS)
OSC Officers’ Spouses Club
OSI Office of Special Investigations
OTS Officer Training School
PCM Primary Care Manager (Assigned by Medical Group)
PCS Permanent Change of Station
Reassignment to a different duty station
Per Diem Compensation for the extra expenses incurred while on temporary duty
away from one’s home station.
PFMP Personal Financial Management Program
Provides personal financial counseling to all military branches including retirees
and widows of service members and GS civilians. The goal of PFMP is the creation
of a comprehensive financial management assistance service which will guide
individuals and families through the lifecycle of financial wellness.
PME Professional Military Education
POA Power of Attorney
Legal document permitting a person to act on behalf of another.
POC Point of Contact
POV Privately Owned Vehicle
PRF Promotion Recommendation Form (for officers)
Protocol Military customs and courtesies
Rank Official title/grade of member
Remote An overseas assignment, usually 12 to 18 months; in which families cannot
accompany the active-duty member.
Retreat Flag lowering ceremony at end of the day
Reveille Flag raising ceremony at the beginning of the day
RIF Reduction in Force
ROTC Reserve Officer Training Corps
SBP Survivor’s Benefit Plan
SF Security Forces
SGLI Serviceman’s Group Life Insurance
Shirt/First Shirt First Sergeant
SME Subject Matter Expert
SNCOA Senior NCO Academy
SOP Standard Operating Procedure
Sortie A flight or single flying mission
SOS Squadron Officer School
Space A Space Available (Referring to available seats on aircraft/billeting)
Sponsor A person assigned to assist an in-bound or newly arrived person to a base.
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Squadron An Air Force unit which has a First Sergeant and a Commander.
Squadrons are usually identified both numerically, and by function. For
example: 18FSS (18th Force Support Squadron)
SSN/SSAN Social Security Number
STEP Stripes for Exceptional Performers (for enlisted)
TAP Transition Assistance Program
Established to meet the needs of separating service members during their period
of transition into civilian life by offering job-search assistance and related
services.
TDY Temporary Duty
Relocation of a military member from their base of assignment to a different duty
location or station, such as attending Air Force Leadership School, or specific
technical training, for a specific period of time.
Tech School Technical School
Formal school training for a military job.
TLA Temporary Living Allowance
TLE Temporary Lodging Expenses
TLF Temporary Living Facility
TMO Traffic Management Office
Organization responsible to handle the movement of a military member’s
belongings to a new duty location.
TRICARE The health insurance program for military members and their families.
TSP Thrift Savings Plan
UCI Unit Compliance Inspection
UCMJ Uniform Code of Military Justice
Military’s set of laws
Unit Group of military members, both officer and enlisted personnel, assigned to
work together with a common vision, mission, and goals.
USAF United States Air Force
USAFE United States Air Force –Europe
VA Veteran’s Administration
WAPS Weighted Airman Promotion System (for enlisted)
WIC Women, Infants, and Children’s program; also available Overseas.
Wing Down Day A day off for military members, not counted against leave.