List of US Army acronyms
The U.S. Army, like any bureaucratic organization, produces its own acronyms, which often come to have meaning beyond their bare expansions. Includes obscenities.
Official acronyms include:
- AIT - Advanced Infantry Training; Advanced Individual Training (specialty training post-BCT)
- AFV - Armored Fighting Vehicle
- AWOL - Away WithOut Leave
- BCT - Basic Combat Training (familiarly: Basic Training)
- CO - Commanding Officer (also: conscientious objector)
- BDU - Battle Dress Uniform (slang: Battle Dress Underwear)
- EDCSA - Effective Date of Change of Strength Accountability (date a soldier is dopped on the rolls of one unit and picked up by another)
- ETS - Expiration of Term of Service (scheduled date of separation from active duty).
- IG - Inspector General (the guy who tore your crap apart during high level inspections)
- MRE - officially, Meal Ready to Eat; (slang: Meal Rejected by Ethiopians)
- PCS - Permanent Change of Station (re-assignment from one place to another)
- PMCS - Preventive Maintenance, Checks and Services
- TDY - Temporary DutY (individual or unit)
- UOINDIC - Unless Otherwise INDICated (qualifier on orders or paperwork)
- XO - Executive Officer (officer second to CO)
Slang acronyms include:
- BOHICA - Bend Over, Here It Comes Again
- DILLIGAFF - Does It Look Like I Give A Flying Fuck
- FIGMO - Fuck it, I've got my orders
- FUBAR - Fucked up beyond all recognition or Fucked up beyond all repair
- FUGAZI - Fucked Up, Got Ambushed, Zipped In
- FUMTU - (Things are) fucked up more than usual
- FTA - Fuck The Army (also: Future Tankers of America, Fun Time in Alaska)
- JANFU - Joint Army-Navy fuck-up
- RCH - Red Cunt Hair (unit of measure)
- REMF - Rear echelon mother fucker (i.e: anyone not assigned to a front line combat unit, used a lot in the field in 'Nam)
- RTFM - Read the fucking manual
- RTFMA - Read the fucking manual again
- SNAFU - Situation normal, all fucked up
- SUSFU - Situation unchanged, still fucked up
- TARFU - Things are really fucked up
- WOFTAM - Waste of fucking time and money
Non-acronym slang:
- BooKoo - a lot; very good (from French beaucoup)
- BooKoo Bennies - lots of benefits; lot of good stuff
- Deucen-Half - common utility truck (2-1/2 ton truck—from "deuce-and-a-half")
- Mickey Mouse - petty regulation, make work, petty harassment
- Old Man - commanding officer
- Top Kick - first sergeant; head sergeant in unit
See also: List of acronyms, List of government and military acronyms
