CTO: Cognizant Technical Officer
EXO: Executive Officer (in a USAID mission, the third-ranking official)
FSN: Foreign Service National (Iraqi employee)
IDP: Internally Displaced Person
LES: Locally Engaged Staff (Iraqi employee)
MAM: Military Age Male (any male of fighting age)
Muj: mujahid or mujahideen, insurgent
RSO: Regional Security Officer
TCN: Third-Country National (non-American, non-Iraqi employee, e.g., from Jordan)
Terp: Interpreter
Coordinating: hosting meetings referenced in “ramping up” or “looking into”
Interagency Discussions: attending meetings referenced in “ramping up,” but in a different building
Looking into: see “ramping up”
Ramping up: “We haven’t started doing anything concrete yet, but have had several meetings.”
Your patience assists us in facilitating the process: “Please stop asking us for updates on your case.”
CMOC: Civil Military Operations Center
CPA: Coalition Provisional Authority
DHS: Department of Homeland Security
DOD: Department of Defense
DOS: Department of State
IOM: International Organization for Migration (the traditional OPE of the State Department)
IRMO: Iraq Reconstruction Management Office
ISI: Islamic State of Iraq
KBR: Kellogg, Brown & Root
MEK: Mujahideen-e Khalq
NDAA: National Defense Authorization Act
NSC: National Security Council
OPE: Overseas Processing Entity (organization contracted by the State Department to conduct refugee screening)
PCO: Project and Contracting Office
PRM: Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (at Department of State)
SIV: Special Immigrant Visa Program
UNHCR: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
USAID: US Agency for International Development
USCIS: US Citizenship and Immigration Service
USRAP: US Refugee Admissions Program
LZ: Landing Zone
MOAG: Mother of All Generators
MWR: Morale, Welfare, and Recreation tents on military bases