Naval officer complains over Romo's Bitch call sign

Call signs are monikers that identify a member of the service and are used in radio transmissions and printed on clothing.

In the film Top Gun, Tom Cruise's character had the call sign "Maverick" while other call signs included "Iceman," "Viper" and "Hollywood". But Ensign Steve Crowston claimed that when he was called into a room with fellow officers to be given their call signs, his name had been written on a white board with a list of suggestions that included "Gay Boy" and "Cowgirl".

He said the group eventually voted for him to be known as "Romo's Bitch" because he was a fan of Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback.

Mr Crowston, an administrative officer with Strike Fighter Squadron 136 at Naval Air Station, Oceana, Virginia, has not disclosed his sexual orientation but complained to senior officers.

The US Navy initially found his allegations of sexual harassment unsubstantiated but the investigation has since been re-opened.