List of U.S. Department of Defense and partner code names
This is an incomplete list of U.S. Department of Defense code names primarily the two-word series variety.
Officially, Arkin (2005) says that there are three types of code name: In 1975, the Joint Chiefs of Staff introduced the Code Word, Nickname, and Exercise Term System (NICKA) which automated the assignment of names.
NICKA gives each DOD organization a series of two-letter alphabetic sequences, requiring each 'first word' or a nickname to begin with a letter pair.
For example, AG through AL was assigned to United States Joint Forces Command.
[1] The general system described above is now in use by NATO, the United Kingdom, Canada (Atlantic Guard, Atlantic Spear, Atlantic Shield) Australia and New Zealand, and allies/partners including countries like Sweden.
Somalia National Army troops passing in review during an Exercise Eastern Wind '83 ceremony
Wreck of abandoned ex-Iranian F-4E at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, 1991, investigated during Operation Night Harvest
The tank landing ship ex-USS
Schenectady
lists after being struck by seven 2,000lb Joint Direct Attack Munitions during exercise Resultant Fury at the Pacific Missile Range Facility off the Island of Kauai, Hawaii, on Nov. 23, 2004.
