Wounded Warrior Abbreviations and Acronyms

The military often uses abbreviations and acronyms as shorthand for longer terms. If a service member you care about is recovering from a wound, injury or illness and you’re involved in the recovery, you are likely to encounter many of the following abbreviations and acronyms.

Terms related to injuries and treatment

• medevac: medical evacuation (often by helicopter)
• MTF, MMTF: military treatment facility or military medical treatment facility, for example:
  • LRMC: Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (Landstuhl, Germany)
  • NMCSD: Naval Medical Center San Diego (San Diego, California)
  • BAMC: Brooke Army Medical Center (Fort Sam Huston, San Antonio, Texas)
  • WRNMMC: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (Bethesda, Maryland)
• OT: Occupational Therapy
• PT: Physical Therapy
• SI: seriously injured; NSI: not seriously injured; VSI: very seriously injured
• SPECAT: special category (of injury)
• WIA: wounded in action

Medical conditions

• COS: combat/operational stress
• PTSD: post-traumatic stress disorder
• SCI: spinal cord injury
• TBI: traumatic brain injury

Service-branch programs

• AW2: Army Recovery Care Program
• WWR: Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment
• AFW2: Air Force Wounded Warrior Program
• USSOCOM WCP: Special Operations Command Warrior Care Program (Care Coalition)

Terms related to medical review boards

• COAD: continuation on active duty
• COAR: continuing on active reserve
• EPTE: existed prior to entry
• HAO: home awaiting orders
• IDES: Integrated Disability Evaluation System
• LIMDU: limited duty
• MEB: Medical Evaluation Board
• MOS: military occupational specialty
• PEB: Physical Evaluation Board
• PEBLO: Physical Evaluation Board liaison officer
• PDRL: Permanent Disability Retirement List
• PLD: permanent limited duty
• TDRL: Temporary Disability Retirement List
• VASRD: Veterans Affairs Schedule for Rating Disabilities

Other terms

• CAC: casualty assistance center
• CAO, CACO, CNO: casualty assistance officer; casualty assistance call officer; casualty notification officer
• CDR: commander
• CONUS: continental United States; OCONUS: outside the continental United States
• CRP: comprehensive recovery plan
• DFAS: Defense Finance Accounting Service
• DOD: Defense Department
• FRG: Family Readiness Group
• FMLA: Family and Medical Leave Act
• ITO: invitational travel order
• MLO: Marine liaison office
• NMA: non-medical attendant
• NOK: next of kin; PNOK: primary next of kin; SNOK: secondary next of kin
• OEF: Operation Enduring Freedom
• OIF: Operation Iraqi Freedom
• OND: Operation New Dawn
• RCC: recovery care coordinator
• SSN: Social Security number
• TSGLI: Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance
• VA: Department of Veterans Affairs
• VBA: Veterans Benefits Administration
• VSO: veterans service officer

Of course, just understanding what abbreviations and acronyms mean won’t address all your questions and concerns. Non-medical support and specialty consultations through Military OneSource can help connect you with services and information about programs. Call 800-342-9647, use OCONUS dialing options or schedule a live chat.

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