From Able Archer to Ultimate Quest

March 5, 2005 9:05 PM

When Luzon was SALUBRIOUS.Names in the military are interesting things. How we got from Operation Blue Spoon to Operation Just Cause (many others or make your own!). Ship names are another matter, whether the Royal Navy, the US Navy, Japan, or the Federation.
posted by blahblahblah (5 comments total)

I live in a satanic granny? Cool.
posted by Lush at 9:56 PM on March 5, 2005

As a side note, I'd like to point out that the second link (though long) should be interesting to even those who find the name and word focus of the rest of the post boring. Not only is it an interesting PR story, but it implies that advancement in the military can be helped by good naming skills!

"Because nicknames help determine the way operations are perceived, joint staff officers must develop not only their skill as operational artists but also their art as operation namers."
posted by blahblahblah at 10:15 PM on March 5, 2005

Heh, I like the name generator. I still have my "Desert Shield - Expedite" rubber stamp. Maybe it can go on Ebay some day. We used to stamp the folders containing urgent procurements so that they would get special handling. Then it became Desert Storm.
posted by fixedgear at 2:48 AM on March 6, 2005

Recent operation names were thought up by a student of Orwell or an ironist. Otherwise, how could you get from "Operation Take The Oil" to "Operation Just Cause"?
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:55 AM on March 6, 2005

Adm. Hyman Rickover was instrumental in the Navy's getting away from naming submarines for sea creatures. He wanted missile subs named for US heroes and for states and attack subs named for cities. Seeking to curry favor with the purse-string holders in Congress, he famously said, "Fish don't vote!"

On preview:

Mayor Curley: The joke du jour was that we invaded Just 'Cause we felt like it.
posted by alumshubby at 8:15 AM on March 6, 2005