RAFAC Abbreviations

ACC WiKi
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A List of abbreviations used in the RAFAC Organisation

AAFC - Australian Air Force Cadets (RAAF)
ACF - Army Cadet Force
ACO - Air Cadet Organisation - now defunct, but may well still be seen in places
ACLC - Air Cadet Leadership Course
ACLO - Air Cadet Liaison Officer
ACP - Air Cadet Publication
Air Cdre - Air Commodore
ALARP - As low as reasonably practicable
AO - Admin Order
AP - Air Publication
APO - Acting Pilot Officer [RAFAC & RAFVR(UAS)]
ACTO - Air Cadet Training Order
ACATI - Air Cadet Adventure Training Instruction
ACFTI - Air Cadet Fieldcraft Traning Instruction
ACPEDTI - Air Cadet Physical Education Training Instuction
AEF - Air Experience Flight (or Air Experience Flying)
AFA - Activity First Aid
AFI - Annual Formal Inspection
ARD - Ancillary range duty
ATC - Air Training Corps
BEL - Basic Expedition Leader
CCF - Combined Cadet Force
Cdt - Cadet
CFAV - Cadet Force Adult Volunteer
Cdt FS - Cadet Flight Sergeant
CI - Civilian Instructor
Cpl - Corporal
CWA - Climbing Wall Award
CWAA - Climbing Wall Absail Award
CWLA- Climbing Wall Leading Award
CWO - Cadet Warrant Officer
DE - Defence estate
DTEE - Defence Training & Evaluation Estate
ELA - Entry Level Award (Health and Safety)
Flt Lt - Flight Lieutenant
Fg Off - Flying Officer
FS - Flight Sergeant
FOD - Foreign Object Debris/Damage
FTS - Flying Training School
Gp Capt - Group Captain
HKACC - Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps
HML - Hill and Mooreland Leader
HS&E - Health, Safety and Environment
HQAC - Headquarters Air Cadets
IACE - International Air Cadet Exchange
IBN - Internal Briefing Note
IWT - Initial Weapons Training
JI - Joining Instructions
JL - Junior Leader(s)
JSP - Joint Service Publication
L/Cpl - Lance Corporal
LLA - Lowland Leader Award
ML - Mountain Leader
NIBAS - National Indoor Bouldering Award Scheme
NICAS - National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme
NNAS - National Navigation Award Scheme
NZATC - New Zealand Air Training Corps
OC - Officer Commanding
PiPE - Participation in a Public Event
Plt Off - Pilot Officer
PME - Public Military Event
QAIC - Qualified Aerospace Instructor Course
RA - Risk Assessment
RAMS - Risk Assessment & Method Statement
RAF - Royal Air Force
RAFA - Royal Air Forces’ Association
RAFAC - Royal Air Force Air Cadets (term replaces ACO)
RAFBF - Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund
RAFC - Royal Air Force College (Cranwell)
RAFFT - Royal Air Force Fitness Test
RAFR - Royal Air Force Reserve
RAFVR(T) - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training) - now reduced in size
RAuxAF - Royal Auxiliary Air Force
RCAC - Royal Canadian Air Cadets
RCO - Range Conducting Officer
RFCA - Reserve Forces and Cadets Association
RPAS - Remotely Piloted Aircraft System
SAAI - Skill-at-arms instructor
SC - Security Check
SCC - Sea Cadet Corps
Sgt - Sergeant
SLG - Self-Launching Glider
SME - Subject Matter Expert
SPA - Single Pitch Award
SQEP - Suitably-qualified and experienced person
Sqn - Squadron
Sqn Ldr - Squadron Leader
UAS - Uncrewed Aerial System / University Air Squadron
VGS - Volunteer Glider Squadron
WATTO - Wing Adventure Training Technical Officer
Wg Cdr - Wing Commander
WHT - Weapons Handling Test
WI - Weapons instructor
WO - Warrant Officer

2IC - Second In Command

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You missed an important one!

TLA - Three Letter Acronym :stuck_out_tongue:
(Just realised this is within the wiki and I can edit it :man_facepalming: :man_facepalming:)

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Hmm… I know that nobody ever listens to me when I say this; but, strictly-speaking:

  • an acronym is “an abbreviation or initialism pronounced as a spoken word”

So…examples such as RAF, UAS, IMC, BBC, CIA, ATC are actually ‘‘Three Letter Abbreviations’’ (or ‘initialisms’)… but they most-certainly are NOT acronyms, because we don’t pronounce them as whole words…especially “R.A.F”, but…I do hear more and more people use the abbreviation/initials ‘R.A.F.A.C’ as a spoken acronym “RAf-Ak”, which is certainly easier to say, but might not be officially-approved (educate me on the formal policy, if published).

I’m just saying this, because there’s a tendency across the military to (wrongly) call ALL abbreviations/initialisms ‘acronyms’ even when they’re not pronounced as words. This defective briefing is particularly-prevalent throughout the RAF Regt (I’m sorry, but it is).

True acronyms include NATO, Scuba, Laser, SAM…

(ps apologies if I sound pedantic- it’s just that I think there’s a relevant/valid distinction between the different terms, and we are a training organisation)

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I’ve heard plenty of people talk about the “Raff” and everyone I knew at uni who were involved called it the “Youass”.

But your point stands

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Anyway, it’s not TLAs anymore, it’s MLAs, because TLAs were proving insufficient at covering the full breadth of military terminology.

It’s on ARRSE somewhere.

(Ironically, that is a proper acronym by your standard, but the reality is the definition has changed because language evolves. Deal with it.)

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Of course, whilst “TLA” is, strictly, an initialism; it is correctly used to describe three letter acronyms such as “FOD”, “PIN”, “CAC” (Though we know he doesn’t like that one any more), &c…

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There’s a version on here somewhere from yours truly…

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i have always felt that the “A” in TLA is fluid between acronym and abbreviation to be used as appropriate…

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