Everywhere you look within the Army, you will find acronyms. Sometimes they can be confusing and difficult to find the meaning of. I know that when I have “Googled” certain Army acronyms, I get a wide variety of answers and it can be mind numbing trying to find the correct answer.
For those of you who are not clear as to what an acronym is, it is a word that is formed usually by the first letters of other words, and is itself, pronounced as a word.
Army Finance is one of the top users of acronyms in the Army. In today’s post, I decided to veer into Army Finance Acronyms, and provide you with some of the used acronyms and their meanings.
Here is a glossary of Army Finance Acronyms
AAFES
It stands for Army and Air Force Exchange Service. These are the stores and outlets you will find on Army posts world wide. Much of the profits from these exchanges goes to support military morale and welfare.
AAO
AAO stands for Army Acquisition Objective. This is the system used to make sure that soldiers are completely equipped with all tools and resources they need.
ABO
It stands for Army Budget Office. Exactly as it says, this is who controls the budget for the Army.
ACRN
Accounting Classification Reference Number is a number used when contractors bill the Army and other government sources.
AFARS
This stands for Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement. This covers Army regulations in purchasing from vendors.
AFES
This is the Automated Financial Entitlement System. It is used for automated disbursements.
APF
Stands for appropriated funds.
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AWCF
When it comes to the Army budget, you will often see this acronym. It stands for Army Working Capital Fund.
BAH or BAQ
This stands for Basic Allowance for Housing or Quarters. Soldiers are often granted a housing allowance.
BAS
This stands for Basic Allowance for Subsistence, which means an allowance for food.
COLA
COLA stands for cost of living allowance. When a soldier is deployed, Army Finance usually provides a COLA.
CCSS
This stands for the Commodity Command Standard System. This is the system for the use of various commodities within the Army. These include water, electricity, gasoline, etc…
CER
CER stands for Command Expenditure Report. This simple is a report made by Commands that is given to the Army Finance office.
MORE
There is an acronym for nearly everything within Army Finance. If I were to go through all of them, I would essentially be writing a book.
I discovered a great publication that lists almost all Army acronyms. You can find it at Glossary: DFAS-IN 37-1.
You have surely noticed that the majority of Army Finance acronyms are just the first letters of each word. If you are unsure of the acronym, you can usually use that rule and be correct 95% of the time. It may even be better to just spell it all out.
Final Thoughts
What are your experiences with Army Finance acronyms? Do you understand why acronyms are used?
Please provide your opinions or questions in the comments section.
Thank you for visiting and share this with others so they know the proper acronyms.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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