Military Unit and Organization Abbreviations
126 abbreviations · part of Military Abbreviations
Abbreviations for the US armed services and their reserve components, the Department of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff, combatant commands, major service commands, unit echelons from squad to division, special operations forces, service academies and major allied and foreign forces. Echelon abbreviations such as Co, Bn and Bde are combined with numbers and branch codes in official designations; in Army notation, "B Co, 2-327 IN" means Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ACC | Air Combat Command | Primary provider of US Air Force combat air power, responsible for fighter, attack, reconnaissance, battle-management and electronic-warfare forces based in the United… |
| ADF | Australian Defence Force | Combined military forces of Australia, made up of the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force, under the Chief of the Defence Force. |
| AETC | Air Education and Training Command | Air Force major command that recruits, trains and educates airmen and Guardians, running Basic Military Training, technical schools, pilot training and Air University. |
| AFGSC | Air Force Global Strike Command | Air Force major command responsible for the service's nuclear-capable bombers and its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, providing two legs of the US… |
| AFMC | Air Force Materiel Command | Air Force major command responsible for research, development, testing, acquisition and sustainment of weapons systems, including the Air Force Research Laboratory and… |
| AFRC | Air Force Reserve Command | Major command that manages the federal reserve component of the US Air Force, flying and maintaining aircraft such as tankers, airlifters, fighters and weather… |
| AFRICOM | United States Africa Command | Covers US military relations and operations with African nations except Egypt, which falls under Central Command, from headquarters at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart… |
| AFROTC | Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps | College officer program of the Department of the Air Force that commissions second lieutenants into both the Air Force and the Space Force. |
| AFSOC | Air Force Special Operations Command | Air Force component of US Special Operations Command, providing special operations aircraft such as AC-130J gunships, MC-130J tankers and CV-22 tiltrotors, along with… |
| AMC | Air Mobility Command | Air Force major command responsible for airlift, aerial refueling and aeromedical evacuation, operating C-17 and C-5 transports and KC-135 and KC-46 tankers. |
| ANG | Air National Guard | Air Force component of the National Guard, flying fighters, tankers, airlifters and other aircraft from bases in every state and providing a large share of the Air… |
| ARG | Amphibious Ready Group | Group of usually three Navy amphibious ships, typically an amphibious assault ship, an amphibious transport dock and a dock landing ship, carrying an embarked Marine… |
| ARNG | Army National Guard | Army component of the National Guard, providing combat and support units that answer to state governors in peacetime and can be mobilized into federal service. |
| ARVN | Army of the Republic of Vietnam | Ground forces of South Vietnam from 1955 until the fall of Saigon in 1975, which fought alongside US forces during the Vietnam War and bore the main burden of combat… |
| AWC | Air War College | Senior professional military education school of the US Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, part of Air University, preparing senior officers for strategic… |
| BCT | Brigade Combat Team | Main deployable maneuver unit of the US Army, a self-contained brigade of roughly 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers with its own infantry or armor, artillery, engineers… |
| Bde | Brigade | Army and Marine formation of several battalions, typically 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers, commanded by a colonel or brigadier general. |
| Bn | Battalion | Military unit of three to five companies, roughly 300 to 1,000 soldiers or Marines, commanded by a lieutenant colonel with a command sergeant major or sergeant major. |
| Btry | Battery | Artillery unit equivalent to a company, commanded by a captain and typically operating a group of howitzers, rocket launchers or air defense systems. |
| CAB | Combat Aviation Brigade | Army aviation brigade assigned to a division, operating AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters, CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopters and… |
| CAF | Canadian Armed Forces | Unified military of Canada, comprising the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, under the Department of National Defence. |
| CAP | Civil Air Patrol | Congressionally chartered nonprofit that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the US Air Force, conducting search and rescue, disaster relief, aerial imagery… |
| CB | Construction Battalion | Navy construction unit whose members, the Seabees, build and repair airfields, roads, bases and facilities in combat zones and disaster areas. |
| CCT | Combat Controller | US Air Force special tactics airman who is also a certified air traffic controller, deploying with special operations forces to establish assault zones and airfields… |
| CENTCOM | United States Central Command | Combatant command responsible for US military operations in the Middle East, Egypt, Central Asia and parts of South Asia, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in… |
| CGSC | Command and General Staff College | US Army graduate school at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, that educates majors and selected officers from other services and allied nations in operations, planning and… |
| CJCS | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | Senior uniformed officer of the US armed forces and principal military adviser to the president, secretary of defense and National Security Council. |
| CNO | Chief of Naval Operations | Highest-ranking officer of the US Navy, a four-star admiral who serves as the principal naval adviser to the president and secretary of the Navy and is a member of the… |
| Co. | Company | Abbreviation of company used in business names, either as a standalone ending, as in "Ford Motor Co.," or combined with another designation, as in "Co., Ltd." In many… |
| CSA | Chief of Staff of the Army | Top uniformed leader of the US Army, a four-star general who leads the Army staff, advises the secretary of the Army and serves on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. |
| CSAF | Chief of Staff of the Air Force | Senior uniformed officer of the US Air Force, a four-star general responsible for organizing, training and equipping the Air Force and a member of the Joint Chiefs of… |
| CSG | Carrier Strike Group | US Navy formation built around an aircraft carrier and its air wing, escorted by guided-missile cruisers or destroyers and often a submarine and supply ship. |
| CSO | Chief of Space Operations | Professional head of the US Space Force, a four-star general who leads the service and sits on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. |
| CVW | Carrier Air Wing | Group of Navy aviation squadrons assigned to an aircraft carrier, typically including F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-35C Lightning IIs, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D Hawkeyes… |
| CYBERCOM | United States Cyber Command | Combatant command responsible for defending Department of Defense networks and conducting military offensive and defensive cyberspace operations, headquartered at Fort… |
| DA | Department of the Army | Military department within the Department of Defense that organizes, trains and equips the US Army, headed by the civilian secretary of the Army. |
| DAF | Department of the Air Force | Military department that contains both the US Air Force and the US Space Force, headed by the secretary of the Air Force. |
| DEVGRU | Naval Special Warfare Development Group | US Navy special mission unit, popularly known as SEAL Team Six, that conducts the most sensitive counterterrorism and hostage-rescue operations under Joint Special… |
| Div | Division | Large Army or Marine Corps formation of several brigades or regiments plus supporting units, usually 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers or Marines, commanded by a major general. |
| DoD | Department of Defense | Federal executive department that oversees the US armed forces, including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, along with defense agencies and the… |
| DON | Department of the Navy | Military department containing both the US Navy and the US Marine Corps, led by the civilian secretary of the Navy. |
| EUCOM | United States European Command | Responsible for US forces and military relations across Europe, Israel excepted, plus Russia, Turkey and the Caucasus, this combatant command is headquartered at Patch… |
| FORSCOM | US Army Forces Command | Largest command of the US Army, responsible for training and preparing most active-duty and reserve combat units in the continental United States and providing ready… |
| HHC | Headquarters and Headquarters Company | Company that contains a battalion's or brigade's headquarters staff and the soldiers who support it, including the staff sections, communications and often specialized… |
| IDF | Israel Defense Forces | Military of Israel, comprising ground forces, the air force and the navy. |
| INDOPACOM | United States Indo-Pacific Command | Largest of the geographic combatant commands, responsible for US military activity across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from the US West Coast to India's western… |
| IRGC | Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps | Branch of Iran's armed forces created after the 1979 revolution to protect the Islamic Republic's system, with its own ground, naval and aerospace forces, the Basij… |
| ISAF | International Security Assistance Force | NATO-led multinational mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014, established by the UN Security Council to help secure Kabul and later responsible for security… |
| JCS | Joint Chiefs of Staff | Body of senior uniformed leaders that advises the president, secretary of defense and National Security Council: the chairman and vice chairman, the chiefs of the Army… |
| JROTC | Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps | High school program sponsored by the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force that teaches leadership, citizenship and military history through classroom… |
| JSOC | Joint Special Operations Command | Sub-unified command of US Special Operations Command that studies special operations requirements and commands the nation's most elite counterterrorism units, such as… |
| KFOR | Kosovo Force | NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo, deployed in June 1999 after the NATO air campaign against Yugoslavia, to maintain a safe environment and freedom of movement for… |
| MAGTF | Marine Air-Ground Task Force | Marine Corps organizing concept that combines a command element, ground combat element, aviation combat element and logistics combat element under one commander. |
| MARSOC | Marine Forces Special Operations Command | Marine Corps component of US Special Operations Command, whose operators, called Marine Raiders, conduct special reconnaissance, direct action and foreign internal… |
| MAW | Marine Aircraft Wing | Aviation combat element of a Marine expeditionary force, commanded by a major general and including fighter, attack, helicopter, tiltrotor, tanker, drone and air… |
| MEB | Marine Expeditionary Brigade | Mid-size Marine Air-Ground Task Force, larger than a Marine expeditionary unit and smaller than a Marine expeditionary force, built around a reinforced infantry… |
| MEF | Marine Expeditionary Force | Largest Marine Air-Ground Task Force, combining a Marine division, aircraft wing and logistics group under a lieutenant general. |
| MEU | Marine Expeditionary Unit | Smallest standing Marine Air-Ground Task Force, about 2,200 Marines and sailors embarked on an amphibious ready group of three Navy ships and commanded by a colonel. |
| MLR | Marine Littoral Regiment | New Marine Corps unit designed to operate within range of enemy weapons along coastlines and islands, combining an infantry combat team, an anti-air battalion and a… |
| MoD | Ministry of Defence | Directs UK defence policy and the armed forces, including the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. |
| MSC | Military Sealift Command | Navy command that operates support ships for refueling, resupply, hospital, survey and strategic sealift missions, crewed mostly by civilian mariners. |
| NAVAIR | Naval Air Systems Command | Navy systems command responsible for developing, acquiring, testing and supporting the aircraft, weapons and related systems of the Navy and Marine Corps. |
| NAVSEA | Naval Sea Systems Command | Largest of the Navy's systems commands, responsible for designing, building, buying and maintaining ships, submarines and their combat systems. |
| NG | National Guard | Reserve military force of the US Army and Air Force organized by state, territory and the District of Columbia. |
| NGB | National Guard Bureau | Federal organization in the Pentagon that administers the Army and Air National Guard, channels policy and funding between the services and the states, and coordinates… |
| NORAD | North American Aerospace Defense Command | Binational US-Canadian command that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty and maritime warning for North America, tracking aircraft, missiles and objects… |
| NORTHCOM | United States Northern Command | Homeland-defense combatant command responsible for military support to civil authorities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and nearby waters, headquartered at… |
| NROTC | Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps | College officer program that commissions ensigns into the US Navy and second lieutenants into the US Marine Corps. |
| NSW | Naval Special Warfare Command | Navy component of US Special Operations Command, responsible for SEAL teams and special boat teams manned by Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen. |
| NVA | North Vietnamese Army | Name used by Americans during the Vietnam War for the People's Army of Vietnam, the regular army of North Vietnam, as distinct from the Viet Cong guerrillas fighting in… |
| NWC | National War College | Joint senior service college at Fort Lesley J. |
| ODA | Operational Detachment Alpha | Basic 12-member team of US Army Special Forces, commanded by a captain with a warrant officer as assistant commander and paired specialists in weapons, engineering… |
| OSD | Office of the Secretary of Defense | Principal staff of the secretary of defense, including the deputy secretary, the under secretaries for policy, acquisition, intelligence and personnel, and various… |
| PACAF | Pacific Air Forces | Air Force major command and air component of US Indo-Pacific Command, overseeing Air Force units in Japan, South Korea, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam. |
| PACOM | United States Pacific Command | Former name of the US combatant command for the Pacific region, used from 1947 until May 2018, when it became US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM). |
| PJ | Pararescue jumper | US Air Force special operations airman trained in combat medicine, parachuting, diving and survival to rescue isolated personnel, often behind enemy lines. |
| PLA | People's Liberation Army | Armed forces of the People's Republic of China, the largest military in the world by active personnel. |
| Plt | Platoon | Unit of three or four squads, typically 16 to 50 soldiers or Marines, led by a lieutenant with a senior NCO as platoon sergeant. |
| RA | Royal Artillery | British Army corps providing field artillery, rocket systems, air defence, drones and surveillance and target acquisition. |
| RAF | Royal Air Force | Air and space force of the United Kingdom, operating Typhoon and F-35 fighters, transport and tanker aircraft, surveillance aircraft and helicopters. |
| RE | Royal Engineers | Corps of the British Army responsible for military engineering: building bridges and fortifications, clearing mines and explosives, constructing infrastructure and… |
| Regt | Regiment | Military formation whose role varies: in the Marine Corps, a combat unit of about three battalions commanded by a colonel; in the US Army, mostly a historical and… |
| RM | Royal Marines | Amphibious light infantry and commando force of the United Kingdom, part of the Naval Service. |
| RN | Royal Navy | Naval force of the United Kingdom, operating aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, destroyers and frigates and the Royal Marines. |
| ROTC | Reserve Officers' Training Corps | College program that trains students to become commissioned officers in the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force while they earn a bachelor's degree. |
| SAC | Strategic Air Command | US Air Force command that controlled the nation's long-range nuclear bombers and land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles from 1946 to 1992, the core of US… |
| SACEUR | Supreme Allied Commander Europe | Commander of NATO's Allied Command Operations, responsible for planning and executing alliance military operations. |
| SAS | Special Air Service | British Army special forces regiment, formed in 1941, that conducts counterterrorism, hostage rescue, special reconnaissance and raids. |
| SBS | Special Boat Service | Special forces unit of the Royal Navy, drawn mainly from the Royal Marines, specializing in maritime counterterrorism, ship boarding, beach reconnaissance and raids. |
| SEAC | Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman | Most senior enlisted position in the US armed forces, advising the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on matters affecting enlisted members of all services and joint… |
| SEAL | Sea, Air and Land (Navy SEAL) | Member or team of the US Navy's primary special operations force, trained to operate from the sea, air and land in direct action raids, special reconnaissance… |
| SF | Special Forces (US Army) | US Army special operations force, known as the Green Berets, that specializes in unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense and training partner forces, as well… |
| SFG | Special Forces Group | US Army Special Forces formation, roughly brigade-size, commanded by a colonel and aligned with a region of the world for language and cultural expertise. |
| SFOD-D | 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta | US Army special mission unit, better known as Delta Force, specializing in counterterrorism, hostage rescue and high-value target raids under Joint Special Operations… |
| SHAPE | Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe | Headquarters of NATO's Allied Command Operations, from which the Supreme Allied Commander Europe directs alliance military operations and plans the defense of member… |
| SOAR | Special Operations Aviation Regiment | US Army helicopter regiment, formally the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), known as the Night Stalkers, that flies special operations forces on… |
| SOCOM | United States Special Operations Command | Functional combatant command that organizes, trains and equips US special operations forces from all services, including Army Special Forces and Rangers, Navy SEALs… |
| SOF | Special Operations Forces | Military units specially selected, trained and equipped for missions such as direct action, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, unconventional warfare and foreign… |
| SOUTHCOM | United States Southern Command | Geographic combatant command responsible for US military activities, security cooperation and disaster response in Central America, South America and the Caribbean… |
| SPACECOM | United States Space Command | Combatant command for military operations in space, including protecting satellites, deterring attacks and supporting other commands with space capabilities. |
| Sqd | Squad | Small infantry unit led by a staff sergeant in the Army or a sergeant in the Marine Corps. |
| Sqn | Squadron | Unit whose size depends on the service: in the Army, a battalion-size cavalry unit; in the Air Force and Space Force, the basic unit, often operating 18 to 24 aircraft… |
| STRATCOM | United States Strategic Command | Nuclear-focused combatant command responsible for US strategic deterrence, nuclear command and control and global strike planning, headquartered at Offutt Air Force… |
| TA | Territorial Army | Volunteer reserve of the British Army, created in 1908 as the Territorial Force and called the Territorial Army from 1921 until 2014, made up of part-time soldiers who… |
| TACP | Tactical Air Control Party | US Air Force airmen embedded with Army ground units to advise commanders on air power and to direct close air support, frequently as qualified joint terminal attack… |
| TRADOC | US Army Training and Doctrine Command | Army command responsible for recruiting and training soldiers, running the branch schools and centers of excellence, and writing the doctrine that tells the Army how to… |
| TRANSCOM | United States Transportation Command | Functional combatant command responsible for moving US forces and supplies worldwide by air, land and sea, headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. |
| Trp | Troop | Cavalry unit equivalent to a company, commanded by a captain and typically made up of scout or armored platoons. |
| USA | United States Army | Oldest and largest branch of the US armed forces, responsible for land warfare. |
| USAF | United States Air Force | Air and space warfare branch of the US armed forces, operating fighters, bombers, tankers, airlifters, intercontinental ballistic missiles and much of the nation's… |
| USAFA | United States Air Force Academy | Four-year federal service academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado, that educates cadets for commissions in the US Air Force and US Space Force. |
| USAFE | United States Air Forces in Europe | Air Force major command and air component of US European Command, combined with Air Forces Africa, overseeing Air Force units in Europe and Africa from Ramstein Air… |
| USAR | United States Army Reserve | Federal reserve component of the US Army, providing trained soldiers and units, especially in medical, logistics, civil affairs, engineering and transportation fields… |
| USASOC | United States Army Special Operations Command | Army component of US Special Operations Command, overseeing Special Forces (Green Berets), the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and… |
| USCG | United States Coast Guard | Maritime law enforcement, search-and-rescue and military service of the United States. |
| USCGA | United States Coast Guard Academy | Federal service academy in New London, Connecticut, that educates cadets for commissions as ensigns in the US Coast Guard. |
| USMA | United States Military Academy | Four-year federal service academy at West Point, New York, that educates and commissions officers for the US Army. |
| USMC | United States Marine Corps | Expeditionary service of the US armed forces, organized to fight from the sea and deploy quickly as combined air-ground task forces. |
| USMCR | United States Marine Corps Reserve | Reserve component of the Marine Corps, organized under Marine Forces Reserve with headquarters in New Orleans and comprising a reserve division, aircraft wing and… |
| USMMA | United States Merchant Marine Academy | Federal service academy at Kings Point, New York, run by the Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration, that trains midshipmen as licensed merchant marine… |
| USN | United States Navy | Maritime service branch of the US armed forces, operating aircraft carriers, submarines, surface combatants and naval aviation worldwide. |
| USNA | United States Naval Academy | Four-year federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland, that educates midshipmen for commissions as Navy ensigns or Marine Corps second lieutenants. |
| USNR | United States Navy Reserve | Reserve component of the US Navy, providing trained sailors and officers who support the active fleet in aviation, logistics, medicine, intelligence and other fields… |
| USSF | United States Space Force | Newest branch of the US armed forces, responsible for military satellites, missile warning, space surveillance, launch ranges and space control. |
| VC | Viet Cong | Communist guerrilla and political movement in South Vietnam, formally the National Liberation Front, that fought the South Vietnamese government and US forces during… |
| VCJCS | Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | Second-highest-ranking officer in the US armed forces, a four-star officer who acts for the chairman when absent and leads requirements and resource oversight through… |
More military abbreviations
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- Military Award and Decoration Abbreviations (37)
- Military Pay Grade Abbreviations (44)
- Military Term Abbreviations (248)
- Naval Ship Abbreviations (23)
- US Air Force and Space Force Rank Abbreviations (27)
- US Army Rank Abbreviations (34)
- US Marine Corps Rank Abbreviations (25)
- US Navy and Coast Guard Rank Abbreviations (31)
- US Navy and Coast Guard Rating Abbreviations (52)
- Veteran Abbreviations (53)
- Weapon and Military Equipment Abbreviations (77)