Any Ideas for flight names and chants/mottos and encampment?

Started by aceofspades, May 20, 2013, 04:15:13 PM

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aceofspades

I am hoping to be selected as a flight sergeant at this years NYW Encampment this year, and was wondering if I could have some help with names and motto's. I was an inflight last year, in the Foxtrot Firebirds, and our motto was 'FLY, FIGHT, FOXTROT!!'. I liked it because we could yell our motto and it sounded awesome. I need ideas for:

Alpha Flight (No avengers)
Bravo Flight (No bullets)
Echo Flight
Hotel Flight (No hawks)

Thanks everyone for your help. I'll let everyone know if I'm selected! (Wish me luck)

A.O.S.
A.O.S.

FLY, FIGHT, FOXTROT!

Never call a Chief sir. Ever!

UH60guy

Now I haven't been to an encampment, but I've been in groups or teams in the military trying to come up with names.

The best advice I can give is don't think about it at all- wait until you are there. Something funny or memorable will happen, and you can riff on that for your name and/or motto. It's unpredictable, but it'll mean that much more to you since there's a meaning or an in-joke behind it.

For example, at flight school for some reason our group was called "hammer flight" before we arrived. At some point, someone or other shouted "stop!" The "It's hammer time!" followed shortly thereafter from someone else through a spur of the moment joke. Now an MC Hammer reference may be a little before your time, but the point stands- after a funny moment or outburst, the motto stuck, and I'm looking up fondly right now at a patch velcroed over my desk proudly emblazoned with "It's hammer time!"
Maj Ken Ward
VAWG Internal AEO

PA Guy

The best flight names, chants and mottos come from the in flight cadets. Let it go you have more important things to spend your time on. How are you on D&C, leadership techniques, barracks procedures, etc?  Flight names and such should be at the bottom of your list.

aceofspades

For my encampment the flight staff has to pick names before the actual encampment, so I unfortunately won't be able to come up with anything like that. I have been selected for alpha flight sergeant, so that narrows down the possibilities.
A.O.S.

FLY, FIGHT, FOXTROT!

Never call a Chief sir. Ever!

aceofspades

I am working on leadership skills and techniques at my squadron level, so I figured I would put the less important things up on captalk. So I don't have to think about them.
A.O.S.

FLY, FIGHT, FOXTROT!

Never call a Chief sir. Ever!

UH60guy

I would be remiss if I didn't plug the Army Aviation Branch's motto, bonus is that it starts with A- "Above the Best"

Here's a thought- If you absolutely have to pick something ahead of time, try starting with the desired "effect" and working your way backwards to a motto or callsign. What do you want your flight to achieve? Any desired qualities you wish to instill in the participants?

Academic excellence, integrity, teamwork, knowledge of how to change a tire on a B-1 Bomber? Pick a goal, and start listing qualities or synonyms, you may find something that starts with an "A." This way you could have a hidden meaning behind it that they learn or experience over time.

Of course, if you're the Flight Sergeant, you'll want to coordinate the name with the Flight Commander, as it's his/her flight as well. You two need to be one team.

Here are random examples with absolutely no thought put into it whatsoever, but take a look and see if you like the process for coming up with something:

Example 1: Wish to focus on the fact that we are physically tough. Think of tough words. Tough -> Strong -> Unbeatable -> Armored -> Shield ->  Thick skin. What are A words that have those qualities? Alpha Armadillos.

Example 2: Wish to convey that we are dedicated to everything flight related. Flight -> airplanes -> jets -> fighter planes -> speed -> Alpha Afterburners.

Maj Ken Ward
VAWG Internal AEO

UH60guy

I thought on it some more and I really should reiterate that despite me giving suggestions, I would highly advise against spending any time thinking about this ahead of time. Aside from all the other (better) things you could focus on like your regs, leadership, drill, etc, there are some other issues with coming up with nicknames and a motto ahead of time.

Basically, you end up setting yourself up for disappointment. Through trying to force a motto- something that should come about naturally amongst the members of the flight- you could end up creating something that doesn't "fit" the group dynamic.

Not to mention, you also end up looking like you're trying to relive your old encampment. As someone who did something similar (long story) between my first and second year of college, that's bad on two fronts. First, you end up tying your motto to your last experience in CAP encampment. Then you spend the week trying to relive the event instead of experiencing it for what it is and forging a new memory. Second, think how that makes you look to the cadets entrusted to your care in the flight. They're there for their first- and in many cases only- encampment, and the last thing they want to hear is a bunch of someone else's "when I was at camp" stories or to be forced to recreate old events. Let them experience it for themselves. You will be surprised how similar and different two events can be at the same time, and you will form new memories. And yes, you will get new "when I was at camp" stories to tell back at the home Squadron. But let it come naturally- don't try to fit a square peg in a round hole.
Maj Ken Ward
VAWG Internal AEO

That Anonymous Guy

Quote from: UH60guy on May 28, 2013, 09:42:53 PM
I thought on it some more and I really should reiterate that despite me giving suggestions, I would highly advise against spending any time thinking about this ahead of time. Aside from all the other (better) things you could focus on like your regs, leadership, drill, etc, there are some other issues with coming up with nicknames and a motto ahead of time.

Basically, you end up setting yourself up for disappointment. Through trying to force a motto- something that should come about naturally amongst the members of the flight- you could end up creating something that doesn't "fit" the group dynamic.

Not to mention, you also end up looking like you're trying to relive your old encampment. As someone who did something similar (long story) between my first and second year of college, that's bad on two fronts. First, you end up tying your motto to your last experience in CAP encampment. Then you spend the week trying to relive the event instead of experiencing it for what it is and forging a new memory. Second, think how that makes you look to the cadets entrusted to your care in the flight. They're there for their first- and in many cases only- encampment, and the last thing they want to hear is a bunch of someone else's "when I was at camp" stories or to be forced to recreate old events. Let them experience it for themselves. You will be surprised how similar and different two events can be at the same time, and you will form new memories. And yes, you will get new "when I was at camp" stories to tell back at the home Squadron. But let it come naturally- don't try to fit a square peg in a round hole.
Sir some encampments require Flight names and mottos ahead of time. Mine's due this week.

UH60guy

I know, I understand- if it's required, it's required. I'm just living in my own world of memories, but that's my problem :) I apologize if I came off as harsh, but like I said that's my problem and it was a different situation.

One final thought if you have to some up with something- are you required to use an "A" name? Like "Alpha A..." "Bravo B..." etc?

I'm not sure if it's required in your encampment or not, or if it's recommended by local tradition, but in some units I've been in we didn't use letter matching. It could give you a little more leeway to pick something you like if you're not tied to an A. I ask because the only official designation is usually A Flt, B Flt, and the nicknames are secondary.

Examples from the last unit I was in: Alpha Redhawks, Bravo Cavemen, Charlie Vipers, Delta Dogpound, Echo Lancers, Foxtrot Pathfinders, HQ/Staff Checkmate.

I've also seen units do a variation on a theme. Like sister units being named "Red Falcons," "White Falcons," and yes "Blue Falcons," or "Lone Wolf," "Timber Wolf," and "Gray Wolf."
Maj Ken Ward
VAWG Internal AEO

Cliff_Chambliss

Something personal to the commander maybe?  In years gone by

leader name   Hudachek  unit called "Hud's Hitters"
leader name   Martin  "Martin's Maulers"
Leader  Bryan  called "Bryan's Babies" (by everyone else)
lots of possibilities limited only be imagination and political correctness.
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
2d Armored Cavalry Regiment
3d Infantry Division
504th BattleField Surveillance Brigade

ARMY:  Because even the Marines need heros.    
CAVALRY:  If it were easy it would be called infantry.

aceofspades

I have been in contact with my flight commander, and we have been throwing ideas back and forth. I do like 'Above the Best'. That's pretty good. We both like the name Alpha Assassins, but do you think that might be shot down by the command staff?

UH60guy- The alliteration of the names is a tradition. I guess if we can't come up with anything, then we will do that, but I don't think it should be to hard.

A.O.S.
A.O.S.

FLY, FIGHT, FOXTROT!

Never call a Chief sir. Ever!

C/2d Lt

I like the assassins however that will most likely be shot down by Command Staff. I am Charlie FLight Commander, any ideas for Charlie Flight?
C/1st Lt Neuman                                                 Cadet Executive Officer    NER-NY- 135                                    
                                                                                                                
Kansas Wing Winter Encampment ES Flight-2012       *GTM3, MRO, UDF, FLM, MSA
New York Wing Encampment-
              2012- Golf Flight Inflight
              2013- Charlie Flight Commander- Honor Flight for the Encampment
              2014- Squadron 2 Commander

Black Knight

Quote from: C/ CMSgt on May 29, 2013, 05:33:24 PM
I like the assassins however that will most likely be shot down by Command Staff. I am Charlie FLight Commander, any ideas for Charlie Flight?
Hey! Iwas in Charlie last year. We were the Charlie Cheifs. How bout Crusaders?
C/CMSgt Millson
First Sergeant
Rome City School District Cadet Squadron
NER-NY-801

That Anonymous Guy

Quote from: Black Knight on May 30, 2013, 09:04:25 PM
Quote from: C/ CMSgt on May 29, 2013, 05:33:24 PM
I like the assassins however that will most likely be shot down by Command Staff. I am Charlie FLight Commander, any ideas for Charlie Flight?
Hey! Iwas in Charlie last year. We were the Charlie Cheifs. How bout Crusaders?
It could be construed as politically incorrect.

aceofspades

I think crusaders is a good name. As for that being politically incorrect, you can't go around worrying about never offending anyone, because you will find, more often that not, that anything you say offends someone. If command staff shuts it down, then you just come up with something else.

Charlie Centurians maybe?
A.O.S.

FLY, FIGHT, FOXTROT!

Never call a Chief sir. Ever!

aceofspades

By the way, my FC and I have decided on a name and motto.

Alpha Aces
ALTE VOLANT-Fly High
A.O.S.

FLY, FIGHT, FOXTROT!

Never call a Chief sir. Ever!