Do you speak Military

Every industry has its acronyms, but it seems the military more so than any other.

Not everybody would be able to clearly decode the following message:

"I'm a NCO at USAREUR and due to ETS next spring. My DEROS is in March. When I get back to CONUS I plan to return to my HOR, which is Olympia, WA. I'm currently on TDY at Ft. Lewis and would like to meet with you tomorrow at 1600 hrs. to go over property listings that are within my current BAH range."

Translation Chart:

NCO - Non-Commissioned Officer

USAREUR - US Army Europe (headquartered in Heidelberg)

ETS - Estimated Time of Separation

DEROS - Date of Estimated Return from Overseas

CONUS - Continental United States

HOR - Home of Record

TDY - Temporary Duty Station

BAH - Basic Allowance for Housing

After three years in the Army and another 20 years as a military spouse "military lingo" is almost like my native language (which, BTW is German). To someone not normally immersed in the culture it may appear like a foreign language. A nifty online guide to military acronyms can by found here.

Sandy Nelson
Realtor for Olympia Area Real Estate
www.sandynelsonrealestate.com