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Military Acronyms


ASAP - As Soon As Possible
ATGW - Army Tank Guided Weapon
Att - Attached
AWOL - Absent Without Leave
AWACS - Airborne Warning And Control Systems
BAOR - British Army of the Rhine
Battle Bowlers - What the QAs of World War Two nicknamed their tin hats
Bde - Brigade
BFG - British Forces Germany
BFPO - British Forces Post Office
BG - Battle Group
BGHQ - BattleGroup Headquarters
Bimbling - To Walk Or Do Something Slowly
Blag - To acquire something
BMH - British Military Hospital
Bn - Battalion
Bootneck - A Royal Marine Commando
BRSC - British Rear Support Command
Bty - Battery
Buzzes or Buzz - Gossip or Rumours
CAD - Central Ammunition Depot
Cam - Camouflaged
Cas - Casualty
Casevac - Casualty Evacuation
CCP - Casualty Collecting Point
CCS - Casualty Clearing Station
CGS - Chief of the General Staff
CinC - Commander in Chief
CO - Commanding Officer
Comd - Command or Commander
Comms Z - Communications Zone
Compo - Composite Ration (also called comp rat)
COMSEN- Communications Centre
Coord - Co-ordinate
CoS - Chief of Staff
Coy - Company
CP - Command Post or Close Protection
CPO - Chief Petty Officer (Navy Rank) or Command Pay Office
CQMS - Company Quartermaster Sergeant
Crabs - The slang name for the RAF
C Sups - Combat Supplies
Cr?pHat - Insert An a - The Slang That Paratroopers Call Every regiment Or Corps That Does Not Wear A Maroon Beret
CV - Combat Vehicles
CVD - Central Vehicle Depot
CVR (T) or (W) - Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) or (Wheeled)
CW - Chemical Warfare
Def - Defence
Det - Detached
DF - Defensive Fire
Dml - Demolition
DS - Directing Staff (also called DiStaff)
DTG - Date Time Group
Ech - Echelon
EDP - Emergency Defence Plan
Emb - Embarkation
EMP - Electro Magnetic Pulse
En - Enemy
EOD - Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Eqpt - Equipment
ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival
EW - Electronic Warfare or Early Warning
Ex - Exercise
FAC - Forward Air Controller
FEBA- Forward Edge Battle Area
FLET- Forward Location Enemy Troops
FLOT- Forward Location Own Troops
Fmm - Formation
FOB - Forward Operating Base
FOO- Forward Observation Officer
FRT- Forward Repair Team
FUP - Forming Up Point (or Position)
Gat - A Gun Usually A Rifle
GDP- General Defence Plan
GOC- General Officer Commanding
GPMG - General Purpose Machine Gun
GPS - Global Positioning System
Greenfly - The nickname of the British Army Intelligence Corps
Grunt - Slang Word For An Infantryman
Hack It - To endure or to do something
HE - High Explosive
HEAT - High Explosive Anti Tank
Hel - Helicopter
Hurry Up And Wait - The Phrase That Describes The Long Waits In Army Life
HVM - Hyper Velocity Missile
II - Image Intensifier
Int Sum - Intelligence Summary
IO - Intelligence Officer
IR - Individual Reservist
IS - Internal Security
IW - Individual Weapon
Jack - To Be Selfish
Jacked - To Give Up
Jankers - Be on a charge or in the camp jail
JFHQ - Joint Forces Headquarters
JHQ - Joint Headquarters
L of C - Lines of Communications
LO - Liaison Officer
Log - Logistic
LRATGW - Long Range Anti Tank Guided Weapon
LSDI - Large Scale Deliberate Intervention
LSW - Light Support Weapon
LUP - Lying Up Point
MBT - Main Battle Tank
Mech - Mechanised
Med - Medical
MFC - Mortar Fire Controller
MML - Manual of Military Law
MO - Medical Officer
Mob - Mobilisation
MOD - Ministry of Defence
Mov O - Movement Order
MP - Military Police
Msl - Missile
NAAFI - Navy Army and Air Force Institutes
NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
NBC - Nuclear Biological and Chemical
NCO - Non Commissioned Officer
NOK - Next of Kin
NTR - Nothing To Report
Nugget - A Polite Way Of Calling Someone An Idiot!
NYK - Not Yet Known
OC - Officer Commanding
O Group - Order Group
OIC - Officer in Charge
OOTW - Operations Other Than War
OP - Observation Post
Op O - Operation Order
Oppo - Best Friend
OR - Other Ranks (Often mistakenly taken to mean Ordinary Ranks)
Or Bat - Order of Battle
Pax - Passengers
POETS Day - Push Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday
P Info - Public Information
Pl - Platoon
POL - Petrol Oil and Lubricants
POM - Potential Officer Material
Pongos - Slang name for the army. I think this army abbreviation or rather nickname comes from the phrase where the army goes the pong goes.
POW - Prisoner of War
PVR - Premature Voluntary Release
QM - Quartermaster
RAF - Royal Air Force
RAP - Regimental Aid Post or Rocket Assisted Projectile
RCZ - Rear Combat Zone
Recce - Reconnaissance
Regt - Regiment
Rft - Reinforcement
RHIP - Rank Has Its Privileges
RHQ - Regimental Headquarters
RJDF - Rapid Joint Deployment Force
RMA - Royal Military Academy or Rear Maintenance Area
ROE - Rules Of Engagement
RTM - Ready To Move
RTU - Returned or Return to Unit
Rupert or Rodney - The Slang Name For An Officer, Usually One Of Low Rank Or New To The Service
SACUER -Supreme Allied Commander Europe
SADO - Senior Administrative Officer
SatCom -Satellite Communications
Scran or Scoff - Food
Scratcher - An army abbreviation for bed or place to sleep especially in the field
SDR -Strategic Defence Review
SHAPE -Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
SIB -Special Investigation Branch
Sit -Situation
SitRep -Situation Report
SLR - Self Loading Rifle
SMG-Sub Machine Gun
SNCO - Senior Non Commissioned Officer
SP - Self Propelled or Start Point
Sprog - A recruit or someone who has newly passed out and is new to a unit
Sqn - Squadron
Squaddie - Slang Word For A Soldier
SSM - Surface to Surface Missile
SSVC - Services Sound and Vision Corporation
STOL - Short Take Off and Landing
TA - Territorial Army
TAB - Tactical Advance to Battle
Tac - Tactical
TCP - Traffic Control Point
TCV - Troop Carrying Vehicle
Tgt - Target
Tk - Tank
TOT - Time On Target
Tp - Troop
Tpt - Transport
Two i/c - Second In Command
UKMF - United Kingdom Mobile Force
Unclass - Unclassified
UNPROFOR - United Nations Protection Force
UXB - Unexploded Bomb
U/S - Unserviceable
VCDS - Vice chief of the Defence Staff
VCP - Vehicle Check Point
Veh - Vehicle
VP - Voice Procedure
WE - War Establishment
A Wet - A Cup Of Tea Or Coffee
Whitecap - Royal Air Force (RAF) Policeman
WIMP - Whinging Incompetent Malingering Person
Wksp - Workshop
Yomp or Tab - March Across Hills With Full Kit And Weapon At A Fast Pace
 

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