Do any other fields perform this sort of verbal gymnastics to create acronyms?
I think most areas now indulge in this game. I see little harm in it and sometimes the resulting acronym can raise a smile. One area where it appears to be rife is in naming protest or awareness groups (ASH = Action on Smoking and Health; NOMA'AM = National Organisation of Men Against Amazonian Masterhood)
Certainly the IT industry and large organisations like IBM can provide many examples.
Rod