Important Terminology  

ACS - Army Community Services - an organization that provides various comprehensive services for military families.

AO - Area of Operation - the location where the service member is housed on deployment. 

CAO - Casualty Assistance Office/Officer - This team can consist of a Chaplain and members from the Rear Detachment who come to notify a military spouse when their service member is seriously injured or killed in action (KIA).  

CYS - Child and Youth Services provides programs and services for children of eligible military and civilian families.

Deployment - the act of sending troops onto duty. Deployments have varying lengths depending on the situation, MOS (military occupation specialty= job), and duty stations.

Family Care plan - a plan that is created by the Service member to handle certain affairs such as children, finances, and housing.

JAG - Judge Advocate General - military law.  

MOS - military occupational specialty code - service member's job in the military. 

Military orders - documents that detail a military service member's duty station, school location, training, or deployment. 
***NOT ALL SERVICE MEMBERS ARE INITIALLY GIVEN PHYSICAL ORDERS FOR DEPLOYMENT.

OPSEC - operational security.

POA - power of attorney. 

Rear Detachment (Rear D) - a selective group from the unit that maintains the unit at the duty station, does not deploy or consists of soldiers that have returned early from deployment. 

TDY - temporary duty yonder - temporary duty assignment.

XO/CO - Executive officer or Commanding officer; CO is in charge of a company, battalion, or brigade. XO is second in command-leader of a battalion - second in command