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.