| ABCCC | Airborne Battlefield Command & Control Center |
| AE | Advisory Element |
| AH-1G Cobras. Also known as “Cobra” | H-34 Helicopters usually flown by Vietnamese pilots |
| AHC | Assault Helicopter Company |
| AHEC | Armed Helicopter Escort Company |
| AIZ | Air Interdiction Zone |
| ARA | Aerial Rocket Artillery |
| ARVN | Army of the Republic of Vietnam |
| BA | Base Area |
| BDA | Bomb Damage Assessment |
| Bravo Hotel | Ben Het SF camp |
| C&C | Com-and and Control |
| CAT | Civil Air Transport |
| CBU | Cluster Bomb Unit |
| CCC | Command and Control Central |
| CCN | Command and Control North |
| CCS | Command and Control South |
| CIA | Central Intelligence Agency |
| CIDG | Civilian Irregular Defense Group |
| CINCPAC | Commander in Chief, Pacific |
| CISO | Counterinsurgency Support Office |
| CNO | Chief of Naval Operations |
| COMSEC | Communication Security |
| COMUSMACTHAI | Commander, USA Military Assistance Command, Thailand |
| COMUSMACV | Comander, USA Military Command, Vietnam |
| COSVN | Central Office for South Vietnam |
| CRF | Coastal Recovery Force |
| CRP | Combat Recon Platoon |
| CSG | Combined Studies Group |
| CSS | Coastal Security Service (So Phong Ve Duyen Hai) |
| Delta Papa Three | John Plaster’s call sign while flying as Covey Rider in Bronco |
| Delta Tango | FOB at Dak To |
| DIA | Defense Intelligence Agency |
| DMZ | Demilitarized Zone |
| DZ | Drop Zone |
| E&E | Escape and Evasion |
| ECM | Electronic Countermeasure |
| EEI | Essential Element of Information |
| EWOTS | Early Warning Observation Team |
| FAC | Forward Air Control |
| FANK | Fores Armees National Khmeres (Cambodian National Army) |
| FLIR | Forward Looking Infrared Radar |
| FOB | Forward Operating Base |
| FOB-1 | Phu Bai - Later were redesignated CCN |
| FOB-2 | Kontum |
| FOB-3 | Khe Sanh / Mai Loc - Later were redesignated CCN |
| FOB-4 | Da Nang - Later were redesignated CCN |
| FOB-5 | Ban Me Thout |
| FOB-6 | Ho Noc Tao - Later were redesignated 1-0 School, Long Tan |
| Foxtrot Mike | FM radio frequency |
| Fulton surface-to-air recovery system (STARS) | A system used by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), United States Air Force and United States Navy for retrieving persons on the ground using aircraft such as the MC-130E Combat Talon I. |
| FWMF | Free World Miltary Forces |
| GCMA | Croupment De Commandos Aeroportes |
| HALO | High Altitude Low Opening |
| HILL 950 | HICKORY RADIO RELAY SITE |
| ICC | International Control Commission |
| IDHS | Intelligence Data Handling System |
| JACK | Joint Advisory Commission Korea |
| JCRC | Joint Casualty Resolution Center |
| JCS | Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| JPRC | Joint Personnel Recovery Center |
| JSCM | Joint Chiefs of Staff Memorandum |
| JTD | Joint Table of Distribution |
| JUSPAO | Joint US Public Affairs Organisation |
| JUWTF | Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force |
| Kilo November | Known North. Position is “Kilo November” |
| KKK | Khmer Kampuchea Krom |
| LLDB | Luc Luong Duc Biet (VN Special Forces) |
| LOC | Lines of Communication |
| LSAD | Liaison Service Advisory Detachment |
| Lurch | David Mixter’s personnel call sign |
| LZ | Landing Zone |
| MAAG | Military Assistance Advisory Group |
| MACV | Military Assistance Command, Vietnam |
| MACV-SOG | Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observation Group |
| MAF | Maritime Amphibious Force |
| MAROPS | Maritime Operations |
| McGUIRE RIG | The McGuire rig was designed by a member of Project DELTA to quickly lift an individual from the jungle by helicopter. It was a rope 150-200 feet long with a strap type saddle sewn to the end, it had two hold straps. |
| MLT | Mobile Launch Team |
| MR | Military Region |
| MST | Mobile Support Team |
| NAD | Naval Advisory Detachment |
| NCO | Non-Commissioned Officer |
| NLF | National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam |
| NOFORN | No Foreign Dissemination |
| NSA | National Security Agency |
| NSAM | National Security Action Memorandum |
| OJS | Office of Joint Chief of Staff |
| OPLAN | Operations Plan |
| OSS | Office of Strategic Services |
| Panthers | AH-1G Cobras. Also known as “Cobra” |
| PARU | Police Aerial Reinforcement Unit |
| PAVN | People's Army of Vietnam |
| PCF | Patrol Craft Fast |
| PLA | People's Liberation Army of China |
| Plasticman | John Plaster’s personal call sign while on a RT |
| POL | Petroleum Oil and Lubricants |
| PRC | People's Republic of China |
| PRU | Provincial Reconnaissance Unit |
| PSYOPS | Psychological Operations |
| PTS | Patrol Type, Fast |
| R&D | Research and Development |
| RON | Remain Over Night |
| RPG | Rocket Propelled Grenade |
| RT | Recon Team |
| RTAFB | Royal Thai Air Force Base |
| SAAT | Safe Area Activation Team |
| SAC | Strategic Air Command |
| SACSA | Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities |
| SAM | Surface to Air Missile |
| SAR | Serach and Rescue |
| SCU | Special Commando Unit |
| SEACORD | Southeast Asia Coordinating Committee |
| SEATo | Southeast Asia Treaty Organization |
| SES | Strategic Exploitation Service (So Khai Thac Dia Hinh |
| SFG | Special Forces Group |
| SIT | Strategic Intelligence Team |
| SLAM | Search, Locate, Annihilate, Monitor |
| SMAG | Special Mission Advisory Group |
| SMF | Special Mission France |
| SMM | Saigon Military Mission |
| SMS | Special Mission Service |
| SMSAD | Special Mission Service Advisory Detachment |
| SOCOM | Special Operations Command |
| SOD | Special Operations Detachment |
| SOG | Studies and Observation Group |
| SOS | Special Operations Squadron |
| SOW | Special Operations Wing |
| SPAF | Sneaky Pete Air Force |
| SSB | Single Side Band (Radio Circuit) |
| SSPL | Sacred Sword of the Patriot League |
| ST | Spike Team |
| STABO HARNESS | This rig was tested at the RECONDO School on 281st aircraft but was not actually used by Project Delta until early 1970. |
| STD | Strategic Technical Directorate |
| STDAT | Strategic Technical Directorate Assistance Team |
| STRATA | Short Term Roadwatch and Target Acquisition |
| Straw Hat/Type | Code name for American personnel on a RT |
| STS | Strategic Technical Service (So Ky Thuat) |
| SUPPFAC | Support Facility |
| SVN | South Vietnam |
| TACC | Tactical Air Control Center |
| TACE | Training Center Advisory Element Temporary Duty |
| Tango Papa | Pat Mitchels call sign as 1-0 |
| TASS | Tactical Air Support Squadron |
| TES | Special Topographical Exploration Service (So Khai Thac Dia Hinh |
| TFAE | Task Force Advisory Element |
| Tilt | John Meyers Call Sign while on RT |
| TRADOC | Training and Doctrine Command |
| Uniform | UHF radio frequency |
| USARV | U.S. Army, Vietnam |
| USIA | United States Information Agency |
| UW | Unconventional Warfare |
| VIAT | Vietnamese Air Transport |
| Victor | VHF radio frequency |
| VNAF | Vietnamese Air Force |
| VOF | Voice of Freedom |
| VSSPL | Voice of the Sacred Sword of the Patriot League |
| White Lead | Huey in charge of flying the rescue mission |
| Winchester | Air assets that are out of ordnance |
