The military has had a love affair with acronyms for decades. They allow busy troops to compress a complex situation into an easy-to-use phrase.
After 20 years of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, some have even entered into common usage in the civilian world. For instance, IED (Improvised Explosive Devices) and EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal.)
Some acronyms have purely combat-related functions-FEBA (Forward Edge of the Battle Area) and FLOT (Forward Line of Own Troops) refer to the front line on a battlefield while AAA, pronounced ’Triple A,’ means Anti-Aircraft Artillery.
Step into a DFAC (Dining Facility or cafeteria) on an Army post and you may overhear a soldier talk about the FOB (Forward Operating Base) they were at during their last deployment and whether the air conditioner worked in their CHU (Containerized Housing Unit or trailer.)
And now there’s this tongue twister: CNIDODCCSAAPWSVCSA.
It refers to the just-formed “Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorates the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America.”
Lawmakers mandated the commission to eradicate symbols linked to the Confederacy from U.S. military installations, including changing the names of historic Army posts like Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Benning, Ga.; and Fort Hood in Texas. The eight members were sworn-in on March 2, 2021 during their first virtual meeting. Pentagon officials said they discussed the organization and their duties. They are required to brief Congress on their progress by Oct. 1, 2021.
It’s unknown whether they’ll use their acronym.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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