Commonly Used Terms

**

This following alphabetical listing provides the correct style for commonly used terms within DoD captions. The list is by no means comprehensive; if a term does not appear below, refer to The Associated Press Stylebook or Webster’s New World College Dictionary for the appropriate style and spelling. You can also refer to our AP Stylebook quick reference or the Defense of Defense Visual Information Style Guide for supplemental guidance on spelling, grammar, puncutation and general style outline by AP.

A

abbreviations/acronyms
Only use abbreviations on second reference. The abbreviations should be established on first reference, preferably without using parenthesis: Soldiers should check their Leave and Earnings Statement, known as an LES, to ensure the changes were implemented.
active duty (noun) active-duty (compound modifier)
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: He was active duty before becoming a reserve Soldier. He was an active-duty Soldier before becoming a reserve Soldier.
African American (noun) African-American Soldier (adjective)
Black is the preferred adjective according to AP style.
all hands (noun) all-hands (adjective/compound modifier)
Hyphenate when used as an adjective/compound modifier: The commanding officer called all hands to the meeting. The Sailors attended the all-hands call.
American flag, U.S. flag
Lowercase flag.

C

career branches
Capitalize when referring to a specific branch: Infantry, Armor, Field Artillery, Signal, Public Affairs, Medical Service. Lowercase when referring to a job title: infantryman, paratrooper, military police.
cavalry
Lowercase unless it is part of a unit name. Do not confuse with Calvary, which is a religious term.
change of command ceremony (compound modifier)
Do not hyphenate.
civilian titles
Do not use courtesy titles such Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. unless requested by the named person. Other formal titles such as Dr., Sen. or Gov. should be used where applicable. Do not use such titles on second reference unless necessary to differentiate two people with the same last name.
civilian (generic reference)
Lowercase unless referring to Department of the Army Civilians (proper noun).
citizen-Soldiers
Lowercase citizen.
colors
The preferred style is American flag or U.S. flag. Do not use in reference to flags of other nations. Acceptable when referring to unit flags and guidons. The battalion colors were furled during a transfer of authority ceremony.
commander in chief
Do not hyphenate; lowercase unless it appears before a name.
congressional
Lowercase unless part of a proper name: congressional salaries, the Congressional Quarterly, the Congressional Record.
contingency operating base
Lowercase unless it accompanies the name of a specific location. COB is acceptable on second reference.
corps
Lowercase, shortened reference to units as a stand alone, except when referring to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Corps
Capitalized refers to the U.S. Marine Corps.
counter improvised explosive device
Do not hyphenate or capitalize. Counter IED is acceptable on second reference.

D

demining
Do not hyphenate.
Dr.
Using the title before a name is OK. This differs from AP Style.
DOD
Abbreviation for Department of Defense. All caps. DOD is acceptable on first reference.

E

email
Acceptable in all references for electronic mail. Use a hyphen with other e-terms: e-book, e-business, e-commerce.
exercises
Capitalize uniquely named exercises, but only capitalize the descriptive word exercise if it is part of the official title of the exercise. Lowercase generic descriptors for exercises: operational readiness exercise, joint task force exercise, composite training unit exercise.
explosive ordnance disposal
Lowercase, unless part of a unit name or operation name. EOD is acceptable on second reference.

F

Family
Capitalize when referring to Army Families (AR 360-1, para. 13-12b).
Family names
Capitalize words denoting family relationships only when they precede the name of a person or when they stand unmodified as a substitute for a person’s name: “I wrote Grandfather Smith. I wrote Mother a letter. I wrote my mother a letter.”
female engagement team
Lowercase unless writing about a specific team.
firefighter
One word.
Fort
Do not use Ft. Lowercase unless it precedes the name of a specific fort.
forward operating base
Lowercase unless it accompanies the name of a specific location. FOB is acceptable on second reference.
from
Do not use from to describe a Service member’s affiliation with a military unit. Use with, assigned to or attached to. The term from implies hometown or native country. “U.S. Army Spc. Joe Snuffy is an infantryman assigned to the 1st Battalion, 333rd Infantry Regiment.”

I

IED
Abbreviation for improvised explosive device. IED is acceptable on first reference.

J

joint
Lowercase unless used as a proper noun as part of a unit.

L

landing zone
Lowercase unless it accompanies the name of a specific location: U.S. Soldiers gather their gear after parachuting onto Landing Zone Tombstone. The landing zone was not cleared. LZ is acceptable on second reference.
landing craft, air cushion
Singular and plural. Lowercase unless identifying a specific numbered LCAC: Landing Craft, Air Cushion 8. LCAC is acceptable on second reference.
landing craft utility
Lowercase unless identifying a specific numbered LCU: Landing Craft Utility 1627. LCAC is acceptable on second reference.
live fire (noun) live-fire (adjective/compound modifier)
Hyphenate when used as an adjective/compound modifier: The practice range was for shooting blanks only; it did not allow live fire. The live-fire exercise lasted all day.

M

mass casualty/mass casualty exercise
Do not hyphenate.
Medal of Honor
The nation’s highest military honor, awarded by Congress for risk of life in combat beyond the call of duty. Use Medal of Honor recipient or a synonym, but not winner. There is no Congressional Medal of Honor.
MedEvac
Abbreviation for medical evacuation. MedEvac is acceptable on first reference.
military operations on urban terrain
MOUT is an out-of-favor term; the preferred term is urban operations (UO). The term MOUT is still in limited use and may be used when referring to a specific MOUT city or MOUT site, but should not be used in the following senses: “... train for military operations on urban terrain ...” or “... conducts military operations on urban terrain training.”
MIA/POW(s)
Abbreviation for missing in action/prisoner(s) of war. MIA/POW is acceptable on first reference. This differs from the AP Stylebook.

N

nation
Lowercase.
national anthem
Lowercase. But: “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
NCO
Abbreviation for noncommissioned officer. NCO is acceptable on first reference.
noncommissioned officer in charge
Do not hyphenate. Lowercase unless it appears before a name. NCOIC is acceptable on second reference.

O

officer in charge
Do not hyphenate. Lowercase unless it appears before a name. OIC is acceptable on second reference.
Organizations
Capitalize the full names of organizations and institutions. Some are widely recognized by their abbreviations, refer to abbreviations/acronyms entry: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the proper organizational name. USACE is acceptable on second reference. Do not use corps or any unofficial abbreviations, such as ACOE, USA COE, COE.

P

pass in review
Not pass and review.
paratrooper
Lowercase.
Pentagon
Use WASHINGTON in dateline; use Arlington, Virginia, to describe the location of the Pentagon, if the location is relevant to the story.
POW(s)/MIA
Abbreviation for Prisoner(s) of war/missing in action. POW/MIA is acceptable on first reference. This differs from the AP Stylebook.

R

rappel, rappelling/repel, repelling
To rappel is to use ropes to lower oneself from a high place, such as a cliff, building or helicopter. To repel is to fend something off.
Reserve
Capitalize when referring to U.S. Army Reserve (not Reserves). Lowercase in reference to members of these backup forces: reserve Soldiers. Only use the term reserves when referring to the reserve components collectively. Do not use the term reservist.
Retired
Do not use (Ret.) when describing a retired service member. Capitalize the word Retired and place it before the service (if applicable), rank and name: Retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Joe Smith, left, delivers a speech.
rifle salute
A salute to the deceased at military funerals, usually by seven riflemen each firing three shots in unison. Do not confuse this with a 21-gun salute.

S

Sept. 11
When referring to the terrorist attacks of this day, use Sept. 11 attack or Sept. 11 terrorist attack, or 9/11. Use 2001 only if needed for clarity.
service member
Two words; lowercase: U.S. service members help clean up in New York City after Hurricane Sandy.
Soldier
Capitalize when referring to U.S. Soldiers (AR 360-1, para. 13-12b).
Special Forces
Do not use interchangeably with special operations forces. Capitalize when referring specifically to the U.S. Special Forces, also known as Green Berets. Others, such as Army Rangers, should be called special operations forces.
Special Operations Forces
Use this term to describe U.S. special warfare units or members of those units when their exact service or unit affiliation is not clear, or when special warfare units of multiple services are conducting joint operations. Do not use special operator or commando. Capitalize when referring specifically to the U.S. Special Operations Forces: A U.S. Special Operations Forces Service member patrols in a field near Kandahar, Afghanistan, April 5, 2012.

T

Tomb of the Unknowns
Not Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
troop
Lowercase. A troop in its singular form is a group of people, often military or animals. Troops, in the plural, means several such groups. But when the plural appears with a large number, it is understood to mean individuals: There were an estimated 150,000 troops in Iraq. But not: Three troops were injured.

W

war on terrorism
This is the acceptable term to use; all lowercase. Do not use global war on terrorism, GWOT or war on terror.
warfighter
One word; lowercase.
Web
Capitalize.
website
One word; lowercase.
White House
Use Washington, D.C., to describe the location.
CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR?

Our support team is here for you.