Acronyms Explained
Full disclosure: This is barely scratching the surface, I’m still learning.
So you want to work for the DOS FS as a MP, well you better pass QEP and OA and then you pack your UAB and HHE and you will be ready!
That was not a great example but you catch my drift :)
This list is really as much for me as everyone else. I will try and update it as I go. I find myself continuously frustrated at learning what all the abbreviations mean. Are there any great ones you can add on? Let me know and save me a google search next time I receive an email!
I’ll list the most recent and helpful ones I have learned below in no particular order.
DOS: Department of State
FS: Foreign Service
MP: Medical Provider (NP or PA)
RMO: Regional Medical Officer (MD’s)
FSO: Foreign Service Officer
FSS: Foreign Service Specialist
CDO: Career development officer
QEP: Qualifications Evaluation Panel (discussed in last post, but they review your application and determine if you meet requirements to move forward with an interview)
OA: Oral assessment (interview)
UAB: Unaccompanied Baggage (your baggage that get’s sent to DC for orientation)
HHE: Household Effects (basically all your home items that get either shipped around the world with you or stored in DC/Maryland)
TO: Travel orders
TDY: Temporary Duty
The FAM: The foreign affairs manual (manual on the department’s policies and procedures)
EFM: Eligible Family Members (family on your travel orders, usually immediate family like spouse and children)
MOH: Member of household (family not on official travel orders, they don’t have the same privileges and allowances as EFM’s)
M&IE: Meals and incidentals
PCS Lodging: Permanent change of station lodging program (temporary housing for employee and EFM’s). Also used as a verb for moving in the DOS, ie: “We are PCS ing to London”
FSI: Foreign Service Institute (training center in Arlington, Virginia)
DPO: Diplomatic Postal Office
LE Staff: Locally employed staff
AF: Bureau of African Affairs
EAP: Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
EUR: Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
NEA: Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
SCA: Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
WHA: Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
If you are interested- A link to see the countries in each region
