List of U.S. Navy acronyms

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The U.S. Navy, like any bureaucratic organization, produces its own acronyms, which often come to have meaning beyond their bare expansions.

[edit] Official acronyms

For a comprehensive list of unit organizations in the US Navy, see List of units of the United States Navy.

3MC - Maintenance Material Management Coordinator
AAW - Anti-Air Warfare
AUTEC - Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center
ASAU - Air Search and Attack Unit
ASUW - Anti-SUrface Warfare
ASW - Anti-Submarine Warfare
ASWO - Anti-Submarine Warfare Officers
AUXO - Auxilaries Officer
AWOL - Absent Without Official Leave
CAG - Carrier Air Group (outdated, see CVW) (CAG is still used as a nickname for the Air Wing Commander, and DCAG for his/her Deputy Commander.)
CAP - Combat Air Patrol
CICO - Combat Information Center Officer
CARBATGRU - CARrier BATtle GRoUp (see CVBG)
CB - Construction Battalion (pronounced Seabees)
C4I - Command Control Communications Computers & Intelligence
CHENG - CHief ENGineer (pronounced "Chang")
CINCLANTFLT - Commander-In-Chief, us atLANTic FLeeT (see COMLANTFLT)
CINCPACFLT - Commander-In-Chief, us PACific FLeeT (see COMPACFLT)
CINCUSNAVEUR - Commander-In-Chief, US NAVal forces EURope
CNO - Chief of Naval Operations
CO - Commanding Officer
COMLANTFLT - COMmander, u.s. atLANTic FLeeT (see CINCLANTFLT)
CommO - COMMunications Officer
COMNAVAIRLANT - COMmander, NAVal AIR forces, atLANTic
COMNAVAIRPAC - COMmander, NAVal AIR forces, PACific
COMNAVSEASYSCOM - COMmander, NAValy SEA SYStems COMmand
COMPACFLT - COMmander, PACific FLeeT (formerly CINCPACFLT)
COMPTUEX - COMPosite Training Unit EXercise
COMSEC - COMmunications SECurity
COMSUBLANT - COMmander, SUBmarine force AtLANTtic
COMSUBPAC - COMmander, SUBmarine force PAcific
CQ - Carrier Qualification
CRUDESRON - CRUiser DEStroyer squadRON
CVBG - Carrier Battle Group (V comes from ship designation CV/CVN)
CVW - Carrier air Wing (V from carrier's CV designation)
DCAG - Deputy Air Wing Commander (see CAG)
DESRON - DEStroyer squadRON
DOD - Department Of Defense
DON - Department Of the Navy
ECMO - Electronic CounterMeasures Operators
FAC - Forward Air Controller
FAC/A - Forward Air Controller/Airborne
FDO - Flight Deck Officer
FOD - Foreign Object Damage (Debris and Detection also used in some cases)
FRS - Fleet Replacement Squadron (Formerly RAG)
JBD - Jet Blast Deflector (carriers)
JTF - Joint Task Force
JTFEX - Joint Task Force EXercise
LSO - Landing Signal Officer
MPA - Main Propulsion Assistant
MO - Maintenance Officer (pronounced "Moe")
NFO - Naval Flight Officer
NAVAIR - NAVal AIR systems command
NAWCAD - Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division
NAWCWD - Naval Air Warfare Center - Weapons Division
NCDU - Navy Combat Demolition Unit
NMCI - Navy & Marine Corps Intranet
NROTC - Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
NSAWC - Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center
NSWG - Naval Special Warfare Group
OCS - Officer Candidate School
OPSO - OPerationS Officer
RAG - Replacement Air Group (now known as FRS)
RIO - Radar Intercept Officer
RL - Restricted Line (Officer)
SAG - Surface Action Group
SAM - Surface-to-Air Missile
SAU - Search and Attack Unit
SEAL - SEa Air Land
SECDEF - SECretary of DEFense
SECNAV - SECretary of the NAVy
SICLOS - Shift Inspect Clean Lube Oil Strainers
SPAWAR - Space & Warfare
SUBRON - SUBmarine squadRON
SWO - Surface Warfare Officer
TE - Task Element
TF - Task Force
TG - Task Group
TU - Task Unit
UAS - Unmanned Aerial System (replaced UAV)
UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
UDT - Underwater Demolition Team
UNREP - Underway replenishment
USMC - United States Marine Corps (organized under the DON)
USN - United States Navy
UDT - Underwater Demolition Team (see SEAL)
URL - UnRestricted line (Officer)
USNA - United States Naval Academy
UWT - UnderWater Telephone
VERTREP - Vertical Replenishment
VCNO - Vice Chief of Naval Operations
WSO - (Wizzo) Weapon system Operator
XO - eXecutive Officer