Ever wonder how the Libya mission got its name “Operation Odyssey Dawn?” Apparently the name has nothing to do with anything. The Washington Post reports:
Significant military operations in Libya are expected to wind down in the coming days, marking the end of “Operation Odyssey Dawn.”
The name assigned to the U.S.-led airstrikes might sound like the title of a rock album, video game or — as some have suggested — the name of a pornographic movie star. But the monicker has no specific meaning and has nothing to do with Libya, Libyans or the country’s leader, Moammar Gaddafi, according to Eric Elliott, a spokesman for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
“You have operational names like Desert Storm or Iraqi Freedom that convey a message” and are chosen by the White House or senior Pentagon officials, Elliott said in an interview. “Others, like Operation African Lion, are symbolic of the location. Odyssey Dawn is neither of those.”
Like the mission itself, the name seems to have no clear meaning behind it.