Operation Hey That's My Humvee

America’s newest war won’t be called Operation Inherent Resolve.

Two months since war planes first started striking Islamic State targets, operations in Iraq and Syria don’t have a fancy name. One of the generic placeholders found on classified Pentagon PowerPoint slides reads: “Operations in Iraq and Syria.”

  WSJ

How boring is that?

The modern tradition of operational code names began with the Germans in World War I. The U.S. started in earnest during World War II and took inspiration from Winston Churchill’s guidance to avoid boastful sentiments or anything that could disparage a mission.

Oh, you mean like Operation Iron Bullet (Baghad July 2003), or Operation All American Tiger (Iraq November 2003) or Operation Ivy Cyclone (Tikrit November 2003) or Operation Iron Hammer (Baghdad Novmeber 2003) or Operation Iron Justice (Baghdad December 2003) or Operation Choke Hold (Baghdad December 2003) or Operation Eagle Fury (Afghanistan 2003)?

Operation Enduring Freedom, the name for the Afghanistan war, has unintentionally lived up to its name now that that war is the longest in American history. That name is to be retired in December and replaced with Operation Resolute Support.

An Operation so long it has to get a name change.

In the absence of an official name, alternatives are bouncing around the halls of the Pentagon. One top suggestion takes note of how U.S. bombing raids are targeting U.S.-made equipment nabbed by Islamic State fighters. The suggestion: Operation Hey That’s My Humvee.

Good one.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.