Army Military

Abbreviations Acronyms Slang Words

List of army and military abbreviations and slang words and phrases with
their meanings:
The British army, like most armies around the world, have their own language
which is often incomprehensible to many a civilian. The guide below should help
you understand the commonly used words and phrases in the UK military:

Army Medical And Nursing Abbreviations

AMS Army Medical Services
DGAMS Director-General, Army Medical Services
QARANC Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
RAMC Royal Army Medical Corps

Commonly Used Army Abbreviations And Slang Phrases

2IC Second In Command
7p's Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents a Pretty Poor Performance
ACE Allied Command Europe
ACV Armoured Command Vehicle
Adjt Adjutant
AFCENT Allied Forces Central European Theatre
AFV Armoured Fighting Vehicle

Military Slang
Military Slang is a new book from The Imperial War Museum with an up to date book of
army words and military abbreviations which includes many army abbreviations and army
slang not published on this page. Military slang is not just confined to the army, but also
includes the language from the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Military slang used
in recent military action such as Iraq and Afghanistan is also included. Buy Now for only
£2.50.
AMF Allied Mobile Force
AP Armoured Piercing or Ammunition Point
APC Armoured Personnel Carrier
APO Army Post Office
Armd Armoured
ARRC Allied Rapid Reaction Corps
ARV Armoured Recovery Vehicle
www.sussexarmedforcesnetwork.nhs.uk
www.kentandmedwayarmedforcesnetwork.nhs.uk
 Forces War Records
Forces War Records are a military genealogy site where you can find military records of
over 3.5 million British Armed Forces personnel cross matched with over 4000
Regiments, Bases and Ships of the British Armed Forces.
www.forces-war-records.co.uk

Findextrawork
Since leaving the QA's we have done an assortment of self employed work and jobs,
some which only take an hour a week, others have been full time. We have written about
these at our other website Findextrawork at www.findextrawork.co.uk where we share the
information for free to help others with information and resources about earning more
money. Visit Findextrawork for more information.

ASAP As Soon As Possible Cas Casualty

ATGW Army Tank Guided Weapon Casevac Casualty Evacuation
Att Attached CCP Casualty Collecting Point
AWOL Absent Without Leave CCS Casualty Clearing Station
Airborne Warning And CGS Chief of the General Staff
AWACS
Control Systems CinC Commander in Chief
BAOR British Army of the Rhine CO Commanding Officer
Battle What the QAs of World War Comd Command or Commander
Bowlers Two nicknamed their tin hats Comms Z Communications Zone
Bde Brigade Composite Ration (also
Compo
BFG British Forces Germany called comp rat)
BFPO British Forces Post Office COMSEN Communications Centre
BG Battle Group Coord Co-ordinate
BGHQ BattleGroup Headquarters CoS Chief of Staff
To Walk Or Do Something Coy Company
Bimbling
Slowly Command Post or Close
CP
Blag To acquire something Protection
BMH British Military Hospital Chief Petty Officer (Navy
Bn Battalion CPO Rank) or Command Pay
Bootneck A Royal Marine Commando Office
British Rear Support Company Quartermaster
BRSC CQMS
Command Sergeant
Bty Battery Crabs The slang name for the RAF
Buzzes or C Sups Combat Supplies
Gossip or Rumours
Buzz Insert An a - The Slang That
CAD Central Ammunition Depot Paratroopers Call Every
Cr?pHat
regiment Or Corps That Does
Cam Camouflaged Not Wear A Maroon Beret

www.sussexarmedforcesnetwork.nhs.uk
www.kentandmedwayarmedforcesnetwork.nhs.uk
CV Combat Vehicles GDP General Defence Plan
CVD Central Vehicle Depot GOC General Officer Commanding
Combat Vehicle General Purpose Machine
CVR (T) or GPMG
Reconnaissance (Tracked) or Gun
(W)
(Wheeled) GPS Global Positioning System
CW Chemical Warfare The nickname of the British
Greenfly
Def Defence Army Intelligence Corps
Det Detached Slang Word For An
Grunt
DF Defensive Fire Infantryman
Dml Demolition Hack It To endure or to do something
Directing Staff (also called HE High Explosive
DS
DiStaff) HEAT High Explosive Anti Tank
DTG Date Time Group Hel Helicopter
Ech Echelon HLS Helicopter Landing Site
EDP Emergency Defence Plan Hired Military Transport. This
Emb Embarkation army abbreviation was used
prior to and including World
EMP Electro Magnetic Pulse HMT
War Two for troopships such
En Enemy as HMT Dorsetshire and
EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal HMT Somersetshire.
Eqpt Equipment IED Improvised Explosive Device
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival II Image Intensifier
Electronic Warfare or Early Int Sum Intelligence Summary
EW
Warning IO Intelligence Officer
Ex Exercise IR Individual Reservist
FAC Forward Air Controller IS Internal Security
The nickname for the IW Individual Weapon
Fat Albert
Hercules plane of the RAF Jack To Be Selfish
FEBA Forward Edge Battle Area Jacked To Give Up
Forward Location Enemy Be on a charge or in the
FLET Jankers
Troops camp jail
Forward Location Own JFHQ Joint Forces Headquarters
FLOT
Troops JHQ Joint Headquarters
Fmm Formation KFS Knife, Fork and Spoon
FOB Forward Operating Base L of C Lines of Communications
FOO Forward Observation Officer LO Liaison Officer
FRT- Forward Repair Team Log Logistic
Forming Up Point (or Long Range Anti Tank
FUP LRATGW
Position) Guided Weapon
Large Scale Deliberate
Gat A Gun Usually A Rifle LSDI
Intervention

www.sussexarmedforcesnetwork.nhs.uk
LSW Light Support Weapon Other Ranks (Often
LUP Lying Up Point OR mistakenly taken to mean
LZ Landing Zone Ordinary Ranks)
MBT Main Battle Tank Or Bat Order of Battle
MC Military Cross Pax Passengers
Mech Mechanised Push Off Early Tomorrow's
POETS Day
Med Medical Saturday
MFC Mortar Fire Controller P Info Public Information
MM Military Medal Pl Platoon
MML Manual of Military Law POL Petrol Oil and Lubricants
MO Medical Officer POM Potential Officer Material
Mob Mobilisation Slang name for the army.
MOD Ministry of Defence Believed that this army
abbreviation or nickname
Mov O Movement Order Pongos
comes from the phrase
MP Military Police where the army goes the
MT Military Transport pong goes.
Msl Missile POW Prisoner of War
Navy Army and Air Force PVR Premature Voluntary Release
NAAFI
Institutes QM Quartermaster
North Atlantic Treaty RAF Royal Air Force
NATO
Organisation Regimental Aid Post or
RAP
Nuclear Biological and Rocket Assisted Projectile
NBC
Chemical Rest and Recuperation or
R&R
NCO Non Commissioned Officer Rest and Relaxation
NOK Next of Kin RCZ Rear Combat Zone
Recce Reconnaissance
NTR Nothing To Report
Regt Regiment
A Polite Way Of Calling Rft Reinforcement
Nugget
Someone An Idiot! RHIP Rank Has Its Privileges
NYK Not Yet Known RHQ Regimental Headquarters
OC Officer Commanding Rapid Joint Deployment
RJDF
Force
O Group Order Group
Royal Military Academy or
RMA
OIC Officer in Charge Rear Maintenance Area
OOTW Operations Other Than War ROE Rules Of Engagement
OP Observation Post Reception, Staging, Onward-
RSOI
Op O Operation Order Movement and Integration
Oppo Best Friend RTM Ready To Move

www.sussexarmedforcesnetwork.nhs.uk
RTU Returned or Return to Unit TCV Troop Carrying Vehicle
The Slang Name For An Tgt Target
Rupert or
Officer, Usually One Of Low Tk Tank
Rodney
Rank Or New To The Service TOT Time On Target
RV Rendezvous Point Tp Troop
Supreme Allied Commander Tpt Transport
SACUER
Europe Two i/c Second In Command
SADO Senior Administrative Officer United Kingdom Mobile
UKMF
SatCom Satellite Communications Force
Scran or UN United Nations
Food
Scoff Unclass Unclassified

An army abbreviation for bed United Nations Protection

UNPROFOR
Scratcher or place to sleep especially in Force
the field
UXB Unexploded Bomb
SDR Strategic Defence Review U/S Unserviceable
Supreme Headquarters Allied Vice chief of the Defence
SHAPE VCDS
Powers Europe Staff
SIB Special Investigation Branch VCP Vehicle Check Point
Sit Situation Veh Vehicle
SitRep Situation Report VP Voice Procedure
SLR Self Loading Rifle VP Vulnerable Point
SMG Sub Machine Gun WE War Establishment
Senior Non Commissioned A Wet A Cup Of Tea Or Coffee
SNCO
Officer Royal Air Force (RAF)
Whitecap
Standard Operating Policeman
SOPs
Procedures Whinging Incompetent
WIMP
SP Self Propelled or Start Point Malingering Person
A recruit or someone who Wksp Workshop
Sprog has newly passed out and is
new to a unit
March Across Hills With Full
Sqn Squadron
Kit And Weapon At A Fast
Squaddie Slang Word For A Soldier Yomp or
Pace Yomp is used by the
Tab
SSM Surface to Surface Missile Royal Marines whilst Tab is
generally used by the Army
Services Sound and Vision
SSVC
Corporation
STOL Short Take Off and Landing
TA Territorial Army
TAB Tactical Advance to Battle
Tac Tactical
TCP Traffic Control Point

www.sussexarmedforcesnetwork.nhs.uk
 Medal and Award Abbreviations
ARRC Associate Royal Red Cross
Queen's Honorary Nurse
DCM Distinguished Conduct Medal QHN
(Usually applied to male nurses)
DSO Distinguished Service Order
MC Military Cross Queen Victoria's Jubilee
QVJI
MM Military Medal Institute
RRC Royal Red Cross
OStJ Officer of the Order of St John
VC Victoria Cross
Queen's Honorary Nursing
QHNS
Sister Nurse

Rank Abbreviations
OR Other Rank Company Quartermaster Master
CQMS
Pte Private Sergeant
LCpl Lance Corporal QMG Quartermaster General
Cpl Corporal QMS Quartermaster Sergeant
Sgt Sergeant RSM Regimental Sergeant Major
Officer Commanding or Officer
CSgt Colour Sergeant (Infantry) OC
Cadet
SSgt Staff Sergeant LT Lieutenant
WO Warrant Officer Col Colonel
CSM Company Sergeant Major GOC General Officer Commanding

NATO Phonetic Alphabet

The NATO phonetic alphabet is used by the armed forces to provide an easy to understand
language in the heat of battle. It reduces mis-interpretation from background noise, weak
radio signals, distorted audio, and radio operator accent. It originated in the 1950s.
A Alpha J Juliet S Sierra
B Bravo K Kilo T Tango
C Charlie L Lima U Uniform
D Delta M Mike V Victor
E Echo N November W Whisky
F Foxtrot O Oscar X X-ray
G Gold P Papa Y Yankee
H Hotel Q Quebec Z Zulu
I India R Romeo

Historical words, phrases and abbreviations which are no longer used:

ASC Army Service Corps VAD Voluntary Aid Detachment
BRCS British Red Cross Society WAAC Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps
Queen Alexandra's Imperial Will Comply: Used To Be Used
QAIMNS Wilco
Military Nursing Service In RAF Comm

www.sussexarmedforcesnetwork.nhs.uk