Realistic military callsigns

[delaware 0]

Is there a standard nomenclature for US military units?  For example, if I had an operation involving:

(1) HQ element

(2) Helicopters for transport

(2) Helicopters for CAS

(2) Infantry squads

What would be a realistic assignment of callsigns for these units?

I've searched these forums as well as Google; I may be using some bad search terms, but so far everything has been irrelevant.  I greatly appreciate any insight.

Regards,

Chris

[hellfish6 7]

Officially, the US operated using an SOI, or Signal Operating Instructions. Every official callsign for a particular net is listed in these instructions. Typically, these are assigned to Battalion or Task Forces and are changed daily.

SOIs are usually composed of four operatives, meaning four letters or numbers, per callsign. For example, Mike Romeo Seven Three (MR73) or Seven Delta Six Five (7D65). The callsigns have nothing to do with the unit's function and are almost entirely random. For example, a platoon leader could be Charlie Yankee Five Five (CY55) and his other platoon leaders could be Yankee Hotel Four One and Eight Alpha Mike Two, and his company commander could be Foxtrot Bravo Niner Three. As you can see - if you were evesdropping on their radio net, you'd have no idea who is talking to who. Sure, you might realize that FB93 is a commander, but of what? A platoon? A company? Battalion? Brigade?

Informally, though, you can use any callsign you want. My infantry platoon had squad radios, so each squad leader had his own personal callsign that never changed. My squad leader was "Tapeworm", another squad leader was "Suksum" (his name spelled backwards) another was "Eightball" and the LT was "Peanut."

It kind of depends how you use them. If you're a platoon leader calling to your battalion HQ, you'll probably not say "Dragon Six, this is "Peanut", because he probably has no idea who Peanut is. If you say "Dragon Six this is Yankee Golf One Five" he can just look at his SOI and tell that you're 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company.

That's how it works in the infantry. Armor/Mech and air units might go by informal callsigns more often - aircraft in a squadron probably all know each other (like "Maverick" and "Iceman") and tanks in a company are all individually named. Bravo Company tanks are usually named with "B's" like Beast, Breaker, Bomber, etc., so it may be pretty easy to recognize who is who by their callsign.

[delaware 0]

That helps immensely.  Thanks!

[Guest DKM-jaguar]

I am needing similar information for a mission, using the Soviet call signs. Does anyone know them and can help? I would like to know so that instead of using Red1, Blue 3, i can create truly russian style call signs and improve the authenticity of my missions. Thankyou in advance.

[Jinef 2]

But how could you implement this? I thought the OFP radio system only allowed certain inputs-

Alpha Red

Bravo Green

etc.

Not even user defined numbers.

for example

Alpha Black 1 : This is alpha squad etc.

How coudl you get that to:

Foxtrot Quebec Niner Six: We are advancing to contact...

[acidcrash 0]

well its not a direct solution, but whenever ive used names and callsigns when in a chat (global, side, group, etc) ive started with (Name)

eg

man1 sidechat "(Tango Niner) All stations this is Tango Niner...."

and so ingame

alpha black1: "(Tango Niner) All stations this is Tango Niner..."

[toadlife 3]

But how could you implement this? I thought the OFP radio system only allowed certain inputs-

Alpha Red

Bravo Green

etc.

Not even user defined numbers.

for example

Alpha Black 1 : This is alpha squad etc.

How coudl you get that to:

Foxtrot Quebec Niner Six: We are advancing to contact...

laaa di daa daa daa....

http://www.ofpec.com/editors/resource_view.php?id=447

[acidcrash 0]

yeh but you can only have 2 custom call signs

[toadlife 3]

That's two more than zero.

[RED 0]

An infinite amount more than zero Thanks for that discovery Toady, I found it to be very useful.

RED

[Eda Mrcoch 0]

yeh but you can only have 2 custom call signs

What about using empty string for one of them in description.ext & adding a desired name manually to each transmission? LOL

[toadlife 3]

yeh but you can only have 2 custom call signs

What about using empty string for one of them in description.ext & adding a desired name manually to each transmission? LOL

You know that's not a bad idea!

If you did that, it would look something like this:

:Charlie Delta Fox Three: Rodger that

and that would look better than....

Alpha Black 1:(Charlie Delta Fox Three): Roger that.

[theavonlady 2]

yeh but you can only have 2 custom call signs

What about using empty string for one of them in description.ext & adding a desired name manually to each transmission? LOL

You know that's not a bad idea!

If you did that, it would look something like this:

:Charlie Delta Fox Three: Rodger that

and that would look better than....

Alpha Black 1:(Charlie Delta Fox Three): Roger that.

Pardon my ignorance but what's "empty string"?

I've got about 4 custom callsigns I want to use. Can someone give step-by-step (Mission Editing for Dummies style) instructions on implementing this, based on Eda's suggestion above?

EDIT: OK, I got this to work. Nevermind.

[Benny212 0]

Coud somebody plz post some instructions as it would be very helpful to people like me

thnx in advance

[-=BT=- Matty R 0]

what did you do avon?

[theavonlady 2]

what did you do avon?

Nothing! I've been good!

OK, it's simple, I think:

1. In file stringtable.csv, I placed the following line:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">STR_CFG_PAPABEAR,,,,,,

String name STR_CFG_PAPABEAR is a reserved OFP string name, used by OFP to define the "PAPA BEAR" call sign. This statement sets the value to a null string.

2. In file init.sqs, I have the following line:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">radio1 = [West, "HQ"]

This assigns the nickname "radio1" (I made up the name) to anything to be broadcast by WEST,"HQ", which is normally PAPA BEAR in OFP.

3. In file mission.sqm, I issue radio messages like this:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">radio1 sideRadio "R04r11"

4. Back in file stringtable.csv, I have message R04r11 defined as something like:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">R04r01,"AVON: GET READY TO MOVE OUT!"

As you can see, I've hardcoded a callsign of "AVON" into the message text. No other callsign will be inserted by OFP because this message is being issued by WEST,"HQ", a.k.a., "radio1", and WEST,"HQ"'s callsign (PAPA BEAR) has been overriden in stringtable.csv to be a null string.

Is that understood?!

[MEDICUS 0]

Could anyone give me some examples for realistic russian callsigns? I have absolutly no idea what the east side uses. Do they use proper names or also some kind of code?

@Avon:

Thanks a lot for this! Finaly can can use something different for the HQ    Papa Bear doesn't really fit all the time.

THX in advance,

MEDICUS  

[theavonlady 2]

@Avon:

Thanks a lot for this! Finaly can can use something different for the HQ    Papa Bear doesn't really fit all the time.

Have you tried Mama Bear?

[MEDICUS 0]

Have you tried Mama Bear?

Not yet. But i don't think that the russians use callsigns like this one  

Any ideas what they use in RL?

MfG MEDICUS

[void_false 1]

I know 3 of them:

vostok (east)

strekoza (dragonfly)

romashka (camomile?)

Expect the full list soon.

P.S.

Avon, I could not refuse to you.

[theavonlady 2]

P.S.

Avon, I could not refuse to you.  

Well, there's that cutscene you refused me because you couldn't refuse your mother.

Why don't you give me your Mom's phone number. I'll set here straight about your wanting to assist anonymous older women you've been chatting with on the Internet.

[void_false 1]

P.S.

Avon, I could not refuse to you.

Well, there's that cutscene you refused me because you couldn't refuse your mother.

Why don't you give me your Mom's phone number. I'll set here straight about your wanting to assist anonymous older women you've been chatting with on the Internet.

No problem. She's working now so take cellular:

055-1985-1985

[MEDICUS 0]

Expect the full list soon.  

Cool!

Thanks a lot, void_false  

[MEDICUS 0]

Quote[/b] ]Could anyone give me some examples for realistic russian callsigns? I have absolutly no idea what the east side uses. Do they use proper names or also some kind of code?

Anyone an idea? I really need some for my mission and have absolutly no idea what i should use.  

Would be great to get some suggestions  

Thx in advance, MEDICUS

[void_false 1]

Here what ppl said:

Just use some imagination.

Well, u can call yr groups with numbers like first fourth tenth etc.

Or just take name of some name of animal and translate it.