USAR

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

USAR
Stands forUnited States Army Reserve
Meanings2
CategoriesMilitary, Government & Politics

USAR has two meanings. It stands for United States Army Reserve (military unit and organization) or Urban search and rescue (emergency services).

Meanings of USAR at a glance

#USAR stands forContext
1United States Army ReserveMilitary › Military Unit and Organization
2Urban search and rescueGovernment & Politics › Emergency Services

1. United States Army Reserve

Military · Military Unit and Organization Abbreviations

Federal reserve component of the US Army, providing trained soldiers and units, especially in medical, logistics, civil affairs, engineering and transportation fields, for mobilization in war and national emergencies.

Example: The USAR transportation company was mobilized for a nine-month rotation in Kuwait.

Unlike the National Guard, the Army Reserve has no state role and answers only to federal authority. It traces its origins to the Medical Reserve Corps created on April 23, 1908. Reserve soldiers typically drill one weekend a month, called battle assembly, and train two weeks a year.

2. Urban search and rescue

Government & Politics · Emergency Services Abbreviations

Specialized teams that locate, extricate and treat people trapped in collapsed buildings and other structures after earthquakes, explosions and hurricanes. In the US, FEMA coordinates 28 national task forces.

Example: USAR teams searched the collapsed condominium tower around the clock for two weeks.

Also written US&R. US task forces, such as Virginia Task Force 1 and California's Los Angeles County team, deploy internationally through USAID. Teams include structural engineers, canine handlers and medical staff. International teams follow guidelines set by the UN's INSARAG.

More military unit and organization abbreviations

  • USA – United States Army
  • USAF – United States Air Force
  • USAFA – United States Air Force Academy
  • USAFE – United States Air Forces in Europe
  • USASOC – United States Army Special Operations Command
  • USCG – United States Coast Guard
  • USCGA – United States Coast Guard Academy
  • USMA – United States Military Academy

See all 126 military unit and organization abbreviations →

More emergency services abbreviations

  • SOG – Standard operating guideline
  • START – Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment
  • TIC – Thermal imaging camera
  • UC – Unified command
  • VFD – Volunteer fire department
  • WEA – Wireless Emergency Alerts
  • WMD – Weapon of mass destruction
  • WUI – Wildland-urban interface

See all 72 emergency services abbreviations →