Armed Forces Day Crossband Test 13 May 2023
https://www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/armed-forces-day
ANNUAL ARMED FORCES DAY CROSSBAND TEST (13 May 2023)
The Department of Defense will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test, scheduled for May 13, 2023. This annual event is open to all licensed amateur radio operators and will not impact any public or private communications. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this event, which is an interoperability exercise between hobbyist and government radio stations.
The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly controlled exercise scenario that does not impact any public or private communications.
Military stations will transmit on selected military frequencies and will announce the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All times are ZULU (Z), and all frequencies are Upper Side Band (USB) unless otherwise noted. The frequencies used for the test will not impact any public or private communications and will not stray outside the confines of the exercise.
The following stations will be making two-way radiotelephone contacts with stations in the ARS between the time periods listed on the frequencies listed in Kilohertz below.
AAZ / FT HUACHUCA, AZ
1500Z – 2359Z 14,579.0 kHz USB 18,211.0 kHz USB
AAC / BARROW ARMY RESERVE CENTER, KY (USB + RTTY)
1100Z – 2259Z 4011.0 kHz USB 5,346.5 kHz USB 13,963.5 kHz USB 18,254.0 kHz USB
AAN / U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND, CO
1400Z – 2000Z 6,970.5 kHz USB 14,550.5 kHz USB
ADB / CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA
1500Z – 23590Z 14,487.0 kHz USB 20,994.0 kHz USB
AGA4RO / ROBINS AFB, WARNER ROBINS, GA
1400Z – 2000Z 5,346.5 kHz USB 6,897.5 kHz USB
6,968.5 kHz USB
13,538.5 kHz USB
AFM4NPD / NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY MID-SOUTH, MILLINGTON, TN 1200Z – 2200Z 4,575.0 kHz USB 7,540.0 kHz USB 15,807.0 kHz USB
AAM3D / DISA CYBERSPACE OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE, FT MEADE, MD 1300Z – 2000Z 5,403.5 kHz USB 7,421.0 kHz USB 13,509.5 kHz USB 18,272.5 kHz USB 20,920 kHz USB
WAR / PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC (USB + CW + RTTY)
1200Z – 2400Z 4018.0 kHz USB 5,357.0 kHz USB 7,357.0 kHz USB 14,383.5 kHz USB 20,997.0 kHz USB
AGA2SY / HANCOCK FIELD, NY
1200Z – 2359Z 4,540.0 kHz USB 7,473.5.0 kHz USB 15,807.0 kHz USB 20,740.0 kHz USB 27,736.0 kHz USB
AGA5SC / SCOTT AFB, IL
1600Z – 2300Z 5,186.0 kHz USB 7,938.0 kHz USB 14,832.0 kHz USB 27,736.0 kHz USB
AGA9TR / TRAVIS AFB, CA
1600Z – 2359Z 7,329.0 kHz USB 14,411.0 kHz USB 20,740.0 kHz USB
NWKJ / USS YORKTOWN PATRIOTS POINT, SC
1300Z – 2200Z 4,027.0 kHz USB 7,360.0 kHz USB 14,438.5 kHz USB
NEPM / USS IOWA BB 61 LOS ANGELES, CA (USB + RTTY)
1400Z – 2359Z 7,360.0 kHz USB 13,506.5 kHz USB 20,518.5 kHz USB
NIIW / USS MIDWAY CV-41 SAN DIEGO, CA (USB + CW + RTTY)
0000Z – 0600Z & 1401Z -2359Z 4,040.0 kHz USB 5,403.5 kHz USB 7,335.0 kHz USB 14,476.0 kHz USB 18,173.0 kHz USB
NWVC / LST-325 EVANSVILLE, IN (USB + CW)
1200Z – 0300Z 3,325.0 kHz USB 6,913.0 kHz USB 9,988.5 kHz USB 13,974.0 kHz USB
NSS / US NAVAL ACADEMY ANNAPOLIS, MD (USB + CW)
1300Z – 0200Z 4,038.5 kHz USB 5,330.5 kHz USB 7,533.5 kHz USB 9,947.0 kHz USB 14,487.0 kHz USB
NAF / NEWPORT NAVAL RADIO STATION MUSEUM NEWPORT, RI (USB + CW) 1400Z – 2300Z 5,330.5 kHz USB 7,498.5 kHz USB 14,463.5 kHz USB
NMC1/ US COAST GUARD BASE ALAMEDA, CA (USB + RTTY) 1700Z – 2359Z 7,351.5 kHz USB 14,459.5 kHz USB
SCHOOLHOUSE/ SAVANNAH CYBER TRAINING CENTER SAVANNAH, GA 1000Z – 2200Z 4,013.5 kHz USB 7,431.5 kHz USB 13,528.5 kHz USB 18,254.0 kHz USB 20,973.5 kHz USB
AGA0WJ/ NAS WHIDBEY ISLAND OAK HARBOR, WA
1600Z – 2300Z 4,000.0 kHz UBS 7,431.5 kHz USB 13,528.5 kHz USB
An AFD message will 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. Technical information regarding these waveforms is provided at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pYDj7kQbm-QAyY4RPtx0dOXKohjaEjq9?usp=sharing
The AFD Defense Message will also be sent at 1400Z and 2000Z on the frequency designated below.
AAZ: MILSTD110
AAC: MILSTD110/RTTY AAN: MILSTD110
ADB: MILSTD110
WAR: MILSTD110/RTTY/CW AAM3D: MILSTD110
NEPM: RTTY
NWVC: CW
NIIW: MILSTD110/RTTY/CW AGA0WJ MILSTD110/RTTY SCHOOLHOUSE MILSTD110
14,579.0 kHz USB 13,963.5 kHz USB 14,550.5 kHz USB 20,994.0 kHz USB 14,383.5 kHz USB 13,509.5 kHz USB 13,506.5 kHz USB 13,974.0 kHz USB 14,476.0 kHz USB 13,528.5 kHz USB 18,254.0 kHz USB
For those who wish to document their contacts with a QSL card, go to https://www.usarmymars.org/events and complete the request form.