The Naming Ceremony — long a fighter pilot tradition — has apparently wound its way into the earliest stages of a pilot’s career. A Naming Ceremony for student pilots at Laughlin AFB, Texas, ultimately contributed to a squadron commander, group commander, and wing commander getting fired:
In a rare action, the Air Force said Wednesday it had relieved three commanders at Laughlin AFB in Del Rio.
The move came in the wake of incidents in the past year that included a female pilot being given a vulgar name during a drinking ritual and another Read more
An article out of Mountain Home AFB assures the world that the time honored tradition of the roof stomp (literally) is alive and well. The article talks about a commander moving on from command, and the way he was received by his unit two years ago:
Lt. Col Gary Marlowe, 389th Fighter Squadron commander is initiated as the new commander with a roof stomp June 2015, at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
That’s LtCol Gary “Ziggy” Marlowe, a name which carries on another tradition, for those old Read more
There’s a long fighter pilot tradition of “names” and “namings,” in which fighter pilots have a callsign bestowed upon them that will likely follow them for the remainder of their careers. As noted in the longer discussions on the tradition, callsigns are sometimes the result of a notable action, a physical trait, or a play on the pilot’s name.
For example, the current Chief of Staff of the Air Force is Gen David “Fingers” Goldfein, playing off his name and the James Bond reference.
Luke Air Force Base recently issued a press release about an award recognition that Read more
There is probably no fighter pilot tradition that carries as much peer pressure as the Naming. It is the very means by which a fighter pilot “receives” his callsign. Some Christians have participated in Namings (on both the receiving and giving sides) and others have also refused to do so. There is no simple, single answer. For insight, see the Naming section of the article on Fighter Pilot Traditions and one pilot’s naming experience.
“Namings” are ceremonies in which fighter pilots are “given” the callsigns they will be known by. See the section on Namings from the article on Fighter Pilot Traditions. Also read about one pilot’s naming experience.
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus censured Cmdr Liam Bruen, the recently retired Navy fighter squadron commander, over the naming ceremony of an administrative officer who took offense.
In a slap at the fading and officially out-of-favor tradition of racy, sarcastic and irreverent aviation call signs, a just-retired Navy fighter squadron commanding officer was censured by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus Wednesday for failing to halt and subsequently condoning the hazing of a junior officer at a 2009 call sign review board where assembled officers voted to call the officer “Romo’s Bitch” the Navy announced…
The Navy also counseled the unit’s second in command, Cmdr Damien Christopher, who had gone on to command, for violations of the Navy’s “policies on hazing and Read more
Lt.jg Steve Crowston is the former enlisted Sailor who became an officer and then went through a fighter pilot naming, as previously discussed:
Crowston told the IG that [his commander, Commander Liam] Bruen and the unit’s then-executive officer, Cmdr. Damien Christopher, were in the unit’s ready room during an August 2009 all-officer review of squadron call signs, when Crowston was offered choices such as “Fagmeister,” “Gay Boy” and the group’s final choice, “Romo’s Bitch” — a reference to the quarterback of Crowston’s favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys. Crowston was the squadron’s administrative/legal officer.
Crowston is demanding an apology for the experience: Read more
The Inspector General has reportedly determined that US Navy Ensign Steve Crowston faced reprisal in the form of an “unfavorable fitness report” after lodging complaints against his leadership.
Crowston was an “administration/legal officer” and had recently become an officer after previously serving as a petty officer. The aviators in his unit included him in the fighter pilot tradition of a Naming; Crowston lodged complaints as a result.
Crowston’s then-commander, Cmdr Liam Bruen, Read more