Callsign etiquette

[BigIron]

Gents,

Curious about callsign etiquette. Coming from a helo background, callsigns weren't that much of a deal and aren't used that much. On the carrier, callsigns are used more often than not. Sometimes that was the only way I knew who someone was talking about.

For those that use them regularly, when do you think an appropriate use? Do you call your CO/XO by their callsigns? I think that in some formal situations, callsigns would be inappropriate, but what do you folks use as your norm?

BI

 

[Flash]

Gents,

Curious about callsign etiquette. Coming from a helo background, callsigns weren't that much of a deal and aren't used that much. On the carrier, callsigns are used more often than not. Sometimes that was the only way I knew who someone was talking about.

For those that use them regularly, when do you think an appropriate use? Do you call your CO/XO by their callsigns? I think that in some formal situations, callsigns would be inappropriate, but what do you folks use as your norm?

BI

I rarely saw CO/XO's get called by their callsigns except when talking to their peers or superiors, they were usually just 'Skipper' and 'XO' in the squadron. Everyone else went almost solely by their callsigns in almost all situations, professional and social.

 

[Brett327]

I rarely saw CO/XO's get called by their callsigns except when talking to their peers or superiors, they were usually just 'Skipper' and 'XO' in the squadron. Everyone else went almost solely by their callsigns in almost all situations, professional and social.

+1

Brett

 

[bunk22]

Yeah, I always referred to the CO as Skipper and the XO as XO. I've got one of those callsigns that everyone calls me by, folks didn't even know my name on many occasions. An old XO/CO used to call me LT Bunky at AOM's. Unless, I'm their equal or above, won't call them by their callsign.

 

[MasterBates]

I have pretty much gone by my callsign since the (first) RAG.. Unless I am in trouble, or it's someone who don't know me, nobody has called me ENS/LTJG/LT Bates on the Khaki side. Granted I was one of the few in HSL to go by and be mostly known by their callsign, it seems callsigns are the norm here in VAW in my limited experience.

 

[rondebmar]

i rarely saw co/xo's get called by their callsigns except when talking to their peers or superiors, they were usually just 'skipper' and 'xo' in the squadron. Everyone else went almost solely by their callsigns in almost all situations, professional and social.

+2

 

[Uncle Fester]

Skipper is Skipper, XO is XO, everyone else is by callsign, even between DH's and FNG's. Helps to enforce the equality of Naval Air. For 'formal' situations, the ROT seems to be callsigns as long as it's just O's. If the E's are around, too, then it's back to Mr/Lt so-and-so. Causes some stumbles when you have to switch gears. "Hey, AT1, have you seen Scroat...er, Lt Smith?"

Callsigns that really stick, stick for life. I've got close friends - guys I've cruised with, flown with, drank with, hustled out of the bar after they puked on a Russian hooker in Dubai - and I still have to stop and think hard to remember what the hell their actual names are.

 

[insanebikerboy]

Also, it does seem that the squadrons that spend most of their time around the boat tend to generally have callsigns, while those that don't, don't. YMMV, of course.

 

[Bevo16]

Coming from a helo background, callsigns weren't that much of a deal and aren't used that much. On the carrier, callsigns are used more often than not.

You know that we have helos on the carrier...right?

Kidding...Kidding...

DH and below were always callsigns. Most of our AW's had call signs and we used those with them, but they they always called us LT Soandso. One of my skippers had never had a call sign that stuck. That is unusual, so he was always either "XO" then "Skipper". The others did not mind their call sign, and went with that in the cockpit. They all told us what we they wanted to be called, so there was never any confusion. Easy day.

 

[Ave8tor]

What about FNG's in the rag? Up until now its been "LT ..." or "Capt ..." which is fine but sometimes gets into a mouthful if you're referencing a bunch of different people. Once I get my wings, is it accepted to go by callsigns in the squadron spaces (while still using the Sir/Ma'am's in the briefs), or is that generally reserved for guys with a bit of time under their belt (similar to the Shut Up/Join Up atmosphere)? Not saying that I want to throw all military courtesy into the wind, but it seems that a more conducive in a learning environment and foster camaraderie within the squadron.

 

[bunk22]

What about FNG's in the rag? Up until now its been "LT ..." or "Capt ..." which is fine but sometimes gets into a mouthful if you're referencing a bunch of different people. Once I get my wings, is it accepted to go by callsigns in the squadron spaces (while still using the Sir/Ma'am's in the briefs), or is that generally reserved for guys with a bit of time under their belt (similar to the Shut Up/Join Up atmosphere)? Not saying that I want to throw all military courtesy into the wind, but it seems that a more conducive in a learning environment and foster camaraderie within the squadron.

I think it might depend on the FRS. At VAW-120 with the COD IP's when I was a stud, most were fine with callsigns. No way would I have called an IP by a callsign in flight school obviously. I had a few stud LT's that I tried to get to call my Bunky or Bunk at VT-6 but to avail, they kept with the standard. I had no problem with FRS studs calling me Bunk when I was an FRS IP either. I got my callsign in advanced at VT-4 and it has stuck ever since. The IP's called me Bunky when I was a stud at VT-4 as well.

 

[BACONATOR]

What about FNG's in the rag? Up until now its been "LT ..." or "Capt ..." which is fine but sometimes gets into a mouthful if you're referencing a bunch of different people. Once I get my wings, is it accepted to go by callsigns in the squadron spaces (while still using the Sir/Ma'am's in the briefs), or is that generally reserved for guys with a bit of time under their belt (similar to the Shut Up/Join Up atmosphere)? Not saying that I want to throw all military courtesy into the wind, but it seems that a more conducive in a learning environment and foster camaraderie within the squadron.

I imagine in the FRS you can go by callsign or First name. Not sure about jet guys, but for us, it's first name, unless O-4+.

Then again, if you're a Marine, god knows what you folks do in the FRS....

 

[AFUAW]

In the west coast Rhino RAG, it's callsigns for O-4 and below. O-5 and up are Skipper/XO/sir/etc. I imagine the other jet RAGs are the same.

 

[Uncle Fester]

A good guideline is, once you get wings, you rate using callsigns.

 

[Flash]

The others did not mind their call sign, and went with that in the cockpit.

That does remind me, going back to the 'original' reasoning behind callsigns. In the air the CO/XO were often referred to by their callsigns if talking on intra-flight/formation frequencies, part of the reason you couldn't legitimately have two people with the identical callsigns in the same squadron. That was the one exception I saw to my earlier post.