Here's a good perspective on the "Callsign Controversy" from someone who's been there done that...a good read from Lex, but more importantly points out that one can wreck a time honored tradition for all...and in this case well..my guess is squadron CO's are being told to scrub and re-paint jets with 'questionable' call signs...

What’s in a Name? « Neptunus Lex

I wonder if PADI will be removed from the jet to which it's painted on...after all I did get kicked out of scuba school in Guam...

 

Pretty much sums it up.

And didn't you make the instructor cry?

 

Allegedly..

 

While this guy should have a thicker skin, blah, blah... , the squadron pilots showed extremely poor SA/judgement on this. Yes, yes, they should be able to work namings as they please.
Take someone not in your community, who rumors point to as gay, and heckle him with potential homo callsigns. Nice. Real smart, boys.
Did they really think this wasn't going to go viral?
Well, I guess they "proved" that they don't have to hold back... at the expense of every naming to follow them.
And I'm sure this will impact USAF units to some degree.

Has anyone heard of units bringing in strippers to the squadron, and having young enlisted girls present? Does anyone think that will float?

Welcome to 2010.

 

However I am affected by something someone else says about me, is my choice. Not theirs....

 

Slightly off topic - but the comment above from a 'prowlerguy' who flies around by committee and then decides to heckle the callsign voting panel is something of a lark

USMCFLYR

 

Huggy...your points have some validity but here's the thing. Are we really going to crucify(hopefully not) the squadron and the leadership for allowing a call sign review board to run it's course. It has and should remain a tradition in Naval Aviation. Could it be tempered? Sure..and it most certainly will moving forward. The mere fact that some of those in leadership positions making a decision about what to do in this case were the very same Nuggets and JO's who sat idle in many a' call sign review boards when 'inappropriate' call signs were thrown around in their day. To do nothing would probably not be right, but to end careers over this is a knee jerk reaction and does nothing more than kill morale and make this business less fun.

One more point to offer, and this isn't a USAF/USN thing, but we have different cultures in our services, we see it every day. One isn't any more right than the other. They are just different. Suffice it to say, while this young(old) Ensign wasn't part of the VFA community growing up, he certainly became part of the community when he took orders to the squadron. It is not uncommon to reference our ground officers by a nick name or call sign if it is warranted, it normally brings them into the ready room mix. I dont know this individual nor am I in the squadron, but I would venture to say that we don't know all that went into this thing. If you believe all you read, so be it.

As to your last point...one needs to look no farther than the Wolfpack in Kunsan or the Kadena O'club on a Friday night to see a multitude of "transgressions" amongst Officers and Enlisted. Animal House comes to mind whenever I Hurrevac'd a jet to Kunsan or was there for DACT..it is what it is.

 

Squadrons picked up temporary new names for transgressions of squadron personnel.
One went from Sawbucks to Sorebutts. Let you all figure out how that came about.
One fighter Skipper named Al and was overweight (A RIO) proudly wore FATAL as his callsign.
LT Lowe was naturally "Hung".
LT Sutter was had an L added after the S and then the name was truncated to four letters.
I flew LT Sax's grimy gray jet right after a 6 mos, cruise to Edwards for their airshow. He was named 'Scrotum" and thats what was painted on the jet. The British photog enthusiasts took alot of snaps.
The one guy on the cat who left the brakes on during the stroke became 'Boom Boom"
In the halls of Naval Aviation anyway, if they don't make fun of you, then they don't like you. Nothing worse than being called "Sir' by everyone on the boat. That callsign was left only for the wretched <g>

 

Good one, Maverick! This is all post-Top Gun crap, however. Probably dreamed-up (for the USAF, anyway) by the type of guy who holds a "guess that's why yellow makes me sad" way of thinking. Zero, not one, of the USAAC, USAAF, on USAF Medal of Honor recipients had a callsign for a handle.

 

Excellent points..

The one thing I've yet to see mentioned in any of the press reporting (or whining from ENS Careerisover) is the fact that when he let it be known he was butt hurt (no pun intended) over the "name calling" a vast majority apologized to him. I know this from first hand sources. But as with all things VFA, we move on and continue to operate. From what I understand this wasn't good enough for him and he filed the complaint. I'll keep other details told to me off of here, but suffice to say there is WAY more to this story than what is being reported.