Office of the Historian

Abbreviations and Terms

    • A/ART, Art in Embassies Staff, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Operations, Bureau of Administration, Department of State
    • A/IT, Office of International Training, Agency for International Development
    • ABA, American Basketball Association; also American Bar Association
    • ABC, American Broadcasting Company
    • ACDA, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
    • ACE, American Council on Education
    • ACTION, federal agency created by the merger of VISTA and the Peace Corps
    • AD-70, Alliance Defense Problems for the 1970s
    • AEC, Atomic Energy Commission
    • AF, Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State
    • AFSA, American Foreign Service Association
    • AH, Alexander Haig
    • AID, Agency for International Development
    • AID/V, Bureau for Viet-Nam, Agency for International Development
    • AIESEC, Association international des étudiants en sciences économiques et commerciales (International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences)
    • AIG, address indicator group
    • Am, American
    • AP, Associated Press
    • ARA-LA, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State; Agency for International Development
    • ARA-LA/APU, Argentina-Paraguay-Uruguay, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State
    • ARBC, American Revolution Bicentennial Commission
    • ARVN, Army of the Republic of Vietnam
    • Ass’t., assistant
    • B-52, all-weather, intercontinental, strategic heavy bomber
    • BALPA, Balance of Payments Reduction Program; exercise undertaken during the Johnson administration in 1968
    • BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation
    • BFS, Board of Foreign Scholarships
    • BIAAS, proposed Bicentennial Institute of Advanced American Studies
    • BIE, Bureau of International Expositions
    • BNC, bi-national center
    • BPAO, Branch Public Affairs Officer
    • BST, Blood, Sweat and Tears (rock band)
    • BW, Barbara White
    • C-47, military transport aircraft
    • C, Counselor of the Department of State
    • C/Y, Special Assistant for Youth, Office of the Counselor, Department of State
    • CA, circular airgram
    • CAO, cultural affairs officer
    • CBS, Columbia Broadcasting System
    • CENTO, Central Treaty Organization
    • Chieu Hoi, “Open Arms” Government of South Vietnam amnesty program
    • CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
    • CINCPAC, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command
    • CINCPACFLT, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet
    • CINCUSARPAC, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army Pacific
    • Comm., committee; also commission
    • COMSAT, communications satellite
    • Conf., conference
    • Cong., Congress
    • ConGen, Consulate General
    • CORDS, Civil Operations and Rural Development Support
    • COSVN, Central Office for South Vietnam
    • CPDC, GVN Central Pacification and Development Council
    • CPM, Country Program Memorandum (USIA)
    • CU, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
    • CU/CP, Office of Cultural Presentations, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
    • CU/EX, Office of the Executive Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
    • CU/IR, Public Information and Reports Staff, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
    • CU/OPP, Office of Policy and Plans, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
    • CU/PRS, Policy Review and Coordination Staff, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
    • CTZ, corps tactical zone
    • D, Democrat
    • DFL, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
    • Dir., director
    • Doc., document
    • DOCSA, Deputy Director for Operations (Counterinsurgency and Special Activities), Joint Chiefs of Staff
    • DOD, Department of Defense
    • DPO, Daniel P. Oleksiw
    • DRV, Democratic Republic of Vietnam
    • E, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State
    • E/CBA/REP, Foreign Reporting Division, Commercial Affairs and Business Activities, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State
    • EA, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State
    • EA/ACA, Asian Communist Affairs (People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Macau Affairs), Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State
    • EC-121, unarmed, four-engine propeller-driven reconnaissance aircraft
    • EDIP, European Defense Improvement Program
    • EEC, European Economic Community
    • ERA, Equal Rights Amendment
    • ETV, educational television
    • EUR, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
    • EUR/BRY, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
    • EUR/CHP, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Baltic States, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
    • EUR/FBX, France, Benelux, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
    • EUR/SES, Soviet and Eastern European Exchanges Staff, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
    • Eurovision, television contribution network part of the European Broadcasting Union
    • Exec., executive
    • 4-A, American Association of Advertising Agencies
    • F-4 Phantom, an all-weather jet fighter-bomber used by the Air Force and Navy
    • FAO, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
    • FAS, Foreign Affairs Specialist Corps (USIA)
    • FDR, Franklin Delano Roosevelt
    • FEW, Federally Employed Women
    • FI, Frederick Irving
    • FJS or FS or F or S, Frank J. Shakespeare
    • FRANTIC GOAT, leaflet mission flown during the Vietnam war
    • FS, Foreign Service
    • FSIO, Foreign Service Information Officer
    • FSO, Foreign Service Officer
    • FY, fiscal year
    • FYI, for your information
    • Gen., General
    • GMD, Guomindang (Nationalist Party; Republic of China), also called the Kuomintang
    • GMT, Greenwich Mean Time
    • GOC, Government of Cambodia
    • GRC, Government of the Republic of China
    • GS, General Schedule
    • GVN, Government of Vietnam
    • HAD or HD, Henry A. Dunlap
    • HAK or HK, Henry A. Kissinger
    • HEW, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
    • HL, Henry Loomis
    • H.R., House Resolution
    • I or USIA/I, Office of the Director, United States Information Agency
    • IAA or USIA/IAA, Office of Assistant Director, Africa, United States Information Agency
    • IAESTE, International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience
    • IAF or USIA/IAF, Office of Assistant Director, East Asia and Pacific, United States Information Agency
    • IAF/VN or USIA/IAF/VN, Vietnam Staff, Office of Assistant Director, East Asia and Pacific, United States Information Agency
    • IAI/S or USIA/IAI/S, United States Advisory Commission on Information
    • IAN or USIA/IAN, Office of Assistant Director, Near East and South Asia, United States Information Agency
    • IAP, International Arts Program, Smithsonian Institution
    • IAS or USIA/IAS, Office of Assistant Director, Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, United States Information Agency
    • IAYC, Inter-Agency Youth Committee
    • IBS or USIA/IBS, Office of Assistant Director, Broadcasting, United States Information Agency
    • IBS/PS or USIA/IBS/PS, USSR Division, Policy Application Staff, Office of Assistant Director, Broadcasting, United States Information Agency
    • IBS/PW or USIA/IBS/PW, VOA English Division, Policy Application Staff, Office of Assistant Director, Broadcasting, United States Information Agency
    • I/C or USIA/I/C, Special Assistant for Welfare and Grievances, Office of the Director, United States Information Agency
    • ICPG, International Cultural Planning Group
    • ICS or USIA/ICS, Office of Assistant Director, Information Center Service, United States Information Agency
    • ICS/C or USIA/ICS/C, Cultural Operations Division, Office of Assistant Director, Information Center Service, United States Information Agency
    • ICS/E or USIA/ICS/E, Exhibits Division, Office of Assistant Director, Information Center Service, United States Information Agency
    • ICSG, International Cultural Strategy Group
    • IEA or USIA/IEA, Office of Assistant Director, East Asia and Pacific, United States Information Agency (beginning in 1971)
    • IEE or USIA/IEE, Office of Assistant Director, Soviet Union and East Europe, United States Information Agency (beginning in 1971)
    • I/EX or USIA/I/EX, Executive Officer, Office of the Director, United States Information Agency
    • IG, interdepartmental exchange group; also interagency group
    • IGC or USIA/IGC, Office of the General Counsel, United States Information Agency
    • IIE, Institute of International Education
    • ILA or USIA/ILA, Office of Assistant Director, Latin America, United States Information Agency (beginning in 1971)
    • IMV or USIA/IMV, Office of Assistant Director, Motion Pictures and Television Service (later Screen Service), United States Information Agency
    • IMV/M or USIA/IMV/M, Program Manager, Office of Assistant Director, Motion Pictures and Television Service (later Screen Service), United States Information Agency
    • IMV/MW or USIA/IMV/MW, Worldwide Programs, Office of Assistant Director, Motion Pictures and Television Service (later Screen Service), United States Information Agency
    • IMV/O or USIA/IMV/O, Operations Manager, Office of Assistant Director, Motion Pictures and Television Service (later Screen Service), United States Information Agency
    • IMV/OSC or USIA/IMV/OSC, Service Control Branch, Quality Control Branch, Office of Assistant Director, Motion Pictures and Television Service (later Screen Service), United States Information Agency
    • IMV/P or USIA/IMV/P, Production Manager, Office of Assistant Director, Motion Pictures and Television Service (later Screen Service), United States Information Agency
    • IMV/PS or USIA/IMV/PS, Staff Production Division, International Communications Media Staff, Office of Assistant Director, Motion Pictures and Television Service (later Screen Service), United States Information Agency
    • INE or USIA/INE, Office of Assistant Director, Near East and North Africa, United States Information Agency (beginning in 1971)
    • Info Guide, USIA policy statement on U.S. attitudes toward a given situation, normally classified and transmitted by telegram or pouch
    • INRA, International Research Associates
    • Intelsat, International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium
    • Intl., international
    • IO, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
    • IO/OIA, Office of International Administration, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
    • IOA or USIA/IOA, Office of Assistant Director, Administration, United States Information Agency
    • IOA/M or USIA/IOA/M, Management Division, Office of Assistant Director, Administration, United States Information Agency
    • IOP or USIA/IOP, Office of Policy and Research, United States Information Agency (changed to Office of Policy and Plans in mid 1969)
    • IOP/C or USIA/IOP/C, Chief, Program Coordination Staff, Office of Policy and Plans, United States Information Agency
    • IOP/G or USIA/IOP/G, Policy Guidance and Media Reaction Staff, Office of Policy and Research, United States Information Agency (changed to Policy Guidance Staff, Office of Policy and Plans in mid 1969)
    • IOP/P or USIA/IOP/P, Assistant Director, Policy and Plans, Office of Policy and Research, United States Information Agency; also Chief, Plans and Resource Analysis Staff, Office of Policy and Plans, United States Information Agency
    • IOR or USIA/IOR, Office of Research and Assessment, United States Information Agency
    • IOR/E or USIA/IOR/E, Chief, Evaluation and Analysis Staff, Office of Research and Assessment, United States Information Agency
    • IOR/I or USIA/IOR/I, Chief, Inspection and Audit Staff, Office of Research and Assessment, United States Information Agency
    • IOR/L or USIA/IOR/L, Agency Library, Office of Research and Assessment, United States Information Agency
    • IOR/M or USIA/IOR/M, Coordinator for Management Information Systems—Resource Allocation System Development, Office of Research and Assessment, United States Information Agency
    • IOR/R or USIA/IOR/R, Assistant Director for Research (later changed to Chief, Research Service), Office of Research and Assessment, United States Information Agency
    • IOS or USIA/IOS, Office of Assistant Director, Security, United States Information Agency
    • IPS or USIA/IPS, Office of Assistant Director, Press and Publications, Unites States Information Agency
    • IPS/MI or USIA/IPS/MI, America Illustrated Branch, Publications Division, Office of Assistant Director, Press and Publications, United States Information Agency
    • IPT or USIA/IPT, Office of Assistant Director, Personnel and Training, United States Information Agency
    • I/R or USIA/I/R, Office of Assistant Director, Public Information, United States Information Agency
    • I/RA or USIA/I/RA, Resource Analysis Staff, Office of the Director, United States Information Agency
    • I/S or USIA/I/S, Executive Secretariat, Office of the Director, United States Information Agency
    • I/S-O or USIA/I/S-O, Operations Center, Executive Secretariat, Office of the Director, United States Information Agency
    • ISA or USIA/ISA, Office of Assistant Director, South Asia, United States Information Agency (beginning in 1971)
    • ISDI, Inter-American Social Development Institute
    • ISS or USIA/ISS, Office of Assistant Director, Screen Service, United States Information Agency
    • ITU, International Telecommunications Union
    • IWE or USIA/IWE, Office of Assistant Director, West Europe, United States Information Agency (beginning in 1971)
    • JAS, John A. Scali
    • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
    • JDL, Jewish Defense League
    • JER, John E. Reinhardt
    • JOB, John O’Brien
    • JOT, junior officer in training
    • JR, John Richardson
    • JUSPAO, Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office, Vietnam
    • K, Henry Kissinger
    • KB, Kenneth Bunce
    • KW, kilowatt
    • L, Office of the Legal Adviser, Department of State
    • L/CRP, Assistant Legal Adviser for Cultural Relations and Public Affairs, Office of the Legal Adviser, Department of State
    • LA, Latin America
    • LAM SON (also LAMSON) 719, a 1971 operation in Laos by South Vietnamese forces to interdict the Ho Chi Minh Trail
    • LBJ, Lyndon Baines Johnson
    • LDC, lesser developed country
    • LEM, Lunar Excursion Module (lander portion of Apollo spacecraft)
    • Lt., lieutenant
    • Lt. Col., lieutenant colonel
    • MACV, Military Assistance Command Vietnam
    • MIN, Minister; Ministry
    • MIS, management information system
    • MOI, Ministry of Information
    • MPAA, Motion Picture Association of America
    • Mtg., meeting
    • NAB-JOBS, National Alliance of Businessmen-Job Opportunities in the Business Sector
    • NAC, North Atlantic Council
    • NAFSA, National Association for Foreign Student Affairs
    • NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    • NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
    • NBC, National Broadcasting Company
    • NCA, National Council for the Arts
    • NCFA, National Council of Fine Arts; also National Collection of Fine Arts
    • NCFA/IAP, National Council of Fine Arts, International Arts Program
    • NCNA, New China News Agency
    • NCUSCR, National Committee for U.S.-China Relations
    • NEA, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State; also National Endowment for the Arts
    • New Mobe, New Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam
    • NLF, National Liberation Front
    • Nodis, no distribution
    • Noforn, no foreign dissemination
    • NPN, News Policy Note (USIA)
    • NPT, (Nuclear) Non-Proliferation Treaty
    • NSA, National Student Association
    • NSC, National Security Council
    • NSC-U/SM, National Security Council, Under Secretaries Committee memorandum
    • NSDM, National Security Decision Memorandum
    • NSF, National Science Foundation
    • NSSM, National Security Study Memorandum
    • NVA, North Vietnamese Army
    • NVN, North Vietnam
    • O, Administrative Offices and Staffs, Department of State
    • O-2B, observation aircraft used in Vietnam
    • OAS, Organization of American States
    • OASD/ISA, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
    • OAU, Organization of African Unity
    • OBE, overtaken by events
    • OMB, Office of Management and Budget
    • Orig, original
    • OSD/ISA, Office of the Secretary of Defense, International Security Affairs
    • OSS, Office of Strategic Services
    • OST, White House Office of Science and Technology (Science Advisor’s Office)
    • P, Bureau of Public Affairs, Department of State; also President
    • P/MS, Office of Media Services, Bureau of Public Affairs, Department of State
    • PanAm, Pan-American Airlines
    • PAO, public affairs officer
    • PC, Peace Corps
    • PER/CMA, Career Management and Assignments Division, Personnel, Department of State
    • PEN, poets, essayists, and novelists
    • P.L. 480, Public Law 480: Food for Peace
    • P.M., Prime Minister
    • POA, Pacific Ocean Areas
    • Potomac Cable, unclassified Info Guide transmitted over Wireless File (USIA)
    • POW, prisoner of war
    • PPBS, Planning-Programming-Budgeting System initiated by the Johnson administration in 1965 for identifying agency goals
    • PPBS/MIS, Planning-Programming-Budgeting System, Management Information System
    • PPC or AA/PPC, Office of Program and Policy Coordination, Agency for International Development
    • PPC/TIXD or AA/PPC/TIXD, Title IX Division, Office of Program and Policy Coordination, Agency for International Development
    • PR, public relations
    • PRC, People’s Republic of China
    • Pres., President
    • Prof., professor
    • PSDF, People’s Self Defense Force
    • Psy Ops or PSYOPS, psychological operations
    • R, Republican; also William Rogers
    • REACH, proposed Re-Establish America’s Cultural Heritage initiative
    • RCA, Radio Corporation of America
    • Rcpt, receipt
    • Rec., receive
    • Ref., reference
    • Rep., report
    • Ret., retired
    • RFE, Radio Free Europe
    • RFK, Robert F. Krill
    • RG, Record Group
    • RL, Radio Liberty
    • RN, Richard Nixon
    • ROC, Republic of China
    • ROK, Republic of Korea
    • rpt., repeat
    • RSC, regional service center (USIA)
    • RVN, Republic of Vietnam
    • S, Senate; also Secretary of State
    • S/PC, Planning and Coordination Staff, Department of State
    • S/S, Executive Secretariat, Department of State
    • S/S-I, Secretariat Staff, Executive Secretariat, Department of State
    • SA-2, surface to air missile
    • SALT, Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
    • SC, UN Security Council
    • SCAO, Senior Academic Cultural Affairs Officer
    • SDS, Students for a Democratic Society
    • SEA, Southeast Asia
    • SEAMES, Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Secretariat
    • SEATO, South East Asian Treaty Organization
    • Sec. or Secy., Secretary
    • SIE, Special International Exhibition
    • SITES, Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service
    • SRG, Senior Review Group
    • STAGs, Short Term American Grantees
    • Stat., statute
    • STP, Special Thematic Programming
    • SVN, South Vietnam
    • TASS, Telegrafnoe Agentstvo Sovetskogo Soyuza (Telegram Agency of the Soviet Union)
    • TCC, troop contributing country
    • Telstar, communications satellite
    • Tet, Vietnamese lunar new year
    • THVN, SVN national television agency
    • TV, television
    • U, Under Secretary of State
    • U/SM, NSC Under Secretaries Committee memorandum
    • UAR, United Arab Republic
    • UCLA, University of California Los Angeles
    • UK, United Kingdom
    • UN, United Nations
    • UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
    • UPI, United Press International
    • US, United States
    • USA, United States Army; also United States of America
    • USAF, United States Air Force
    • USC, NSC Under Secretaries Committee; also United States Code
    • USES, U.S. Expositions Staff, Department of Commerce
    • USG, United States Government
    • USIA, United States Information Agency
    • USIS, United States Information Service
    • USSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
    • UST, United States Treaty series
    • USUN, United States Mission to the United Nations
    • VC, Viet Cong
    • VIP, very important person
    • VIS, Vietnamese Information Service
    • VISTA, Volunteers in Service to America
    • VMC, Vietnam Moratorium Committee
    • VN, Vietnam
    • VOA, Voice of America
    • VOF, Voice of Freedom
    • VTVN, SVN national radio system
    • WES, William E. Strasburg
    • WSAG, Washington Special Actions Group
    • WH, White House
    • WHO, World Health Organization
    • WHW, William H. Weathersby
    • WYA, World Youth Assembly
    • YOPP, Young Officers’ Policy Panel
    • Z, Zulu Time (Greenwich Mean Time)