Multi Letter Acronyms

These are just some of the best known Three (or more) Letter Abbreviations:

Serious

• AFV - Armoured Fighting Vehicle
• ASU - Active Service Unit (The Boyos)
• BA(G) - British Army (Germany)
• BALO - Brigade Air Liason Officer
• BAOR - British Army of the Rhine
• BATSU - British Army Training Support Unit
• BATT - British Army Training Team
• BATUS - British Army Training Unit Suffield
• BCR - Battle Casualty Replacement
• BER - Beyond Economical Repair
• BFG - British Forces Germany
• BKYC - British Kiel Yacht Club
• BLR - Beyond Local repair
• BOO - Battalion Orderly Officer
• BOS - Battalion Orderly Sergeant
• CEFO - Combat Equipment Fighting Order (obsolete - now superseded by PLCE)
• CEI - Communications Electronic Instruction
• CES - Complete Equipment Schedule
• CQMS - Company Quartermaster Sergeant
• CRA - Commander Royal Artillery
• CRE - Commander Royal Engineers
• COIN - Counter Insurgency
• CTR - Close Target Recce
• DALO - Divison Air Liason Officer
• E4a - Specialist RUC Squad
• EOD - Explosive Ordnance Disposal
• ERV - Emergency Rendezvous (also Electronic Repair Vehicle)
• FAC - Forward Air Controller
• FIBUA - Fighting In Builtup Areas
• FOO - Forward Observation Officer
• FoS - Foreman of Signals
• FPF - Final Protective Fire
• FRU - Force Research Unit
• FRV - Final Rendezvous
• FRV - Fast Reaction Vehicle
• FUP- Forming Up Point
• GOC - General Officer Commanding
• GPMG - General Purpose Machine Gun
• GPS - Global Positioning System
• HALO - High Altitude Low Opening
• HLS - Helicopter Landing Site
• HMSU - Home Office Support Unit
• IED - Improvised Explosive Device
• IEDD - Improvised Explosive Device Disposal
• IO - Intelligence Officer
• JEWT - Jungle Exercise Without Trees
• JSAT - Joint Service Adventure Training
• JSPC - Joint Services Parachute Centre
• KTC - Kiel Training Centre
• LE - Late entry Officer
• LMF - Lacking Moral Fibre
• LRDG - Long Range Desert Group (WW2)
• LSW - Light Support Weapon
• MiD - Mention in Despatches
• MPI - Mean Point of Impact
• NBC - Nuclear, Biological, Chemical
• MRF - Military Reconnaissance Force
• NEWD - Night Exercise Without Darkness
• PLCE - Personal Load Carrying Equipment
• POA - Point Of Aim
• POL - Petrol, Oil, Lubricants
• POW - Prisoner of War
• PPA - Popski's Private Army (WW2)
• PTI - Physical Training Instructor
• QMSI - Quartermaster Sergeant Instructor
• QRF - Quick Reaction Force
• RMBPD - Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment (WW2)
• RSP - Render Safe Proceedure
• RTU - Returned To Unit
• RUC - Royal Ulster Constabulary (George Cross)
• SBS - Special Boat Service
• SLR - Self Loading Rifle; 7.62mm UK built FN FAL (obsolete - replaced by SA80/IW/L85)
• SMG - Sub-Machine Gun
• SMIG - Sergeant Major Instructor Gunnery (RA)
• SMIS - Sergeant Major Instuctor Signals (RA)
• SNS - Special Night Squads (Palestine)
• SOE - Special Operations Executive (WW2)
• SPTA - Salisbury Plain Training Area
• SUIT - Sight Unit Infantry Trilux (obsolete - replaced by SUSAT)
• SUSAT - Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux
• TEWT - Tactical Exercise Without Troops
• TFIB - Token Female in Battalion (obsolete)
• TOT - Time on Target
• TPU - Timer and Power Unit
• TWOK - Tested Working OK
• UDR - Ulster Defence Regiment
• VCP - Vehicle Check point
• WMD - Weapons of Mass Destruction (See NBC) (also Weapon of Mass Distraction)
• WT - Wireless Telegraphy
• YoS - Yeoman of Signals

Not So Serious

• ACC - Aldershot Concrete Commandos, Andy Capps Commandos
• AGC - Alf Garnet's Commandos
• BJAFO - Basically Just A F*cking Observer (2nd Pilot)
• BOB - Bird or Bloke
• BOBFOC - Body Off Baywatch, Face Off Crimewatch
• BOHFOC- Body of Halle, face of Chuck.
• BOHICA - Bend Over, Here It Comes Again!
• CHIPS - Causing Havoc In Public Spaces
• CSB - Credit Stealing Bast*rd
• CTF - Chuffed To F*ck
• DADAFA - Deputy Assistant Director of Absolutely F*ck All
• DILLIGAF - Do I Look Like I Give A F*ck
• FAFO - Fire & F*ck Off
• FEB - Fucking English Bastard/Bitch (for the Jocks of us out there)
• FFC - F*cks a F*ck Club
• FISH - Fighting In Someone's House
• FIWAF - Fighting Indians with a Fish
• FOAD - F*ck Off And Die
• FUBAR - F*cked Up Beyond All Recognition
• GAFA - Great Arabian F**K All
• GEO - Geographically-Embarrased Officer
• INT - Intelligence Never Tested
• ITF - Impressed To F*ck
• JAFFA - Just Another Fat F*cking Adminstrator
• KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid
• MARINE - Muscles Are Required, Intelligence Not Essential
• MFP - Mixed Fruit Pudding
• MUPPET - Most Useless Person Pirbright Ever Trained
• NEWT - Not to be Employed With Troops
• NAAFI - No Ambition And F*ck-all Interest
• NFI - Not Very Interested, also Not Feckin' Invited
• NORWICH - (K)nickers Off Ready When I Come Home
• OMO - Old Man Overseas
• PENIS - Planning Exercise Not Involving Soldiers
• POETS day - P*ss Off Early - Tomorrow's Saturday
• PONTI - Person Of No Tactical Importance
• PPPPPPP - Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance
• PUFO - Pack Up, F*ck Off
• RAOC - Rag And Oil Corps
• REMF - Rear Echelon Motherf*cker
• RLC - Really Large Corps
• SAS - State Authorised Slaughter
• SNAFU - Situation Normal, All F*cked Up
• SOUP - Single Officer Unnecessary Purchase
• STAB - Stupid TA Bastard
• TA - Toy Army
• TAFFAARD - Take A Flying F*ck At A Rolling Doughnut
• TCH - That C**t Hoon (as used by the Chief of the General Staff and his mates, no less!)- the former SofS for defence, Geoff Hoon
• TEWI - Tactical Exercise Without Interest
• UDR - Uncle Dermot's rifles; Under Developed Ranger
• UNBENAF - (Medical) - Unecessary Breast Examination - (Nothing abnormal found)
• UMIN - Ugliest Man In NATO
• USMC - Uncle Sam's Misguided Children
• VOL - Vision of Loveliness.

Honours & Awards

• DSO - Did Something Outstanding
• OBE - Other Buggers' Efforts
• MBE - My Bloody Efforts
• CMG - Call Me God
• KCMG - Kindly Call Me God
• GCMG - God Calls Me God