Office of the Historian

Abbreviations and Terms

  • ACDA, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
  • ACE, Allied Command Europe
  • AF, Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State
  • AF/I, Office of Inter-African Affairs, Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State
  • AFLC, Air Force Logistics Command
  • AID, Agency for International Development, Department of State
  • AIPAC, American Israel Public Affairs Committee
  • Amb, Ambassador
  • AMCONSUL, American Consulate
  • ANZUS, Australia, New Zealand, United States Alliance
  • APC, armored personnel carrier
  • ARAMCO, Arabian American Oil Company
  • ARG, amphibious ready group
  • ARP, Arabian Peninsula
  • ASAP, as soon as possible
  • ASW, anti-submarine warfare
  • AWACS, Airborne Warning and Control System
  • BBC, British Broadcasting Company
  • b/d, barrels per day
  • BIB, Board for International Broadcasting
  • BIOT, British Indian Ocean territory
  • Blumto, series indicator for telegrams from W. Michael Blumenthal
  • BQ, Bill Quandt
  • C, confidential
  • C3I, Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence
  • CBU, cluster bomb unit
  • CDA, Camp David Accords
  • CDR, Commander
  • CENTO, Central Treaty Organization
  • CHUSEOPE, Chief, U.S. European Command Operational Planning Element
  • CHUSMTM, Chief, U.S. Military Training Mission, Saudi Arabia
  • CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
  • CIEC, Conference on International Economic Cooperation
  • CINC, Commander-in-Chief
  • CINCEUR, Commander-in-Chief, European Command
  • CINCLANT, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Command
  • CINCPAC, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command
  • CINCPACFLT, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet
  • CINCRED, Commander-in-Chief, Readiness Command
  • CINCUSNAVEUR, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Navy, Europe
  • CJCS, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • CNO, Chief of Naval Operations; Chief Naval Officer
  • Codel, congressional delegation
  • COE, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army
  • COMIDEASTFOR, Commander, Middle East Force
  • COMSEVENTHFLT, Commander, U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet
  • CONUS, contiguous United States
  • CPI, Consumer Price Index
  • CPX, command post exercise
  • CRAF, Civil Reserve Air Fleet
  • CSCE, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
  • CTF, Commander Task Force
  • CVBG, carrier battle group
  • CY, calendar year
  • D, Deputy Secretary of State
  • DA, David Aaron; Defense Attaché
  • DALO, Department of the Army Logistics Office
  • DAMA, Department of the Army Materiel Annex
  • DAMO, Department of the Army Military Operations
  • DARCOM, Department of the Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command
  • DAS, Deputy Assistant Secretary
  • DASD (NEASA), Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs
  • DASS, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
  • DATT, Defense Attaché
  • DCI, Director of Central Intelligence
  • DCM, Deputy Chief of Mission
  • DCR, Deputy Chief, United States Military Training Mission
  • DepSecDef, Deputy Secretary of Defense
  • DI, Directorate of Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency
  • DIA, Defense Intelligence Agency
  • DIVENGER, Division Engineer
  • DM, Deutsch Mark
  • DO, Directorate of Operations, Central Intelligence Agency
  • DOD, Department of Defense
  • DOD/DSAA, Defense Security Assistance Agency, Department of Defense
  • DOD/ISA, International Security Affairs, Department of Defense
  • DOD/ISA/FMRA, Office of Foreign Military Relations, International Security Affairs, Department of Defense
  • DOD/ISA/NESA, Office of Near East and South Asian Affairs, International Security Affairs, Department of Defense
  • DOD/ISA/SA, Office of Security Assistance, International Security Affairs, Department of Defense
  • dols, dollars
  • DPC, Defense Planning Committee (NATO)
  • DSAA, Defense Security Assistance Agency
  • E, Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs
  • EB, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Department of State
  • Emb, Embassy
  • EOPE, see USEOPE
  • ESF, Exchange Stabilization Fund, Department of the Treasury
  • EUCOM, European Command
  • EUR, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
  • EUR/SE, Office of Southern European Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
  • EUR/SOV, Office of Soviet Union Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
  • Exdis, exclusive distribution, indicating extremely limited distribution or dissemination
  • EXIM, Export-Import Bank of the United States
  • F–5, U.S.-designed light jet fighter aircraft
  • F–16, U.S.-designed multirole jet fighter aircraft
  • FBIS, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
  • FCO, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (United Kingdom)
  • FMS, Foreign Military Sales
  • FonMin, Foreign Minister, Foreign Ministry
  • ForMin, Foreign Minister
  • FRC, Federal Records Center
  • FRG, Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)
  • FY, fiscal year
  • FYDP, five-year defense program
  • FYI, for your information
  • G–7, Group of 7: Canada, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States
  • GAO, Government Accounting Office
  • GDR, German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
  • GOB, Government of Bahrain
  • GOI, Government of Iran, Israel, Iraq, or India
  • GS, Gary Sick
  • GSRS, general support rocket system
  • H, Bureau of Congressional Relations, Department of State
  • HA, Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, Department of State
  • HAWK, surface-to-air missile system
  • HM, His/Her Majesty
  • HMG, His/Her Majesty’s Government
  • HNS, host-nation support
  • HQ, headquarters
  • IBRD, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  • ICA, International Communications Agency (formerly United States Information Agency)
  • IDA, International Development Association
  • IEA, International Energy Agency
  • IG, interdepartmental group
  • IMET, International Military Education and Training, Department of Defense
  • IMF, International Monetary Fund
  • INR, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State
  • INR/DDC/OIL, Office of Intelligence Liaison, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State
  • INR/RNA, Office of Research and Analysis for Near East and South Asia, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State
  • IO, Indian Ocean; or, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
  • IraqInt, Iraqi Interests Section
  • IRS, Internal Revenue Service
  • ISA, International Security Affairs, Department of Defense
  • J, Office of the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
  • JC, Jimmy Carter
  • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • JCS/J5, Plans Section, Joint Plans and Policy Office, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • JCSM, Joint Chiefs of Staff Memorandum
  • JMC, Joint Military Commission
  • JTF, joint task force
  • KT, kiloton
  • L, Legal Adviser, Department of State
  • L/PM, Assistant Legal Adviser for Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
  • LDC, less developed country
  • LGB, laser-guided bomb
  • Limdis, limited distribution
  • LOA, letter of approval
  • LOC, lines of communication
  • LST, landing ship, tank
  • LTC, Lieutenant Colonel
  • LTG, Lieutenant General
  • MAAG, Military Assistance Advisory Group
  • MAC, Military Assistance Command
  • MAGTF, Marine Air Ground Task Force
  • MAP, Military Assistance Program
  • MARAD, Maritime Administration, U.S. Merchant Marine
  • MAU, Marine Amphibious Unit
  • MBD, million barrels per day
  • MBFR, Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions
  • MED, Mediterranean
  • MemCon, memorandum of conversation
  • MER, multiple ejection bomb rack
  • MFA, Minister or Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • MG, Major General
  • M/Gen, Major General
  • MIDEASTFOR, Middle East Force
  • MiG, Mikoyan-Gurevich jet fighter (Soviet Union)
  • MilCon, Military Construction
  • MinDef, Minister of Defense
  • MinInt, Minister of the Interior (Iraq)
  • MOD, Minister or Ministry of Defense
  • MODA, Minister or Ministry of Defense and Aviation (Saudi Arabia)
  • MTM, Military Training Mission
  • MTT, military training team
  • NAM, Non-Aligned Movement
  • NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • NEA, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • NEA/ARN, Office of Lebanese, Jordanian, Syrian, and Iraqi Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • NEA/ARP, Office of Arabian Peninsular Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • NEA/INS, Office of Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • NEA/IRN, Office of Iranian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • NEA/PAB, Office of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • NEA/POL–MIL,Office of Political-Military Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • NEA/RA, Office of Regional Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • Niact, night action
  • NIO, National Intelligence Officer
  • Nocontract, no contractor distribution
  • Nodis, no distribution other than to persons indicated
  • NoForn, no foreign dissemination
  • NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command
  • Notal, not received by all addressees
  • NSAM, National Security Action Memorandum
  • NSC, National Security Council
  • OASD/ISA/NESA, Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
  • ODC, Office of Defense Coordination
  • OECD, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
  • OJCS, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • OMB, Office of Management and Budget
  • O&M, operation and maintenance
  • OPEC, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
  • OPIC, Overseas Private Investment Corporation
  • ORPA/ME, Middle East Division, Office of Regional and Political Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency
  • OSD, Office of the Secretary of Defense
  • P, Office of the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
  • P&D, production & deployment
  • PACOM, Pacific Command
  • para, paragraph
  • PD, Presidential Determination
  • PDRY, People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen)
  • PermRep, Permanent Representative
  • PG/IO, Persian Gulf/ Indian Ocean
  • PLO, Palestine Liberation Organization
  • PM, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
  • PM/ISO, Office of International Security Operations, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
  • PM/ISP, Office of International Security Policy, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
  • PM SANG, U.S. Army Project Manager, Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program
  • PM/SAS, Office of Security Assistance and Sales, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
  • PO, Political Officer
  • POL, petroleum, oil, and lubricants
  • POMCUS, prepositioning of materiel configured in unit sets
  • PRC, Presidential Review Committee; Policy Review Committee; People’s Republic of China
  • PRM, Presidential Review Memorandum
  • R&D, research and development
  • RADM, Real Admiral
  • RAF, Royal Air Force (United Kingdom)
  • RCC, Revolutionary Command Council (Iraq)
  • RDF, Rapid Deployment Force
  • RDJTF, Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force
  • REDCOM, Readiness Command
  • REDEYE, shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile system
  • reftel; ref, reference telegram
  • Reps, representatives
  • RG, Record Group
  • Roland, Franco-German-designed mobile surface-to-air missile system
  • RO/RO, roll on/roll off
  • Rpt, repeat
  • RSAF, Royal Saudi Air Force
  • S, Secretary of State; Secret
  • SACEUR, Supreme Allied Commander Europe
  • SAG, Saudi Arabian Government
  • SALT, Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
  • SAM, surface-to-air missile
  • SAMA, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency
  • SANG, National Guard, Saudi Arabia
  • SCC, Special Coordination Committee
  • SCTG, surface combatant task group
  • SEATO, Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
  • SecDef, Secretary of Defense
  • Secto, series indicator for telegrams sent from the Secretary of State while on travel
  • SLOC, sea line of communication
  • SNEP, Saudi Naval Expansion Program
  • SOCP, Saudi Army Ordnance Corps Program
  • S/P, Policy Planning Staff, Department of State
  • Specat, special category
  • SPR, Strategic Petroleum Reserve
  • S/S, Office of the Secretariat Staff, Department of State
  • SSBN, ballistic missile submarine
  • S/S–O, Operations Center, Office of the Secretariat Staff, Department of State
  • Stinger, portable infrared-homing surface-to-air missile
  • SWA, Southwest Asia
  • SYG, Secretary General (United Nations)
  • T, Office of the Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance; after August 22, 1977, Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science, and Technology
  • TACAIR, tactical aircraft
  • Tosec, series indicator for telegrams sent to the Secretary of State while on travel
  • TOW, tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided anti-tank missile system
  • U, Office of the Under Secretary of State; Unclassified
  • UAE, United Arab Emirates
  • UCP, Unified Command Plan
  • UK, United Kingdom
  • UN, United Nations
  • UNCTAD, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
  • UNGA, United Nations General Assembly
  • UNHCR, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • UNRRA, United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
  • U.S., United States
  • USA, United States Army
  • USAF, United States Air Force
  • USCINCEUR, United States Commander-in-Chief, Europe
  • USDAO, United States Defense Attaché Office
  • USEOPE, Operational Planning Element, United States European Command
  • USG, United States Government
  • USINT, United States Interests Section
  • USLO, United States Liaison Office
  • USMC, United States Marine Corps
  • USMTM, United States Military Training Mission
  • USN, United States Navy
  • USNATO, United States Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • USSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  • USUN, United States Mission to the United Nations
  • V–B–B, Vance-Brown-Brzezinski meeting
  • VOA, Voice of America
  • WASHDC, Washington, D.C.
  • XM1, early designation for the U.S. main battle tank eventually known as the M1 Abrams
  • YAR, Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen)
  • YARG, Government of the Yemen Arab Republic
  • Z, Zulu Time Zone (Greenwich Mean Time)
  • ZB, Zbigniew Brzezinski
  • ZBB, zero-based budgeting