When I saw reference to Hammer 22, a recent American wargame in Finland, and put it in my 31,000 item database of codenames, it made me think about favorite words used by the military and popular with the codenamers. Words like shield, storm, strike, etc. Hammer was an Air Force communications-related first word for decades (the first name is a series where every “family” of codenames starts with the same word, that is, Hammer Ace, Hammer Strike, Hammer Wheel.) It is also popular for its, umm, subtlety…
By the way readers: I’m not working on a new Code Names book and always looking for input.
CLAW HAMMER: Secret Service codename for Alexander Haig.
Combat Hammer: Biennial Air Force air-to-ground weapon system evalation program.
Compass Hammer: Air Force electro-optical countermeasures pod.
Constitution Hammer: Operation Iraqi Freedom operation in Fallujah.
Coronet Hammer: Air Force deployment of F-111 fighters to the U.K.
Desert Hammer: Advanced Warfighter Exercise (AWE).
Distant Hammer: Reagan administration exercise.
Dragon Hammer: NATO exercise series in Southern Europe.
Dragon Hammer: Operation Iraqi Freedom operation in Baghdad.
Greywolf Hammer II: Counterinsurgency operation.
Hammer: Joint Interagency Task Force South counter-illicit trafficking exercise (also called Operation Martillo).
Hammer: Former Air Force Communications Service first word, including Hammer Antran, Hammer Boss, Hammer Cable, Hammer Combat, Hammer Control, Hammer Draw, Hammer Echo, Hammer Hanger, Hammer Head, Hanger Plug, Hammer Rally, Hammer Rick, Hammer Strike, Hammer Team, Hammer Test, Hammer Traffic, Hammer Wheel.
Hammer: NSA codename associated with the Kunia facility in Hawaii.
Hammer: Operation Enduring Freedom operation in Helmand, Afghanistan.
Hammer 22: U.S.-Finland exercise, November 2022.
Hammer Ace: Air Force comunications rapid response team.
Hammer Focus: Army deployment readiness exercise.
Hammer Handle: Army deployment to Kuwait, 1995-1996.
HAMMERCHANT: NSA implant.
HAMMERDRILL: CIA program to compromise Windows operating system.
HammerDuke: Russian malicious cyber activity.
Hammerhead: Federal government interagency mass casualty WMD drill.
Hammerhead Encapsulated Effector Program: Huh? Defense Department R&D.
Hammerlock 91: U.S.-Greek exercise.
HAMMERMILL: NSA Hammermill Insertion Tool (HIT).
HAMMERSTEIN: NSA implant.
Hammertoss: Russian malicious cyber activity.
Ibis Hammer: Foreign materiel exploitation.
Iron Hammer: Operation Iraqi Freedom operation.
JACKHAMMER: NSA SIGINT system in New Zealand.
Just Hammer: Africa Command exercise.
Lightning Hammer: Operation Iraqi Freedom operation to find and defeat al Qaeda.
Night Hammer: National Guard WMD exercise, May 2022.
PATENTHAMMER: NSA/Army SIGINT system.
PILEHAMMER: NSA.
Prominent Hammer: JCS war game practicing invasion of Iraq, 2003.
Prophet Hammer: Army SIGINT system.
Quantum Hammer: Counterintelligence working group on Hort of Africa.
Radiant Hammer: PACOM special access program.
Rivet Hammer: Air Force cluster bomb development.
Rock Hammer: Operation Iraqi Freedom operation.
Salty Hammer: Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) exercise.
Scope Hammer: Pacific Air Forces communications system.
Silent Hammer: Navy project to incorporate cruise missile launchers onto submarines.
Sledgehammer: Operation Iraqi Freedom operation.
Task Force Hammer: An endless number of Army and Marine Corps task forces.
Thor’s Hammer: Defense Department intelligence sharing experiment.
Tiger Hammer: Operation Iraqi Freedom operation.
Vigilant Hammer: European Command operation.