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Subscribe to RSSStephen Colbert said it sounded like a “Carnival cruise ship.”
Jon Stewart likened it to the name of a bad “Yes” album.
Comedy Central
Jon Stewart mocks the name Operation Odyssey Dawn on his show, saying, "You really name a combat operation after a 'Yes' album?" Click on the photo to watch the video.
And shortly after the first missiles were launched Saturday comedian Andy Borowitz asked, via Twitter, “Am I the only one who thinks Odyssey Dawn sounds like a stripper name?”
In the Pentagon, Operation Odyssey Dawn is the name of the U.S. military engagement in Libya.
The task of creating such names falls to the military command leading the initiative. In the case of Libya, that’s the United States Africa Command, one of the nine Unified Combatant Commands, and best known as AFRICOM.
Spokesman Eric Elliot laughed when he was reached by phone Tuesday in Stuttgart, Germany, where AFRICOM is based, and said the command had gotten a lot of questions about the name of the operation. He explained to there is nothing significant about the name at all and that it is actually meant to be completely random.
“The Joint Staff actually has a naming convention in place for naming exercises and operations. These are used for most of the day-to-day things we may be doing,” he said. “Each military command is given a series of letters that they can use for the first word of a name of an operation...The goal is to have a two-word nickname that is unclassified that can be used in an unclassified setting to describe something that is classified.”
Elliot explained that the naming convention is based on a series of letters assigned to different branches of the military.
“AFRICOM has been assigned, for the first word [that] the first two letters have to be between JS and JZ, NS and NZ, and OA and OF. So ‘Odyssey’ falls into the OA and OF category,” Elliot explained.
“So what they did was, they took the list, and they had done something with Js and Ns and so they went to O. They marked off all the words that had been used before and they chose ‘Odyssey.’” Once they have the first word, they can use anything for the second word. “They basically sit around and brainstorm something that sounds good with it,” Elliot said.
He added that, of course, there are certain criteria, “They can’t use anything that may have a trademark or a copyright, they can’t use anything that may be offensive, or has the potential to be misrepresented, and it can’t be something that would be overly aggressive.”
From there, the recommendation has to go through the chain of command at AFRICOM and gets the final stamp of approval at the Pentagon.
Not meant to convey the ‘Dawn of an Odyssey’
What about the irony that the term ‘Odyssey’ suggests a long saga, like Odysseus’ 10-year journey, the opposite of the message President Barack Obama is trying to convey about the mission?
Elliot said the name was meant to be “completely random. The goal is that if I go down the street in New York and say ‘Odyssey Dawn’ that it would not give any indication of what it is or where it is.”
He did admit that the terminology has created some confusion. He said he’s gotten several calls from French journalists because when the words are translated, they get flip-flopped and become the “Dawn of an Odyssey” – exactly the opposite of the short, concise, precision military mission advocated by the United States.
Rewrite: The Last Word's Lawrence O'Donnell explains how Operation Odyssey Dawn got its name.
What do the folks at AFRICOM HQ who came up with the name think of all the jokes?
“Honestly I think they would be pretty flattered,” said Elliot. “They do a lot of these and most of them are small operations or small exercises – things that really don’t have much national or international limelight. I didn’t realize they are making fun of it on late night TV; I’ll have to tell the guys down the hall. We’ve all been overseas for so long…”
Related link from Parameters in 1995: The Art of Naming Operations
Leave a Comment:
They're a new command and this is apparently an acquired skill. I look forward to seeing their first attempts with acronyms. ;)
Actually, Odyssey Dawn is a pole dancer in Chicago. She gave me the clap....the bitch.
perhaps they should have let the french name it, as according to obama it will be there operation sometime next week.
I think the initials O.D. says it all. We're ODing on war.
Onepoker, I agree, and the French could have named it in Obama's honor, Operation Douchebag
I'm laughing at all of the little boy critics out there who can not seem to leave the herd mentality, and who quite literally, can't see the forest for the trees. The Odyssey Dawn operation just may be evolving into an exceptional option model for policing and far better than the Bush Jr./Rumsfeld model of sending U.S. troops into an occupation of Iraq. Open up your minds to intuitive concepts under real time, fluid, development. Thank you and good will to all of the military men and women from all of the countries involved.
I am having a hard time finding out how my Congressman and Senators voted on the authorization or funding of this action. Did all the news on the Japan Quake/Tsunami eclipse the Congressional Debate, or did I just miss it?
Mexicant actually has a point. Ghadaffi hasn't really been an international problem since Reagan put a bomb on his tent. What this Libya adventure represents is Obama trying to snag some low hanging fruit. Libya has a population less than one fourth of Iraq and less than one fifth of Afghanistan. The land area is large, but the population base is virtually all right on the coast, which makes the application of naval power extremely convenient. The supply line is about half that of Iraq or Afghanistan as well. As far as Obama's justification for this adventure, how much of the Saudi population needs to be protesting on the street before he intervenes there as well. Or Bahrain, or Syria, or Yemen, or Venezuela, or ...
I just took a national poll regarding the US participation in Libya. The majority of people polled agreed with intervention. It seems Obama has authorization by the popular vote. Why take weeks to pay some people to loaf around debating the issue while hundreds of innocent civilians are slaughtered by their own government? Obama has authorization, he just has to orchestrate the operation in such a way as to keep civilians safe and let the world understand the real reasons US is participating in this global action. I say that Obama hand over Ghadaffy money to the opposition, let them buy some provisions, and have participating Arab nations train them.
Indy Observer:
Please expand on your opinion. What intuitive concept? And do you think someone other than a military mind came up with it? Perhaps Obama?
A president can enact military action without approval of congress: read this and be informed -
Q108. "Who has the power to declare war?"
A. There is a short answer and a much longer answer. The short answer is that the Constitution clearly grants the Congress the power to declare war, in Article 1, Section 8. This power is not shared with anyone, including the President.
The President, however, is just as clearly made the Commander in Chief of all of the armed forces, in Article 2, Section 2. In this role, the President has the ability to defend the nation or to take military action without involving the Congress directly, and the President's role as "C-in-C" is often part of the reason for that.
What this has resulted in is the essential ability of the President to order forces into hostilities to repel invasion or counter an attack, without a formal declaration of war. The conduct of war is the domain of the President. This is from usconstitution.net
It is astonishing how uninformed the masses are and continue to stay that way.
It strikes me as funny that in this instance people question the authority of the president and shout the power of congress, but when it comes to take the fall for ANY problem it is always the sole fault of the president in office. Considering upon election a president can only assume they shall have 4 years to lead with maybe another 4, many of our problems may lie on the shoulders of politicians who are able to be reelected again and again and again. People who have time to bicker, point fingers, raise money for campaigns, hob-knob with corporations, and collect their paychecks while complaining about each president in turn. Those people are congress and I think the left and right are equally guilty. Time to grow up and work people, as in together.
Road tripper:
Its amazing how you conservatives brag about Mr. Regan's incursion in Tripoli in the 80's but never mention how his military brilliance ( not to mention supply side economics and tax cuts) led to 200 marines' blood on the shores of Beirut and thew Americans returned with body bags and tail between their legs.
I think that Stewart also mentioned that he was shocked and awed by the whole thing. Leave it to him and Stephen for their outrageous humor - I don't know any other comics who know so well how to make war funny. It's a great talent, because if you don't laugh uproariously, you will cry pathetically.
I think Obama Dawn would be a better name for this stupid military operation!!!
I think Hack 1-3091387 would be a better name for the author of this stupid post.
I think DOgdudu would be a better name for the author of this stupid post.
The name was indeed well chosen...since the Odyssey is all about a descent into chaos following a particularly pointless war.
Portions he Odyssey took place in Lybia.
This is the dawn of an era that government thugs can't murder their own countrymen and get paid to do it.
It is a great name.
Cobert, Stwewart, and the author are morons.
The new Yes album will be called "Fly From Here". Due this summer.
It is a good thing that French did not think the way that you do during the Revolutionary War. The Founding Fathers would have been hung and you would be paying taxes to the Queen of England.
Gadhafy was set to murder a lot of people who want to live in a Democratic country.
The delay in rescuing the rebels is inexcusable.
Apparently is is OK to invade Iraq to get rid of imaginary WMDs, but it is not OK to prevent the slaughter of people who want to live in a free country.
There is such a thing as a justifiable war. Gadhafy has to go - period.
if the americans had not gained independence with war they would have achieved it much like canada or australia or new zealand and how many more.
I guess had the UN been in place in 1860, the Union would have been bombed to clear the path for the new Confederate States of America.
Seems like Libya's big sin was not aligning itself to a strong enough power to keep it off the hit list. Yemen, Bahrain, and Iran apparently paid the right people, since we didn't bomb their government forces as they crushed the opposition.
no, neither one of them is "OK", and I have a special place in my heart for Qaddafi as he took swing at killing me and my crew , so personally, I think he should be hung for the crimes he did commit outside of his own country. In this case you don't have people that want a democracy, this is not Egypt, this is a group who stole weapons and started a civil war knowing that Qaddafi would stand his ground, thousands would get killed, NATO would be forced to act, and that there was a good chance that their tribe would come out on top.
I think some historical perspective is required here. Remember that the French didn't make it easy for us to gain their support. Benjamin Franklin actually spent most of the Revolutionary War in Paris and Versailles as a cross between a revolutionary and timeshare salesman, badgering every French minister he could find to gain support for French aid of our Revolution. Even then, the French weren't interested in helping until we could prove that we were serious about it, and that meant winning victories. Which we did eventually. The point is that we had to prove ourselves to the French before they would lift a single finger.
That's my problem here. We are very much playing the role of the French in this Revolution. However, does anyone have any idea what the Rebels want to do? What government do they want to form? Ghadaffi is most certainly a monster, but we know he is a monster. The current crop of Rebels is a mystery box. I just don't think they have proven that they are someone we want to side with. Are we going to wind up with another Iran for our troubles? We just don't know.
Great idea. Let Ghadaffi murder all of the rebels, and then figure out if they were good or bad.
You do realize one of the big reasons the French helped in the Revolution was to stick finger in the eye of the British?!
Also, the American Revolution bankrupted France and led to the French Revolution. The idea of helping wasn't so good for the government of France that agreed to help.
endrust808.."There is such a thing as a justifiable war. Gadhafy has to go - period."
Yes, Gadhafi is sitting on France's oil supply that England's BP developed and has plans for more drilling....France gets 80% of it's electricity from nuclear plants and that's looking like it's going to be a big no-no pretty soon....then they dupe Obama into a "humanitarian" mission.....No-Fly zone and all that....funny....they taking out tanks and armored vehicles and troops and artillary....I NEVER SEEN A TANK FLY.....call it what you want....but this is way more that no-fly zone.....yeah gadhafi is a bad guy....
MMC, sounds like an intelligent analysis to me, certainly one of the best I've heard
Early Americans fought for independence and gained it at an earlier date due to fighting for it rather than well over 100 years later as the Canadians did when they gained it from Britain by proving their independent value during WWI according to the History of Canada site I checked. Basically they waited until so many people settled in Canada and it eventually became too difficult for Britain to enforce their rule there. With the British empire's retreat over time and WWI how could they hope to hang onto Canada? It was a different time period and different circumstances surrounding the American revolution and Canadian independence. Also a great deal of French people settled and influenced the powers in Canada more so than in early America. The British seemed to have a stronger foot hold here.
History has demonstrated that no empire however great and vast they seem has lasted forever. All have fallen and more often through force than peace.
There are many other options for energy besides nuclear and oil people, we can't possibly keep using that as an excuse for every time someone wants to argue agains the wars. I doubt very much that this is about oil.
I suspect it is about the powder-keg brewing amongst the differing opinions of muslims in all of the Arab nations and how by aiding the fall of these governments we may be able to ensure our eventual safety against terrorists threats. Al-Qaida is no longer a great solution for people in Arab nations that want to overthrow their governments if those same governments are no longer there through other means than terrorists groups.
It's not often talked about anymore, but that was one reason we were attacked in the first place. We were allied with governments that the terrorists wanted to overthrow. So having those governments fall without the terrorists help, then they are no longer needed and can't keep drawing further support from other "on-the-fence" muslims.
Stupid names are all part of the job.
Who said they want a democratic country? We are the ones saying that they are freedom fighters looking for the democratic process. I see this all going into total chaos with us leading the way.
Completely random? Like operation "Desert Storm" and operation, "Enduring Freedom" were totally random?! Once again, our government treats us like stupid children and expects us to believe their pathetic explanations.... Right, and the crash at Roswell was just a weather balloon!
Luckily, airheads and flippant nincompoops have NO SAY with anything to do with the military! Being a General is not financially rewarding... They don't drive Bentleys, wear stupid hair-dos or flit around in Lear jets.
Generals live by a Code of Duty, Honor, Country! One of their prerogatives is naming military operations. The name itself is irrelevant. Operation Maggies drawers, Hula Hoop, Sad Sack; what's the difference?
BUZZ OFF, nit-wits! Leave our Heros do their job!
Welcome to operation Enduring Pomposity
DOgyu
The professional military personnel of many nations have joined together under The Flag of The United Nations to fight for the lives and freedom of a people in danger! Their DIRE NEED is such that habitual nitpickers and dung fly belittlers need NOT attempt to detract from OR redicule these objectives.
Maybe Yes will re-release "Roundabout" and this time use it as a refence to being stuck in a circle, going nowhere.
Or how about "Changes" after all this hope and change with which we have been hoodwinked?
Actually, I was thinking - No-Fly, Don't Bother Me.... ;-)
Libyan Pimp Slap
Nothing funny about this @!$%# cause "policy" should probably be in line with our expectations and what is acknowledged. Cause to formulate "policy" to keep up with the Newts by using covert means that don't leave a fingerprint if it fails makes everyone bleed but keeps our mean, lean, political machine popular.
But there is a bigger joke.
See, only when you are classified as a democracy, as you use any means necessary to force assumptions and conceal horrific consequence, is it possible to "ensure" what a dictatorship can not.
Because those assumptions make ensuring what an interior ministry's job used to be the people's problem as Obama formulates policy that is extra constitutional to keep up with the Newts but on the back of his citizens that are manipulated into destroying other citizens, controlling other citizens, and suppressing this magical and unknown power.
Living with a gun to keep you at bay is one bad thing but knowing reality has a way to dissipate anxiety no matter how bad it is.
But how our pervert uses a concealed claim of war time power to manipulate entire environments with individualized streams of control over no cause investigations, held together at the perimeter's edge by the pressure of the strongest-but incorrect assumptions-and you develop something that could be worse.
Basically a collective environment of individuals that tolerate what citizens in a dictatorship probably never would because it is individually inferred to each individual person (exploring some one elses innocence with a no cause pretext and vice versa) that their stream of control can act well outside statutory law while the gun and badge under the entire environment prevents any collective knowledge.
The anxiety of what is unknown and can't be conclusively proved is what hold these supper cooked micro environments together from the inside out while the strongest assumptions at its edge hold them together from the outside in and you have something worse than official marshal law whose predictability individual people can get better used to.
Basically the most perverted equilibrium and unlike the sun balancing gravity and nuclear fusion, there is nothing vital about this pile of @!$%# .But as long as it increases my safety by almost no percent to keep up with the Newts why even acknowledge the consequence.
When it comes to whether people will live or die (and how they will livethe rest of their lives) I would gladly give up all my nation(istic) pride and come up with the best solution without regard to keeping up with the Newts. Because letting this piece of @!$%# live get away to solve this won't take away from my nationalistic pride cause people cling to that as a last resort anyway and that's what causes these policy problems of keeping up with the Newts were everyone bleeds.
What an ambiguous rant.
Yawn....another worthless read.
It took Odysseus 10 years to get home. Bush/Cheny should have used this one for Iraq.
I still like the short-lived Operation Iraqi Liberation. That code name lasted about 48 hours.
I think "Odyssey Dawn" was once one of Charlie Sheen's "Goddesses"!
The last "OD" i had was not that much fun...Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, DPRK, Mexico...(did I miss anyone?) sooner or later we have to put the pipe down or we will fall. And when we do, it's gonna hurt.
Interview of MoMa G.:
Interviewer: So, MoMa, you have said that A.Q. has been lacing the coffee of your youth with drugs?
MoMa: Yes, the terrorists are drugging my youth to make them crazy in the streets.
interviewer: But, MoMa, you seem incoherent. Are you spiking your coffee?
MoMa: No, no, I love my coffee. My coffee loves me. All of my coffee loves me.
Interviewer: MoMa, where do you get your coffee from?
MoMa: My son, S.G., supplies my loving coffee to me. I love my coffee. My coffee loves me. All of my coffee loves me.
Interviewer: MoMa, is it possible that your son, S.Q, is spiking your coffee?
MoMa: No, no. My son loves me. I love my coffee. My coffee loves me. All of my coffee loves me. All of my family loves me. My people love me. All Libya loves me.
Interviewer: MoMa, do you love your people?
MoMa: "sip" I love my coffee. My coffee loves me. "sip"
Interviewer: I see.
I'll bet that the biggest controversy to come out of this adventure will be its name.
Well, all jokes aside, here is part of the naming convention that has not been mentioned. In the 1970's and 80's THE biggest operation each year was Reforger. It was an all NATO exercise that meant to mate up units with pre-positioned gear in Europe. Brimfrost was another in Alaska that played winter war every other year against the Russians. One name, not two. One name for one function, immediate or anticipated, even if that one function was World War 3. Two name operations indicate a possible second phase, an open ended change you might say. Desert Shield became Desert Storm for instance. They do that on purpose. What will happen if Odessey Dawn becomes Odeyssey Drumbeat?? And what would he new mission be? An escalation? There are more serious implications than a name for a bad Yes album for sure.
What a pathetic excuse for an article -- when there are so many lives at stakes. The media -- at least those that are not in the comedy and satire business - really need to reel this hey-day they're having generating confusion, controversy -- if not just "noise" - on this very serious issue.
How about "More of our tax dollars down the drain." ? This could go along with our daily spending of 300 million dollars in Afghanistan.