Coming up with a Squad Name

Hi, guys!

As I've been doing some more work on my webcomic, I've realized that I need help coming up with a plausible US Army squad name to match the nickname (The Butchers). In story, these guys were known as one of the most efficient and effective units in the military. They were deployed to multiple major cities and played large roles in recapturing them from other warring factions. Problem is, due to the fact that the guy in charge is a Complete Monster Knife Nut Torture Technician who Would Hurt a Child and thinks Despotism Justifies the Means, and the rest of the squad is comprised of Sociopathic Soldiers with a few exceptions. So, I need help coming up with something that sounds like it could be a special forces squad, but isn't.

Ideas:

• 17th ________

I have a bunch of names for platoons that follow a similar format i.e. 12th Wolf's Dragoons etc. but the problem is all of them are geared towards a fantasy setting, with the military groups they describe being chapters of knights.I'll give it a shot anyway.

17th...

Shadow Sword?

Warwolves?

[Commander's last name]'s [alliterating tough-sounding noun]? (For example, Roland's Rippers.)

13 or 4 work for numbers (probably symbolically better than much else, I'd say), and keep in mind that there aren't simple "divisions" like "Army", "Navy", "Air Force"; you might have a "13th Tactical Reconnaissance and Disposal Unit" or something. It's best to just make up something like that, I guess.

Or, if all else fails, just go with "Infantry". The "4th Infantry Squad, 13th Division", something to that effect.

For some reason, I misread this as "Coming up with a Squid Name".

I like the suggestion immediately above the best, although I would actually argue against using 4 or 13. It would be a little contrived and vaguely narmy.

That raises a good point. If you want to be accurate, the US military uses a callsign system where if I remember correctly a Company sized force is given a callsign which is then further divided into Platoon and Squad by number. I'll give you an example.

Say there's this infantry company with the callsign "Raider". To refer to the first squad of the first platoon in that company would look something like this: Raider 1-1. Company callsign, first platoon, first squad. That squad's leader would then be Raider 1-1 Actual.

I like things with Greek names. Alpha, Gamma, Delta, etc. Although I think Delta's associated with something else, you probably don't want that.

Don't even go for obvious symbolism. It can be effective, but simple is best in my opinion. Just call them the 17th. Hype them out, make them out to be the ultimate badasses, shrouded in mystery with only rumor and legend as a testament to their deeds.

I should probably point out that their Squad Nickname is "The Butchers", and they've done everything possible to earn it. I think I'll go with 17th Tactical Disposal Squad, 26th Platoon. Callsign will be Reaper 26-17. Anyone know if that notation is even remotely accurate, by the way? If no, how do I do it right?

These guys don't really exist in the present of the story, but the story is set after a second American civil war. These guys were a stealth/infiltration/assassination unit whose members went on to other things after the war. The squad leader (incidentally, what's the highest rank he'd be likely to hold?) went into a hugely strengthened CIA, one of them is an Information Broker, and his second in command (again, need help picking a rank) deserted after a conflict of opinion beteween himself and the leader resulted in him being left to die in an explosion.

edited 18th May '11 4:55:37 PM by KyleJacobs

Five X, "Disposal Unit" seems quite a nice euphemism for, you know, genocide.

Or in this case, political assassination.

Personally, I think "White Out" (or, alternatively, "Black Out" sounds pretty cool; on the other hand, I think KSPAM brings up a good point. Simpler is better — and given that, I'm all for just naming them the "17th."