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Abbreviations, Acronyms, Codewords, Terms

For additional code words definitions, see: For additional military terms, see:

--A--
AA
Antiaircraft
AAA
Antiaircraft Artillery
A.A.F.
United States Army Air Forces
ABC
American-British-Canadian
ABCD
American-British-Chinese-Dutch
ABD
American-British-Dutch
ABDA
American-British-Dutch-Australian
Acct
Accounting
Act
Action
ACofS
Assistant Chief of Staff
ADB
American-Dutch-British
ADC
Assistant Division Commander
Adees
Addressees
Adj
Adjutant
AE
Auxiliary Explosive ships
Adm
Admiral
Adv
Advance
AF
Asiatic Fleet
AFV
Armored Fighting Vehicle(s)
AGMC
Adjutant General Message Center
Air
Aircraft
AK
Navy cargo ship
AKA
Attack cargo ship
Amer
American
Amph
Amphibious
Amtrack
Amphibian Tractor (LVT)
An
Annual
Anzac
Australia-New Zealand Area
Anzac
Australia-New Zealand Army Corps (World War I)
AP
Armor piercing
AP
Navy transport ship
APA
Attack transport ship
APC
Coastal transport ship
APD
Destroyer transport ship
AR
Action Report
Arcadia
U.S.-U.K. Conference, 12/41-1/42
Arty
Artillery
A/S
Antisubmarine
ASF
Army Service Forces
AsFlt
Asiatic Fleet
ASW
Antisubmarine Warfare
ATIS
Allied Translator and Interrogator Section
Avn
Aviation
AWS
Aircraft Warning Service (Army)
--B--
B
Base
BAR
Browning Automatic Rifle
Batdiv
Battleship division
BB
Battleship
Bd
Board
BLT
Battalion Landing Team
BM
Boatswain's Mate
Bn
Battalion
BOQ
Bachelors' Office Quarters
Br
Branch
Brig
Brigade
BriGen
Brigadier General
Btry
Battery
Bu
Bureau
BuDocks
Bureau of Yards and Docks
BuEng
Bureau of Engineering
Buord
Bureau of Ordnance
Bupers
Bureau of Naval Personnel
Buships
Bureau of Ships
"
etc.
--C--
C
Combat
CA
Coast Artillery
CA
Heavy cruiser
Cactus
Code name for Guadalcanal
Cal
Caliber
CAM
Combined Army & Marine
C.A.P.
Combat Air Patrol
Capt
Captain
Cardiv
Carrier division
CCS
Combined Chiefs of Staff (U.S.-U.K.)
Cdr
Commander
CG
Commanding General
Ch
Chief
Chap
Chapter
Chmn
Chairman
C.I.
Counterintelligence
C.I.C.
Combat Information Center
CinC
Commander in Chief
Cincaf (CinCAF)
Commander-in-Chief, Asiatic Fleet
Cinclant
Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet
Cincpac (CinCPAC)
Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet (Admiral Nimitz, USN)
CinCPOA
Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Area
CinCSWPA
Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area (General MacArthur, USA)
CINCUS
Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet -- the unfortunate acronym was changed after Pearl Harbor
CL
Light cruiser
CMC
Commandant of the Marine Corps
CM-IN
Cable Message In
CM-OUT
Cable Message Out
C.N.O.
Chief of Naval Operations
CNS
Chief of Naval Staff (British)
C.O.
Commanding Officer
Co
Company
CofS
Chief of Staff
CofSA
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
Col
Colonel
Com
Commander; Commandant
Com
before cardiv, desdiv, etc., means Commander Carrier Division, Commander Destroyer Division, etc.
Cominch
Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet (Admiral King, USN)
COMAIRSOPAC
Commander, Aircraft, South Pacific Force
COMAIRWING I
Commanding General, 1st Marine Air Wing
COMAMPHIBFORSOPAC
Commander, Amphibious Force, South Pacific Force
Comb
Combined
Comdr
Commander
COMGENSOPAC
Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces in the South Pacific Area
COMINCH
Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet
Comm
Communcations
COMNAVBAS
Commander, Naval Base[s]
COMNAVEU
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces in Europe
COMSERONSOPAC
Commander, Service Squadron, South Pacific Force
COMSOPAC
Commander, South Pacific Area & South Pacific Force
COMSOWESPACFOR
Commander, Southwest Pacific Force (USN Commander under MacArthur)
Cont
Continuing
COS
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
CP
Command Post
C&R
Construction & Repair
Cru
Cruiser
CSP
Communication Security Publication
CT
Combat Team
CTF
Commander Task Force
CTG
Commander Task Group
CV
Fleet Aircraft Carrier
CVE
Escort Carrier
CVL
Light Carrier
CWO
Chief (Commisioned) Warrant Officer
--D--
D-1
Division Personnel Officer(r)
D-2
Division Intelligence Officer(r)
D-3
Division Operations Office(r)
D-4
Division Logistics Office(r)
DA
Department of the Army
DC
Dental Corps (Navy)
DCA
Defensive Coastal Area
DD
Destroyer
DE
Destroyer Escort
Deception
Code name for Iwo Jima Operation
Defense
Defense
Dept
Department
Des
Destroyer
Dev
Development
DIP
Diplomatic intelligence (derived from MAGIC)
Dir
Director
Disp
Dispatch
Div
Division
DNI
Director of Naval Intelligence
Doc
Document
DOW
Died of Wounds
DUKW
Amphibious Truck
--E--
Encl
Enclosure
Engineer
Engineer
Enl
Enlisted
Ens
Ensign
ExO
Executive Officer
Ext
Extension
--F--
FA
Field Aretillery
FAdm
Fleet Admiral
FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
FEAF
Far East Air Force
FEC
Far East Command
Flex
Fleet Exercise
Flot
Flotilla
FM
Field Manual
FMF
Fleet Marine Force
FO
Forward Observer
FO
Field Order
For
Force
Fourteen
14th Naval District (Hawaii)
--G--
G-1
Personnel Officer(r)
G-2
Intelligence Officer(r)
G-3
Operations Office(r)
G-4
Logistics Office(r)
Gar
Garrison
GCT
Greenwich Civil Time
Gen
General
GHQ
General Headquarters
Gnd
Ground
GO
General Order
Gp
Group
GPO
Government Printing Office
Gru
Group
Gun
Gunnery
--H--
HD
Harbor Defense
HE
High explosive
Hist
History; historical
H.O.
Hydrographic Office
H.M.A.S.
His Majesty's Australian Ship
H.M.C.S.
His Majesty's Canadian Ship
H.M.N.Z.S.
His Majesty's New Zealand Ship
H.M.S.
His Majesty's Ship
HMSO
His (Her) Majesty's Stationery Office
H.Q.
Headquarters
HQMC
Headquarters, Marine Corps
H&S
Headquarters & Service
HSCAB
Headquarters Separate Coast Artillery Brigade
Hydro
Hydrographic Office
--I--
IBC
Iceland Base Command
IFF
Identification, Friend or Foe
IJA
Imperial Japanese Army
IJN
Imperial Japanese Navy
Inf
Infantry
Inst
Instruction
Int
Intelligence
Interrog
Interrogation
Is
Island
--J--
J
Joint
J-series
American term for group of Japanese codes
JAG
Judge Advocate General
JAMBOREE
TF-58 air strikes on Japan, preceding Iwo Jima landing
JASCO
Joint Assault Signal Company
JAYWICK
British command attack on Singapore, 1943
J.C.S.
Joint Chiefs of Staff
JD
Japanese Diplomatic (code)
JIC
Joint Intelligence Center
JICPOA
Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific Ocean Area
JG
Junior Grade (Navy: Lieutenant, jg)
JN-25
Japanese Naval (code)
Jnl
Journal
JPC
Joint Planning Committee
JPS
Joint Staff Planners
JUNEAU
Minesweeping operation at Okinawa, July 1945
--K--
KDPOW
Killed or Died while a Prisoner of War
--L--
LA
American term for a simple Japanese code
Lan
Landing
Lant
Atlantic (Fleet)
LC
Landing craft
LCdr
Lieutenant Commander
LCI
Landing Craft, Infantry
LCM
Landing Craft, Mechanized
LCS
Landing Craft, Support
LCT
Landing Craft, Tank
LCVP
Landing Craft, Vehicles and Personnel
LSD
Landing Ship, Dock
LSI
Landing Ship, Infantry
LSM
Landing Ship, Medium
LST
Landing Ship, Tank
LSV
Landing Ship, Vehicle
Lt
Lieutenant
Ltr
Letter
LVT
Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Amphtrac)
LVT(A)
Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Armored)
LVT(G)
Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Gunboat)
LVT(L)
Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Large)
LVT(M)
Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Mortar)
LVT(R)
Landing Vehicle, Tracked (Rocket)
--M--
MAC
Marine Amphibious Corp
MAG
Marine Aircraft Group
MAGIC
American term for all (intercepted & decoded) Japanese diplomatic codes and ciphers
Maj
Major
Mar
Marine(s)
MarCor
Marine Corps
MAW
Marine Aircraft Wing
Mbr
Member
MC
Marine Corps; Medical Corps (Navy)
MCEC
Marine Corps Educational Center
MCO
Marine Corps Order
MCS
Marine Corps School
MD
Marine Detachment
Medical
Medical
Memo
Memorandum
MG
Marine Gunner; Machine Gun
MGC
Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps
MI
Military Intelligence (G-2)
MIA
Missing in Action
MIAPD
Missing in Action, Presumed Dead
MID
Military Intelligence Division, U.S. Army
Mil
Military
MIS
Military Intelligence Service
MLR
Main Line of Resistance
Mm
Millimeter
Mob
Mobile
Mph
Miles per hour
MS
Manuscript
Msg
Message
MSgt
Master Sergeant
MTB
Motor Torpedo (PT) Boat
--N--
NAD
Naval Ammunition Depot
NAS
Naval Air Station
ND
Naval Department
N.E.I.
Netherlands East Indies
NHD
Naval History Division
NGF
Naval Gunfire
NOB
Naval Operating Base
NR
Number (relating to a radiogram)
NRMC
Naval Records Management Center (Alexandria, VA)
NSD
Naval Supply Depot
NTG
No Time Group
--O--
Obs
Observer, Observation
Off
Officer(s)
Ofl
Official
OICC
Officer in Charge of Construction
O-in-C
Officer in Charge
O.N.I.
Office of Naval Intelligence
OP
Obervation Post
Op
Operation
OPD
Operations Division, U.S. Army (after March 1942)
OPlan
Operation Plan
Opn
Operation
Opnav
Chief of Naval Operations
OpOrd
Operation Order
Op plan
Operation Plan
Ops
Operations (G-3)
Orange
U.S. code term for Japan
Ord
Order
O.S.S.
Office of Strategic Services
O.T.C.
Officer in Tactical Command
OUTFLANK
British Pacific Fleet raid on Pangkalan Brandan, 20 Nov 44
--P--
PAA
Pan American Airways
Pac
Pacific (Fleet)
Para
Parachute
Patwing
Patrol wing
PB
Patrol Boat
PC
Patrol Craft
PCE
Patrol Craft, Escort
Pers
Personnel
Phib
Amphibious
Phil
Philippine
Pion
Pioneer
Pl
Platoon
Pncf
Pacific Naval Coastal Frontier
Pnncf
Pacific Northern Naval Coastal Frontier
POA
Pacific Ocean Area -- Nimitz's command
P.O.W.
Prisoner of War
P&P
Plans & Policies Division, HQMC
Proj
Project
Prov
Provisional
Psncf
Pacific Southern Naval Coastal Frontier
PT
Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB)
PTO
Pacific Theater of Operations
PURPLE
American term for the top-priority Japanese diplomatic cipher
--Q--
QM
Quartermaster
--R--
RAAC
Royal Australian Air Force
Rad
Radiogram
Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
RAF
Royal Air Force
RAN
Royal Australian Navy
RCAF
Royal Canadian Air Force
RCN
Royal Canadian Navy
RCT
Regimental Combat Team
Rdr
Raider
Rec
Record(s)
Recon
Reconnaissance
Reinf
Reinforced
Rept
Report
reurad
Regarding your radiogram
RF
Representative Fraction (Map Scale); Radio Frequency
RINGBOLT
Code name for Tulagi
RLT
Regimental Landing Team
RM
Royal Marine(s)
RMA
Royal Marine Artillery
RN
Royal Navy
ROICC
Resident Officer in Charge of Construction (subordinate to OICC)
--S--
SCAP
Supreme Commander Allied Powers
Sch
School
Sec
Section
SEC NAV
Secretary of the Navy
Sen
Senior
Sep
Separate
Ser
Service
s.f.c.p.
shore fire control party
SGO
Office of the Surgeon General
Sgt
Sergeant
SHOESTRING
Unofficial code name for Guadalcanal campaign (WATCHTOWER)
SHOESTRING II
Landing at Cape Torokina, Bougainville, 1 Nov 1943
SIS
Signal Intelligence Service
Sixteen
16th Naval District (Philippines)
S/L
Searchlight
SM
Special Manual
SMS
Marine Service Squadron
SNLF
Japanese Special Naval Landing Force ("Marines")
So
South
S.O.P.A.
Senior Officer Present Afloat
SOPAC
South Pacific Area, South Pacific Force
Spenavo
Special Naval Observer (London)
Spl
Special
SS
Special Staff
SS
Submarine
SSgt
Staff Sergeant
SSUSA
Special Staff, U.S. Army
Stf
Staff
SWPA
Southwest Pacific Area (MacArthur's command)
--T--
TAGO
The Adjutant General's Office
TF
Task Force
TG
Task Group
T.H.
Territory of Hawaii
Tng
Training
T/O
Table of Organization
TQM
Transport Quartermaster
Trans
Translation
Trans
Transport
TSgt
Technical Sergeant
TU
Task Unit
--U--
UDT
Underwater Demolition Team
U/F
Unit of Fire, a unit of measurement for ammunition supply, representing a specific number of rounds of ammunition per weapon
US
United States (Fleet)
USA
United States Army
USAFFE
United States Army Forces in the Far East
USFIP
United States Forces in the Philippines
USAFISPA
U.S. Army Forces in the South Pacific Area
USCG
United State Coast Guard
USCGC
United States Coast Guard Cutter
USCGR
United State Coast Guard Reserve
USMC
United States Marine Corps
USMCR
United States Marine Corps Reserve
USN
United States Navy
USNI
United States Naval Institute
USNR
United States Navy Reserve
USS
United States Ship
USSBS
United States Strategic Bombing Survey
--V--
VAdm
Vice Admiral
VB
Bomber plane or squadron
VC
Composite plane or squadron
VF
Fighter plane or squadron
VMF
Marine Fighter Squadron
VMJ
Marine Utility Squadron
VMSB
Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron
VP
Navy Patrol Squadron
VS
Navy Scouting Squadron
VT
Torpedo plane or squadron
VOS
Observation-Scout plane or squadron
--W--
Watchtower
Code name for the Guadalcanal-Tulagi Operation
WD
War Department
WDC
War Documents Center
WDCSA
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
WDGS
War Department General Staff
Wes
West
WIA
Wounded In Action
WO
Warrant Officer
WPD
War Plans Division, U.S. Army (before March 1942)
WPL
War Plan
Wpns
Weapons
WW
World War
--X--
--Y--
YMS
Motor minesweeper
YP
Patrol Vessel
--Z--

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Last updated: April 11, 1999

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