Office of the Historian

Abbreviations and Terms

    • ABA, American Bar Association
    • ABC, American Broadcasting Company
    • ABM, anti-ballistic missile
    • ACDA, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
    • ADB, Asian Development Bank; also African Development Bank
    • Adm., admiral
    • Admin., administrator
    • Adv., advisor
    • AEC, Atomic Energy Commission
    • AEI, American Enterprise Institute
    • AEPRP, African Economic Policy Reform Program
    • AF, Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State
    • AFL–CIO, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations
    • AG, Attorney General
    • AID, Agency for International Development
    • AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
    • AIT, American Institute in Taiwan
    • ALCM, air-launched cruise missile
    • Amb., ambassador
    • AMH, Alexander Meigs Haig
    • ANC, African National Congress
    • ANZUS, Australia-New Zealand-United States (security treaty)
    • AP, Associated Press
    • APNSA, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
    • APPV, approved
    • APRA, Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana (American Popular Revolutionary Alliance), Peru
    • ARA, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State
    • ARDE, Alianza Revolucionaria Democrática (Democratic Revolutionary Alliance), Nicaragua
    • ARENA, Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (National Republican Alliance), El Salvador
    • ASAT or ASW, anti-satellite weapon or talks
    • ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations
    • ASNE, American Society of Newspaper Editors
    • ATBMs, anti-tactical ballistic missiles
    • AVF, All-Volunteer Force
    • AW, Allen Wallis
    • AWACS, Advanced/Airborne Warning and Control System
    • B, billion
    • B–1, U.S. long-range bomber
    • B–52, all weather, intercontinental, strategic heavy bomber
    • Backfire, Soviet long-range bomber
    • BDM, Braddock, Dunn & McDonald (U.S. technical services firm)
    • Benelux, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg
    • BIB, Board for International Broadcasting
    • Blackjack, bomber
    • BMD, ballistic missile defense
    • Brig., Brigadier
    • BW, biological weapons
    • C, Counselor of the Department of State
    • C3 or C3, command, control, communications
    • C–130, high-wing, 4 turbo prop engine aircraft used for rapid transportation of troops and/or equipment
    • Cab., cabinet
    • CARE, Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere
    • CARICOM, Caribbean Community and Common Market
    • CBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
    • CBI, Caribbean Basin Initiative
    • CBM, confidence-building measures
    • CBS, Columbia Broadcasting System
    • CBW, chemical and biological warfare; also chemical and biological weapons
    • CCC, Commodity Credit Corporation
    • CCD, Conference of the Committee on Disarmament
    • CD, Committee on Disarmament (United Nations)
    • CDE, Conference on Disarmament in Europe
    • CDU, Christlich Demokratische Union (Christian Democratic Union), Federal Republic of Germany
    • CEM, Clayton E. McManaway
    • CEMA, Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
    • CENTO, Central Treaty Organization
    • CEO, chief executive officer
    • CH, Charles Hill
    • Charter 77, informal association of Czech dissidents and their signed manifesto deploring the repression of human rights in Czechoslovakia
    • CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
    • CINCAD, Commander in Chief, Aerospace Defense Command
    • CINCLANT, Commander in Chief, Atlantic Command
    • CINCMAC, Commander in Chief, Military Airlift Command
    • CINCPAC, Commander in Chief, Pacific Command
    • CINCSAC, Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command
    • CINCUNC, Commander in Chief, United Nations Command
    • CINCUSAFE, Commander in Chief, U.S. Air Forces Europe
    • CINCUSAREUR, Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Europe
    • CINCUSNAVEUR, Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe
    • CMC, Commandant, United States Marine Corps
    • CNN, Cable News Network
    • CNO, Chief of Naval Operations
    • COB, close of business
    • COCOM, Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls
    • Codel, congressional delegation
    • Col., colonel
    • COMECON, Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
    • Con., concurrent
    • Contadora Group, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Panama
    • Contras, term used by Sandinistas to refer to guerrilla forces fighting against them
    • Corp, corporation
    • CORRTEX, Continuous Reflectrometry for Radius Versus Time Experiments (a hydro-dynamic yield measurement for nuclear testing)
    • CP or CLP, Colin L. Powell
    • CPAC, Conservative Political Action Conference
    • CPSU, Communist Party of the Soviet Union
    • CRS, Catholic Relief Services
    • CSA, Chief of Staff, United States Army
    • CSAF, Chief of Staff, United States Air Force
    • CSCE, Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
    • CSIS, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Georgetown University
    • CSU, Christlich-Soziale Union (Christian Social Union), Federal Republic of Germany
    • CTW, Cuban Troop Withdrawal
    • CW, chemical weapons or warfare
    • CW or CWW, Caspar W. Weinberger
    • D, Office of the Deputy Secretary of State; also Democrat
    • DA, development assistance
    • DCL, Direct Communications Link (“hotline”)
    • DCM, Deputy Chief of Mission
    • Dep, deputy
    • Dep. Sec., Deputy Secretary
    • Dept., Department
    • DFL, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
    • Dir., director
    • Dist, distribution, distributed
    • DM, Deutche Mark
    • DNA, Deoxyribonucleic acid
    • DNC, Democratic National Committee
    • DOD, Department of Defense
    • DOD/ISP, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy
    • DOE, Department of Energy
    • DPC, Defense Planning Committee (NATO); also Domestic Policy Council
    • DPRK, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
    • E, Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs
    • EA or EAP, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State
    • EAL, Ethiopian Air Lines
    • EAP/J, Office of Japanese Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State
    • EB, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Department of State
    • EC, European Community
    • EC–121, unarmed, four engine propeller-driven reconnaissance aircraft
    • ECSC, European Coal and Steel Community
    • EE, Eastern Europe
    • EEC, European Economic Community
    • EITCA, Economic, Industrial, Technical Cooperation Agreement
    • Emboffs, embassy officials
    • ENDC, Eighteen Nation Disarmament Conference
    • EOB, Executive Office Building
    • EPC, Economic Policy Council
    • EPCOT, Experimental Planned Community of Tomorrow (a component of Disney World)
    • EPG, Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group
    • EPI, Economic Policy Initiative for Africa
    • ERW, enhanced radiation weapon
    • ESF, Economic Support Fund
    • ET, emerging technologies
    • EU, European Union
    • EUR, Bureau of European Affairs (later European and Canadian Affairs), Department of State
    • EUR/CE, Office of Central European Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs (later European and Canadian Affairs), Department of State
    • EUR/EE/HU, Desk Officer for Hungary, Office of Eastern European Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs (later European and Canadian Affairs), Department of State
    • EUR/EEY, Office of Eastern European and Yugoslav Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs (later European and Canadian Affairs), Department of State
    • EUR/NE, Office of Northern European Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs (later European and Canadian Affairs), Department of State
    • EUR/RPE, Office of OECD, European Community and Atlantic Political-Economic Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs (later European and Canadian Affairs), Department of State
    • EUR/RPM, Office of Security and Political Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs (later European and Canadian Affairs), Department of State
    • EUREKA [project], European Research Coordination Agency
    • Ex, executive
    • EXIM, Export-Import Bank
    • F–5, light, supersonic fighter aircraft
    • F–15, USAF twin-engine, tactical fighter
    • F–16, USAF multirole fighter aircraft
    • F–18, USN/USMC twin-engine, multirole fighter aircraft
    • F–111, USAF supersonic, medium range tactical attack aircraft
    • FAIM, Foreign Affairs Information Management system (Department of State)
    • FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation
    • FC or FCC, Frank Carlucci
    • FCC, Federal Communications Commission
    • FCO, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, United Kingdom
    • FDN, Fuerza Democrática Nicaraguense (Nicaraguan Democratic Force)
    • FDR, Franklin Delano Roosevelt; also Frente Democrático Revolucionario (Revolutionary Democratic Front), El Salvador
    • FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Agency
    • FFPr, Food for Progress
    • FLS, Front Line States
    • FMLN, (Frente) Farabundo Martí de Liberación Nacional (Farabundo Marti National Liberation [Front]), El Salvador
    • FMS, foreign military sales
    • FON, freedom of navigation
    • For., foreign
    • FRELIMO, Frente de Libertacao de Mocambique (Front for the Liberation of Mozambique)
    • FRG, Federal Republic of Germany
    • FSI, Foreign Service Institute, Department of State
    • FSLN, Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (Sandinista National Liberation Front), Nicaragua
    • FSO, foreign service officer
    • FSP, Food Stamp Program
    • FTA, free trade agreement; also free trade area
    • FY, fiscal year
    • FYDP, Five-Year Defense Program
    • FYI, for your information
    • G–7, Group of 7 (Canada, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States)
    • G–10, Group of 10 (Belgium, Canada, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States)
    • G–77, Group of 77 (group of developing countries established at the conclusion of UNCTAD in 1964)
    • GAB, general agreements to borrow (IMF)
    • GATT, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
    • GCC, Gulf Cooperation Council
    • GDR, German Democratic Republic
    • Gen., general
    • GI, general issue
    • GLCM, Ground-Launched Cruise Missile
    • GM, General Motors
    • GN, Global Negotiations
    • GNP, Gross National Product
    • GNZ, Government of New Zealand
    • GOC, Government of Canada
    • GOE, Government of Egypt
    • GOES, Government of El Salvador
    • GOF, Government of France
    • GOP, Government of Pakistan; also Grand Old Party (Republican Party)
    • GOR, Government of Romania
    • GOY, Government of Yugoslavia
    • GPS or GS, George P. Shultz
    • GSP, Generalized System of Preferences (U.S. trade)
    • H, Bureau of Congressional Relations (Legislative Affairs), Department of State
    • HFAC, House Foreign Affairs Committee
    • H.J. Res., House Joint Resolution
    • HLG, high level group
    • H.R., House Resolution
    • HREM, CSCE Human Rights Experts Meeting
    • HUD, Department of Housing and Urban Development
    • IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency
    • IBRD, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank)
    • ICA, International Communication Agency
    • ICBM, intercontinental ballistic missile
    • ICDAIT, International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
    • ICIDI, Independent Commission on International Development Issues (Brandt Commission)
    • ICJ, International Court of Justice
    • IDA, International Development Association
    • IDCA, International Development Cooperation Agency
    • IDF, Israeli Defense Force
    • IEA, International Energy Agency
    • IFALPA, International Federation of Airline Pilots Association
    • IFC, International Finance Corporation
    • IFI, international financial institutions
    • IG, interagency group
    • IISS, International Institute for Strategic Studies
    • IMET, International Military Education and Training
    • IMF, International Monetary Fund
    • INF, intermediate range nuclear force(s)
    • INR, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State
    • Intel, intelligence
    • IO, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
    • IR, Minnesota Independent-Republican Party
    • IRS, Internal Revenue Service
    • ITT, International Telephone & Telegraph
    • JCC, Joint Commercial Commission
    • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
    • JLP, Joint Logistics Planning
    • JMCL, Joint Military Communications Link
    • JP, John Poindexter
    • JPMG, Joint Political-Military Group
    • KAL, Korean Air Lines
    • KGB, Komitet Gosudarstvennyi Bezopasnosti (Soviet Committee for State Security)
    • KT, kiloton
    • L, Legal Adviser, Department of State
    • LAFTA, Latin American Free Trade Agreement
    • Landsat, land remote sensing satellite system
    • LDC, lesser developed country
    • LDP, Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)
    • LDX, long distance xerography
    • LMO, legislative management officer, Bureau of Congressional Relations (Legislative Affairs), Department of State
    • LOS, Law of the Sea
    • LOU, Limited Official Use
    • LPAR, large phased-array radar
    • LRINF, Long-Range Intermediate Nuclear Forces
    • LRTNF, Long-Range Theatre Nuclear Forces
    • LSE, Lawrence S. Eagleburger
    • Lt. Gen., Lieutenant General
    • LTA, long-term agreement
    • M, Under Secretary of State for Management; million
    • MA, Michael Armacost
    • MAD, mutual assured destruction or mutually assured destruction
    • MAP, military assistance program
    • MBFR, Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions
    • MDB, Multilateral Development Bank
    • ME, Middle East
    • MEDO, Middle East Defense Organization
    • MFA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; also Multi Fiber Arrangement
    • MFN, most-favored nation
    • MFO, Multinational Force and Observers/Multilateral Force Observers (Sinai)
    • MiGs, Mikoyan i Gurevich (Soviet fighter aircraft)
    • Min., minister
    • MINITEL, Médium interactif par numérisation d’information téléphonique (interactive medium by digitalizing telephone information; French Videotex online service)
    • Minute Man III, intercontinental ballistic missile
    • MIRV, Multiple, Independently-Targeted Re-entry Vehicles
    • MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    • MNF, multinational force
    • MOLINK, Moscow Link (Moscow-Washington Direct Communication Link or “hot line”)
    • MPLA, Movimento Popular para a Libertacao de Angola (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola)
    • MX or M–X, missile experimental (intercontinental ballistic missile)
    • NAC, North Atlantic Council
    • NAM, Non-Aligned Movement
    • NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    • NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
    • NBC, National Broadcasting Company
    • NCND, neither confirm nor deny
    • NEA, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
    • NEA/EX, Office of the Executive Director, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
    • NEA/IAI, Office of Israel and Arab-Israeli Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
    • NEA/RA, Office of Regional Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State
    • NED, National Endowment for Democracy
    • NET, National Educational Television
    • NHAO, Nicaraguan Humanitarian Assistance Office
    • NICs, newly industrialized countries
    • NNA, neutral and non-aligned
    • NODIS, No Distribution
    • Notal, Not Received by All Addressees
    • NPA, New People’s Army (Philippines)
    • NPG, Nuclear Planning Group (NATO)
    • NPT, Non-Proliferation Treaty
    • NRM, National Resistance Movement (Mozambique)
    • NSC, National Security Council Staff
    • NSDD, National Security Decision Directive
    • NSG, Nuclear Suppliers’ Group
    • NSPG, National Security Planning Group
    • NSSD, National Security Study Directive
    • NST, Nuclear and Space Arms Talks
    • NUF, non-use of force
    • NYU, New York University
    • OAS, Organization of American States
    • OASD/PA, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
    • OAU, Organization of African Unity
    • OBE, overtaken by events
    • ODA, official development assistance
    • OECD, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
    • OECS, Organization of Eastern Caribbean States
    • OES, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State
    • OMB, Office of Management and Budget
    • OMG, operational maneuver group
    • ONDCP, Office of National Drug Control Policy
    • OPD, White House Office of Policy Development
    • OPEC, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
    • OPIC, Overseas Private Investment Corporation
    • OPTAD, Organization for Pacific Trade and Development
    • OSD, Office of the Secretary of Defense
    • OSD/MRA&L, Manpower, Reserve Affairs & Logistics, Office of the Secretary of Defense
    • OSD/PA&E, Program Analysis & Evaluation, Office of the Secretary of Defense
    • P, Office of the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
    • PA, Bureau of Public Affairs, Department of State
    • PA/HO, Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, Department of State
    • PA/OAP, Office of Opinion Analysis and Plans, Bureau of Public Affairs, Department of State
    • PAFTA, Pacific Free Trade Area
    • PAFTAD, Pacific Trade and Development Conference
    • Pan Am, Pan American Airways
    • Para, paragraph
    • PBS, Public Broadcasting System
    • PCC, Pacific Cooperation Committee
    • PDRY, People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen
    • PEEC, Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference
    • PermRep, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
    • PFIAB, President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
    • PIb, Pershing Ib missile
    • PII, Pershing II missile
    • P.L., Public Law
    • P.L.–480, Public Law 480; Food for Peace
    • PLO, Palestinian Liberation Organization
    • PM, Prime Minister; also Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
    • PM/TMP, Office of Theater Military Policy, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
    • PNE, peaceful nuclear explosion
    • PNET, Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty
    • Polads, political advisers
    • POW/MIA, prisoner of war/missing in action
    • PR, public relations
    • PRC, People’s Republic of China
    • PRE, Bureau for Private Enterprise, Agency for International Development
    • Pres., President
    • PRG, Policy Review Group
    • PW, Paul Wolfowitz
    • R, Republican
    • R & D, research and development
    • R. Adm., Rear Admiral
    • RAND, U.S. global policy think tank established in 1948; acronym stands for research and development
    • RC–135, U.S. reconnaissance aircraft
    • RCM, Robert C. McFarlane
    • RDF, rapid deployment force
    • RENAMO, Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana (Mozambican National Resistance)
    • Rep., representative
    • Rept., report
    • Res., resolution
    • Ret., retired
    • RFE/RL, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
    • RHS, Richard H. Solomon
    • RMK, Robert M. Kimmitt
    • ROK, Republic of Korea
    • ROKG, Republic of Korea Government
    • ROTC, Reserve Officers Training Corps
    • Rpt., repeat
    • RR, Ronald Reagan
    • RVA, Richard V. Allen
    • S, Office of the Secretary of State; Senate
    • SA–7, surface to air missile
    • S/NP, Ambassador at Large and Special Adviser to the Secretary of State on Non-Proliferation Policy and Nuclear Energy Affairs
    • S/P, Policy Planning Staff (Policy Planning Council during the mid-1980s), Department of State
    • S/S, Executive Secretariat, Department of State
    • S/S–I, Information Management Section, Executive Secretariat, Department of State
    • S/S–O, Duty Officer, Operations Center, Department of State
    • SS–4, Soviet medium-range ballistic missile
    • SS–20, Soviet intermediate-range ballistic missile
    • S.A., Saudi Arabia
    • SACEUR, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
    • SAG, South African Government; also Screen Actors Guild
    • SALT, Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty or Talks
    • SAM, surface-to-air missiles
    • SCG, Special Consultative Group (NATO)
    • S. Con. Res., Senate Concurrent Resolution
    • SCP, system concept paper
    • SCUD, Soviet missile
    • SDI, Strategic Defense Initiative
    • SDIO, Strategic Defense Initiative Organization
    • SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission
    • Sec. or Secy, Secretary
    • SecDef, Secretary of Defense
    • Secto, series indicator for telegrams sent from the Secretary of State
    • Sen., Senator
    • SFRC, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
    • SHAPE, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
    • SI, Socialist International
    • SIG, senior interdepartmental group
    • Sit., situation
    • S.J. Res., Senate Joint Resolution
    • SLBM, sea-launched ballistic missile; submarine-launched ballistic missile
    • SLCM, sea-launched cruise missile; submarine-launched cruise missile
    • SNIE, Special National Intelligence Estimate
    • Solidarnosc, National Committee of Solidary (Polish Solidarity movement)
    • SOTU, State of the Union address
    • SPD, Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social Democratic Party of [West] Germany)
    • SRINF, Short-Range Intermediate Nuclear Forces
    • SSBN, ballistic missile submarine
    • SSOD, UN Special Session on Disarmament
    • STABEX, earnings stabilization fund (as specified by the 1975 Lomé Convention)
    • START, Strategic Arms Reduction Talks
    • Stat., statute
    • SU, Soviet Union
    • SWAPO, South West Africa People’s Organization
    • SYG, Secretary-General
    • T, Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science, and Technology
    • TASS, Telegraphonye Agentstvo Sovyetskovo Soyuza (Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union)
    • TNF, theater nuclear forces
    • Todep, series indicator for telegrams sent to the Deputy Secretary of State while away from Washington
    • Topol, series indicator for telegrams sent to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs from the Department while the Under Secretary is away from the Department
    • TORs, terms of reference
    • Tosec, series indicator for telegrams sent to the Secretary of State while away from Washington
    • Triad, three legs of the U.S. nuclear deterrent: ICBMs, SLBMs, and long-range strategic bombers
    • Trident, submarine
    • TTBT, Threshold Test Ban Treaty
    • TV, television
    • TWA, Trans World Airlines
    • U–2, U.S. high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft
    • UAW, United Automobile Workers
    • UCLA, University of California Los Angeles
    • UK, United Kingdom
    • UN, United Nations
    • UNCNRSE, United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy
    • UNCTAD, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
    • UNDP, United Nations Development Programme
    • UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
    • UNGA, United Nations General Assembly
    • UNICEF, United Nations Children’s Fund
    • UNIFIL, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
    • UNITA, National Union for the Total Independence of Angola
    • UNO, Unidad Nicaraguense Opositora (Nicaraguan resistance)
    • UNSC, United Nations Security Council
    • UNSYG, United Nations Secretary-General
    • UPI, United Press International
    • URNG, National Revolutionary Union, Guatemala
    • U.S., United States
    • USA, United States Army
    • USAF, United States Air Force
    • U.S.C., United States Code
    • USCINCCENT, United States Commander in Chief, Central Command
    • USCINCEUR, United States Commander in Chief, European Command
    • USCINCRED, United States Commander in Chief, Readiness Command
    • USCINCSO, United States Commander in Chief, Southern Command
    • USDA, United States Department of Agriculture
    • USDOCOSOUTH, United States Documents Officer, Allied Forces, Southeastern Europe
    • USG, United States Government
    • USIA, United States Information Agency
    • USIA–P/G, Planning and Guidance Staff, Associate Director for Programs, United States Information Agency
    • USN, United States Navy
    • USNAMRSHAPE, United States National Military Representative, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
    • USOC, United States Olympic Committee
    • USSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
    • UST, United States Treaty
    • USTR, United States Trade Representative
    • USUN, United States Mission to the United Nations
    • UTC, United Technologies Corporation
    • V–E, Victory in Europe Day
    • V–J, Victory in Japan Day
    • VCR, video cassette recorder
    • VFW, Veterans of Foreign Wars
    • VOA, Voice of America
    • VP, Vice President
    • WC or WPC, William P. Clark
    • WEU, Western European Union
    • WH, White House
    • WHORM, White House Office of Records Management
    • Wireless File, daily news service supplied to the field by ICA/USIA
    • WSJ, Wall Street Journal
    • Z, Zulu (Greenwich Mean Time)
    • Z States, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe