Afghanistan war logs: the

glossary
Glossary

Glossary of military acronyms

Acronym Meaning
Download the table
(number)IN Infantry group
(number)US Number of US personnel
(number)V Vehicles
(Time)L Local time
(Time)Z Zulu time - GMT
42 CDO RM 42 Commando Royal Marines
508 STB 508th special troops battalion
81 81mm mortar round
9-liner 9 Line MEDEVAC Request
A/C aircraft
AAF anti-afghan forces
ABP Afghan Border Police
AC-130 Gunship adapted from Hercules
ACK Acknowledge
ACM Anti-Coalition Militia
AFG Afghans
AH-1W Attack helicopter 1W - US Marines Super Cobra gunship
AIHRC Afghan Independent Human Right Commission
AK-47 Assault rifle
ANA Afghan National Army
ANAP Afghan National Auxiliary Police
ANBP Afghan National Border Police
ANP Afghan National Police
ANSF Afghan National Security Forces
AO Area of operation
AQ Al Qaida
ARSIC Afghan regional security integrated command
ASG Area Support Group
ASV armoured security vehicle
ATT At this time
ATTK Attack
AUP Afghan uniform police
B-HUTS Semi-permanent wooden structures used in place of
tents
BAF Bagram Air Field
BCT Brigade combat team (US)
 Glossary of military acronyms
Acronym Meaning
BDA Battle damage assessment
BDE Brigade
Beaten Area where spread of rounds fired
zone
BFT Blue Force Tracking: identifying friendly forces in area
BG Brigadier General
Blue forces Nato/ISAF forces
Blue on Friendly fire
Blue
BN Battalion
BP Blood Pressure
BPT Be [ing] prepared to
BRF Brigade Reconnaissance Force
BSN (Camp) Bastion
BSSM Border Security Subcommittee Meeting
BTG Basic target graphic
BTIF Bagram theatre internment facility
BTL Battalion
buzz saw Signalling method by waving light stick in circle
C//NF Confidential, no foreign nationals
C/S Call sign
CAS Close air support
CAT C Category C patient - priority
CCA carrier-controlled approach
CCIR commander's critical information requirements
CD Command
CDN Canadian
CDR Commander
CF Coalition Forces
CG Coldstream Guards
CGBG Coldstream Guards Battle Group
cgbg 1 coy 1 company, Coldstream Guards battle group
CHOPS Chief of Operations
CIV Civilian
CIVCAS Civilian casualties
CJ2 US intelligence and security command, afghanistan
CJ3 Joint special ops
CJSOTF combined joint special operations task force
CJTF Combined Joint Task Force
CJTF-82 Combined Joint Task Force-82: HQ of US Forces in ISAF
and Regional Command East, March 2007-April 2008
CLP Combat logistics patrol [supply convoy]
CO Commanding officer
CoP Chief of Police
COP Combat outpost
Coy Company
 Glossary of military acronyms
Acronym Meaning
CP Check point
cpt Captain
Csh combat support hospital
CTC ? counterterrorist center
CWIED Command Wire Improvised Explosive Device
DBC database code
DC District Centre
DF Direct fire
DOI Date of incident
DoS Department of State
DSHKA Soviet-origin heavy machine gun
ECP entry control point
EKIA Enemy killed in action
Element Part of a task force e.g. "Puma element" = part of Task
Force Puma
ENG BDE Engineer Brigade
EOC Emergency Operation Centre
EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal [bomb defuser]
eof Escalation of Force [also 'exchange of fire']
ETT embedded training team
evac Evacuation
EVACD Evacuated
F-15 Fighter /bomber
FB Forward Base (context -"Do China FB")
FF Friendly Forces
FFIR Friendly Forces Information Requirement
FIR First Impressions Report
FO Forward observer
FOB Forward Operating Base
FP Firing point
fps Facility protection service
FRA BG French battle group
FSB Forward Support Base
GBU Guided Bomb Unit
GBU-12 500lb laser-guided "smart bomb"
GBU-31 2,000lb "smart bomb'
GBU-38 GPS/laser guided 500lb 'smart' bomb
GCTF Global Counter Terrorism Forces
GEN General
GHZ Ghazni
GIRoA Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
GMLRS Multiple rocket launcher
Green on Fighting between Afghan forces
green
GSW Gunshot wound
GT R2RR Canadian troops: tactical group:2nd bn 22nd royal
 Glossary of military acronyms
Acronym Meaning
regiment
helos Helicopters
HHB Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion
HIMARS latest GPS-guided multiple rocket system, mounted on
v. mobile truck [carries GMLRS qv]
HLZ helicopter landing zone
HMG UK government (HM Government)
HMLA-169 US Marines light attack helicopter sqadron
HRT hostage rescue team
HVI High-value Individual
HWY Highway
IAW In accordance with
IAW EOF in accordance with escalation of force standard
SOP operating procedure
ICOM Radio
IDF indirect fire
IED Improvised explosive device
Illum Illumination mortar, fired to provide light
INFIL Infiltrate
INS Insurgents
INTSUM Intelligence summary
IO Information operations
IOT In order to
IR Incident Report
ir infrared
IR STROBE Infrared Strobe
IRoA Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
IRT Incident Response Team?
ISAF International Security Assistance Force
ISN Internment [or Insurgent] serial Number
ISO In support of
ISR Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
IVO In vicinity of
J COY 42 J company 42 Commando Royal Marines
CDO
JAF Jalalabad Air Field
JAG Judge Advocate General (Army legal team)
JBAD Jalalabad
JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munition
JDCC Joint District Coordination Center
JDOC Joint Defense Operations Center
JEL Joint Effects List [hit list]
Jingle trucks Brightly decorated trucks covered in bells common
across central Asia
JOC joint ops centre
JPEL Joint Prioritised Effects List [hit list]
 Glossary of military acronyms
Acronym Meaning
JTAC Joint terminal air controller
JUGROOM Fort, Garmsir, Afghanistan
KAF Kandahar Air Field
KAIA Kabul international airport
KDZ Kunduz
KIA Killed in action
KJI Kajaki
KMTC Kabul military training cetnre
KPRT Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team
L: Location (in relation to S, A, L, T)
LEP Law Enforcement Professionals
Line 1 Location of the pick-up site.
Line 2 Radio frequency, call sign, and suffix.
Line 3 Number of patients by precedence: A to E with A being
most urgent
Line 4 Special equipment required
Litter Stretcher used by medics
LKG Lashkar Ghar
LN Local national
LNO Liaison Officer
LTC Lieutenant Colonel
Luna German drone
LZ Landing Zone
m240b Type of machine gun
M249 light machine gun
M4/M-4 Type of gun
MAJ Major
MAR Marine
MED OPS Medical Operations
MED TM Medical Team
medevac Medical evacuation
MEY PRT Meymaneh provincial reconstruction team
MG Machine Gun
MHL Mehtar Lam
MM Military Message
MOD Ministry of Defence
MOI Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior
MP Military Police
MS Military support
MSN Nurse (with a masters)
Msr main supply route
MTF More to follow
MTT military training team
N/I C Nato/ISAF Confidential
NAI Named areas of interest
NC non-combatant
 Glossary of military acronyms
Acronym Meaning
NCO Non-commissioned officer
NDS Afghan intelligence [national directorate of security]
NFI Not Further Identified
NFTR Nothing further to report
NMC non mission-capable
NOFORN no foreigners [secrecy classification]
NSTR Nothing significant to report
OBJ Objective
OC Outcome
OCC- P operational command centre - provincial
OCCD Operational Coordination Center District
ODA Operational Detachment (Alpha) - special forces
OGA Other Government Agency (usually CIA)
OIC Officer in charge
OMF Opposing Militant Forces
Op Operation
OP Observation Post
OP grid Operation/Observation post map coordinates
OPSUM Operations Summary
ORSA operations research and systems analysis
PA Physician Assistant
PAK Pakistan
PAKMIL Pakistan military
PAO Public Affairs Officer
PAX Passengers/People
PB Patrol Base
PBG Polish battle group
PEF poppy eradication force [afghan police]
PEN Penich (outpost)
PHQ Police headquarters (in reference to ANP)
PID positive i.d.
PKM Russian-made machine gun
PL Platoon
PLT Platoon
PLT SJT Platoon Seargant
PMT Police Mentor Team
PoA President of Afghanistan
poc point of contact
POI point of impact
POO Point of origin
PRED Predator drone
PRO COY protection company
PRT Provincial Reconstruction Team
PRT CDR Provincial Reconstruction Team Commander
PSO Post Security Officer
PT Patient
 Glossary of military acronyms
Acronym Meaning
PTS Peace Through Strength (PTS) reconciliation process
QRF Quick Response Force
RB Road block
RC (N) Regional Command North
RC CENTRALRegional Command Central
RC(E) / RC Regional Command East
East
RC(W) Regional Command West
RC=S / Regional Command South
RC(S)
RCAG Regional Corps Assistance Group
RCC / RC(C) Regional Command Capital
RCP Route clearance Patrol
rds/RDS Rounds
rfs Resident Field Squadron
RG US armoured vehicle
RGR Royal Gurkha rifles
ROE Rules of engagement
Role 3 Surgical facility
RPG Rocket propelled grenade
RPK Light machine gun, Kalashnikov (Ruchnoi Pulemyot
Kalashnikova)
RPT Report
RTB Return to base
RTE Route
RTF Reconstruction Task Force [Australian at TF Uruzgan]
S-2 Intelligence staff officer
S-5 Staff member responsible for civil-military operations
S, A, L, T Size, Activity, Location, Time (military report)
S, A, L, T, U, Size, Activity, Location, Time, Unit, Result (military
R report)
S: Size (in relation to S, A, L, T)
S//REL Secret or Selective release? (context - "S//REL TO USA,
AFG, GCTF, ISAF, NATO")
SAF/Safire Small ams fire/Surface to air fire
SAW Squad Automatic Weapon [ machine gun]
SC-26 Scorpion 26 - US special forces unit in Helmand
SCIDA Site Configuration and Installation Design Authority?
SEWOC Sigint Electronic Warfare Operational Centre
SFG special forces group
Shura Meeting of tribal elders and Afghan leaders
SIED Suicide IED
SIGACT Significant activity
SIR Serious Incident Report
sof Special ops force
SOG Special ops group
 Glossary of military acronyms
Acronym Meaning
Solatia Payments to civilian victims of US attacks (or their
families)
SOP Standard Operating Procedure
SOTF Special Operations Task Force
SOTG Special ops taskgroup
SPC Specialist
SQD Squadron
sqn Squadron
Squirter Someone running for cover
SSE Sensitive site exploitation
SVBIED suicide vehicle-borne IED
SWO Surface warfare officer
SWT Scout weapons team
T: Time (in relation to S, A, L, T)
TB Taliban
TBC To be confirmed
TBD To be decided
TCP Traffic control point
TERP Interpreter
TF Task force
TF373 task force 373 [special ops]
TFK Task Force Kandahar
TG Tactical Group
TG AREs Tactical group Ares
Thready Pulse that is very fine and scarcely perceptible.
TIC Troops in contact
Toc tactical op center
TTPs tactics, techniques, and procedures
UAH Up-armoured Humvee
UAV Unmanned aerial vehicle [drone]
UH-1N US Twin Huey transport/communications helicopter
UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter
UNAMA United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
UNK Unknown
usfor-a United States Forces Afghanistan
UXO unexploded ordnance [or unfired]
VBIED VBIED vehicle-borne improvised explosive device
VCP Vehicle Check Point
vic vicinity
VIC Vehicle? (context - "ANP officer hit ANA officer with door
of VIC...7 to 8 rounds struck ANP VIC")
vitals Vital signs (for example blood pressure)
VP Vulnerable point
VPB Vehicle patrol base
VSA vital signs absent [i.e. dead]
w/d wheels down
 Glossary of military acronyms
Acronym Meaning
w/u wheels up
White Eagle Polish task force
WIA Wounded in action