What This Field Means
A shorter name, acronym, or familiar form veterans may recognize more quickly.
This supplies the compact name people are likely to remember, search, or use in conversation. It helps a veteran reach the same canonical record when the full official designation is cumbersome.
How to Read It Correctly
A short name does not replace the official designation and does not establish a separate unit. It should not combine unrelated abbreviations, invent a familiar form, or carry a former designation that represents a different historical identity.
Example
375 LRS or 375th LRS.
Technical Specification
The database column is [USMIL-Unit].[Unit].[UnitShortName]. Optional display-oriented short name. It does not replace the official designation and must not create a second identity.
The field may be blank when no reliable short form is known. When present, record a documented acronym, abbreviation, or concise familiar form that still identifies the same organization.
| Property | Definition or current value |
|---|---|
| Database column | UnitShortName |
| Column order | 4 |
| SQL data type | nvarchar(512) |
| Kind of information | Evidence-derived text |
| Cardinality | One stored value per Unit row. |
| Required | No; NULL is permitted |
| Database default | No database default |
| Key or relationship | None |
| Database check constraint | ([CurrentStatus]=N'Planned' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Status unknown' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Historical' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Inactive' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Current') |
| Live population | 5857 of 9341 Unit records (62.7%) |
| Distinct nonblank values in the live table | 5776 |
| Live profile measured | September 2, 2026, 20:43 UTC |
Allowed Values and Definitions
No preset menu applies to this field. It stores an identifier, relationship, measurement, date, timestamp, or evidence-derived narrative. Valid content is governed by the SQL type, key relationship, nullability, retained evidence, and the field-specific recording rule above. A list of observed contents would be data, not a list of allowed options.
Missing, Unknown, and Conflicting Information
A database NULL is permitted and means that no value is presently stored. It does not prove that the fact never existed, that the answer is no, or that the concept does not apply. Missing information must remain visibly different from a supported negative or inapplicable conclusion.
Connections to Other Fields
- Official Unit Designation — The unit’s full official name or designation as supported by military records.
- Former Designation — An earlier official name used by the same supported unit lineage.
- Unit ID — The permanent record number used to keep this unit separate from every other unit in the guide.
- Primary Evidence — The principal retained source supporting the unit’s identity in this record.