Universidad  de  Oriente  

Foreign  Languages  Faculty  
 

 
 
 
U.S  Common  Military  Acronyms  and  
Terms  
 

Author:                                      Luis  Hayám  Garcés  Martínez  

 
 
Advisor:                                        MSc.  Alberto  E.  Acedo  Bravo  

English  Language  Major  

4th  Year  
2019  
 
  

 
 

Term  Paper  
 
 
 
Title:   U.S   Common   Military   Acronyms   and  
Terms  
 

Author:          Luis  Hayám  Garcés  Martínez  

Advisor:        MSc.  Alberto  Asedo  Bravo  

Second  Stage    

4th  Year  

2019  
2  
 
Abstract  
This study pretends to provide a solution to the existing research question of an
insufficient treatment of military terminology in the professional formation as
translators and interpreters of the English Language Major students from the
Universidad de Oriente. Its aim is to improve this professional formation by creating a
Glossary of U.S Common Military Acronyms and Terms, to offer a specific
terminological reference in English language of the codes and jargon employed for
this scenario to the ELM students. Subsequently, the scientific tasks for this second
stage of research were: To summarize the first stage of the report, to establish the
aspects that were taken into consideration for the selection and organization of the
U.S Military Acronyms and Terms and to create a glossary in order to make the most
Common U.S Military Acronyms and Terms available for those who may need it.
Therefore, the employed scientific methods were: analysis-synthesis, induction-
deduction, logical-historical and the structured observation.

Keywords: English language, translation interpretation, military terminology,

acronyms and terms

3  
 
Table  of  content  
Abstract……………………………………………………………………….…. 3

Introduction. …………………………………………………………………….. 5

Chapter 1: Contextualization of the translators and interpreters in the military

context..……………………………………………………………………...….. 7

1.1 U.S military slangs or jargon..…………...……….…………………….7

1.2 Role of the translators and interpreters in a military scenario and its
relation to the ELM students from the Universidad de
Oriente................................................................................................10

1.3 Proposal of a Glossary of U.S Common Military Acronyms and

Terms………………………………………………………………………11

Chapter 2: Glossary-Building…………………………………………………..13

Conclusions..…….………………………...……………………………….….. 19

Recommendations..……………………………………………………….….. 20

Bibliographic references………………………………………………………. 21

Annexes…………………………………………………………………………. 23

Interview structure of questions………………………………………………. 25

 
 
 
 
 
 
4  
 
Introduction    
By the time of establishing communication using regular English many words sound
similar and can be easily misunderstood, and the same is true for a few letters if you
attempt to spell something out. Clear, expedient communication is vital to any military
operation, and the everyday method of conveying ideas is not always suitable.
Without a solid understanding of what is being communicated, mistakes are likely to
be made and may even be lethal. For this reason the U.S. military uses many unique
items and concepts that civilians are not exposed to. Because of this and the need
for expedient, clear communication, service members are immersed in a linguistic
world apart from the daily life of a civilian, and acronyms are commonly used to make
big concepts easy to communicate.

The Cuban English Language Major (ELM) Modelo del Profesional states the
translators and interpreters careers as the Major´s main professional profiles, as well
as their formation as communicational mediators in scenarios like international
tourism, international events and affairs, along with trade relations of the same
nature. However, it does not include the role of the translators and interpreters in a
military related scenario. In the ELM from the Universidad de Oriente, this kind of
formation takes part of the teaching-learning process only on the subjects of National
Defense Preparation and National Security, and not in any other subject, providing
vocabulary used only in a national level, which could be of no use in case of
translating any foreign military related document, dealing with intelligence information
or acting as interpreters in an international gathering (U.N) to discuss military related
matters. This study takes into consideration the United States wide armed forces
industry development and language expansion, the historical relationship between
Cuba and the United States of America and the possible aspects of the translators
and interpreters inside the Cuban Armed Forces intelligence and international affairs
departments, for the students’ contextualization of the profession in this area. After
going through the archives of the ELM UO it was evident that the topic of military
terminology has not been sufficiently treated. Therefore, the author of this paper
states as the research question the insufficient treatment of military terminology in
the professional formation as translators and interpreters of the English Language
Major students from the Universidad de Oriente.

5  
 
The object of this paper is the teaching learning process of translation-
interpretation.

The research domain is thus the use of military related acronyms and terms to
support the teaching-learning process of translation-interpretation.

The objective of this term paper is to improve the ELM students’ professional
formation by means of a Glossary of U.S Common Military Acronyms and Terms.

For the development of this study, it was divided into two stages. The scientific
tasks conducted for the first stage of the research were:

v To conceptualize U.S military slang or jargon

v To analyze the role of the translators and interpreters in a military scenario
and its relation to the ELM students from the Universidad de Oriente
v To propose the creation of a Glossary of U.S Common Military Acronyms and
Terms

For a second stage of the research, these are the scientific tasks to follow:

v To summarize the first stage of the report

v To establish the aspects that were taken into consideration for the selection
and organization of the U.S Military Acronyms and Terms
v To create a glossary in order to make the most Common U.S Military
Acronyms and Terms available for those who may need it.

The scientific methods employed were:

v Analysis-Synthesis: during the study of the theoretical and literary sources

made by the author, and the creation of the glossary.
v Induction-Deduction: during the analysis of the used elements from the
bibliography consulted.
v Logical-Historical: in the analysis of the role of the translator interpreter in a
military scenario
v Structured Observation: in the observation process of the different subjects.  

6  
 
Chapter  1:  Contextualization  of  the  translators  and  
interpreters  in  the  military  scenario  
 
1.1  THE  U.S  MILITARY  SLANG  OR  JARGON  

The U.S military slang or jargon is the “standard U.S military and associated
terminology used to encompass the joint activity of the Armed Forces of the United
States (The Army, The Navy, The Marines, The Coast Guard and The Air Forces) in
both U.S joint and allied joint operations, as well as to encompass the Department of
Defense (DOD) as a whole.” (DOD Military Vocabulary Legislation, 12/04/2001)
Due to their capability of deploying a large contingent of soldiers, war material,
logistics, intelligence and counter-intelligence units, nuclear warheads and
technology all over the globe, they are considered the world´s most powerful armed
forces, and this title has also developed into a linguistic expansion of the vocabulary
employed by them. Sometimes, with the purpose of a better understanding by the
time of establishing communication among their units, is necessary the usage of
acronyms and specific terms.

Acronyms

An acronym is a word or name formed as an abbreviation from the initial

components in a phrase or a word, usually individual letters (as in NATO) and
sometimes syllables. Acronyms are a type of word formation process, and they are
viewed as a subtype of blending. Acronyms are most often used to abbreviate names
of organizations and long or frequently referenced terms. Some examples are:

AMMO Ammunition ANG Air National Guard

COLA Cost of living allowance GO General Officer

JUMPS Joint Uniform Military Pay System KIA Killed in Action

OK Zero Killed
 

7  
 
To this list can be included the phonetic alphabet adopted by NATO in 1956, that is
currently used by the U.S. military. More accurately, the alphabet is known as the
International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet (IRSA). The International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) developed the IRSA to account for discrepancies in
similar alphabets between different countries and organizations. Currently, the only
difference in the IRSA among countries that adopt it is the spelling of certain words,
such as Alfa for many European countries to avoid mispronunciations. The military
uses the IRSA to communicate for many different purposes including communicating
code, shorthand, slang, and certain acronyms.

For example, the phrase Tango Uniform correlates with the phrase tits up, which
refers to either a deceased individual or a broken piece of equipment. These types of
phrases may also arise from other forms of communication, such as the Naval saying
"bravo zulu" which means "well done". Rather than relating directly back to the first
letters of "well done," bravo zulu references flags of the same designation from a
maritime tactical signals publication.

The referred alphabet is the following:

A Alpha
B Bravo
C Charlie
D Delta
E Echo
F Foxtrot
G Golf
H Hotel
I India
J Juliet
K Kilo
L Lima
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
P Papa
Q Quebec
R Romeo
S Sierra
T Tango
U Uniform
V Victor
W Whiskey
X X-ray
Y Yankee
Z Zebra

8  
 
Its usage is simple; the word is spelled according to the first letter of the
correspondent word in the alphabet.

WORD SPELLED USING THE MILITARY PHONETIC

ALPHABET

Name November, Alpha, Mike, Echo

Even time can be expressed in a different way than the conventional one civilians are
used to, but military or commando movies and films have naturalized a little more this
employment. Nowadays is easy to understand when someone establishes a meeting
for the 1400 h, which actually means 2:00 pm.

Abbreviations

It is a term used for the shortened form of a written word or phrase used in the text in
the place of the whole, for economy of space and effort. Abbreviation is achieved
through the omission of letters a shortening of a word that can be written with
symbols, numbers and/or letters. Examples:

NEO Noncombatant Evacuation Operation

RAC Religious Activity Center

HRO Human Resource Office

Some other terms are more specific for a military context, as can be KLICK which is
slang for kilometer, or JODY CALL which refers to the troop cadence for marching or
running.
 

9  
 
1.2   ROLE   OF   THE   TRANSLATORS   AND   INTERPRETERS   IN   A   MILITARY  
SCENARIO   AND   ITS   RELATION   TO   THE   ELM   STUDENTS   FROM  
UNIVERSIDAD  DE  ORIENTE  

In a world where the “civilian” translation interpretation prevails, the professional

conjugation of military translators and interpreters might cause surprise, like
translation or interpretation and the military context were unrelated or even
antagonic. But they are actually connected. Military translation is essentially a branch
of translation and interpretation as a profession or a science. Language and
communication are essential for the beginning and development of a conflict, but
mainly for its prevention, solution and conclusion.

As a part of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, Military Intelligence is a

specialty that requires great domain of language; that is, it is a specialty devoted to
information gathering about the present or potential enemy that allows the strategic
planning for eventual operations.

The radio intelligence unit at the Guantanamo Base Border would be the perfect
example of such specialty development, by using translation and interpretation for
deciphering messages and continuous communications established from the Base to
the U.S Government and the other way around.

Other examples take place with the analysis of Cuba nowadays-international affairs
with other countries.

More than once the Republic has received diplomatic visitors, ambassadors and
representatives of other nations in official visit for improving international relations,
besides other nations Navy Forces and cadets, which in several occasions, at the
time of using English as the language of mutual communication, have employed U.S
military terminology. Also the participation of Cuba on international gatherings (U.N)
to discuss military related matters, that requires of prepared translators and
interpreters for obtaining a good communicational environment.

But what can bring for the translator interpreter in formation the fact of translating
texts of military character?

10  
 
An interview to David de Soto, a veteran officer of the Intelligence Department from
the La Habana Military Region provided an answer for that question:

“Military translators and interpreters have been always demanded, not only in a
military context, but also for civilian institutions, just because texts of military
character are of an extreme variety. Are not focused in a concrete military aspect, but
have relation to most of the technic subjects, medicine and several branches of legal
translation, etc.”

1.3   PROPOSAL  OF  A   GLOSSARY  OF   U.S   COMMON   MILITARY   ACRONYMS  

AND  TERMS    

The translators and interpreters cannot perform their professional activity without
having certain knowledge of the specialized terminology related to the contexts that
translate. The main aspect of specialized contexts is the terminology they present,
and the more specialized they become, the more is the terminology. This kind of
communication is basically characterized by how specific is the subject and its
cognitive perspective. Besides, the thematic specificity is reflected on the terminology
it contains.

Translators and interpreters are mediators between two native speakers of different
languages; they play their role by positioning themselves in the shoes of the person
who emitted the message and assuming his/her capabilities. If the translators and
interpreters do not act like that, he or she will hardly perform a good translation. To
assume the capability of a specialized text producer requires having knowledge of
the specific subject to be treated, to handle that content and the terminology to
express it.

For accomplishing the translation context to be (compared with the original), as literal
regarding content, stylistic adjustment and close to the lexical uses the original text
producer would have naturally employed as possible. Therefore, the translators and
interpreters should use terms. Translation as a practice is a process of information
transference between different languages, in which terminology plays an outstanding
role (Cabré M., Teresa; El traductor y la terminología: necesidad y compromiso,
Barcelona, España)

11  
 
That happens because specialists, natural producers of the specialized speech,
usually employ terminological units in expression processes and knowledge sharing,
due every specialty have disposition of these specific units to represent their
concepts. That is why the quality of a specialized translation requires terminology,
adequate to the context specialized level, as a usual resource. In consequence,
terminology is of a relevant importance for translation interpretation.

But not all languages have the referred terminology, even less coded into glossaries
or databases, sufficiently upgraded to answer for the needs of the translators and
interpreters. That is the reason why terminological problem solving emerged from the
bibliography lack of information during the translation activity, or even when it does
appear, presents insufficient background for a correct selection of the equivalent unit.

There is no doubt the translator and interpreter must acquire the correct terminology
during the translation process for getting a quality product, and to create and keep
glossaries obviously supposes great amount of time and effort, but for who
understands its importance is precisely time and effort what is saving.
Even though, most of the existing glossaries do not satisfy the needs of translators
and interpreters. Reasons more than evident are outdating, insufficient information,
not worthy quality, and some time the inexistence of the specific subject glossary. A
glossary destined to solve problems emerged from translation and interpretation of a
specific subject, must be related and to be created according to the needs of this
professional.

Such arguments respond for the proposal of creation of an English Glossary of U.S
Common Military Acronyms and Terms, due it solves not only the problem of finding
the specific term related to the subject, but that provides the explanation of the term
and makes influence on a better comprehension of the given message.

 
 

12  
 
Chapter  2:  Glossary-­‐Building    
This research work is committed to bring a greater understanding, as well as
providing knowledge of, some specific acronyms and terms of U.S military usage by
offering a glossary on U.S. Common Military Acronyms and Terms.

 2.1  Concept  of  glossary  

A glossary is an alphabetical list of terms of a particular domain of knowledge with
the definition of those terms. Traditionally, a glossary appears by the end of a book
and includes terms within the same that are newly introduced, uncommon or
specialized. In a general sense, a glossary contains explanations of concepts
relevant to a certain field of study or action.
A core glossary is a simple glossary or defining dictionary that enables definition of
other concepts especially for newcomers to a language or field of study. It contains a
small working vocabulary for important or frequently encountered concepts.

2.2  Importance  of  a  glossary  

Glossaries play a huge part in making sure a translation is accurate and that specific
terms are not only correct, but also translated and handled in exactly the way society
needs them to be. For a clearer idea and no mistake, in translation industry jargon,
they tend to be called a Terminology Base (TB), but are the same.

The following are some of the main features of glossaries that briefly describe their
usefulness:

Accuracy  
The first important reason for the creation of glossaries is accuracy in the use of
terms in a translation. The more accurate the translation is, the more trustable it
becomes. If a person works with a language service provider to develop a glossary of
specific terms, which may or may not have been translated previously, the translation
team would be fully equipped to choose the correct term in the target language.

13  
 
Language is very flexible and everyone has a diverse sense of language, so the
usage of different ways to refer the same thing is common. This is a chance to give
translators essential information about the meaning of a term.

Consistency  
Consistency will also improve if a glossary is created before translation. A list of key
terms along with their corresponding definitions will help ensure that the correct terms
are consistently used throughout the text. For the case of the technical translation it
would be unacceptable for a word to be translated differently each time. The same
way, in other languages there is a range of choices available, and a glossary will
make sure that the correct choice is made.

Translation  Speed  
Using a translation glossary can also have the added bonus of speeding up the
translation process. An actual fact is that a good translator uses most of his or her
time researching things like phrasing, wording and background information rather
than actual translation. To find the perfect term can certainly reduce the total time an
assignment can take to a translator, avoiding unnecessary research and effort. It
equally removes the need for a translator to continually type the term over and over
again.

2.3  How  to  create  a  Glossary  

The point of the glossary is to improve the quality of the translation, it also gives
appropriate meaning according to the project, making the communication process
more effective and enhancing the cultural background of its users. Then, the
selection of words to be put into the glossary needs to be handled with care. A
glossary should be strictly followed, so whether the terms that go into it are wrong or
not fully considered, it will actually degrade the translation quality.

14  
 
2.4   The   usefulness   of   the   proposed   glossary   to   the   ELM  
Students  

A glossary was selected rather than any other material because for its usefulness to
language students and professionals. The importance of its employment is
highlighted during the development of the translation and interpretation activity with a
specific vocabulary to make reference of processes, objects, etc.

Some of the benefits of the use of a glossary are:

v The reduction of time during the translation and interpretation process. The
translators and interpreters would not have to create a specific term equivalent he
or she cannot find in a dictionary.
v The final product will be characterized by a better uniformity.
v To eliminate terms ambiguity also eliminates the receptor confusion, improving
the message comprehension.

Even though, most of the existing glossaries do not satisfy the needs of translators
and interpreters. Reasons more than evident are outdating, insufficient information,
not worthy quality, and some time the inexistence of the specific subject glossary. A
glossary destined to solve problems emerged from translation and interpretation of a
specific subject, must be related and to be created according to the needs of this
professional.

Such arguments respond for the creation of an English Glossary of U.S Common
Military Acronyms and Terms, due it solves not only the problem of finding the
specific term related to the subject, but that provides the explanation of the term and
makes influence on a better comprehension of the given message.

15  
 
2.5   Characterization   of   the   Glossary   on   U.S   Common  
Military  Acronyms  and  Terms    

The proposed glossary is the result of an Internet-based search on U.S Military

Acronyms. Not only the frequent Wikipedia.org, but other official websites were
consulted, including the DoD, or Department of Defense of the United States website
for a more extensive research of terms, given that it is not only composed by the
acronyms used by the Army, but also by the Marines, the Navy, the Air Force and the
Coast Guard. It is composed by 27 pages and organized alphabetically from A to Y,
due there were found no acronyms with Z, with 627 acronyms selected from the most
commonly used. It also has a special section for annexes in which it is explained the
usage of the phonological alphabet of the U.S DoD and a graphical example of the
military time answer worksheet.

DISCLAIMER: It is very important to highlight that some of these acronyms are

showed as found, with no changes either on the writing or the meaning, so the reader
may find certain terms we know as “bad” or “dirty” vocabulary.

The following is a small sample of the proposed Glossary:

0–9
0K – Zero Killed (pronounced OK, as the expression that everything is okay)

1LT – First Lieutenant (U.S. Army) (USMC uses "1Lt" and USAF uses "1st Lt")

2LT – Second Lieutenant (U.S. Army) (USMC uses "2Lt" and USAF uses "2d Lt")

2IC – Second In Command

1SG – First Sergeant (E-8 Army)

16  
 
A
AAR – After Action Review

AAS – Army Apprentice School (Australia)

AAST – Aeromedical Evacuation Administrative Support eTam

AAT – Automatic Analog Test

AAT – Aviation Advisory Team

AAU – Analog Applique Unit

AAV – Amphibious Assault Vehicle

AAW – Antiair Warfare

AB – Airbase

AB – Airman Basic (USAF E-1)

H
HALO – High Altitude Low Opening Airborne

HAHO – High Altitude High Opening

HAAMS – High Altitude Airdrop Missions

HBL – Holiday Block Leave (U.S. Army)

HE – High Explosive

HEAT – High Explosive Anti-Tank warhead

HEP – High Explosive, Plastic (US usage)

HESH – High Explosive Squash Head (British anti-tank round)

HMAS – Her Majesty's Australian Ship (Australia)

HMCS – Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (Canada)

17  
 
J
JA – Judge Advocate [General]

JAFO – Just Another Fucking Observer

JAG – Judge Advocate General

JDAM – Joint Direct Attack Munitions

JSF – Joint Strike Fighter

JATO – Jet-assisted Take Off

JETDS – Joint Electronics Type Designation System

JSAM – Joint Service Achievement Medal

JSTARS – Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System

JSOC – Joint Special Operations Command

JTF – Joint Task Force

JEEP – Just Enough Essential Parts

18  
 
Conclusions
It is expected that the present term paper has succeeded in the achievement of the
objective proposed at the beginning of this work, by compiling and organizing useful
information about U.S Military Acronyms and Terms and creating a glossary as a tool
for the translation interpretation process; also by providing information about the U.S
military slang or jargon commonly used, a phenomenon that can constitute a difficulty
faced by the students of the ELM in their future positions as translators and
interpreters in the translation-interpretation process; which is especially the case of
translating any foreign military related document, dealing with intelligence information
or acting as interpreters in an international gathering (U.N) to discuss military related
matters, which are the perfect environment for these language term variations to
appear.

 
 
 
 
 
 
19  
 
Recommendations
The following are some recommendations to consider for this stage of the research:

v The so-called translators and interpreters Ethic Code should be dealt

with in class, besides the laws that rule the behavior of the translators and
interpreters in a military scenario in the Translation and Interpretation subjects
of the English Language Major from the Universidad de Oriente.

v To employ the History of Translation and Interpretation in Cuba

Interactive Multimedia developed by ETECSA.SA and approved by the ACTI
for the Cuba–Canada Symposium on Translation, Interpretation and
Terminology, celebrated in Cuba on March 2011, as consultative bibliography
for the English Language Major students from the Universidad de Oriente.

v To gather this and other glossaries as bibliographic reference in the

Faculty´s Official Website for the better acquirement of the same by the
students of the English Language Major.

20  
 
Bibliographic  References  
1. Ojeda Amador, Grisel: History of Translation and Interpretation in Cuba
Interactive Multimedia; Cuba–Canada Symposium on Translation, Interpretation
and Terminology, celebrated in Cuba, March 2011

2. Cabré M., Teresa El traductor y la terminología: necesidad y compromiso;

Instituto Universitario de Lingüística Aplicada, Universidad Pompeu Fabra,
Barcelona (España)

3. Rojas Crespo, María de las Nieves El rol del intérprete desde la perspectiva de
las Fuerzas Armadas; Abril de 2017

4. Modelo de Profesional of the English Language Major from the Universidad de

Oriente and the different subjects study programs.

5. Wikipedia.org; Acronym; Abbreviation; United States Armed Forces; Military

History of the United States; Diplomatic Relationship Cuba-The United
States.

6. US Army Termonology/82nd Airborne Division Termonology (late 1970s era)

7. US CENTCOM Command Structure

8. http://Www.Acronymfinder.Com/Ate-The-Fudge-Up-(polite-form%3B-Military-
Slang-For-Smoeone-Constantly- Making-Mistakes)-(ATFU).Html

9. Wertsch, Mary E. (January 2006). Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside

the Fortress
(https://books.google.com/books?id=QxaITfanaUcC&pg=PA310#v=onepage&q=&f
=false). ISBN 0-9776033-0-X.

10. Clifton, Grace, "Making the Case for the BRAT (British Regiment Attached
Traveler)", British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 30, No. 3 2004

11. Adams, Leah; Kirova, Anna (2006). Global Migration and Education. Mahwah,

21  
 
 NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. pp. 263–64.ISBN 0-8058-5838-
5{{inconsistent citations}}

12."CASEX"(http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/CASEX). TheFreeDictionary.com.
Retrieved 31 July 2015.

13. http://militarywords.com/result.aspx?term=JAFO

14.https://www.militaryonesource.mil/military-life-
cycle/friendsextended_family/common-military-acronyms

15. https://www.defense.gov/ DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms -

Joint Chiefs of Staff

16.https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-
list_alphabetically/d/dod-acronyms.html

17. https://www.acronymslist.com/cat/us-army-acronyms-(official).html

18. https://www.acronymfinder.com/Department-of-Defense-(US-government)-
(DoD).html

22  
 
Annexes  
Annex 1

U.S Military Expansion

Military Bases
 

Troops

23  
 
  

24  
 
Annex 2

Interview  structure  of  questions  

1. Do you need to be a military man (women) for becoming a military translator

interpreter?

2. Which qualities should have the military translator interpreter?

3. What should do a student for becoming a military translator interpreter?

4. What should bring the military text translating learning for the translation
interpretation professional in formation?

5. Do you consider of importance the role of the translator interpreter in the military
context? Why?

25