Callsigns · 10:22pm Apr 18th, 2016
With the episode Newbie Dash coming up, I wanted to do a blog about callsigns.
A callsign is a short, standardized way to name a group of things or people. Callsigns are often used in voice communication. The NATO alphabet figures heavily.
In the civilian world, callsigns are often heard as a four-letter name of a radio station or TV channel. This is related to the individual broadcaster, not their network. Pretty much anyone who talks on the radio has a callsign. Ships, aircraft, spacecraft, ham radio. But the civilian stuff is boring. By which I mean let's do what I do best: talk about the military.
The military has so many callsigns you guys. Office codes, codenames, nicknames, shorthand, and everything else. The most notable, of course, are nicknames for pilots. However, the whole story goes much deeper.
Many countries use staff codes to designate departments. Below is a brief listing copypasted from Wikipedia:
0, for command
1, for manpower and personnel
2, for intelligence and security
3, for operations
4, for logistics
5, for plans
6, for communications and IT
7, for training
8, for finance
9, for civil affairs
Sometimes the last few in the list are different, depending on who's using the system. The point is, these are the departments usually required to run a military.
Speaking of who's required, the codes usually have a prefix:
A, for Air Force headquarters;
C, for combined headquarters (multiple nations) headquarters;
G, for Army or USMC general staff sections
J, for Joint (multiple services) headquarters;
N, for Navy headquarters;
S, for Army or USMC executive staff sections
None of the components are higher in rank to the others, with the exception of 0.
So to put it together, N2 is Navy Intelligence, A3 is Air Force operations, J0 is the boss of a joint organization, etc.
And it gets more complicated! You can combine codes. 37 is the training section of operations. 23 is the operations component of intelligence.
The numbers refer both to the office and the officer in charge of it. 0 refers to not only the staff that commands the other numbers but the big boss himself.
Foxhound 0
On a more tactical level, ground forces have callsign procedure of their own. Say you have a battalion. That battalion has an official name like the 501st Battalion or whatever, but on the radio they have a callsign. Each company within that battalion and each platoon within each company has a callsign. Each callsign can be a name, letter, or number.
For example, Pony company has platoons Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. On the radio, you call up Pony Alpha. Whoever answers the radio identifies themselves as Pony Alpha. It's a floating callsign because whoever answers is speaking on behalf of the whole group. Suppose you really need to talk to the leader of Pony Alpha. You'd ask for Pony Alpha actual. Actual is not a floating callsign, instead referring to a specific person.
For whatever reason, Six tends to be the overall commander. There's some other stuff mixed up in ground comms and it gets way more complicated than this blog really needs to.
Always relevant XKCD
Navy side, there's further complications. Each ship has a call sign. For example, USS Carl Vinson is Gold Eagle. But on top of that, a ship can also take on a callsign based on its job. For example, Red Crown is a ship maintaining a radar picture of the area.
Under the composite warfare concept, a carrier strike group also has callsigns for every job. The Admiral in charge is Bravo. The strike warfare commander, usually the head of the air wing, is Papa. Air warfare, usually the commander of the cruiser, is Whiskey. Surface warfare is Sierra. And many others. There is also a prefix letter, depending on what fleet the strike group is operating in, and if there's another strike group out there. For example, two Admirals with their two strike groups would be both be Bravo, but with the prefix to tell them apart, one would be AB and the other would be BB.
But aviation, dear God. So many callsigns.
Some more obvious than others.
An air wing may have a callsign. For example, Carrier Air Wing 17 is Quicksand. Below that, each squadron has a callsign.
In addition to their official name, squadrons use a callsign. Squadron callsigns are usually used around home on training flights. Squadron callsigns usually make sense. For example, VFA-113 "The Stingers" use the callsign Sting. On the other hand, you've got VFA-94 "The Mighty Shrikes" that use Hobo.
Then come the numbers. The first pair of jets flying around in the morning could be something like Hobo 11 and Hobo 12. The next pair would be Hobo 21 and Hobo 22. A final quartet would be Hobo 31-34.
Note: for most callsigns with numbers, say each number individually. "Hobo one one." This applies to most callsigns.
When a jet flies in combat, it has an ATO mission. The mission has a callsign, and is usually flown by the same kind of aircraft. For example, F-15E's flying for Operation Enduring Freedom used Dude as their callsign, regardless of which squadron they came from.
Anecdote: EA-6B's used Fungun. Prowlers, being electronic warefare planes, were capable of sneaky radio shenanigans. I was told that one aircrew had a loop of Aerosmith's Dude Looks Like a Lady ready to play on the radio whenever a Dude plane would check in.
Trolololol
And finally, pilot callsigns.
Ironically, it's the one callsign you probably won't hear on the radio. The aforementioned squadron or ATO callsign is always used.
Pilot callsigns came about as both a quick and informal way to communicate. You may feel intimidated telling Colonel Johnson that he's doing something dangerous, but, "Hey Goober, you're about to crash," takes the pressure off. In a job where a second could mean the difference between life and death, callsigns help keep things moving.
While many callsigns are complicated, when it comes to pilot nicknames, pretty much anything goes. According to F-16.net:
1. If you don't already have one, you will be assigned one by your "buddies."
2. You probably won't like it.
3. If you complain and moan too much, you'll get a new nickname you'll like even less.
Click the F-16.net link. It's got a database of callsigns that should be good for entertainment if nothing else.
It's in poor taste to give yourself a callsign, which of course is exactly what everyone on the internet does in creating a username. Callsigns given by fellow pilots are often related to your physical appearance, your name, or an embarrassing incident.
Just ask this one guy who was thanked for his help in the credits of Top Gun: LT Peter "Horse" Caulk.
I've noticed the Air Force tends to have callsigns that sound like American Gladiators, things like Duke, Baron, or Slider.
Meanwhile, I've known two Naval Aviators who were named after crotch rot and two more named after handjobs.
In closing, and since I couldn't find anywhere else to drop this, here's the cover of a steamy romance novel I stumbled on while doing research for this blog.
"Call Sign Karma"
Yes, the main character's name is Tinklee. With a name like that, any callsign would be better.
Huh, this was very informative.
Wish I could like blog posts, but sadly you can't.
Thanks, could be interesting if I ever do certain stories
Jesus.
If you have trouble keeping track of names...
~Skeeter The Lurker
So have you ever had a callsign?
From another fic I've been reading I was starting to get the impression that callsigns were given to you as well, even if said fic follows tankers rather than pilots
3879506 It's possible. Aviation is the only community where you're basically expected to have one, though.
3879577
It was written by a Marine tanker, I'm inclined to believe him. Looks like done for the same reason as in aviation, make things quicker in the heat of battle
Sigh, why did you have to go and post that link? I just spent two hours laughing at all the shenanigans on that website instead of doing something productive like I should have.
"Mobius One, standing by."
God Ace Combat 4 was amazing.
Another great blog that actually taught me something! This old dog woofs in appreciation! Carry on, sir, do carry on.
3879584 What is the story?
3879672
Here We Go Again by Faust1812. It isn't a MLP fic, it's based on the web novel/light novel/manga/anime called Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There, without the more annoying issues of the original series, one of the few times a fix-fic really was needed.
3879614 "Viper 9, engage."
Right, so putting that information to use...
Commander Shepard is in fact, part of Navy Training personnel?
Canada has similar but different conventions.
If you want, I can get into them to a point; the radio manual we have where all the info is stored is classified. But if you are interested, I can tell you the unclass parts.
3880825 I never thought of it that way.
According to the ME wiki, "In the Systems Alliance military. The "N" designates special forces and the "7" refers to the highest level of proficiency."
3881585 I know, but the real world meaning certainly makes it interesting.
nuuuuh! That was Major Zero, Big Boss's commander back when he went by Naked Snake in the 60s until he rebelled cause they didn't agree on The Boss's vision and changed it to Big Boss (but still went by Snake) and invented PMCs with Kaz, and then Zero changed it to Cipher to form
IlluminatiThe Patriots.Get your references to Metal Gear's muddled, spiderweb of a story right!
But on a more serious note I did once come across a document that held a list of some older callsigns of some USAF squadrons, they were rather interesting.
3880825
Well, Commander is a real Navy rank, Shepard's a common name, and Normandy is a real cruiser in the USN, so it's just a matter of getting them all together.
3879991
Going through those quotes is when you realize ISAF only had like 5 squadrons counting Mobius.
3879378
Easy to remember the unique ones, eh?