PCS or TDY
This describes a temporary duty, typically less than 12 months in length.
What is a TDY?
This branch's emblematic song is called, "Anchors Aweigh."
What is the US Navy?
Enlisted rank pay grades begin with this alphabet letter, followed by a number to specify the rank.
What is the letter E? (E1, E2, E3, etc.)
Doing this is considered respectful behavior when the national anthem is being heard during a ceremony.
What is placing hand over heart?
Not physical therapy, this acronym for unit-coordinated workouts, often in the morning, shares the same letters.
What is PT (physical training)?
In this type of PCS, a family is not allowed to accompany their service member at their assigned location.
What is an unaccompanied assignment?
This branch falls under the Department of the Navy, but it's not the Navy.
What are the Marines?
Officer rank pay grades. begin with this alphabet letter, followed by a number, but usually we just call officer ranks by their name title and not their pay grade.
What is the letter O? (O1, O2, etc.)
Held predeployment, this ceremony preserves the unit colors (flags) for transportation to an overseas deployment location.
What is a casing ceremony?
This program exists to support military family members with special documented medical or educational needs.
What is the EFMP (exceptional family member program)?
Permanent Changes of Station, or PCS, typically move a military service member and their family for at least how many months?
What is 12 months? (But not always!)
This branch of the military originally fell under the United States Army when it was first created.
What is the the United States Air Force? (USAF broke away from the US Army in 1947.)
This is the rank of Tom Cruise's character in the movie, "A Few Good Men."
What is Lieutenant/O3? (Bonus: in the Army, Air Force and Marines, this is still an O3 but it's called a Captain.)
Similar to a change of command, this involves the replacement of the highest enlisted service member of a unit.
What is a Change of Responsibility ceremony?
This acronym represents the pay stub that each service member receives for each month they receive pay from the military.
What is an LES (leave and earnings statement)?
This term describes a move where the service member and family choose to coordinate/procure their own move of household goods from one duty station to the next.
What is a DITY move?
This branch surprisingly has the largest number of watercraft of all the branches. Hint: it's not what you think.
What is the US Army? (For real!)
These patterns in rank insignia typically signify the progressive rank of a noncommissioned officer, across several branches.
What are stripes?
This color star is noted to represent a family member who has lost a service member while they were serving.
What is gold?
This acronym represents the projected date that the service member is currently slated to separate (leave) the military.
What is ETS (expiration term of service)?
This acronym describes the special reimbursement or financial benefit that pays for temporary lodging during a PCS.
What is TLA?
This is the newest branch of the US military, established in 2019.
What is the Space Force?
When addressing a Chief Warrant Officer, this is the best way to address the individual.
What is, "Chief [insert last name]" -or- in some units, "Mr. [insert last name]" or "Ms. [insert last name]"?
A common tradition is for these VIPs to pin the new rank on a newly promoted service member at the end of a promotion ceremony.
What are spouses or children?
This acronym describes the frequency with which a unit or units on a particular installation are experiencing deployment.
What is OPTEMPO (operational tempo)?