Communications Etiquette

Call Signs, Definition of
A Call Sign, is a word of series of words designated to a unit, vehicle or base for easy recognition.

Any comination of characters or pronounceable words, which identifies a communication facility, a command, an authority, an activity, or a unit; used primarily for establishing and maintaining communications.

In the Military specifically, Call Signs are extremely useful to identify who is speaking and who you are speaking to when identifying someone through voice along is tough or impossible.

Through the use of short and long wave radio systems, voices are often distorted to a point where someone you may have known your whole life sounds like a complete stranger and is therefore unidentifiable.

Call Signs are by far the most widely used technique for quickly and accurately identifying different parties.

Call Signs, Silent Warriors
A list of commonly used Call Signs during Silent Warriors Missions.

High Commander

Call Sign: "Overlord".

Infantry

Call Signs: "Alpha", "Bravo", "Charlie" etc.

Sniper/Recon Teams

Call Sign: "Weapon Support Group #", "WSG #".

Machine Gun Group

Call Signs: "Alpha", "Bravo", "Charlie", "Weapon Support Group #", "WSG #".

Artillery

Call Sign: Undetermined.

Anti-Tank or Anti-Air Specialist Groups

Call Signs: "Alpha", "Bravo", "Charlie", "Weapon Support Group #", "WSG #".

Air Assets

Call Sign: Undetermined.

Armoured Assets

Call Sign: Undetermined.

Vehicle Assets

Call Sign: Undetermined.

Etiquette
There are many do's and don'ts when communicating, language and terms that are acceptable as well as the restriction of non-military related chatter which is detrimental to the fighting force as a whole, as misinterpreted or missed orders can mean the difference between success and failure.

Any communication should be clear and concise. What do I mean by clear and concise?

Clear

All communications should be easy to understand. You can take the following steps to ensure clear communications; Concise
 * Purchase a good quality microphone.
 * Tweak your TeamSpeak and Voice Over Network settings to reduce static and background noise.
 * Make a concsious effort to accentuate your words. Do not mumble or talk too fast.
 * Ensure there is no cross-communication or "Radio Chatter".

Concise is defined as "brief in form but comprehensive" which essentially means short communications that covers all pertinent information required.

It boils down to putting as much detail into as little words as possible. Some things to consider before you key your microphone include;
 * Think about what you need to say.
 * Say it to yourself first, unless it is an urgent transmission.
 * Ensure that your message was understood fully, elaborate if necessary.
 * Do not include details that are irrelevant.

Hailing
Hailing means an attempt to establish communications with another person or persons. It is an important process to cover, as is receiving, because people often forget that others may not be available to receive communications, either because they are already communicating with someone else, or are under fire, for example.

Hail - Response

Below is a simple example of a step-by-step process for a typical Hail & Response; Both mean the same thing, and there are other ways to convey your wish to communicate.
 * "Bravo, this is Alpha, copy?" or
 * "Bravo this is Alpha, message."

Await the persons response. It is important never to pester anyone over the radio and allow them to respond in their own time. If they're already in communication with someone else, you're only going to delay your communication or make it difficult for them to receive theirs. With practice, this can even be shortened to; This is an indication that Bravo is ready to receive Alpha's communication.
 * "Alpha, this is Bravo, send message." or
 * "Alpha, this is Bravo, receiving."
 * "Alpha, Bravo, Receiving."

Hail - No Response

Below is a simple example of a step-by-step process for a typical Hail & No Response; Upon no response, allow between 15-30 seconds before hailing again.
 * "Bravo, this is Alpha, copy?"

If there is no response withing 30 seconds, or a repeated attempt to hail, there may be an issue with communications, the RTO and/or the Squad's Leader is K.I.A. Other than these reasons, there should be no excuse for not receiving a response of some kind.

You may receive a message such as; This is a quick indication that Bravo is currently unable to speak, and you should not hail again until about 5 minutes later. It should be Bravo's duty to establish communications with you when they are ready.
 * "Alpha, wait out." or
 * "Alpha, hold comms."

Receiving
As with Hailing, you should understand some basic rules of etiquette when receiving communications to ensure all messages are passed on effectively.

Receiving - Send

See Hail - Response.

Receiving - Busy It is your duty to re-establish communications when it is possible, after denying someone's request for communications.
 * "Alpha, this is Bravo, hold."
 * "Alpha, this is Bravo, wait out."

Phonetics, Definition of
"The study of speech, sounds, their production and combination, and their representation by written symbols."

Phonetics, when referring to the Military, are the use of words beginning with a letter of the alphabet or a number, said in a manner that cannot be mistaken for another.

For example; "M" and "N" sound very much alike. By using Phonetics, one can say "Mike" for "M" or "November" for "N" to instantly distinguish between the two. Likewise, "Zero" for "0" and "Oscar" for "O", where necessary.

Phonetics are also used in a wide variety of ways. They can be used to quickly define objectives, identify friend from foe or as mentioned previously, to differentiate between similiar sounding letters.

Below are three examples of how to use Phonetics;

Objectives:

Objectives designated Phonetics can make communication streamlined, and easier to understand. It is also a great measure of Security in the event of someone eavesdropping on your communications.

"Objective Alpha", for example, could be used to describe the first phase, or small objective to a larger operation. Any Friendlies privvy to your tasks will instantly know what you are referring to, whilst enemies on the other hand will be none the wiser.

Grid References:

Grid References, most of the time, consist only of numbers but can occasionally use letters, or a combination of the two. Where letters are concerned, it is advised to use Phonetics.

Target Phonetics:

From World War Two, until modern day, Law Enforcement and Militaries around the world have given Phonetics to the Enemy. In World War Two, Germans were often referred to as "Gerries" or "Krauts", the British were called "Tommies" and the Americans were called "Yanks" to name just a few.

In Vietnam, the Vietcong were known as "Charlie" and modern Armed Law Enforcement Agencies such as SWAT refer to armed contacts as "Tango".

Terms & Terminology
There are many terms that can be used over a Radio System, to portray your understanding of orders to your peers as well as your own take on teh situation at hand.

Below, I will list as many Terms as come to mind, in Alphabetical order as well as a short description.

-Nemor (talk) 19:19, June 18, 2013 (UTC)