military dictionary

Having a family member in the military means having to learn a new language.
I've complied a short list of some commonly used acronyms or terms.
Disclaimer: These definitions are what I know of the terms and may not be absolutely correct. My husband is in the Army, so these may not apply to other branches.

ACUs- Army Combat Uniform, the basic camouflage uniform that soldiers wear on a day to day basis, and while deployed
ASUs- Army Service Uniform, also known as dress blues. The class "A" uniform is the more formal uniform. Class "B" is the less formal uniform with a white short sleeve shirt.
PC- Patrol cap, AKA the hat that goes with the ACU
MOS- Military occupation specialities. Basically, your soldier's job. His/her MOS is usually a number and a letter like 11B, which means infantry.
Basic training- (The term "boot camp" is not used in the Army.) The initial training a soldier receives. Where it takes place and its duration depends on the MOS.
AIT- Advanced individualized training. This training phase is often combined with basic training for one lump of initial training or takes place shortly after basic. It is specific training geared toward the individual's MOS.
PT- physical training. "PTs" is used to describe the uniform to be worn during PT.
FRG- Family Readiness Group. This is usually run by the Captain or the Captain's wife, if he is married. The FRG can be a great source of information about upcoming events on post, training schedules, and important dates. FRGs often host meetings and events for spouses and families. At its worst, it can be a way for people to gossip and complain. At its best, it can be a way to meet new people, get involved, and be informed about the happenings of the company.
Px/Bx- Post exchange/base exchange. This is a store on post/base. (An Army instillation is a "post." "Base" is used by the Air Force and Navy.) What they sell varies from store to store, but it's kind of like a Walmart. You can sometimes find cheaper prices here than at a civilian store.
Clothing and Sales- Another store. This one specifically sells uniform items- boots, patches, ribbons, shirts, pants, socks, etc. You can also often find gift shop items like "Proud Army Dad" shirts and bumper stickers. This might be a place visiting family members would want to check out.
Commissary- grocery store on post
DFAC- dining facility, most often used by soldiers who live in the barracks
Barracks- dormitory-style living facility for single, lower-level enlisted soldiers
Deployment- period of time in which a group of soldiers leave the country for the accomplishment of a specific mission, typically in a combat situation (or in support of one)
"Outside the wire"- when soldiers leave their combat outpost during deployment to go on patrol or some other function/mission of deployment
"In the field"- When service members are "in the field" they usually are quite literally out in a field conducting some sort of training exercise
PCS- Permanent change of station. A fancy way of saying "moving."
CQ- charge of quarters. 12-24 hour shifts to guard the front of the barracks. This includes doing random barracks checks/patrols and signing in soldiers who have to check in every hour due to disciplinary actions. Mostly, it's a lot of sitting around and a glorified "rent-a-cop" duty for the barracks.
Staff duty- Similar to CQ but at the battalion level instead of the company. Battalion secretary/rent-a-cop
BAH- Basic Allowance for Housing. An allowance given to those who live off post. The amount is based on rank, whether or not the soldier has dependents, and the cost of living of the general area.
BAS- Basic Allowance for Subsistence. Part of income for those who live off post, specifically for food. It is in place of having access to the DFAC.
LES- leave and earning statement, AKA a pay stub
Tricare- health insurance for service members and their family
DEERS- Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. I'm not sure of the full function of the DEERS office but this is where you go to get your military ID and enroll for health insurance. It's about as efficient and pleasant as the DMV. Making an appointment online will help shorten your wait time. To get a dependent military ID, the active duty service member must be present (unless the service member is deployed and you have a power of attorney specifically stating you can act in his/her place at the DEERS office) and you have to have all required paperwork (usually a government issued picture ID like a driver's license, social security card, sponsor's active duty military ID, and a marriage license).
MyCAA- an education grant provided for military spouses. If you meet the criteria, you can receive up to $4,000 in grant money for college

One of the hardest things for me to remember was how a group of soldiers was organized. I learned it best starting from the biggest group down to a smaller, more specific group. However, if you ask a soldier what unit they are in, they will usually say it starting from the smallest to largest entity. Here's how it works from biggest to smallest:
Division > Brigade > Battalion > Company > Platoon
It breaks down ever further into sections and squads in some units. If you look at an address for a deployed soldier it will usually read like this (or something similar):

Rank Last Name, First Name
 --- Co (company), ---- (a number which represents the battalion), --- BCT (brigade), --- DIV (division)
The name of the post/base
APO, AE and a zip code

Sadly, this is a very short list of the terms one must learn to understand the military world. I don't know that I'll ever be fluent in "Army" but I hope this list helps some new family members!