War against ISIS finally gets a name

After weeks of air attacks by U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, the high profile fight against Islamic State militants finally has a name: Operation Inherent Resolve. A spokesman for Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced the name Wednesday at the Pentagon.

Interestingly, that name was originally rejected by the Pentagon weeks ago, according to a Wall Street Journal report. It apparently was a placeholder name but was never seriously considered at the time.

“It is just kind of bleh,” said one military officer quoted by the Journal.

In an official statement, U.S. Central Command, which is executing the campaign and proposed the name, attempted to explain the selection.

“Inherent Resolve is intended to reflect the unwavering resolve and deep commitment of the United States and partner nations in the region and around the globe to eliminate the terrorist group ISIL and the threat they pose to Iraq, the region, and the wider international community,” it said, using a common acronym for the Islamic State group.

Naming military operations has a long history, beginning with the Germans in WWI who used secret code names for military campaigns. America started using classified operational code names in WWII, but many believe the first use of a military campaign name to influence public opinion was Operation Just Cause, the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989. Originally named Operation Blue Spoon, the Pentagon renamed it Just Cause. In his 1995 memoir, General Colin Powell said he liked the name because “even our severest critics would have to utter ‘Just Cause’ while denouncing us.”

There also are important administrative reasons the U.S. military gives names to its campaigns. Congressional appropriations for military operations are tied to specific operations by name. Until now, the current operations in Iraq and Syria have been funded by reallocating existing appropriations. Another reason is the awarding of medals.

“The military likes to create unique medals for different operations to highlight breadth of service,” Julian Barnes wrote in The Wall Street Journal. “As a result, top generals overseeing the personnel system want a new ribbon, which means they need a new name.”

The long delay in naming the operations against ISIS was seen by some as a reflection of the Obama administration’s reluctance to embrace a war it didn’t want. But the president’s own military commanders are indicating Operation Inherent Resolve, unwanted as it may be, will be a long war.

“The campaign to destroy ISIL will take time, and there will be occasional setbacks along the way, particularly in these early stages of the campaign as we coach and mentor a force [in Iraq] that is actively working to regenerate capability after years of neglect and poor leadership,” Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, commanding general of the U.S. Central Command, said during a Pentagon news conference Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.