Use of Terms A-Z

Military Community and Family Policy writing guidance aligns with The Associated Press Stylebook with a few exceptions. Definitions of military-specific terms appear below, along with editorial guidance for certain commonly used words for MC&FP and our programs. See additional writing guidance in the Writing Best Practices section. Find program-specific guidance in the Program Content Guides section.

E

e – No hyphen for eNewsletter, ePublication and eBlast, according to Military OneSource style. When using hyphenated terms at the beginning of a sentence, cap the "e." E-readers are now in use in schools. For nonhyphenated terms, do not cap the "e" at the beginning of a sentence: eBlasts are scheduled to go out every Monday at 8 a.m. EST.

eBlast – A term used in marketing to describe the distribution of electronic messages to a large group of recipients. The preferred style is without the hyphen and capped as written, eBlast. When used at the beginning of a sentence, do not cap the "e": eBlasts are scheduled to go out every Monday at 8 a.m. EST.

eLearning – The use of electronic media, information and communication technologies in education and instructional systems design. The preferred style is without the hyphen, eLearning.

emergency room – In the U.S.: emergency room; overseas: emergency care facility.

eNews or eNewsletter – Write as one word and do not hyphenate.

equity – The impartial treatment, equality of opportunity and advancement, and fairness in access to information and resources for all people. Equity also refers to the process of identifying and eliminating barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. When creating content for Military Community and Family Policy, writers, designers and other team members should seek to further the goal of promoting justice, impartiality and fairness across Defense Department programs, services and systems.

Exceptional Family Member Program – This program supports military family members of all ages with special medical and educational needs. When referencing the three main components of the program, capitalize them to read EFMP Family Support, EFMP Identification and Enrollment and EFMP Assignment Coordination. Always capitalize Exceptional Family Member Program when writing it out fully in headers or running text. Abbreviation acceptable in all references.

Exceptional Family Member Program Resources, Options and Consultations – EFMP ROC is a specialized area of Military OneSource where families with special needs can go for online resources, options and consultations, in addition to those already available on military installations. EFMP ROC provides comprehensive information on every aspect of military life for family members with special needs. There is no cost to active-duty, National Guard and reserve service members, their families and survivors.

exclamation point – Avoid excessive exclamation points when developing content for MC&FP. This guidance applies to social media, blogs and other communication avenues. Do not use exclamation points when writing for Military OneSource unless they are part of a title (example: Purple Up!).