You’ve likely heard it used in tv shows and movies, and quite possibly incorrectly. Whenever military personnel use code words like “Bravo, Zulu” or “Whiskey, Hotel”, they’re making use of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. Technically the NATO Phonetic Alphabet is less phonetic and more of a radiotelephone spelling alphabet. Also known as the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Phonetic Alphabet or just the IRSA (International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet), it was created by the ICAO and finalized in 1956, and was then adopted by NATO rather quickly. The ICAO spent several years doing heavy research while creating the alphabet, and there were multiple rounds of changes before reaching the version we know today. The goal was to have each letter represented by a word that could be delivered clearly and quickly over radio and telephone, with each word being distinct from one another. Additionally, words needed to be easily pronounced by other nation members of NATO such as France and Spain, which is why some words like “Alfa” and “Juliett” seem misspelled to us. Accompanying materials to this post include a one-sheet you can print for yourself or for your team if you’re leading a Future Sailors course, as well as a smaller scale cheat sheet you can use as your phone wallpaper. Setting the cheat sheet as your phone’s lock screen is a great way to start memorizing the NATO Phonetic Alphabet without much effort. To really make the alphabet second nature, memorize your own name’s spelling until you can say it out loud quickly and clearly. After that, keep practicing whenever you have a moment to yourself, by spelling out the name of the artist whose song is playing or spelling out the road signs as you drive. But most importantly, practice OUT LOUD.
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Just Call Me Kilo
Although I'm a navy brat from a military family, I'm quite anxious and reserved. Therefore I'm not one to show my face and be overly social, but I like to help where I can! Ask me a question nicely if there's a topic you need help learning about and I'll see if I can address it. Archives
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