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Common Veterans Administration (VA) Abbreviations

Our Nationally Recognized Law Firm Has Compiled the Following List of VA Acronyms

As a military veteran, you have served our country with dignity and respect. Unfortunately, this service often comes with a price. You may have suffered an illness or injury while you were in service and continue to experience one or more mental or physical disabilities. If this is the case, then you deserve to recover service-connected compensation benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). However, the VA disability claim process is often difficult. Claim forms often contain VA acronyms and abbreviations that make it difficult for you to understand what is going on.

At Tucker Disability Law, our attorneys know that VA disability compensation claim forms are often difficult to read. The VA uses many acronyms and abbreviations for VA terms. As VA disability attorneys, we are very familiar with “VA speak.” Our attorneys have compiled the following list of VA acronyms and abbreviations. We want you to better understand VA shorthand. This will help you tremendously when reading VA forms and records.

Department of Veterans Affairs Acronyms and Abbreviations

The VA uses many acronyms and abbreviations throughout the disability claim process. Here are the most popular acronyms and abbreviations you will encounter when filling out claim forms and reviewing VA records and documents.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  

A
A&A Aid and Attendance
AAO Assistant adjudication officer
ACAP Annual clothing allowance payment
AGG Aggravated in service
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
AIRS Appellate Index Retrieval System
AMA Appeals Modernization Act (new appeal system started in 2019)
AO Adjudication Officer or Agent Orange
AOJ Agency of original jurisdiction
APA Administrative Procedures Act
AR Army regulation
AWOL Absence Without Official Leave
 

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B
BCD Bad Conduct Discharge
BCMR Board for Correction of Military Records
BCNR Board for Correction of Naval Records
BVA Board of Veterans’ Appeals

 

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C
C-file Claims File
CAVC U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
CBD Chief Benefits Director
C&C Confirmed and Continued (rating decision)
CD Clemency discharge
C.F.R. Code of Federal Regulations
CHAMPUS Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services
CHAMPVA Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs
COG Convenience of the government
COLA Cost-of-living adjustment
Comp. Compensation
C&P Compensation and pension
CTA Centralized transcription activities
CWT Compensation work therapy
 

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D
DC Diagnostic code
DD Dishonorable discharge
DEA Dependents’ Educational Assistance
DIC Dependency and indemnity compensation
DNA Defense Nuclear Agency
DOD Department of Defense
DRE Discharge Review Board
DSM IV Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.)
DVA Department of Veterans Affairs
 

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E
EAD Entry on active duty
EAJA Equal Access to Justice Act
EOD Entry on duty
EPC End product control
ESG Environmental Support Group (see USASCRUR)
ETS Expiration of term of service
EVR Eligibility verification report

 

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F
FOIA Freedom of Information Act
FR index Federal Register Index
FTCA Federal Tort Claims Act
 

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G
GAO General Accounting Office
GC General Counsel
GD General discharge
GPO Government Printing Office
GSW Gunshot wound

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H
HB Housebound
HD

 

HLR

Honorable discharge

 

Higher Level Review

HPV Human immunodeficiency virus
HO Hearing officer

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I
IME Independent medical expert
INC Incurred in service
IT Incentive therapy
IU Individual unemployability
 

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J
JAG Member of Judge Advocate General’s Corp

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L
Legacy

 

LOD

Claims denied before February 16, 2019

 

Line of duty

LSA List of Sections Affected (C.F.R.)
MAPR Maximum annual pension rate
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M
MIL Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
 

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N
NA National Archives
NAP Income for VA purposes
NAS National Academy of Sciences
NOA Notice of Appeal
NOD Notice of Disagreement (in VA’s Legacy Appeals system)
NPRC National Personnel Records Center
NSC Non-service-connected
NSLI National Service Life Insurance
NSO National service officer
NVLSP National Veterans Legal Services Program
 

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O
OGC Office of the General Counsel (VA)
OMPF Official military personnel file
OPC Outpatient clinic
Op. G.C. Opinion of the General Counsel
Op. Gen. Coun. Opinion of the General Counsel
OPT Outpatient treatment
Op. VA Gen. Counsel Opinion of the General Counsel

 

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P
PCT Porphyria cutanea tarda (a liver dysfunction)
Pen. Pension
PIF Pending issue file
PLEP.L. Public Law
POA Power of attorney
POW Prisoner of war
PRES Presumption
PT Permanent total disability
PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder
Pub. L. No. Public Law
 

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R
RAD Release from active duty
R.C. Regional counsel (the chief legal authority in a VARO)
RE code Reenlistment code
REPS Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors
RH Insurance policy designation for veterans with service-connected disabilities
RI Rating increase
RPC (VA) Records Processing Center (St. Louis)
RSFPP Retired Services Family Protection Plan

 

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S
SBP Survivor Benefit Plan
SBP-MIW Survivor Benefit Plan-Minimum Income Widow
SC Service-connected
SDN Separation Designator Number
SDRP Special Discharge Review Program
SF Standard Form
SFW Shell fragment wound
SGLI Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance
SIRS Special Issue Rating System
SMC Special Monthly Compensation
SMifi Supplementary medical insurance benefit
SMP Special Monthly Pension
SMR Service medical record
SOC Statement of the Case
SPCM Special court-martial
SPD Separation Program Designator
SPN Separation program number
SRD Schedule for Rating Disabilities
SSA Social Security Administration
SSDI Social Security Disability Income
SSI Supplemental Security Income
SSOC Supplemental Statement of the Case
STS Soft tissue sarcomas

 

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T
TDIU

 

TDRL

Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability

 

Temporary Disability Retired List (uniformed service)

TIN Transaction Identification Number
TPQ Third-party query

 

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U
UCMJ Uniform Code of Military justice
UD Undesirable discharge
UOTHC (Discharge) under other than honorable conditions
USA U.S. Army
USAF U.S. Air Force
USASCRUR United States Armed Services Center for Research of Unit Records
US.C.S. United States Code Service
U.S.C.A. United States Code Annotated
USCCAN United States Code Congressional and Administrative News
USMC U.S. Marine Corps
USN U.S. Navy

 

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V
VA Department of Veterans Affairs (also used for old Veterans Administration)
VACO VA Central Office
VACOLS Veterans Appeals Control and Locator System
VADEX VA Index
VAMC VA Medical center
VAOPC VA Outpatient Clinic
VAR VA Regulation
VARO VA Regional Office
VBA Veterans Benefits Administration
VD Venereal disease
VEAP Veterans’ Education Assistance Program
VGLI Veterans’ Group Life Insurance
VHA Veterans Health Administration
VJRA Veterans’ Judicial Review Act of 1988
VSO Veterans service organization

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Our Attorneys Can Help You Better Understand VA Acronyms

The process for recovering VA disability benefits is already complex. You could find yourself waiting for years to receive a decision from the VA. However, the language used on claim forms and VA records can make the process even more complex. Many different VA acronyms and abbreviations are used, making it difficult for you to understand what you are reading. Our list of commonly used acronyms and abbreviations by the VA will help you better understand the VA disability claim process.

Contact Our VA Disability Attorneys

Have you been denied VA service-connected compensation for disabilities related to your service? If so, then our VA disability attorneys can help you with the appeals process. Give us a call today at (866) 282-5260, or send us a message online. We look forward to helping you get the compensation or pension benefits you deserve.

At Tucker Disability Law, we provide counsel in all 50 states. Contact an experienced veterans disability attorney for help with your denied claim today.

Why You Want Tucker Disability Law on Your Team

With over 30+ years experience winning cases, the attorneys at Tucker Disability Law have built a reputation for excellence, hard work, and always standing by our clients. Fighting insurance companies and the VA is what we do 24/7. Check out our Google reviews. Get to know us through our videos. Contact us for a free evaluation of your case. Let us prove to you that no one will work harder to win your case than Tucker Disability Law.