NCO Primary Leadership Subjects
Using Abbreviations, Continued
The Army is probably more accustomed to abbreviations than the civilian
Army usage
community. In certain forms of writing, such as combat orders and radio or cable
messages, abbreviations are required. Use the guidelines in the table below when
using abbreviations.
Guideline
Description
Consult available sources for
Authorized military abbreviations appear in
Authorized
the
latest
AR
310-50,
proper use of abbreviations.
Abbreviations, Brevity Codes, and Acronyms.
Other abbreviations appear in the dictionary.
Spell out a term the first time you
At times in informal writing, your readers
use it. Then show the
may know the abbreviation so well that you
abbreviation in parentheses
don't need to spell it out. However, never
immediately after the term.
take the chance of having your writing
misunderstood.
Example: You must submit the program of
instruction (POI) for this course within the
next
month.
Use abbreviations sparingly.
Don't make your reader wade through
"alphabet soup." -Each abbreviation stands
for an idea, and your reader will have to recall
its meaning each time. If the reader stops to
do this for every few words, he may loose his
train of thought.
Do not use military abbreviations
When writing for civilians, spell out military
when writing to a civilian
abbreviations.
Continued on next page
Writing Mechanics and Composition
1-25
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