PCV Lingo

Just like any other job, we have our own vernacular that we use that may be hard for other people to dechiper or understand. Typically they are acronmyns, or cute little made up words. Here is your guide to trying to figure out what I am talking about from time to time:

Of course, you should already be familar with PC and PCV. But what about these others?

Trainee: Person who is in training and has not been sworn in. Also sometimes seen as PCT (Peace Corps Trainee).
How used in a sentence: "When did the new trainees get here?"

Cluster: Group you are placed with for 3 months during training and study language for 6 hours basically every day together and have technical together. Perhaps work together.
How used in a sentence: "My cluster was in the Zh--- oblast"

Clustermate: Person who was in your cluster. These usually become either intense friendships or someone you avoid. Thankfully, my group all got along.
How used in a sentence: "My clustermate and I are going to Moldova"

Link: Every cluster gets a "link"- another cluster typically geographically closest to you where you pair up for Saturdays and have tech. training.
How used in a sentence: "Who was in your link?"

Linkmate: Not commonly used. A person who was in your link. Again, typically if you got along, good friendships are made.
"All my linkmates live out west because they learned Ukrainian."

LCF: I actually forgot exactly what this stands for, but this is a person on contract with Peace Corps who teaches language during training--moves to your cluster town too and deals with all host family concerns. Talk about the toughest job....
"My LCF now works in the Peace Corps Office full time"

TCF: Similar to LCF but handles technical trainings and can live either in your town or link's town (there is 1 TCF for every 2 clusters). Also in charge of overseeing Peace Corps Trainees at their training job sites.
"My TCF is a very serious woman."

Host Family: family that volunteers to have a Peace Corps Trainee or Volunteer live in their home. We currently get 2 host families--> I during training (3 months) and 1 at site (for me 3 months, now 1 month).
"My first host family was great."

PST: Pre-Service Training- what being in a cluster is all about-- training that occurs before volunteer is sworn in.
"During PST I had little free time."

Site: The palce where you will be assigned as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Combo of town and school, university, and/or business.
"I love my site!"

Site visit: Time while still in training were you go to site for the first time and meet the people you will work with and live with.
"I fell off the train on my site visit."

Sitemate: the PCV(s) who are placed in the same sity, town, village as you. Can be from any group currently serving in country.
"I had 4 sitemates when I arrived in N--"

Coordinator: Person assigned at your site to help you make the transition and who typically signs any important forms from Peace Corps. This person can be switched from who was originally assigned.
"I get along well with my coordinator. He's a cool guy."

RM: Regional Manager. Immediate Peace Corps "boss." This is your go to person for any problems of a Peace Corps nature or if you are having serious difficulty at site. This person you must also inform of your whereabouts when you are away from site overnight. I'm not joking.
"My RM called me the other day to let me know my trip was approved."

AFS: Absence from site. This is a form that needs to be filled out when we want to leave site. Typically now you can just send a text message to your RM when you are going away for a weekend or whatever, but if you will be missing work you need approval from site (coordinator) and then approval from RM and ultimate approval from CD.
"I gave my AFS to my RM."

CD: Country director. The head honcho. Always an American.
"The CD has a lot of power over Peace Corps Volunteer policy incountry"

PCMO: Peace Corps Medical Officer. These are the folks ink Kyiv that give you shots and meds, and that you call when you are sick.
"I called the PCMO on duty and he told me to take some pills from my medical kit."

Sick Bay: Where you stay if you are sick. It's a room with 2 beds in Kyiv. The beds are very soft.
"I only stayed in sick bay once."

Mid-Service Med: Mid way through your service you are told to go to Kyiv and get a phsyical and check up. You need to stay for two nights in order to get tested for TB. You also get to see the dentist.
"My mid service med was in January."

Med Evac: Medical evacuation. When PCV or Trainee is sent home to another country to have surgery, an operation, or something worked on that can't be done in country. The Volunteer/Trainee has 42 days to get better and return to country before they are removed from the program.
"He got med evaced to Bangkok!!!"

Med Sep: Medical separation. This is if you get sent home due to some medical reason that could not be solved in country. The "sep" part means that you are not able to come back.
"I heard that she got med sep'ed for an STD."

ET: Early termination. When a Peace Corps Volunteer or Trainee decides to go home early.
"She ETed two weeks ago."

Admin Sep: Administratively Separated. When you've done something against Peace Corps policy and are sent home. Here it is somewhat rare.
"He got Admin Sep'ed for starting a fight."

IST: In Service Training. Periods where Peace Corps offers trainings on various topics, including Language Refreshers, where volunteers brush up on their Russian or Ukrianian. Other topics can be technical trainings, methodology, civics, and so on. Also inadvertantly gives volunteers time together to drink, drink, and drink more.
"Did you go to the IST in Kharkov?"

YD: Youth Developer. One of the several types of volunteers in this country.
"Is she a YD? What does she do?"

TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language. The largest Peace Corps program of all and the type of volunteer I am.
"When is the new TEFL group arriving?"

CED: Formerlly just called Business Volunteers, they now has some snazzy name like "Community Economic Developer"
"We should get two new CEDs at our site."

COS: Close of service. The last hoorah with your group where you learna bout all the paperwork you must do before you leave country and the benefits you can be alloted after you are home.
"I can't wait till COS: August, baby!"

LA: living allowance. The stipend money you get for cost of living in country. Varies depending upon country and also city.
"It's challenging to live on my LA."

LA: Leave allowance. The moey put into your account each month for your vacation. A whooping $12 a day, total $24 a month.
"My LA will surely get me far in Paris."

VAC: Volunteer Advisory Committee. This is the working group I am a part of where elected Peace Corps Volunteers inform the Administration of issues volunteers are facing in the field and how we can improve their situation and or policy.
"When is the next VAC meeting?"

SPA: Small projects assistance. This is a grant opportunity open to all volunteers and that are reviewed by fellow volunteers.
"I just submited my SPA grant. I hope that it goes through."


So there you have it.