Air Force Academy Acronyms and Terms

AOC Air Officer Commanding, an active duty Air Force officer in charge of a
cadet squadron
AAOCA Associate AOC for Academics, a faculty member who is an academic
advisor for those cadets without a major.
Acceptance The “graduation” from BCT. In a special parade ceremony, the Basic
cadets are “accepted” into the regular Squadron to which they have
been assigned for their 4th class year.
ACQ Academic Call to Quarters
AFSC Air Force Specialty Code – career choices for active duty
AFT Athletic Fitness Test – 1.5 mile run required each semester
A Hall Arnold Hall – auditorium & equivalent of a university Student Union.
Open to the public, so a good place to meet your cadet when visiting.
BCT Basic Cadet Training
BDU Battle Dress Uniform (Camo)
Beast Slang name for BCT (Basic Cadet Training)
BOR Base of the Ramp, the area at the bottom of the In-Processing ramp
Cadet Wing Military organization of all AFA cadets, consisting of four Groups, totaling
approximately 4,000 cadets
CCQ Cadet in Charge of Quarters, squadron receptionist
CIC Cadet in Charge
Command Post Cadet Wing Operations Center, organization in charge of day-to-day
operations for the cadet wing
Comm's List Commandant's List for outstanding cadet military performance
CQ Duty assigned to 3rd class cadets staffing squadron reception desk
Dean's List Dean's List for outstanding academic achievement
Dining-In A formal dinner for officers, NCOs and cadets
Dining-Out Same as Dining-In, but can bring guest
DI Dormitory Inspection, night check for accountability
Doolie Slang name for a Fourth-class cadet, equivalent to a freshman
Dodo Underground humor magazine, for cadets only
EI Extra Instruction
Element The most basic unit of the cadet organization. A subset of a Flight,
consisting of about 12 cadets.
Firstie First-class cadet, equivalent to a senior
Form 10 A form to report cadet conduct, good or bad
Flight A subset of a Squadron. Each flight consists of three Elements, about
36 cadets
GDNCO Group Duty Noncommissioned Officer
GE Global Engagement, a course conducted in Jack’s Valley; usually the
summer between 4th and 3rd class years
GPA Grade Point Average
GR Graded Review (an important exam)
Group A subset of the Cadet Wing, consisting of 9 Squadrons (about 1,000
cadets)
IP Instructor Pilot
IRI In-Ranks Inspection
Jack's Valley Site of encampment training for the 2nd half of BCT, GE, Survival
Training & other courses
 Air Force Academy Acronyms and Terms

LMD Last Military Duty -

Mess Dress A formal uniform – equivalent to a tuxedo in civilian life
Mitch's Mitchell Hall, the cadet dining hall
MAS Military Art and Science
MPA Military Performance Average
MTL Military Training Leader
NCO Non-Commissioned officer
NCOIC Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge
OIC Officer in Charge
OOM Order of Merit – class ranking
OPA Overall Performance Average (mathematical combination of academic,
military and athletic performance)
PDP Professional Development Program
PFT Physical Fitness Test
PKR Professional Knowledge Reviews
SAMI Saturday A.M. Inspection
SDO Squadron Duty Officer
SOD Senior Officer of the Day, firstie in charge of the cadet wing for the day
Service Dress Uniform consisting of shirt, tie, jacket with proper insignia, and round
“wheel” cap. Uniform that must be worn by all 4th class cadets, both
on and off the Academy grounds.
Squadron A subset of a Group, consisting of 3 Flights for a total of about 110
cadets. There are 36 Squadrons at AFA, numbered 1-36, each with
a “unique” name, (example - “Mighty Mach 1” is Squadron 1).
During BCT, the Basics are also organized into Squadrons, identified
by letters, A – I. They also have names, for example, Squadron H
is the “Hellcats”.
Supt's List Superintendent's List, for outstanding academic, military, and athletic
performance
TDY Temporary Duty
UOD Uniform Of the Day
Upper class Cadets in the third-, second- and first-classes

Cadet Organization Summary:

Cadet Wing - All Academy Cadets

Group - Four Groups in the Wing
Squadron - Ten Squadrons to a Group, 40 in the Wing
Flight - Three Flights in a Squadron
Element - Three Elements in a Flight