US Military Abbreviations
As most collectors know, abbreviations are used everywhere. In war time books and papers, on website, reference books etc. In some cases you have no idea what the abbreviation means, to help you out we have composed a list of often used Abbreviations in the US military during World War Two. We hope you find this helpful!
| Numbers | |
|---|---|
| 1Lt | 1st Lieutenant |
| 1Sgt | 1st Sergeant |
| 2Lt | 2nd Lieutenant |
| A | |
|---|---|
| A/C | Aviation Cadet |
| AA | Anti-Aircraft |
| AAA | Anti-Aircraft Artillery |
| AAB | Army Air Base |
| AAC | Army Air Corps |
| AAF | Army Air Forces |
| Acft | Aircraft |
| ACU | Army Combat Unit |
| ADC | Alaska Defense Command |
| AF | Air Forces |
| AFHQ | Allied Forces Headquarters |
| AG | Adjudant General |
| AGF | Army Ground Forces |
| AP | Anti-Personnel |
| AR | Army Regulations |
| ARM | Airman |
| Art | Artillery |
| Arty | Artillery |
| ASC | Air Service Command |
| ASF | Army Service Forces |
| Asgd | Assigned |
| Asgmt | Assignment |
| ASTP | Army Specialized Training Program |
| AT | Anti-Tank |
| ATC | Air Transport Command |
| AUS | Army of the United States |
| Awol | Absent Without Leave |
| B | |
|---|---|
| BG | Brigadier General |
| B Gen | Brigadier General |
| Bmr | Bomber |
| Bn | Battalion |
| BRO | Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) |
| Btry | Battery (artillery) |
| C | |
|---|---|
| CA | Coast Artillery |
| Capt | Captain |
| Cav | Cavalry |
| CBI | China-Burma-India Theater |
| CCA | Combat Command A |
| CCB | Combat Command B |
| CCR | Combat Command Reserve |
| CD | Civil Defense |
| CENPAC | Central Pacific |
| CG | Commanding General |
| CIB | Combat Infantry Badge |
| Clk | Clerk |
| Cmd | Command |
| CO | Commanding Officer |
| Co | Company |
| Col | Colonel |
| Comd | Command |
| Comdr | Commander |
| Comdt | Commandant |
| COSSAC | Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander |
| CP | Command Post |
| Cpl | Corporal |
| CT | China Theater |
| CWO | Chief Warrant Officer |
| CWS | Chemical Warfare Service |
| D | |
|---|---|
| D/D | Dishonorable Discharge |
| Def | Defense |
| Dep | Department |
| Det | Detachment |
| Dis | Discharged |
| Disch | Discharged |
| Div | Division |
| Divarty | Divisional Artillery |
| DNB | Died, Non-Battle |
| DOW | Died of Wounds |
| Dy | Duty |
| E | |
|---|---|
| E | East |
| EDC | Eastern Defense Command |
| EM | Enlisted Men |
| Engr | Engineer |
| Enl | Enlisted |
| Enlmt | Enlistment |
| EO | Executive Order |
| ERC | Enlisted Reserve Corps |
| ETO | European Theater of Operations |
| ETOUSA | European Theater of Operations, U.S.A. |
| EW | Enlisted Women |
| Ey | Enemy |
| Ex. O. | Exexutive Officer |
| Exec | Executive, Executive Officer |
| F | |
|---|---|
| FA | Field Artillery |
| FEAF | Far East Air Forces |
| FEASC | Far East Air Service Command |
| Fin | Finance |
| FO | Flight Officer |
| FO | Field Order |
| FO | Forward Observer |
| FOD | Finding of Death |
| Fld | Field |
| FLT O | Flight Officer |
| FM | Field Manual |
| FSSF | First Special Service Forces |
| Fur | Furlough |
| Fwd | Forward |
| G | |
|---|---|
| G-1 | Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel |
| G-2 | Assistant Chief of Staff for Military Intelligence |
| G-3 | Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Training |
| G-4 | Assistant Chief of Staff for Supply and Evacuation |
| GCM | General Court Martial |
| Gen | General |
| Ger | German |
| GHQ | General Headquarters |
| GO | General Order |
| Gp | Group |
| Gr | Grade |
| GS | General Staff |
| GySgt | Gunnery Sergeant |
| H | |
|---|---|
| Hist | Historical |
| Hon | Honorable Discharge |
| Hosp | Hospital |
| Hq | Headquarters |
| Hv | Heavy |
| Hvy | Heavy |
| I | |
|---|---|
| IBT | India-Burma Theater |
| I&E | Information and Education |
| IG | Inspector General |
| IGD | Inspector General's Department |
| Inf | Infantry |
| Insp | Inspection, inspector |
| Int | Intelligence |
| Intpr | Interpreter |
| IPW | Interrogation Prisoner of War |
| J | |
|---|---|
| JA | Judge Advocate |
| JAG | Judge Advocate General |
| Jd | Joined |
| K | |
|---|---|
| KIA | Killed in Action |
| KP | Kitchen Patrol |
| L | |
|---|---|
| LCpl | Lance Corporal |
| LD | Line of Duty |
| Ldr | Leader |
| LMG | Light Machine Gun |
| Ln | Liaison |
| Ln Off | Liaison Officer |
| Ltr | Letter |
| Lt | Lieutenant |
| LtC | Lieutenant Colonel |
| LtG | Lieutenant General |
| Lt Gen | Lieutenant General |
| Lv | Leave |
| M | |
|---|---|
| M/R | Morning Report |
| M/Sgt | Master Sergeant |
| MAAF | Mediterranean Allied Air Forces |
| Maj | Major |
| Maj Gen | Major General |
| MC | Medical Corps |
| MD | Medical Department |
| MDW | Military District of Washington |
| Med | Medical |
| Med | Medical Discharge |
| MG | Major General |
| MG | Machine Gun |
| MI | Military Intelligence |
| MIA | Missing in Action |
| MID | Military intelligence Division |
| Mil | Military |
| MIS | Military intelligence Service |
| MOS | Military Occupation Specialty |
| MPB | Military Personnel BRanch |
| MPD | Military Personnel Department |
| Msg | Message |
| MT | Motor Transport |
| MTD | Military Training Division |
| Mtg | Meeting |
| MTO | Mediterranean Theater of Operations |
| MTOUSA | Mediterranean Theater of Operations, U.S.A. |
| N | |
|---|---|
| N | North |
| NATO | North African Theater of Operations |
| NATOUSA | North African Theater of Operations, U.S.A. |
| NCO | Non-Commissioned Officer |
| NLD | Not in the line of duty |
| NonCom | Non-Commissioned Officer |
| NTR | Nothing To Report |
| O | |
|---|---|
| OB | Order of Battle |
| Obj | Objective |
| Obsn | Observation |
| Obsr | Observer |
| OC | Officer Candidate |
| OCofS | Office, Chief of Staff |
| OCS | Officer Candidate School |
| Off | Officer |
| OP | Observation Post |
| Opn | Operation |
| Opns | Operations |
| Ord | Ordonance |
| Orgn | Organizations |
| OSS | Office of Strategic Services |
| P | |
|---|---|
| Par | Paragraph |
| Pers | Personnel |
| Pfc | Private First Class |
| PH | Purple Heart |
| Pl | Platoon |
| Plat | Platoon |
| Plng | Planning |
| PO | Plans and Operations |
| POE | Port of Embarkation |
| POW | Prisoner of War |
| PRO | Public Relations Officer |
| Proj | Project |
| Pvt | Private |
| Pz | Panzer |
| Q | |
|---|---|
| Q | Question |
| QM | Quartermaster |
| QMC | Quartermaster Corps |
| QMG | Quartermaster General |
| Qrs | Quarters |
| R | |
|---|---|
| Rat | Rations |
| Rcn | Reconnaissance |
| Rctg | Recruiting |
| Reasgmt | Reassignment |
| Rec | Record |
| Reg | Regulation |
| Regt | Regiment |
| Rep | Representative |
| Repl | Replacement |
| Reqmt | Requirement |
| Res | Reserve |
| ROTC | Reserve Officers Training Corps |
| S | |
|---|---|
| S | South |
| S/A | Small Arms |
| S/Sgt | Staff Sergeant |
| Sch | School |
| SCM | Special Court Martial |
| SEAC | Southeast Asia Command |
| Sec | Section |
| Serv | Service |
| SG | Surgeon General |
| Sgt | Sergeant |
| SHAEF | Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force |
| SigC | Signal Corps |
| SigO | Signal Officer |
| Sitrep | Situation Report |
| Sk | Sick |
| SN | Secretary of the Navy |
| SO | Special Order |
| Sol | Soldier |
| SP | Self Proppeled |
| SP | Supply Point |
| Sp | Special |
| SS | Selective Service |
| SSI | Shoulder Sleeve Insignia |
| SSN | Specifation Serial Number |
| SSUA | Special Staff, US Army |
| Stf | Staff |
| Sub | Subject |
| Svc | Service Command |
| SW | Secretary of War |
| SWPA | South West Pacific Area |
| T | |
|---|---|
| T | Theater |
| T3 | Technician 3rd Grade |
| T4 | Technician 4th Grade |
| T5 | Technician 5th Grade |
| T/Cpl | Technical Corporal |
| T/Sgt | Technical Sergeant |
| TC | Transportation Corps |
| Tech | Technical |
| Telg | Telegram |
| TF | Task Force |
| Tng | Training |
| Tp | Telephone |
| Tr | Troop(s) |
| Tk | Tank |
| Tk | Truck |
| Trp | Troop |
| U | |
|---|---|
| Unasg | Unassigned |
| USAAF | US Army Air Forces |
| USARJ | United States Army, Japan |
| USMC | United Stated Marine Corps |
| USN | US Navy |
| USSTAF | IS Strategic Air Forces Europe |
| V | |
|---|---|
| V-P Day | Victory in the Pacific Day |
| V-J Day | Victory over Japan Day |
| VA | Veterans' Administration |
| VE-Day | Victory in Europe Day |
| Vic | Vicinity |
| W | |
|---|---|
| W | West |
| W1 | Warrant Officer 1 |
| W2 | Warrant Officer 2 |
| WAAC | Women's Army Auciliary Corps |
| WAAF | Women's Army Auciliary Force |
| WAC | Women's Army Corps |
| WAF | Women in the Air Force |
| WASP | Women Air Service Pilots |
| WD | War Department |
| WDC | Western Defence Command |
| WIA | Wounded in Action |
| WO | Warrant Officer |
| WO1 | Warrant Officer 1 |
| WO2 | Chief Warrant Officer 2 |
| WOJG | Warrant Officer Junior Grade |
| Wpns | Weapons |
| X | |
|---|---|
| X RD | Crossroad |
| Y | |
|---|---|
| YMCA | Young Men's Christian Association |
| Z | |
|---|---|
| ZI | Zone of Interior |