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ARLX004 Annual Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Exercise Set for May 14

ZCZC AX04
QST de W1AW  
Special Bulletin 4  ARLX004
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  May 12, 2022
To all radio amateurs 

SB SPCL ARL ARLX004
ARLX004 Annual Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Exercise Set for May 14

The US Department of Defense will host this year's Armed Forces Day
(AFD) Cross-Band Test on Saturday, May 14. While Armed Forces Day is
May 21, the AFD cross-band military-amateur radio event
traditionally takes place 1 week earlier to avoid any conflict with
the Dayton Hamvention. The event is open to all radio amateurs.

The AFD Cross-Band Test is two-way communications exercise between
military and amateur radio stations, as authorized under FCC Part 97
rules (47 CFR Part 97.111), and Department of Defense Instruction
4650.02 which establishes the Military Auxiliary Radio System
(MARS). During the exercise, radio amateurs listen for stations on
military operating frequencies and transmit on frequencies in
adjacent amateur bands.

ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio has promoted the
participation of military and amateur radio stations in the AFD
event for more than 50 years. In the August 1950 issue of ARRL's
membership journal, QST, it was noted that "232 persons made perfect
copy of the 'Greeting to Amateurs' broadcast at 25 w.p.m. over 13
military frequencies and have received a Certificate of Merit signed
by the Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Louis Johnson."

There are 24 military stations registered across the United States,
including Alaska and Hawaii, that will be participating in the 2022
event. Several of those stations will be using the 60-meter
interoperative channels during this exercise. All operations will be
on a not-to-interfere basis, in case there are real-world missions
being supported during the event timeframe.

An AFD Secretary of Defense message will also be sent in CW and
RTTY, and an AFD message will also be transmitted utilizing the
Military Standard (MIL-STD) serial PSK waveform (M110), followed by
MIL-STD Wide Shift FSK (850 Hz RTTY), as described in MIL-STD
188-110A/B.

A detailed list of modes and frequencies for military/government
stations taking part in the Armed Forces Day Cross-Band Test and
information on the AFD message is available at,
https://www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/armed-forces-day
. In the upper right corner is a dropdown with all the information.

Complete the request form to obtain a QSL card at,
https://www.usarmymars.org/armed-forces-day-qsl-card-request .
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