Radio Call Signs
For communications purposes both aircraft and ground stations had specific call signs that identified them. Fixed call signs for the United States Air Force (USAF) aircraft use identifiers consisting of a name followed by a two or three digit number. The name is assigned to a unit on a semi-permanent basis and only changes when the U.S. Department of Defense goes to DEFCON 3. For example, JAMBO 51 would be assigned to a particular B-52 aircrew of the 5th Bomb Wing. B-52’s of the 92nd Bomb Wing, flying out of the Fairfield AFB, WA used the call signs COUNT ##, CZAR ##, LEPER ##, and TITAN ##. One of the coolest B-52 call signs is DOOM ##, used by the 2nd Bomb Wing located at the Barksdale AFB, LA. Other neat B-52 call signs are GHOST RIDER ##, PANTHER ##, BOGEY ##, WEASEL ##, SCALP ##, etc.
Ground stations also had tactical call signs that are used for voice communications in place of the station’s geographic location name for security purposes. Each of the DEWLine stations had a regular radio call sign, the geographical location of the station, for use with commercial air traffic, and a tactical call sign for use when communicating with military aircraft, usually B-52’s.
I recently received a treasure trove of information from Fred Teeter who was a Console Operator in the mid to late 70’s. Among the Streator training treasures was a list of the tactical call signs for each of the DEWLine stations. So here, courtesy of Fred Teeter, who never threw out a piece of paper in his life, is a list of DEWLine station regular and tactical radio call signs.
List of DEWLine Station Tactical Call Signs
| Station Geographical Location & Radio Call Sign | Station Identifier | Station Tactical Call Sign |
|---|---|---|
| Point Lay | LIZ-2 | Jerome's Award |
| Wainwright | LIZ-3 | Park Lane |
| Point Barrow | POW Main | Snooty Sally |
| Lonley | POW-1 | Broadway |
| Oliktok | POW-2 | Alcott |
| Flaxman Island | POW-3 | Cheese Cut |
| Barter Island | BAR Main | Speedometer |
| Komakuk Beach | BAR-1 | Unholy |
| Shingle Point | BAR-2 | Fast Hold |
| Tuktoyaktuk | BAR-3 | Red Flush |
| Nicholson Peninsula | BAR-4 | Pickerel |
| Cape Parry | PIN Main | Spreader |
| Clinton Point | PIN-1 | Bank Fog |
| Cape Young | PIN-2 | Doughnut |
| Lady Franklin Point | PIN-3 | Sinister |
| Byron Bay | PIN-4 | Favorable |
| Cambridge Bay | CAM Main | Primer |
| Jenny Lind Island | CAM-1 | Conduit |
| Gladman Point | CAM-2 | Jigsaw |
| Shepherd Bay | CAM-3 | Greenbrier |
| Pelly Bay | CAM-4 | Air Raid |
| Mackar Inlet | CAM-5 | Notation |
| Hall Beach | FOX Main | Staghound |
| Rowley Island | FOX-1 | Grassfox |
| Longstaff Bluff | FOX-2 | Prune Face |
| Dewar Lakes | FOX-3 | Inkwell |
| Cape Hooper | FOX-4 | Bridal |
| Broughton Island | FOX-5 | Portage |
| Cape Dyer | DYE Main | Lady Luck |
| Qaqqatoqaq, Greenland | DYE-1 | Red River |
| ICE CAP-1, Greenland | DYE-2 | Sea Bass |
| ICE CAP-2, Greenland | DYE-3 | Sob Story |
| Kulusuk, Greenland | DYE-4 | Big Gun |
| Rockville Island, Iceland | DYE-5 | Ink Spot |