Don’t know your Army acronymns?…Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. There’s a lot of them, so we’ll just add to this list as we go along.

• Bird: Slang for Helicopter.
• CAC – Community Activity Center: The place on base for billiards, concerts & events.
• Commissary: The on base grocery store.
• CS – Command Sponsorship: Authorization for a soldier to bring his family & one (count ‘em, one) vehicle to Korea.
• Formation: Basically like it sounds. Round-up all the soliders & make them stand around in neat little rows until further instructions.
• the Hump: Army slang for Camp Humphreys.
• Joe / Joes: Military slang for GI Joe - an average young, enlisted soldier.
• NCO – Non-Commissioned Officer: An enlisted soldier who has been given authority by a commissioned officer; Sargeants are considered NCO’s.
• NEO – Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations: Should the North finally decide to invade, Jennifer would be on the NEO list of those who the military needed to ensure where evacuated from the country.
• Normalized: A US military installation in a foriegn country that allows a soldier’s family & vehicle to be stationed with him.
• PX – Post Exchange: A mini WalMart of sorts for soldiers to shop for American goods on base.
• ROK: Republic of Korea. This can refer to the government or the military, depending on what you’re talking about.
• SOFA – Status of Forces Agreement: An agreement between two countries when one has military units stationed in the other. SOFA is designed to specifically deal with any legal issues arising between military personnel & property while in country.
• SSG – Staff Sargeant: It’s a military rank, an E6, for an enlisted soldier. The scale runs from E1 to E9.
• USAG - United States Army Garrison: Not to be confused with a Fort – but it’s still a permanently established military post.
• Ville: While not a true military term, it’s a phrase the soldiers use in Korea to describe the little ’suburbs’, for lack of a better word, that grow-up right outside a base’s gates.
• Warrant Officer (WO): Technically, they’re considered the most senior NCO’s (non-commissioned officers) who specialize in a particular field, technology or tactical expertise. They fall inbetween the ranks of the enlisted Joe’s & the officer graduates.
• Wubbie: Army slang for an all-purpose, all-weather blanket that’s surprisingly comfortable & great for cuddling with on the couch. It keeps you warm when you need warmth & cool when it gets too hot.