Military School Glossary

Useful Military Terms and Definitions for a Cadet Entering Military School

Understanding basic US military acronyms and terms will assist the cadet in assimilating to military culture. Each military school selects which terms they use and provide the cadet with definitions in a student handbook.

Here is a general list that covers the basic terms a cadet may encounter.

AAFES 1. Army and Air Force Exchange Service. 2. Auto Alert Force Exercise Schedule (SAC).

AAR 1. After-action review. 2 Army area representative. 3 Air-to-air refueling. 4 Aircraft accident report. 5 automatic alternate routing. 6 After-action report.

AAVN Army aviation.

ACE 1 Analysis and Control Element. 2 American Council on Education. 3 Assistant chief of engineers. 4. Armored combat earth mover. 5 Airborne command element. 6 Acceptance checkout equipment. 7 Advanced control experiment. 8 Animated computer education. 9 Automatic checkout equipment. 10 [NATO] Allied Command Europe. 11 Army Corps of Engineers.

AJROTC Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.

APO Army Post Office.

ASVAB Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. This is a timed multi-aptitude test given at Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) and was developed by the Department of Defense. You will take this if you join any branch of the US military forces.

Battalion Containing about 400 soldiers, a battalion is comprised of three rifle companies, a combat support company and a headquarters company.

BDU Battle Dress Uniform.

BI Barracks Inspector or Barracks Inspection. The dorms are called Barracks on the boys side. The Barracks Inspector is simply the adult who supervises the students from 7 to 11 each night.

Boards This is short for Branch Insignia Boards. This is the last phase of the new cadet system. If the new cadet (generally a freshman) passes, he is welcomed as a full member of his unit and the Corps of Cadets.

Brigade An Army brigade contains approximately 2,500 soldiers and is under the command of a colonel. Brigades provide support to the largest unit, the Corps.

Company Contains 130 to 150 soldiers and are lead by captains. Companies consist of several platoons and form the building blocks of the the next level of organization, a battalion.

Corps The corps is the largest tactical unit in the U.S. Army. The Corps is responsible for translating strategic objectives into tactical orders. It synchronizes tactical operations including maneuvering, the firing of organic artillery, naval firing, supporting tactical air operations, and actions of their combat support, bringing together these operations on the battlefield. Each corps will have between two and five divisions, depending on the mission.

COB Close of business.

CQ Closed quarters, which is a two-hour study period Sunday through Thursday.

D & C Drill and ceremony.

DA Delegation of Authority.

DB Disciplinary board.

Division An Army division contains at least three brigades giving it somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. A division is capable of engaging in sustained battles and major tactical operations. Commanded by major generals, divisions include light infantry, armored and mechanized infantry, airborne and air assault.

CHU Containerized housing unit. A CHU is a box that soldiers live in often in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are empty boxes, usually 10 by 20 feet. One officer or two enlisted soldiers per container.

DEFAC Dining Facility.

EFP Explosively Formed Projectile. These IEDs are often found in Iraq and utilize molten copper in the detonation and are able to cut through some of the strongest armor.

First-Classmen A cadet that is a high school senior.

FOB Forward Operating Base. A FOB is a smaller military base spread out across Afghanistan and Iraq.

FOBBIT A term to define military personal that never leave the FOB to go out into hostile areas of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fourth-Classmen A cadet that is a high school freshman.

FTX Field training exercises.

GI General Inspection, room inspection and inspecting unit to make hallways are clean.

HUD Honor Unit with Distinction.

IED Improvised Explosive Device. These types of homemade bombs are usedwidely in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many use left over munitions, such as 155 mm mortar shells. Detonation is by a wide variety of means, from cellphones, trip wires to Christmas tree lights.

JROTC Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.

LET Leadership Education Training (used by AJROTC.)

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The alliance of the United States, Canada, and Western nations of Europe, whose function was to form a block against the former Soviet Union and its allies (the Warsaw Pact).

NLT No later than.

OC Officer in Charge. This is an adult supervisor who covers campus of the military school.

OD Officer of the Day. This is a cadet leadership position.

OML Order of merit list

Platoon A platoon is four squads,usually three rifle squads and one weapons squad. Lead by a Lieutenant, with a Sgt. 1st Class as second-in-command.

PI Personal Inspection. This is an inspection to see if the cadets uniform is being worn properly.

PT Physical training.

R&R 1 Removal and repair. 2 Rest and recuperation. 3 Repair and rehabilitation 4 Repair and return. 5 Repair and replace.

SAC Strategic Air Command.

Second-Classmen A cadet that is a high school junior.

Squad A small military unit consisting of 10 to 11 soldiers, the smaller pieces of a platoon.

Third-Classmen A cadet that is a high school sophomore.

VR Verbal reprimand.

V/R Very respectfully (as in the closing of a letter.)

UA Unauthorized absence.

UCMJ Uniform Code of Military Justice.

UDO Unit Duty Officer.

USO United Services Organization. The USO Provides entertainment and support to US troops all over the world.

USS 1 United States Standard. 2 United States ship. 3 User support subsystem.