Veteran Abbreviations
53 abbreviations · part of Military Abbreviations
Abbreviations that US veterans, military retirees and their families meet when dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs, military records, disability claims, retirement pay, education benefits, life insurance and veterans' organizations. Many name specific forms, programs or chapters of federal law, and knowing them makes it easier to read VA letters and file claims. Benefit rates change every year, so check current figures with the VA or the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AMVETS | American Veterans | Congressionally chartered veterans service organization founded in 1944 by World War II veterans and open to anyone who has served honorably, including current members. |
| BDD | Benefits Delivery at Discharge | Program that lets service members file a VA disability claim 180 to 90 days before leaving active duty, so a decision can come soon after separation. |
| BRS | Blended Retirement System | Military retirement system that took effect on January 1, 2018, combining a smaller defined-benefit pension with government contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan and… |
| BVA | Board of Veterans' Appeals | Body within the Department of Veterans Affairs where veterans law judges review appealed claims decisions, either on the existing record, with new evidence or after a… |
| C&P | Compensation and pension examination | Medical exam scheduled by the VA to evaluate a veteran's claimed disabilities, gathering evidence about diagnosis, severity and connection to service for a disability… |
| CBOC | Community-based outpatient clinic | VA clinic located closer to where veterans live than a full medical center, offering primary care, mental health care and some specialty services. |
| CHAMPVA | Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs | VA health insurance program for spouses and children of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled from service-connected conditions, and for certain survivors… |
| COLA | Cost-of-living adjustment | Annual increase in Social Security and SSI benefits, as well as federal pensions, to offset inflation. |
| CRDP | Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay | Program that lets military retirees with at least 20 years of service and a VA disability rating of 50 percent or higher receive both full retired pay and VA disability… |
| CRSC | Combat-Related Special Compensation | Tax-free monthly payment for military retirees with disabilities incurred in combat, hazardous duty, training that simulates war, or caused by an instrumentality of… |
| DAV | Disabled American Veterans | Nonprofit that helps disabled veterans and their families obtain VA benefits through free claims assistance from trained service officers, and runs programs such as… |
| DD-214 | Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty | Department of Defense form issued when a service member leaves active duty, recording dates of service, rank, military specialty, decorations, character of service and… |
| DD-215 | Correction to DD Form 214 | Form used to correct or add information to a DD-214 after it has been issued, such as late-awarded medals, corrected dates or an upgraded discharge. |
| DIC | Dependency and Indemnity Compensation | Tax-free monthly VA payment to surviving spouses, children and in some cases parents of service members who died in the line of duty or veterans whose deaths resulted… |
| GI Bill | Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 and successor education programs | Collective name for federal laws giving veterans education and training benefits, especially today's Post-9/11 GI Bill, which can pay tuition, a monthly housing… |
| HLR | Higher-Level Review | VA decision review option in which a more senior reviewer takes a fresh look at a claim decision using the same evidence, without new evidence, and may hold an informal… |
| IAVA | Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America | Nonprofit advocacy organization for veterans of the post-9/11 wars, founded in 2004, known for campaigns on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, burn pit legislation and veteran… |
| ITF | Intent to File | Notice a veteran submits to the VA to preserve an earlier effective date for a claim while gathering evidence, giving up to one year to file the full application. |
| MGIB | Montgomery GI Bill | Education benefit program for veterans and reservists, named for Representative G. |
| MST | Military sexual trauma | VA term for sexual assault or repeated threatening sexual harassment experienced during military service. |
| NCA | National Cemetery Administration | Branch of the Department of Veterans Affairs that operates more than 150 national cemeteries and provides headstones, markers and burial benefits for eligible veterans… |
| NGB-22 | National Guard Report of Separation and Record of Service | Form issued to Army and Air National Guard members when they separate from the Guard, documenting their state service much as a DD-214 documents federal active duty. |
| NPRC | National Personnel Records Center | National Archives facility in St. |
| P&T | Permanent and total | VA designation for a disability rating that is 100 percent and not expected to improve, ending routine reexaminations. |
| PACT Act | Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act | Law signed on August 10, 2022, that expanded VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances, adding presumptive… |
| SBP | Survivor Benefit Plan | Military retirement annuity program that pays a monthly benefit, up to 55 percent of the retiree's chosen base amount, to a surviving spouse or children after the… |
| SCRA | Servicemembers Civil Relief Act | Law of 2003 that protects active-duty service members in civil matters, capping interest at 6 percent on debts incurred before service, allowing them to end residential… |
| SDVOSB | Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business | Federal designation for small businesses at least 51 percent owned and controlled by veterans with service-connected disabilities, which can receive set-aside and… |
| SF-180 | Request Pertaining to Military Records | Standard form used by veterans, next of kin and others to request copies of military personnel and medical records, including the DD-214, from the National Personnel… |
| SGLI | Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance | Low-cost group term life insurance for service members, offering coverage up to $500,000 automatically, with premiums deducted from pay. |
| SMC | Special monthly compensation | Additional VA compensation paid above the regular rating schedule for severe disabilities, such as loss of use of limbs, blindness or the need for aid and attendance. |
| SPD | Separation program designator | Three-character code in block 26 of the DD-214 that identifies the specific reason for a service member's separation, such as completion of service, disability or… |
| TAMP | Transitional Assistance Management Program | Program that provides 180 days of continued TRICARE coverage to certain service members and families after they leave active duty, such as those separating… |
| TAP | Transition Assistance Program | Mandatory program that prepares service members for civilian life with workshops on job searching, VA benefits, education and financial planning before they separate or… |
| TDIU | Total disability individual unemployability | VA benefit that pays disability compensation at the 100 percent rate to veterans whose service-connected conditions prevent them from holding substantially gainful… |
| TFL | TRICARE For Life | Health coverage for military retirees and eligible family members who are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, paying most costs that Medicare does… |
| TSGLI | Traumatic Injury Protection under SGLI | Benefit attached to SGLI that pays a one-time amount of $25,000 to $100,000 to service members who suffer certain severe traumatic injuries, such as amputations, burns… |
| TSP | Thrift Savings Plan | Defined contribution retirement plan for US federal civilian employees and members of the uniformed services, offering traditional and Roth options much like a 401(k). |
| USERRA | Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act | Law of 1994 that protects civilian jobs of people who leave to serve in the military, including the National Guard and reserves. |
| VA | Department of Veterans Affairs | Federal cabinet department that provides health care, disability compensation, pensions, education benefits, home loan guarantees, life insurance and burial benefits to… |
| VAMC | VA medical center | Hospital run by the Veterans Health Administration offering inpatient, outpatient, surgical, mental health and specialty care to enrolled veterans, often affiliated… |
| VASRD | VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities | Section of federal regulations, 38 CFR Part 4, that lists diagnostic codes and criteria the VA uses to assign disability ratings from 0 to 100 percent in 10 percent… |
| VBA | Veterans Benefits Administration | Department of Veterans Affairs branch that decides claims for disability compensation and pensions and administers the GI Bill, VA home loan guarantees, vocational… |
| VCL | Veterans Crisis Line | Free, confidential 24-hour support line for veterans, service members and their families in crisis, staffed by trained responders, many of them veterans. |
| VFW | Veterans of Foreign Wars | Veterans organization founded in 1899 for US service members who served honorably in a foreign war, campaign or hostile area, known for local posts, advocacy and claims… |
| VGLI | Veterans' Group Life Insurance | Renewable term life insurance that veterans can buy after leaving the service by converting their SGLI coverage, with premiums based on age. |
| VHA | Veterans Health Administration | Largest integrated health care system in the United States, run by the Department of Veterans Affairs and serving more than 9 million enrolled veterans at about 170… |
| VHIC | Veteran Health Identification Card | Photo ID card issued to veterans enrolled in VA health care, used to check in at VA facilities and, for many, as proof of veteran status for discounts. |
| VIC | Veteran ID Card | Photo identification card offered by the VA to veterans with honorable or general discharges as proof of military service, for example to receive retail discounts… |
| VR&E | Veteran Readiness and Employment | VA program, also known as Chapter 31, that helps veterans with service-connected disabilities prepare for, find and keep suitable jobs, including paying for college or… |
| VRA | Veterans Recruitment Appointment | Special federal hiring authority that lets agencies appoint eligible veterans to positions up to the GS-11 level without competitive examination. |
| VSO | Veterans service organization | Nonprofit group, such as the American Legion, VFW or DAV, that advocates for veterans and provides accredited representatives who help with VA claims and appeals at no… |
| YRP | Yellow Ribbon Program | Post-9/11 GI Bill provision in which participating private schools and out-of-state public schools agree with the VA to share tuition costs above the GI Bill's annual… |
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