Is this an actual military construct or is it something thought up by science fiction writers?
AJ
In the UK (Army), it tends to be variations of.
"On my mark, go!" "Stand by, go!" "Treeline you miserable little shit, go!"
There are variations of the vernacular even within the services. Not sure about foreign forces.
As usual, I think it comes from writers who wish to appear knowledgeable about certain things, but because they lack actual knowledge, they ultimately make a mess of it. A perfect example of this is "Over and out" which, if used in a military situation or with military personnel, will get you punched. Hard. In the face.
I have an elder family member who is a pilot. They expressed a wish that Roger Wilco hadn't gone out of fashion. Apparently it's easy to understand under less than perfect radio conditions. Also, Wilco means "will comply," so when the tower tells you to circle until the plane on the runway has taken off, Roger Wilco is "I heard you and will comply." Times and procedures change, but like a lot of things that seem silly on the surface, there was once a good reason for why they came about.
'Wilco', while listed in ICAO terminology, is seldom used for good reason - it does not indicate that you correctly recieved the controller's instructions.
For example, 'wilco' is never used to acknowledge an IFR clearance as it requires a complete readback. Another example where 'wilco' is disallowed is a ground clearance through a complex airport.
I frequently use 'have numbers', 'affirm', and 'roger'. Only occasionaly do I use 'wilco'- typically where the controller's instructions were simple and singular, and not complex, and freq congestion requires terseness. I should add that 'have numbers' is an allowed response only for an altimeter setting or wind information.
Is this used in the navy? I can see the Admiral using this phrase to have someone mark a certain speed or location at a precise time. Just guessing as I was never in the military… but I did stay at the Holiday Inn Express.
Agree. Have been reading "American Practical Navigator" (better known as Bowditch). The mark is to time and reading.
20 years US Navy. Another 20 years working in various technical fields. That, or something similar, is VERY common when two different people must perform actions starting at the same time. Beginning a race, starting an equiment test procedure, dropping the anchor, etc, etc, etc. Someone must do the work, but can't tell when to do it. Someone else is watching the clock, or the ship's position, or the geartrain's alignment, and tells them when to do whatever.
Edit: I originally had that last word in angle-brackets, but apparently here in the forum angle-brackets are a special code for 'don't show that word here'.
Edit: I originally had that last word in angle-brackets, but apparently here in the forum angle-brackets are a special code for 'don't show that word here'.
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