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State Department Resources for Foreign Service Families
Glossary of Government Acronyms A-L
Click here to read Acronyms M-Z
Contributed by the Transition Center at the Department of State. http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/.
For more acronyms, visit the Department of State Web site: http://www.foia.state.gov/MMS/abbrs/abbr_sym_start.asp
A Bureau of Administration, Department of State.
A-100 Orientation training program for new Foreign Service Officers of Department of State.
AAFSW Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide. Membership is open to adult family members or employees of the U.S. foreign affairs agencies, active or retired.
AC Bureau of Arms Control.
A&D Accounting and Disbursing System. Overseas financial management system.
ACDA Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.
ACS American Citizens Services.
ADM/ ADMIN Administrative Section overseas (includes HRO, FMO, GSO, IMO, IPC, MED).
ADST Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training.
AF Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State.
AFGE American Federation of Government Employees.
AFM American Family Member.
AFSA American Foreign Service Association. Professional association for Foreign
Service personnel. Certified as Foreign Service employee representative.
AGR Agricultural Section overseas
AID See USAID below. |
Aide Memoire French for "aid to memory" to describe an informal note presented to a foreign official to help in conveying USG views or position; a useful device to ensure "our" words, not the foreign official's notes, are the ones which convey our views to his superiors who may not be present for the discussion.
ALDAC All Diplomatic and Consular Posts.
ALMA A Logical Modernization Approach. Department IT standards, also installation project.
AMADS Automated Message Distribution System. Department of State message processing system.
AMB E&P Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, representing a head of state and with full powers.
AMCIT See Consul.
AFSPA American Foreign Service Protective Association Health Plan.
A/OS Office of Overseas Schools.
APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
APHIS Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service, part of U.S. Dept of Agriculture.
APO Army Post Office. A mail system managed by the Department of Defense, capable of dealing with personal mail, classified and unclassified reports, as well as spare parts for military equipment provided to friendly nations. See also FPO below. Many Foreign Service posts abroad are included in the APO/FPO system.
ASOS Advanced Security Overseas Seminar
Attaché Specialist, civilian or military, assigned to an overseas mission.
AWAL Around the World in a Lifetime, a Foreign Service teen organization.
BCC Beltsville Communications Center.
B & F Budget and Fiscal Section in some overseas missions. Newer name is Financial Management Office (FMO).
BIMC Beltsville Information Management Center.
Biodata Biographic Data.
Biographic Annual publication giving biographic ("Stud book") information on officers of
Register the Department of State and certain other foreign affairs agencies.
BPP Bureau Performance Plan. Budget planning tool for bureaus.
Branch Post Post outside the capital city. Also called constituent post.
Buckslip A covering note used to forward a document or a newspaper clipping to a specific recipient in the Department or at a Foreign Service post, often with a brief, informal comment or explanation.
Bureau The basic organizational entity-either geographic or functional-of the State Department; headed by an Assistant Secretary responsible for directing the work of various "offices" or "country directors."
CA Bureau of Consular Affairs, Department of State.
Cable/Telegram Used interchangeably to refer to communications (messages) sent electronically.
Cablese Captions: Abbreviations and other shortened language used in cables/telegrams. EXDIS, LIMDIS, GRIEVANCE CHANNEL, MED CHANNEL, etc.
CAO Cultural Affairs Officer in Public Diplomacy section of Embassy
CDA/CDO Career Development and Assignments/Career Development Officer.
CFMS Central Financial Management System. Primary Department accounting system.
CFC Combined Federal Campaign.
CG Consul General, principal officer of a consulate general.
Chancery Principal office of an Embassy (building housing the Ambassador's office).
Chargé d'Affaires French, literally "in charge of affairs." The designation of the officer-normally the Deputy Chief of Mission-who is temporarily in charge of an Embassy when the Ambassador is out of the country. Usually followed by the letters "a.i.," which stands for the Latin "ad interim."
CIA Central Intelligence Agency.
CIO Chief Information Officer.
Classification Unclassified; Limited Official Use (outdated Administrative Classification only); Sensitive But Unclassified (not a classification, but used to indicate handling); Confidential, Secret, Top Secret.
CLO Community Liaison Office. Overseas field office of the Family Liaison Office. Also the informal title of the office coordinator.
CME Crisis Management Exercise. A one-day, tabletop exercise for an embassy's Emergency Action Committee (EAC) to exercise their mastery of the Emergency Action Plan (EAP).
CNB Chemical, Nuclear, Biological Weapons of Mass Destruction.
CNBR Chemical, Nuclear, Biological, and Radiation Weapons of Mass Destruction.
CODEL Congressional Delegation. Usually a group but can refer simply to one member of Congress traveling abroad on official business; as distinct from a "STAFFDEL," which is the term applied when the traveler or group of travelers is "Congressional staff."
COM Chief of Mission. This generally would be the Ambassador at an Embassy, the chargé d'affaires if there is no Ambassador or if he is out of the country, or the permanent representative (PERMREP) if a mission to a multilateral organization like the UN.
COMPUSEC Computer Security. Government term for data security.
COMSEC Communications Security. Policy/procedures to protect communications.
CON Consular Section overseas.
Cone One of the five functional specialties into which Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) are grouped at entry into the Foreign Service. The cones are: consular, economic,administrative, political, and public diplomacy.
CONGEN Consulate-General. A large consulate (see below) headed by a Consul General and capable of performing a wider variety of consular and reporting functions than a consulate.
CONGEN The FSI course conducted in a mock-up consulate preparing Foreign Service Officers for consular work following their graduation from the A-100 orientation course. Most officers will do some consular work in their first tour.
CONOFF Consular Officer.
Consul/ Consular titles for officers doing consular work overseas; responsible for:
Vice Consul (1) administering U.S. immigration laws (issuing visas, etc.); and, (2) looking after passports, citizenship matters, and the welfare of American citizens (Cablese = AMCIT) overseas.
Consular Titles Consular Agent, Vice Consul, Consul, and Consul General.
Consulate A Foreign Service Post engaged primarily in consular work; officers assigned have consular titles. Consulates are usually constituent posts of an Embassy, either within the Embassy itself or in some other city in the foreign country. While consulates engage in routine reporting, they carry out no diplomatic or representational functions vis-à-vis the host government.
CONUS Continental United States.
COSPO Community Open Source Project Office. Intelligence Community system manager.
Counselor A diplomatic title accorded to a head of section in the Embassy, as "Counselor for Political Affairs" or "Political Counselor" (for which the acronym is POLCOUNS). (N.B. Do not confuse diplomatic ranks like "Counselor" with the Senior Foreign Service pay grades of "Counselor," "Minister-Counselor," "Career Minister," and "Career Ambassador," which correspond to the top four grades of the Senior Intelligence Service and the Senior Executive Service.)
Country Desk The basic country organization of the Department of State office, each "desk" is headed by a Country Desk Officer and sometimes includes several other persons.
Country Team Agency heads and other senior advisors of the Ambassador. Meets at intervals determined by the Ambassador.
CPO Commications Program Officer.
CS Civil Service.
CTC Career Transition Center. A division of the Transition Center at the George P.Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center.
D Deputy Secretary.
DACOR Diplomatic and Consular Officers Retired.
DAS Deputy Assistant Secretary (of State, of Defense, etc.) Works directly for the Assistant Secretary and supervises several office directors.
DCM Deputy Chief of Mission. The second-ranking officer at Post, functioning as deputy to the Chief of Mission (COM); often functioning as the chief operating officer or chief of staff to the Ambassador. Acts for the Ambassador when he is away from post and as Chargé d'Affaires when the Ambassador is out of the country of assignment. Usually has the diplomatic rank of "Counselor of Embassy" or "Minister-Counselor." Responsible for managing the reporting program.
D&CP Diplomatic and Consular Programs (1019). DOS funding source.
DEA Drug Enforcement Administration.
Demarche A request or intercession with a foreign official; e.g., a request for support of a policy, a protest about the host government's policy or actions.
Desk Officer Officer responsible for a specific country or countries in the geographic bureaus of the Department of State.
DG Director General of the Foreign Service.
DIA Defense Intelligence Agency.
Diplomatic Corps All accredited members of all diplomatic missions at a given post.
Diplomatic Courier Carries the classified diplomatic pouch.
Diplomatic List List of accredited diplomats; issued by the Foreign Ministry. In some countries the list does not include all assigned personnel holding diplomatic passports.
DISA Defense Information Systems Agency.
Distribution Special Handling: NODIS: No distribution to other than addresses, ROGER CHANNEL: Director INR and Principal Officer, STADIS: Distribution within State Department only, AGREEMENT CHANNEL: Agreement requests, DIRGEN: Sensitive Personnel Matters
DMS DOD messaging system.
DOD Department of Defense.
DODDS Department of Defense Dependents Schools.
DOE Department of Energy.
DOJ Department of Justice.
DOS Department of State.
DOSFAN Department of State Foreign Affairs Network. Department Web site.
DOSNET Department of State Network. Department E-mail network.
DPM Diplomatic Pouch and Mail.
DPO Deputy Principal Officer. The generic term for the number two at a Foreign Service post, whether Embassy or Consulate.
Drafter Officer Originator of a cable or memo, responsible for initiating clearance and finalizing changes.
DRL Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Department of State.
DS Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Department of State.
DSTC Diplomatic Security Training Center.
Duty Officer Officer at post or in the Department assigned during non-office hours to be responsible for any emergency.
E Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs.
EAP Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State.
EAC An embassy's Emergency Action Committee (see CME).
EB Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Department of State.
ECA Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Deparment of State.
ECON Economic Section overseas.
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council, United Nations.
ECS Employee Consultation Service.
E&E Emergency & Evacuation. Term used in security planning.
EFM Eligible family member. A dependent of a USG employee on travel orders; eligible for employment within a mission.
Embassy A diplomatic mission in the capital city of a foreign country headed by an Ambassador.
EMBOFF/
MISOFF Any officer assigned to the Embassy (or Mission); avoid further specificity by Section, e.g., "CONOFF," "POLOFF."
E.O. 12356 Executive Order-a presidential requirement to include specific declassification instructions on all government telegrams.
E.O. 12721 Executive Order Eligibility-gives Eligible Family Members opportunity to earn eligibility for Civil Service employment while they serve in non-career positions abroad.
E.O. 12958 Executive Order-federal declassification guidelines.
ERS Electronic Receipt System. Part of the Diplomatic Pouch & Mail System.
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival.
ETD Estimated Time of Departure. |
EU European Union.
EUR Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, Department of State.
EVT Emergency Visitation Travel.
EX Executive Office.
FAC Foreign Affairs Community.
FAH Foreign Affairs Handbook.
FAM Foreign Affairs Manual, the general (and authoritative) guide, in many volumes, for Foreign Service procedures.
FARA Foreign Affairs Recreation Association.
FAS Foreign Agricultural Service, Department of Agriculture. Provides Agricultural Attachés to missions abroad.
FASA Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act. USG procurement guidelines.
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation.
FCC Federal Communications Commission.
FCS Foreign Commercial Service, Department of Commerce. Provides Commercial Attaches to missions abroad.
FEHB Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
FERS Federal Employee Retirement System.
FLO Family Liaison Office, Department of State.
FMA Family Member Appointment. Department of State hiring mechanism.
FMC Financial Management Center. Budget and fiscal offices at 19 large embassies.
FMLA Family and Medical Leave Act.
FMO Financial Management Office. Unit of administrative section in post overseas. Formerly B&F.
FMP Bureau of Finance and Management Policy, Department of State.
FOIA Freedom of Information Act.
Foreign Office/Ministry Office or ministry handling foreign affairs, comparable to the Department of State in the United States. See also MFA.
FPO Fleet (Navy) Post Office. A mail system managed by the Department of Defense similar to the APO (see APO above).
FS Foreign Service Salary Schedule for all Foreign Service U.S. personnel
FE* Senior Foreign Service Salary Schedule
FO* Foreign Service Officer. Career Officer of the Department of State.
FP* All other Foreign Service personnel (*Two-letter codes used in the computer database.)
FSAN Foreign Service Assignment Notebook. Published by the FSI Transition Center.
FSC Financial Service Center. Three financial centers supporting FS posts.
FSI Foreign Service Institute, Department of State, located at the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center.
FSN Foreign Service National. A non-American employed by a Foreign Service Post abroad, usually from the host country; important as staff members in every section.
FSO Foreign Service Officer, an American recruited by examination and thereafter a member of a disciplined career service. May be employee of the State Department, AID, Commerce Department, or Agriculture Department.
FSPS Foreign Service Pension System.
FSRDS Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System.
FSYF Foreign Service Youth Foundation. Organization dedicated to the internationally mobile youth of all United States' foreign affairs agencies.
FTE Full Time Equivalent. Full-time or equivalent part-time employees.
Fulbright Commission Popular name for binational educational exchange commissions. Administers an exchange of persons program-students, research scholars, professors, and teachers-between the United States and other countries.
FY Fiscal Year.
G Under Secretary for Global Affairs.
GAO General Accounting Office.
GBL Government Bill of Lading.
Globe Trotters A Foreign Service group for children between the ages of 9 and 12.
GLS Geographic Learning Site. On Department Web site-public outreach.
GPO Government Printing Office.
GS General Schedule, designation for Civil Service jobs.
GSA General Services Administration. USG agency providing goods and services.
GSO General Services Officer in an overseas mission. Responsible for motor pool, supplies, building maintenance, contracts and procurement, customs, travel, and shipping.
GTR Government Travel Request.
GWACs Government-Wide Agency Contracts. Procurement vehicle any agency can use.
H Bureau of Legislative Affairs, Department of State.
HCN Host country national.
HHE Household Effects.
HL Home Leave.
HR Bureau of Human Resources, Department of State.
HRO Human Resources Officer. Formerly Personnel Officer.
HST Harry S. Truman building; Department of State main building.
HSTA Home Service Transfer Allowance.
IC Intelligence Community.
ICASS International Cooperative Administrative Support Service.
IG Inspector General.
IM Information Management
IMO/IPO Information Management/Programs /Office of administrative section that handles computer systems and communications (classified and unclassified).
IMS Information Management Specialist.
IMTS Information Management Technical Specialist.
INL Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Department of State.
INR Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State.
INRISS INR Intelligence Support System.
INS Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Inspector A Foreign Service or General Schedule officer assigned to inspect a diplomatic or consular post.
INTELINK Intelligence Community Network. IC classified data network.
Interest Section The office responsible for protecting the interests of the United States, housed in a third country embassy, in a country with which the United States has no formal relations.
IO Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State.
IPC Information Program Center. Post computer processing area.
IRM Bureau of Information Resource Management
JCS Joint Chiefs of Staff.
JUSMAAG/MAAG Joint U.S. Military Assistance and Advisory Mission (if indeed "Joint") or Military Assistance Advisory Mission (if not); other terms in use include: "Security Assistance Office," "Office of the Defense Representative" and "Office of Defense Cooperation." All describe a military office within an Embassy responsible for directing programs of military assistance and training to foreign governments. Although sometimes done by the DAO, this is usually an entirely separate office, with no intelligence connotation. The head of the office may be referred to as "Chief MAAG," "Chief ODC," etc.
KSA Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
L Office of the Legal Advisor, Department of State.
Legation A diplomatic mission in a foreign country headed by a minister. The United States has none at the present time, but a few other countries do.
Liaison Office The office responsible for protecting the interests of the United States prior to the establishment of diplomatic relations (or while diplomatic relations are suspended) between the United States and the host country.
LM Office of Logistics Management
LMS School of Leadership and Management at the Foreign Service Institute.
LWOP Leave Without Pay