shafer@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov (09/05/89)
From: shafer@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov
Some readers, new to sci.military and/or to military acronyms, have
commented (complained, even) that there are too many acronyms and
jargon and they're having trouble reading the group (Tom Clancy's
books, too).
In a fit of either madness or supreme self-sacrifice, I'm volunteering
to make an acronym list for military topics. Actually, there's a
certain amount of self-interest here, as I have trouble remembering if
MBT means Main Battle Tank or Milton-Bradley Toys.
This will be impossible without help from the rest of the group, so
please send me lists of acronyms in alphabetical order, in a form like:
APC armored personnel carrier
BAOR British army on the Rhine
CAS close air support
FAC forward air controller
FEBA forward edge of battle area
MBT main battle tank
MRE meal, ready to eat
I'd also like a list of nicknames, same form:
aardvark F-111 aircraft
deuce-and-a-half 2-1/2 ton truck
iron rhino F-4 aircraft (you _knew_ I'd have this one!)
warthog A-10 aircraft
Could someone who saved it send me the list of ship designations?
How about the list of services (i.e. RNZAF, RAAF, RAF, BA, RN, etc)?
Send as many as you can--it'll be a pain to get these one at a time.
I can't make any promises about when these lists will appear, because
I'll be doing them on my own time, but I'll tentatively try for early
October for the initial version.
Send your acronyms, nicknames, and designators to:
Mary Shafer shafer@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov arpa!elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer
NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
Of course I don't speak for NASAssheldon@BLACKBIRD.AFIT.AF.MIL (Stuart Sheldon) (09/07/89)
From: ssheldon@BLACKBIRD.AFIT.AF.MIL (Stuart Sheldon)
[I think actually there's over 1,000,000 government
acronyms, although not all are military. Still, a list
of the Abbreviations and jargon most commonly seen on
sci.military would be useful for those to whom
Milspeak isn't a second tongue. -- CDR]
I have on my desk a Lexicon of Authenticated Systems and Logistics
Acronyms (LASLA). It contains "4,150 acronyms extracted from
directives, regulations, and manuals of the Department of
Defense and its agencies."
It was compiled some time ago by the AFIT school of Systems and
Logistics. It is hardly a complete list, and I certainly don't
want to type them all into a file to post.
Perhaps it would be better just to ask people to explain those
acronyms that you don't understand, or can't deduce.
STANDARD AIR FORCE DISCLAIMER
These views do not reflect the opinion of the government.
If the government wanted my views, it would ask for them.
Capt Stuart Sheldon
AFIT/ENA Box 4209 (513) 255-6460
WPAFB OH 45433 AV785-6460
ssheldon@galaxy.afit.af.mil ssheldon@afit-ab.arpashafer@drynix (Mary Shafer) (09/08/89)
From: Mary Shafer <shafer@drynix> Stuart Sheldon (ssheldon@BLACKBIRD.AFIT.AF.MIL) wrote: >I have on my desk a Lexicon of Authenticated Systems and Logistics >Acronyms (LASLA). It contains "4,150 acronyms extracted from >directives, regulations, and manuals of the Department of >Defense and its agencies." Only 4,150? The AFTI/F-16 has more than that, singlehandedly. :-) >It was compiled some time ago by the AFIT school of Systems and >Logistics. It is hardly a complete list, and I certainly don't >want to type them all into a file to post. You didn't even want to type out "Air Force Institute of Technology." Not everyone is familiar with AFIT. >Perhaps it would be better just to ask people to explain those >acronyms that you don't understand, or can't deduce. By the time I've gotten the explanation back, I've forgotten or lost the original message. My time is limited and if I don't get it right away, too bad. (This applies to badly-written postings, too, but these rarely appear in sci.military.) Let me clarify things, in case someone else also missed the point here. I'm not looking for acronyms that used for three months on a small part of an obscure program. I'm not looking for acronyms used only by insiders. I'm looking for the biggies that we tend to use without realizing that not everyone knows what they mean. FEBA, CAS, HARM, ALCM, SAM, USAFE, CINCPAC, NATOPS, NORAD, AFIT, TAC, SAC, .... -- Mary Shafer shafer@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov arpa!elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA Of course I don't speak for NASA
dye@laidbak.i88.isc.com (Ken R. Dye ) (09/09/89)
From: dye@laidbak.i88.isc.com (Ken R. Dye )
The Navy has something called DICNAVAB (DICtionary of
NAVal ABbreviations, for those not in the know).
--
Ken R. Dye an optimist is a guy
Lachman Associates, Inc. Chicago that has never had
(800) LAI-UNIX x341 much experience
..{sun|sequent|spl1}!laidbak!dye archy