What is up with the Armys endless acronyms?

Cpl Dennis F. — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 14:58:22 -0400

Ya'll use so many of these sometimes I can hardly follow your conversations/posts. Does it make you feel like a secret club to do so? Aircraft and weapons designations I can understand, but what is wrong with simple English? Give us old vets a break.

Response by SSG Pete Fleming made Sep 7 at 2014 3:07 PM

SSG Pete Fleming — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 15:07:54 -0400

Cpl Dennis Fresch, Hope this helps...

http://miljokes.com/military-acronyms.html

miljokes.com

Response by SGT Richard H. made Sep 7 at 2014 3:28 PM

SGT Richard H. — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 15:28:34 -0400

At least the Army's are somewhat decipherable. When I was in the Corps, I was on a Navy base for 6 months before I figured out what the hell a COMATVAQWINGPAQ was.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Sep 7 at 2014 3:31 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 15:31:40 -0400

I thought of this just from my brother Cpl Dennis F.. I think we are all guilty. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_aiDDU5z18

Good Morning Vietnam Acronym

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Sep 7 at 2014 3:38 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 15:38:04 -0400

Cpl Dennis F. In aviation, acronym overload is so out of control that we actually have approved DOD acronyms for maintenance. Imagine acronyms for the acronyms within a specialty branch that uses too many acronyms. Its painful!

Response by SSgt Gregory Guina made Sep 7 at 2014 3:38 PM

SSgt Gregory Guina — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 15:38:44 -0400

Cpl Fresch its not much better in the Marine Corps either. I have to ask quite often while in a meeting what something means and I am still active duty.

Response by TSgt Scott Hurley made Sep 7 at 2014 4:06 PM

TSgt Scott Hurley — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 16:06:31 -0400

The AF is the same way. In Aircraft Maintenance, it does not matter which career field(MOS, The AF is AFSC), We can have many different acronyms and some of them have maybe different meanings. Like for instance ECS. It can be Electronic Cooling System, Electronic Countermeasure System, Or Electro Camouflage System. (I know that last one is in the realm of SCIFi. I just could not help it.)

And there are many more. You do not want to get someone from Maintenance going on it. There are to many to count......

Response by 1LT Nick Kidwell made Sep 7 at 2014 5:17 PM

1LT Nick Kidwell — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 17:17:21 -0400

Marines have acronyms too, you know...

Response by SSG Pete Fleming made Sep 7 at 2014 5:20 PM

SSG Pete Fleming — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 17:20:00 -0400

Acronyms have gotten so out of control that if you Google what something means you 10 or more meanings! Military (regardless of branch), governmental (doesn't always mirror the Military), civilian corporate, civilian private... then all the localized... and that's for just one... as an example we all know ASAP (right?):

There are 410 various meanings of the ASAP acronym or abbreviation!

http://www.allacronyms.com/ASAP

What does ASAP stand for?

448 meanings of ASAP acronym and ASAP abbreviation. Get the definition of ASAP by All Acronyms dictionary. Top Definition: As Soon As Possible

Response by SSG(P) Auston Terry made Sep 7 at 2014 7:24 PM

SSG(P) Auston Terry — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 19:24:51 -0400

My personal favorite is when Drill Sergeants say BCT like the rest of the active army is supposed to understand they mean basic and not Brigade Combat Team. I work in an acronym heavy MOS and which makes briefings to fols outside of our formation particularly interesting, since sometimes I have to write down what the acronyms I use everyday actually mean.
It's a sickness; and it's not solely the Army.

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Sep 7 at 2014 7:28 PM

SSG Robert Burns — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 19:28:40 -0400

IDK

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 7 at 2014 7:36 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 19:36:50 -0400

Trust me bro, it's not just y'all. Being a Navy Corpsman I have had to learn the Navy and Marine Corps acronyms. I barely speak English anymore.

Tango!
Doc.

Response by Sgt Packy Flickinger made Sep 7 at 2014 8:38 PM

Sgt Packy Flickinger — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 20:38:25 -0400

IDKWTFUTA. :). lMAO

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 7 at 2014 10:29 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 22:29:41 -0400

I have no idea. There is one acronym that has bugged me since its inception, though. Don't get me wrong, I understand where they were going with it...I just really, really would have loved to have seen when they were brainstorming about it:
LDRSHIP

"Well, we want something inspirational."
"Nothing too complicated."
"Agreed. And really we can leave out some letters, even."
" What does the Army mean to me, hmmmm? LOYALTY!
"Well, we have to include HONOR at some juncture."
"RESPECT should definitely be included. The young whippersnappers these days and their..."
"INTEGRITY. Yeah. Let's use that."
"GENTLEMEN, I see a pattern developing." *Slaps table*
"Hmmm...LOYALTY, DUTY, okay. We are removing the Captain's crayons. Sir, SPUNKINESS won't work. Neither will STUBBORNNESS."
"E anyone? Anyone? No E's...let's skip it. We have a time hack here!"
"A? How about an A? No Es and no As, then..."
"I do believe I have a D. I'll check on that and get back to you."
"LOYALTY, Something with a D. RESPECT, Something with an S, HONOR, INTEGRITY"
"TIMELESS SERVICE! LDRSHIT. No. Er,er... Selfless Service!"
"Duty! I gotta D. Whose gotta P?"

"Great job gentleman!"

"

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Sep 8 at 2014 7:05 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 07:05:32 -0400

It's not just an Army thing, but it IS very much an 'ERA' thing. While I was still on active duty, I had no problem with the alphabet soup used by the Army, but since I've joined this site, I've had to research more than one Army acronym that has come into existence since my retirement.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Sep 8 at 2014 7:12 AM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 07:12:51 -0400

Well, IMHO, IDK. Surely its SNAFU IAW some reg somewhere. BOLO for a new one and be ready to BOHICA.

Response by SSG Laureano Pabon made Sep 8 at 2014 10:35 AM

SSG Laureano Pabon — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:35:54 -0400

lol
Cpl Dennis F. , I can remember Basic back in 76, when the Drill SGT said were going to have a "GI Party tonight". The first time I heard about a GI Party I was really looking forward to it, You know Party as in the beer, music and all that stuff. I then saw him bring up vacuum clearers, buckets, brushes, mops, brooms, I thought maybe the party will start after we clean up, it just blew my mind lol. Then there was the "IG Inspection", I was expecting a 1 star General to come alone to inspect our rooms and wall lockers and such. Oh well.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Sep 8 at 2014 5:28 PM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 17:28:13 -0400

Having served in a couple of joint assignments, I think the Navy has the most acronyms .

Acronyms are helpful in correspondence and conversation as long as the recipient understands what the acronym is. There is nothing worse than to sit trough a briefing, be in a conversation, or read a document that is full of acronyms you don't understand. The basic rule of thumb is not to use acronyms unless your audience understands them. The danger in joint assignment is that what one acronym means in one service might be different in another.

I always kept a copy of the DoD Acronym Dictionary in my office, so I could look up acronyms I was not familiar with. Now, there are web sites where you can look up just about any acronym (for example http://www.acronymfinder.com/) . It is amazing to see the number of acronyms and to see that there are multiple meanings for just about any you can think of.

I have used a trick for years that helped me with acronyms as I wrote papers, e-mails, etc. I put acronyms and their meanings in the dictionary of my word processing software (i.e. MS Word), with the acronym followed by an asterisk. Then, if I type the acronym without the asterisk, it stays as typed. If I add the asterisk to the acronym, when I type it, it spells it out. For example, I put USA* in the dictionary and have auto-correct change it to "United States Army" automatically. If I leave the asterisk off, it simply leaves it as USA. Since there are multiple terms that the acronym USA can stand for, you may have to add two or more asterisks. For example, USA* = United States Army; USA** = United States of America.

You get the picture -- type the asterisk and it automatically spells it out:
USCENTCOM* = United States Central Command
USAF* = United States Air Force
COL* = Colonel
CSM* = Command Sergeant Major
JFB* = John F. Burleson
By adding the asterisk and putting it in the dictionary, I let the auto-correct spell out the acronym for me. I have hundreds of acronyms in my MS Word dictionary. try it -- I think you'll like it.

And, don't think acronyms are simply a military issue... The same issue exists in civilian life, especially if you deal with any US Government agency.

As I eluded to, you have to be particularly careful in the use of acronyms when dealing with the various services, as well as when operating with allied forces from other countries. Reminds me of an old joke:

One reason the Armed Services have trouble operating jointly is that they have very different meanings for the same terms;

The Joint Chiefs once told the Navy to "secure a building," to which they responded by turning off the lights and locking the doors.

The Joint Chiefs then instructed Army personnel to "secure the building," and they occupied the building so no one could enter.

Upon receiving the exact same order, the Marines assaulted the building, captured it, and set up defenses with suppressive fire and amphibious assault vehicles, established reconnaissance and communications channels, and prepared for close hand-to-hand combat if the situation arose.

But the Air Force, on the other hand, acted most swiftly on the command, and took out a three-year lease with an option to buy.

Abbreviations and acronyms dictionary

Acronym Finder is the largest and most trusted database of over 4 million acronyms and abbreviations. What does an abbreviation stands for? The answer is here

Response by CMC Robert Young made Sep 8 at 2014 5:44 PM

CMC Robert Young — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 17:44:18 -0400

The seagoing services are just as bad. I actually saw a book at the exchange that every mariner should have; the latest copy of the DICNAVAB......Dictionary of Naval Abbreviations. I laughed. I cried. It became a part of me ;-)

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 6:24 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:24:06 -0400

Cpl Dennis F. - The military is infamous for these. (acronyms).
And it beats using these long titles that management loves to impose.. lol

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 6:28 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:28:16 -0400

Doesn't ACRONYM stand for something?

Response by CW2 Jonathan Kantor made Sep 9 at 2014 5:13 AM

CW2 Jonathan Kantor — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 05:13:23 -0400

WTFDYM?

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Sep 9 at 2014 10:47 AM

LTC Paul Labrador — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 10:47:09 -0400

Pssshhh...the military has nothing on modern text-speak.....

Response by CW5 Sam R. Baker made Sep 9 at 2014 12:02 PM

CW5 Sam R. Baker — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 12:02:58 -0400

Mission Command will fix everything.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 10 at 2014 12:31 PM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:31:26 -0400

What does BOLO stand for? i could never figure it out and no one can tell me

Response by SPC David S. made Sep 13 at 2014 12:40 AM

SPC David S. — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 00:40:06 -0400

I said D batteries....
It will make more sense once you watch the clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMNvYJ6O_Ks

Do the Right Thing (7/10) Movie CLIP - 20 "D" Batteries (1989) HD

Do the Right Thing movie clips: http://j.mp/1JeaIIO BUY THE MOVIE: http://amzn.to/vXXRmZ Don't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6pr CLIP DESC...

Response by LTC Theodore Sargent made Sep 13 at 2014 5:05 PM

LTC Theodore Sargent — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 17:05:29 -0400

IDK