This is a list of abbreviations commonly used in the
Singapore Armed Forces, including slang terms. They are often used in place of the expanded form of the words. Some abbreviations are similar to those used in other military. Other abbreviations may be identical to those used outside of military but with differing context.
People Ranks These ranks are arranged in descending order of seniority
Officers •
COL - Colonel •
SLTC - Senior Lieutenant Colonel •
LTC - Lieutenant Colonel •
MAJ - Major •
CPT - Captain •
LTA - Lieutenant •
2LT - Second Lieutenant •
OCT - Officer Cadet
Warrant officers •
CWO - Chief Warrant Officer •
SWO - Senior Warrant Officer •
MWO - Master Warrant Officer •
1WO - First Warrant Officer (formerly Warrant Officer Class 1, "WO1" or "WOI") •
2WO - Second Warrant Officer (formerly Warrant Officer Class 2, "WO2" or "WOII") •
3WO - Third Warrant Officer
Specialists •
MSG - Master Sergeant •
SSG - Staff Sergeant •
1SG - First Sergeant •
2SG - Second Sergeant •
3SG - Third Sergeant •
SGT - Sergeant (defunct – replaced by "1SG", "2SG" and "3SG") •
SCT - Specialist Cadet
Enlistees •
CFC - Corporal First Class •
CPL - Corporal •
LCP - Lance Corporal •
PFC - Private First Class •
PTE - Private •
REC - Recruit
Other Ranks Military Domain Experts •
ME9 - Military Expert 9 •
ME8 - Military Expert 8 •
ME7 - Military Expert 7 •
ME6 - Military Expert 6 •
ME5 - Military Expert 5 •
ME4 - Military Expert 4 •
ME4(A) - Military Expert 4 (Apprentice) •
ME4(T) - Military Expert 4 (Trainee) •
ME3 - Military Expert 3 •
ME2 - Military Expert 2 •
ME1 - Military Expert 1 •
ME1(T) - Military Expert 1 (Trainee)
SAF Volunteer Corps •
SV 4 - SAF Volunteer 4 •
SV 3 - SAF Volunteer 3 •
SV 2 - SAF Volunteer 2 •
SV 1 - SAF Volunteer 1 •
SV (T) - SAF Volunteer (Trainee)
Appointments and offices •
2IC - Second-in-charge (see "IC") •
ASM - Army Sergeant Major •
BC - Battery Commander •
BDO - Battery Duty Officer •
BOS - Battalion Orderly Sergeant or Brigade Orderly Sergeant •
BSM - Battery Sergeant Major or Brigade Sergeant Major •
BSO - Battalion Signal Officer •
BQMS - or "BQ" - Battery Quartermaster Sergeant •
CAO - Chief Armour Officer •
CAF - Chief of Air Force •
CCO - Camp Commandant's Office •
CDF - Chief of Defence Force •
CDI - Chief of Digital and Intelligence Service •
CDO - Company Duty Officer •
CDS - Company Duty Sergeant •
CMC - Chief of Medical Corps •
CNV - Chief of Navy •
CO - Commanding Officer •
COA - Chief of Army •
COS - Company Orderly Sergeant •
CQMS - or "CQ" - Company Quartermaster Sergeant •
CSM - Company Sergeant Major •
DDO - Divisional Duty Officer •
DO - Duty Officer •
DOO - Duty Orderly Officer •
DOS - Duty Orderly Sergeant •
DS - Duty Sergeant •
DSM - Division Sergeant Major •
Dy S1 - Deputy Manpower Officer •
Dy S2 - Deputy Intelligence Officer •
Dy S3 - Deputy Training and Operation Officer •
Dy S4 - Deputy Logistics Officer •
FDO - Field Duty Officer •
FS - Fitness Specialist •
FSM - Formation Sergeant Major •
IC - (person) in command
or in charge (see also "2IC") •
IO - Intelligence Officer or Investigating Officer •
MO - Medical Officer •
MTO - Military Transport Officer •
NO - Nursing Officer •
NCO - Non-Commissioned Officer (defunct – replaced by "Specialist") •
OC - Officer Commanding (Company Commander in other militaries) •
PC - Platoon Commander •
PS - Platoon Sergeant •
PSO - Principal Staff Officer •
PTI - Physical Training Instructor •
QM - Quartermaster - usually a
commissioned officer or a senior warrant officer •
RQMS - Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant - usually a
warrant officer in the SAF •
RSM - Regimental Sergeant Major •
S1 - Manpower Officer •
S2 - Intelligence Officer •
S3 - Training and Operation Officer •
S4 - Logistics Officer •
SDO - School Duty Officer (use is limited to training schools) •
SM - Sergeant Major •
SSM - School Sergeant Major •
WOSA - Warrant officers, specialists and airmen •
WOSE - Warrant officers, specialists and enlistees •
WOSPEC - Warrant officers and specialists
Units and organizations •
ADF -
Army Deployment Force •
AFTC - Air Force Training Command •
AI - Artillery Institute •
AMB - Army Maintenance Base •
BB -
Boys' Brigade •
BMTC -
Basic Military Training Centre •
C4I - Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence •
CAD - Combined Arms Division •
CDO -
Singapore Commandos •
CMPB - Central Manpower Base •
CSSCOM - Combat Service Support Command •
CTI - Commando Training Institute •
DIS -
Digital and Intelligence Service •
DISCOM - Division Support Command •
DSMB - Direct Support Maintenance Battalion (defunct, now renamed as "AMB" or Army Maintenance Base) •
DS Med Bn - Direct Support Medical Battalion •
DSSB - Direct Support Supply Battalion •
DSTA -
Defence Science Technology Agency •
EOD - Explosive Ordnance Disposal •
FCC - Fitness Conditioning Centre •
FDS - Field Defence Squadron •
GDS -
Singapore Guards •
GG -
Girl Guide •
GB -
Girls' Brigade •
ITI - Infantry Training Institute •
JID - Joint Intelligence Directorate •
JOPD - Joint Operations and Planning Directorate •
MES -
Maintenance and Engineering Support •
MP - Military Police •
MMI - Military Medicine Institute •
MMRC - Multi-Mission Range Complex •
NCC -
National Cadet Corps (Singapore) •
NCDCC -
National Civil Defence Cadet Corps •
NDU -
Naval Diving Unit (Singapore) •
NPCC -
National Police Cadet Corps •
OCS -
Officer Cadet School •
OETI - Ordnance Engineering Training Institute (Defunct: renamed to OES - OETI Engineering School) •
PCC - Psychological Care Centre •
RCY -
Singapore Red Cross Youth •
PDF -
People's Defence Force •
RSAF -
Republic of Singapore Air Force •
RSN -
Republic of Singapore Navy •
SA -
Singapore Artillery •
SAF -
Singapore Armed Forces •
SAFAC - Singapore Armed Forces Ammunition Command •
SAFDB - Singapore Armed Forces Detention Barracks •
SAFPU - Singapore Armed Forces Provost Unit (defunct, reorganised into the
Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command) •
SAFMPC -
Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command •
SAFRA - Singapore Armed Forces Reservists' Association (the term "reservist" has generally been replaced by "Operationally Ready NSmen") •
SAFSA - Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association •
SAR - Singapore Armoured Regiment •
SCC - SAF Counselling Centre •
SCE -
Singapore Combat Engineers •
SCS - Specialist Cadet School •
SFLS - Special Forces Leadership School •
SI - Signal Institute •
SIB - Singapore Infantry Brigade or Special Investigation Branch •
SIR - Singapore Infantry Regiment •
SISPEC - School of Infantry Specialists •
SMI - School of Military Intelligence •
SMM - School of Military Medicine (reorganised as SMTI in 2006) •
SMTI -
SAF Medical Training Institute •
SOC - School of Commandos (defunct, reorganised into the Commando Training Institute) •
SOCC - Special Operations Command Centre •
SOF -
Special Operations Force •
SOTAC - Special Operations Tactics Centre •
SOTC - Special Operations Training Centre •
SOTSC - Special Operations Support Centre •
SPT - School of Physical Training •
SRC -
Singapore Red Cross •
TRADOC - Training Doctrine
Places •
265 - formerly a hill in
Marsiling with an elevation of 265 feet which was used for training; it has been levelled for urban development. •
ATEC - Army Training and Evaluation Center •
BCTC - Basic Combat Training Center •
JC1 - Jurong Camp I •
JC2 - Jurong Camp II •
PLC -
Pasir Laba Camp •
PRC - Pasir Ris Camp •
SAFTI - Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (term now defunct) •
SAFTI MI -
SAFTI Military Institute Weapons, vehicles and equipment •
A-veh - a heavy vehicle, such as an armoured vehicle •
APC -
Armoured Personnel Carrier •
AVLB -
Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge •
B-veh - non-"A-veh" vehicles, such as rovers and trucks •
FAD - first aid dressing •
FBO - full battle order (compare "SBO") •
FFR - (with reference to a land rover) fitted for radio •
FH88 -
Field Howitzer 88 •
FH2000 -
Field Howitzer 2000 •
GPMG -
General Purpose Machine Gun – refers in particular to the
FN MAG used in the Singapore Armed Forces •
HMG -
Heavy machine gun •
IBA - Integrated body armour •
IFV -
Infantry Fighting Vehicle •
LAW - Light Anti-tank Weapon •
LBS - Load Bearing System •
LBV - Load Bearing Vest •
LST -
Landing Ship Tank •
MATADOR - Man Portable, Anti-Tank, Anti-Door Weapon •
MOP - Medic Operational Pouch (previously Medical Orderly Pouch) •
MOPP - Mission Oriented Protective Posture, referring to a set of protective gear for CBRE missions and toxic environments. •
RAI - Returnable Ammunition Item, usually referring to expended cartridges for live rounds or blanks that must be collected and accounted for after training exercises. •
RCK - rifle cleaning kit •
SAR - refers to
SAR 21 •
SAW - Section Automatic Weapon. A fully-automatic light machine gun, usually referring to the
Ultimax 100, or the
Colt Infantry Automatic Rifle. •
SBO - Standard (
formerly Skeletal) Battle Order (compare "FBO") •
SSPH 1 or
SSPH -
Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer 1 Primus •
TL - Troop lift - When soldiers ride on a five-ton truck from place to place (especially in military operations)
Slang •
FO - fall out; fuck off •
LOBO - left out of battle order (refers to a soldier who has not been assigned a fixed vocation) •
LLST -
lan lan suck thumb, meaning to embrace the fact and continue •
NATO - no action, talk only •
Pikachu - from the hokkien expression "bai kah bai chew", meaning crippled •
SBC - simply
boh chup – indifferent, not caring (from the abbreviation of the
Singapore Broadcasting Corporation) •
WALI - walk around, look important •
ROC - relax one corner •
OTOT - own time own target •
RSAF - rarely seen after five. Also the acronym for the Republic of Singapore Air Force. •
SOC -
siam one corner, that is, to hide somewhere in order to avoid meeting one's superiors, doing work,
etc. (from the abbreviation of "Standard Obstacle Course")
Others •
11B - SAF 11B, the military identity card, referring to the eleven pieces of basic information written. •
1206 - SAF 1206, a form signed to acknowledge deductions made to a soldier's payroll for damaging or losing equipment,
etc. (pronounced "twelve-O-six") •
1211 - SAF 1211, an issue and receipt voucher for proof of receiving and issuing of goods. •
302 - SAF 302, a form signed to declare own homosexual orientation (pronounced "three-O-two") •
15A - SAF 15A, a temporary document used alongside a photo ID card and police report, in place of a lost or stolen 11B •
ACCT - Advanced Close Combat Training •
AI - Armoured Infantry troopers •
AOC - Advanced Obstacle Course •
ATP - Advanced Trainfire Package •
Attend B - medical status that allows soldier to perform only light duties •
Attend C - medical status that exempts soldier from all duties •
AWOL - Absent Without Official Leave •
BAC - Battle Assault Course •
BCCT - Basic Close Combat Training •
BER - beyond economic repair •
BIBO - book-in/book-out (book) •
BIC - Battle Inoculation Course •
BMT - Basic Military Training •
BRO - Battalion Routine Order •
BTP - Basic Trainfire Package •
BUA - Built-up area (see also "FIBUA") •
C3 - command, control and communication (pronounced "C-three" or "C-cube") •
CBRE -
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group •
CIS - Chartered Industries of Singapore •
CMTL - Centralised Motor Transport Line •
COC - Change of Command Parade •
CP - Command Post •
CQC - Combat Qualification Course •
CRO - Company Routine Orders •
CS - Combat Shoot •
CSB - Combat Skills Badge •
CST - Combat Survival Training •
DB - detention barracks •
DIV - division •
DOD - date of disruption •
EVAC - evacuation •
FATEP - Field Artillery Training Evaluation Phase •
FFE -
fire for effect •
FFF - Fit For Firing certification •
FFI - Fitness For Instructions •
FIBUA - fighting in built-up area (see also "BUA") •
FO - Forward Observer, soldier who corrects artillery fire •
FOFO - fighting on Fortified objectives •
FPF -
final protective fire •
G50 - G50, a form submitted for security clearance in military or government sectors •
GLS - Ground Logistics Support •
HCC - High Confidence Course •
HOTO - Hand over take over •
IA - Immediate Action, a pre-trained drill for responding to a certain situation •
ICCT - Intermediate Close Combat Training •
ICT - In Camp Training (also simply known as
in-camp) •
IFC - Individual Field Craft •
IMT - Individual Marksmanship Trainer •
IPPT -
Individual Physical Proficiency Test •
IPT -
Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) Preparatory Training Programme •
JCC - Jungle Confidence Course •
L/F - live firing •
LD - medical status that allows soldiers to perform only light duties •
LOA - letter of authority/authorisation •
NAVEX - navigation exercise, a military exercise in which soldiers must locate checkpoints within an area with only the aid of a map and compass, and within a stipulated time limit •
OOC - Out of Course •
OOT - Out of Training •
ORD - Operationally Ready Date (formerly "ROD") •
PES -
Physical Employment Status •
QI - Quarterly Inspection certification •
RMJ - medical status that excuses soldiers from running, marching and jumping •
RO - Routine Orders •
ROD - Run Out Date (now "ORD") •
SOC - Standard Obstacle Course •
SOL - stoppage of leave •
TH - Technical Handling •
UFF - unfit for firing •
VOC - Vocational Obstacle Course •
WH -
White Horse marking in medical docket indicative of special treatment required ==Abbreviations in transport==