B-D

BBB

bad conduct discharge

A punitive discharge given to service members who committed certain crimes during their service period. They are not entitled to most benefits they would have earned if they had received an honorable discharge, but not stripped of any rights (as they would with a dishonorable discharge).

Also see:

discharges

badges

Badges indicate certain skills, such as rifle marksmanship.

Also see:

awards

base

See:

Air Force facilities

basic training

Recruit training in the Army and Air Force.

See also:

boot camp

battalion

See:

Army organization

Marine Corps ground combat

battle dress

See:

camouflage uniform

BDUs

See:

camouflage uniform

body armor

See:
flak jacket

individual body armor

boot camp

Recruit training in the Navy and Marine Corps.

See also:

basic training

brigade

See:

Army organization

Marine Corps ground combat

BX

Base exchange. Used in the Air Force.

See also:

CCC

camouflage uniform

Clear, and thus preferred to “cammies,” “BDUs,” “battle dress,” “fatigues” or “utilities.”

See also:

uniform

uniform colors

carbine

A shorter, lighter version of a regular production rifle, designed usually for urban or close-quarter combat. The standard U.S. carbine today is the M-4, based on the M-16.

See also:

Navy ranks and ratings

ranks and titles

Coast Guard

AP style is “Coast Guardsman, Coast Guardsmen” regardless of sex. Also see entries on the Navy; much is similar.

EXTERNAL LINK:

Main page -- http://www.uscg.mil/

Site map -- http://www.uscg.mil/global/sitemap.asp

commandant

The commandant is the general in charge of the Marine Corps. Because this is a position instead of a rank, it should normally be written lowercase after the name (as in “Gen. John Doe, commandant of the Marine Corps”).

See also:

ranks and titles

command sergeant major

An Army rank that denotes the most senior enlisted soldier in any echelon at the level of battalion or higher. There may be other sergeants major in each echelon, but there is only one command sergeant major at each echelon. The form before a name is Command Sgt. Maj., keeping in mind that the plural is command sergeants major (or sergeants major if there is a mix of command sergeants major and sergeants major). Do not use sergeant majors in any case.

See:

sergeant major

command

See:

drill postitions

organizational structure

commissioned officers

Commissioned officers are senior to warrant officers and enlisted personnel.

See also:

ranks and titles

company

AP style does not abbreviate the word “company” in the names of military companies.

See also:

Army organization

Marine Corps ground combat

corpsman, corpsmen

Navy and Marine term for Navy medics who work with Marines. Equally applicable to men and women.

See also:

hospital corpsman

court-martial

Military equivalent of a trial. Felony trials (murder, rape, torture, etc.) are a general court-martial; Misdemeanor trials are a special court-martial. In general, it is fine to say that a soldier faces court-martial or was court-martialed. The plural is courts-martial.

See also:

Uniform Code of Military Justice

CPO

Navy abbreviation for "chief petty officer," a senior enlisted rank.

DDD

DARPA

Jargon; Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

DCAA

Jargon; Defense Contract Audit Agency.

DCMA

Jargon; Defense Contract Management Agency.

DeCA

Jargon; Defense Commissary Agency.

decorations (medals and ribbons)

EXTERNAL LINK (unofficial):

Foxfall -- http://foxfall.com/

Defense Department

EXTERNAL LINK:

Almanac -- Includes information about agencies, budget, congressional committees, demographics, joint commands, leaders, ranks, statistics and top contractors. -- http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/almanac/

Defense Department agencies

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,

Defense Commissary Agency,

Defense Contract Audit Agency,

Defense Contract Management Agency,

Defense Finance and Accounting Service,

Defense Information Systems Agency,

Defense Intelligence Agency,

Defense Legal Services Agency,

Defense Logistics Agency,

Defense Security Cooperation Agency,

Defense Security Service,

Defense Threat Reduction Agency,

Missile Defense Agency,

National Imagery And Mapping Agency,

National Security Agency and

Pentagon Force Protection Agency.

See also:

Defense Department Field Activities

Defense Department Field Activities

American Forces Information Service

Defense Prisoner of War / Missing Personnel Office

Defense Human Resources Activity

Department of Defense Education Activity

Tricare Management Activity (health care benefits)

Office of Economic Adjustment

Washington Headquarters Services

See also:

Defense Department Agencies

device

               Metal accoutrements on award ribbons and medals denoting

special circumstances surrounding the wearer's award. Devices can

signify the number of times the award was received, whether it was

earned for valor, or other situations in which the award was earned.

               Examples: (1) Sgt. Jones earned the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 'M'

device for mobilizing with the National Guard. (2) Spc. Robinson wore

two bronze oak leaf cluster devices on his ARCOM ribbon to show he has

earned the award three times.

Also see:

award

decorations

ribbon

DFAS

Jargon; Defense Finance and Accounting Service.

DIA

Jargon; Defense Intelligence Agency.

DISA

Jargon; Defense Information Systems Agency.

discharge

Formal separation from military service. There are several types of discharges from the military. Most common are honorable discharge, general discharge, bad conduct discharge and dishonorable discharge.

Also see:
discharges (separate page)
honorable discharge
general discharge
bad conduct discharge
dishonorable discharge
EXTERNAL LINK: Enlisted separations, from About.com

dishonorable discharge

Generally equivalent to having a felony record in the military. Such discharges are relatively rare, and carry roughly the same weight as a felony conviction. Those who are dishonorably discharged are stripped of their right to vote or own weapons and also stripped of any military benefits. Most who receive a dishonorable discharge served time in a military prison. Use dishonorable discharge.

Also see:
discharges
UCMJ

direct fire

Gunfire that is fired on a straight trajectory toward a target, as in handguns, rifles and RPGs.