XO Glossary

The officer and enlisted ranks parallel each other from lowest to highest marking the career progression of a soldier. There are 9 levels for enlisted, and 10 for officers. This list shows the ones pertinent to the story from highest to lowest.
Enlisted Rank Structure	Officer Rank Structure
CSM - Command Sergeant Major	GEN - General
1SG - First Sergeant	*See Note Below
SFC - Sergeant First Class	* See Note Below
SSG - Staff Sergeant	COL - Colonel
SGT - Sergeant	LTC - Lieutenant Colonel
SP4 - Specialist Fourth Class	MAJ - Major
PFC - Private First Class	CPT - Captain
PV2 - Private	1LT - First Lieutenant
PVT - Private	2LT - Second Lieutenant

*I did not break down the rank of General because it isn't pertinent to the story.

For you military types, I purposely left out Corporal, Master Sergeant, and Sergeant Major because they are not used in the story, and I did not want to address the dual rank structure.

NICKNAMES

Butter Bar - 2LT
Old Man - Battalion Commander
Smadge -Command Sergeant Major.
Top - First Sergeant
XO- Executive Officer

OTHER COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS

Article 15 - the Army's form of nonjudicial punishment. Used for punishment of offenses, not considered serious enough to merit a court martial.
BOQ - Bachelor Officer Quarters
Commo - Communications Section
Fraternization - Personal interaction between soldiers of differing ranks is not authorized. For instance, officer and enlisted may not enter into a personal relationship. Senior NCO's and lower enlisted relationships are also forbidden.
NBC - Nuclear, Biological, Chemical - For purposes of the story, the Section that handles protective gear for soldiers, and trains them to use it.
NCO - Noncommissioned Officer - refers to all those in the rank of Sergeant and above.
NCOIC - Noncommissioned Officer In Charge - Refers to a NCO in charge of a Section.
POV - Privately owned vehicle
PT - Physical Training
Senior NCO - Refers to all Sergeants of the rank SFC or above.