An official army family and MWR Site

Army Terms

Sometimes, the Army can use some confusing terminology. If you’re stuck, this guide to common Army terms and acronyms may help explain.

Term Definition
1st Lt. First lieutenant
1st Sgt. First sergeant
2nd Lt. Second lieutenant
AAFES Army and Air Force Exchange Service
ACC See Army Community Covenant
ACE American Council on Education
ACS See Army Community Service
ACSIM Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management
Active Duty

                   
Active duty is full-time duty in the active military service of the United States. This includes members of the Reserve Components serving on active duty or full-time training duty, but does not include full-time National Guard duty. 
Adaptive Sports
                                
Adaptive Sports are engaged in by persons with disabilities, with the aid of equipment or techniques adapted for a disability.
AFAP See Army Family Action Plan
AFRC See Armed Forces Recreation Center
AFTB See Army Family Team Building
AKO Army Knowledge Online
AMEDD Army Medical Department
ARFP Army Reserve Family Programs
Armed Forces Entertainment  
                                   
                                                
Armed Forces Entertainment is the official Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel overseas. Armed Forces Entertainment hosts more than 1,200 shows around the world each year, reaching more than 500,000 personnel at 270 military installations.
Armed Services YMCA

 
The Armed Services YMCA helps make military life easier with free and low cost programs for junior enlisted military Families at 33 branches and affiliates nationwide. Local programs and services focus on family life, recreation and fitness, medical and therapy needs and education. http://www.asymca.org/
Army The Army is the branch of a nation's armed services that conducts military operations on land.
Army Community Covenant


 
The Army Community Covenant program is designed to foster and sustain effective state and community partnerships with the Army to improve the quality of life for Soldiers and their Families. While ACC is an Army program, it extends to the other military services as well, recognizing that many community efforts support all service members and their Families regardless of the uniform they wear.
Army Community Service


 
Army Community Service is an empowered team that provides comprehensive, coordinated, and responsive advocacy and prevention, information and referral, outreach, financial, employment, Soldier and Family Readiness, Exceptional Family Member and relocation assistance services that support the readiness and well-being of Soldiers and their Families, civilian employees, and retirees.
Army Entertainment



 
Army Entertainment promotes Soldier based entertainment competitions that include “Operation Rising Star”, the U.S. Army Soldier Show and the U.S. Army Festival of Performing Arts & Recreation Program Competition, as part of the Army’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Programming. These competitive events encourage local participation and serve as feeder activities for USAED’s many Soldier based programs, providing a platform for potential candidates and future participants.
Army Family Action Plan  

 
Army Family Action Plan is the Army's grassroots process to identify and elevate the most significant quality of life issues impacting Soldiers, retirees, civilians, and Families to senior leaders for action. The AFAP is a year-round process that begins at the installation or unit level.
Army Family Covenant


 
The Army Family Covenant represents the Army's commitment to providing Soldiers and their Families with a quality of life commensurate with their service and sacrifice. The signing of the Army Family Covenant resulted in a variety of programs such as Survivor Outreach Services, Child, Youth and School Services, Exceptional Family Member respite care and New Parent Support.
Army Family Team Building

 
Army Family Team Building prepares individuals through specialized training generating flexible, adaptive and capable Soldiers, Families and civilians. It aims to enhance personal growth and professional development to meet the needs of the transforming military as well as build and strengthen enduring partnerships resulting in resilient strong communities.
Army Lodging Army Lodging provides quality lodging and hospitality services to Eligible Patrons.
Army Outdoor Recreation The Army Outdoor Recreation program offers outdoor recreation activities and instruction for active duty Soldiers, Family members, DoD civilians and other authorized patrons.
ARNG See Army National Guard
ASYMCA See Armed Services YMCA
Authorized Patrons See Eligible Patrons
Base See Garrison
Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers        



 
Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) is an Army program designed especially for single Soldiers.  BOSS enhances the morale and welfare of single Soldiers, increases retention and sustains combat readiness. BOSS is the collective voice of single Soldiers through the chain of command, which serves as a tool for commanders to gauge the morale of single Soldiers regarding quality of life issues. Additionally, BOSS also sponsors a variety of activities before, during and after deployment to maintain the morale of single Soldiers affected by increased operational tempo and deployment stress.
BOSS See Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers
BRAC See Base Realignment and Closure
Brig. Gen. Brigadier general
CAC Casualty Assistance Command
CAC Common Access Card
CAO See Casualty Assistance Officer
Capt. Captain
Casualty Assistance Officer Casualty Assistance Officers are responsible for notifying Family members, providing a wide variety of assistance and support when a Soldier has died.
CDC See Child Development Centers
Central Reservation Center The Central Reservations Center helps with on-post Army Lodging reservations and can be contacted at 1-866-363-5771 or centralreservations@redstone.army.mil.
CEUs Continuing Education Units
CFSC See Community and Family Support Center
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Chief warrant officer two (CW2)
Child Development Centers Army Child Development Centers are on-post child care centers that offer full-day, part-day and hourly care for children.
Child, Youth & School Services Child, Youth & School Services are a wide range of quality programs to help Army Families meet their parental challenges and maintain their mission readiness. 
CISM Conseil Internationale Du Sport Militare
Civilian Personnel Advisory Center
 
The Civilian Personnel Advisory Center provides advisory services in the administration of civilian personnel services in a regionalized environment. The Center develops, promotes and monitors civilian personnel policies to meet the needs of management, supervisor, the workforce and represents the installation.
CMAOC Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Center
Col. Colonel
Command A command is an organizational unit for which the individual in military command is responsible.
Command Sgt. Maj. Command sergeant major
Commander The commander is the officer in command of a military unit.
Community and Family Support Center

 
The Community and Family Support Center helps Soldiers and their Families thrive through a robust network of Soldier and Family support programs including Army Community Service; child care; youth services; financial counseling; spouse employment programs; sports and recreation opportunities; MWR support to deployed Soldier. The Community and Family Support Center is now the G9 of the Installation Management Command.
Community Service Community Service is volunteered time by individuals or an organization to benefit a community or its institutions.
Conseil Internationale Du Sport Militare Conseil Internationale Du Sport Militare is one of the largest multidisciplinary organizations in the world. It organizes various sporting events for the armed forces of 133 member countries.
Contractor

 
An individual or vendor that has entered into an agreement to provide goods or services to an agency. NAF Contracts often include minor and major construction, service and supply contracts, consolidated contracts, information technology, the use of an automated procurement system, and policy.
CONUS Continental United States
CPAC Civilian Personnel Advisory Center
Cpl. Corporal
CRC See Central Reservation Center
CSA Chief of Staff Army
CSM Command Sergeant Major
CYS See Child, Youth & School Services
DCIPS Army Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System
DCoE Defense Centers of Excellence
DCSPER Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel
DoD See Department of Defense
DSN Defense Switched Network
EFM  Exceptional Family Member
EFMP See Exceptional Family Members Program
Eligible Patron



 
Eligible Patrons include active duty Army, Department of the Army civilian employees, US Army Retirees, and members of the Army National Guard or Army Reserve (18 years or older). Family Members of the above groups, 18 years or older with a military/Government ID card are also eligible. Many MWR facilities and service are also available to all branches of service.  Always check with the staff at your local MWR facility or office to check eligibility.
Exceptional Family Members Program                              


 
The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is a mandatory 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. Soldiers on active duty enroll in the program when they have a Family member with a physical, emotional, developmental or intellectual disorder which requires specialized services so those needs can be considered in the military personnel assignment process.
Family A military Family by definition is a unit that may consist of a husband,wife and children with either the husband and/or wife as the primary military enlisted.
Family Advocacy Program The U.S. Army Family Advocacy Program is dedicated to the prevention, education, prompt reporting, investigation, intervention and treatment of spouse and child abuse.
Family Advocacy Program: Victim Advocacy Services Program The Victim Advocacy Services Program, part of The Family Advocacy Services Program, provides comprehensive assistance and support to victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation Programs                

 
Morale, Welfare and Recreation, abbreviated MWR, is a network of support and leisure services designed for use by Soldiers (active, Reserve, and Guard), their Families, civilian employees, military retirees and other eligible participants. In 2010, MWR added "Family" to its official name to show its commitment to supporting Families of Service members in addition to the Service member.
Family Readiness Groups


 
A Family Readiness Group is a command-sponsored organization of family members, volunteers, Soldiers and civilian employees associated with a particular unit. They provide activities and support to enhance the flow of information, increase the resiliency of unit Soldiers and their Families, provide practical tools for adjusting to military deployments and separations, and enhance the well-being and esprit de corps within the unit.
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Association
Festival of the Arts

 
The Festival of the Arts Program was established to recognize and encourage distinguished achievement in entertainment, recreation programming and theatrical production. Each year the program awards excellence at Army garrisons in fully produced plays, musicals, garrison-wide variety shows, non-competitive musical and theatrical workshops. 
FMWRC See Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation Command
FRG See Family Readiness Groups
G-9

 
Under IMCOM command the "General Staff" model is used to organize the major divisions. For example: G-1 is Personnel, G-3 is Operations, G-6 is IT. G-9 represents Army Family and MWR Programs in the IMCOM Command structure. G-9 is new and only unique (within the Army) to IMCOM after the deactivation of FMWRC.
Garrison A garrison is a military post, a permanent military installation.
Gen. General
Get Fit, Be Strong Get Fit, Be Strong is a program within Child, Youth and School Services which aims to improve the health and fitness of Army Youth.
GFBS See Get Fit, Be Strong
HIRED The HIRED! Apprenticeship Program provides 15-18 year-old youth with paid work experience, professionally-managed career-exploration opportunities and training in MWR operations.
HQDA Headquarters, Department of the Army
HRC Human Resources Command
IACET International Association for Continuing Education and Training
IHG See Intercontinental Hotel Group 
IMA See Installation Management Agency
IMCOM See Installation Management Command
Information, Ticket & Travel See Leisure Travel Office
Installation See Garrison
Installation Management Agency
 
The U.S. Army Installation Management Agency assumes the mission to bring together all base operations support services to ensure the United States Army is well trained, fed, equipped and cared for in an environment where Soldier and Family well-being and combat readiness are both vitally important.
Installation Management Command The United States Army Installation Management Command supports the United States Army's warfighting mission by working to provide standardized, effective & efficient services, facilities and infrastructure to Soldiers, civilians and Families.
Intercontinental Hotel Group  Intercontinental Hotel Group is an international hotel company who is contracted by the Army to provide lodging to Soldiers.
ITR office See Leisure Travel Office
ITT See Leisure Travel Office
JAG Judge Advocate General
Joint Base A joint base is a location from which operations of two or more military branches of service are projected, supported, manned for purposes of base defense operations.
Joint Service Joint Service is a function performed by a jointly staffed and financed activity in support of two or more military services.
Joint Service Facility A Joint Service Facility is a facility that is open to members of more than one branch of service and will be found on Joint Bases.
L-LAAD Leader-Led After Action Debriefing
Leader-Led After Action Debriefing The Leader-Led After Action Debriefing is a training technique utilized by the Warrior Adventure Quest Program.
Leisure Travel Office
 
The Leisure Travel Office is located on an Army Installation and offers a full range of vacation travel services, discount attraction tickets and can help book reservations and rentals, including condominiums, hotels, cruises, automobiles and tours.
Lodging Success The Lodging Success Program provides DoD official travelers with quality commercial hotels when installation lodging is unavailable.
Long Term Family Case Management The Army Long Term Family Case Management program provides long-term support to Families of fallen Soldiers by helping them through the often painful and sometimes arduous steps toward receiving benefits and various other types of support.
Lt. Col. Lieutenant colonel
Lt. Gen Lieutenant general
LTFCM See Long Term Family Case Management
LTO See Leisure Travel Office
Maj. Major
Maj. Gen. Major general
Master Sgt. Master sergeant
MPO Military Protective Order
MPOGS Multi Player Online Games
MWR See Morale, Welfare and Recreation
MWR Patrons See Eligible Patrons
NAF Non-Appropriated Funds
NAF Benefits Comprehensive range of benefits to which NAF Employees, or employees with full-time positions created with non-appropriated funds are entitled.
National Guard

 
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of National Guard military members or units of each state and the territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands plus the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia (54 organizations) under federally recognized active or inactive Armed Force service for the United States.
NCO See Non-Commissioned Officer
Non-Commissioned Officer A Non-Commissioned Officer is an officer who has not been given a commission, usually obtains their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks.
OACSIM Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management
OCLL Office of The Chief Legislative Liaison
OCONUS Outside of Continental United States
ODR See Army Outdoor Recreation
Operation Rising Star

 
Operation Rising Star is Army Entertainment’s premiere individual performing competition. Each year, garrisons around the world host local talent contests and send in their winner’s video for judging nationally. The finals take place each fall and award one individual as the Army’s top vocal talent.
ORS See Operation Rising Star
OTSG Office of the Surgeon General
PALA Presidential Active Lifestyle Award
PATHS See Providing Army Travellers Hospitality Services
Paths Across America Paths Across America is an online directory for locating campgrounds and recreational vehicle (RV) sites on military installations and recreation areas in the United States. 
PCP Presidential Champions Program
PCS See Permanent Change of Station
Per Diem Per Diem is a daily payment instead of actual expense reimbursement for lodging, meals and related incidental expenses when traveling.
Per Diem Rates Per Diem Rates are the amount of per diem allowed and are determined by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA); rates are set by fiscal year, effective October 1.
Permanent Change of Station A Permanent Change of Station is the official relocation of an active duty military service member, including Family, to a different duty location.
Providing Army Travellers Hospitality Services See Paths Across America
 
PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PX Post Exchange
QOL See Quality of Life
Quality of Life Quality of Life is the general well-being of individuals including mental, physical and emotional health. 
Recreation Center Recreation Center is a place where people can work out, play sports, and often serves as a social hub.
Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program The Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program exists so the Army can prevent sexual harassment and sexual assaults before they occur. The program strives to eliminate sexual assaults and sexual harassment by creating a climate that respects the dignity of every member of the Army Family.
Sgt. Sergeant
Sgt. 1st Class Sergeant first class
Sgt. Maj. Sergeant major
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Sergeant major of the Army
SHARP Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program
Soldier Soldiers are members of the United States Army.
Soldier Show


 
The Soldier Show is a live Broadway-style variety performance featuring the Army’s best talent. Each year, Army Entertainment brings together a troupe of Active Duty Soldier  as performers and backstage crew who are selected through a rigorous audition process. They spend months rehearsing and training before taking the show “on the road” annually between May and September.
SOP Standard Operating Procedures
SOS See Survivor Outreach Services
Spc. Specialist
Staff Sgt. Staff sergeant
Survivor Outreach Services

 
Survivor Outreach Services is the official Army program designed to provide long term support to surviving Families of Fallen Soldiers. Conceived of and developed by Survivors, the SOS program is continually refined based on Survivor feedback and involvement by senior Army leaders.  
TBI Traumatic Brain Injury
TDY See Temporary Duty
TDY Travel TDY Travel is travel associated with an assignment at a location other than the Soldier's permanent duty station, usually of relatively short duration.
Temporary Duty Temporary Duty is an assignment at a location other than the Soldier's permanent duty station, usually of relatively short duration.
Temporary Lodging Facility A Temporary Lodging Facility is short-term housing accommodation for military members, their Families, and guests.
TLF See Temporary Lodging Facility
Travel Order Travel Orders are a written instrument issued/approved by person(s) to whom authority has been delegated directing, authorizing, approving a traveler, or group of travelers, to travel.
USAR US Army Reserve
VA See Victim Advocate
Victim Advocacy See Family Advocacy Program: Victim Advocacy Services Program
Victim Advocate

 
A Victim Advocate is a trained professional who provides non-clinical advocacy services and support to Soldiers and Family members experiencing domestic abuse. Victim Advocates are on-call 24 hours a day/7 days week to provide immediate assistance, safety planning, non-judgmental support and information on available resources.
WAQ See Warrior Adventure Quest
Warrant Officer Warrant officer (WO1)
Warrior Adventure Quest
 
The Warrior Adventure Quest Program allows Soldiers the opportunity to participate in structured high-adventure outdoor activities after a recent redeployment. This training opportunity generates coping outlets that help Soldiers better transition after returning from operations.