The Department of Defense will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD)
Cross-Band Test, scheduled for May 7-8, 2021. 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 only an exercise
scenario, designed to include hobbyist and government radio operators
alike.

The AFD Cross-Band 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
081500Z – 082359Z 5,330.5 14,438.5 18,211.0

AAC / BARROW ARMY RESERVE CENTER, KY (USB + RTTY)
081300Z – 082300Z 5,346.5 6,968.5 13,963.5

AAN / U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND, CO
081300Z – 082300Z 6,970.5 14,550.5

AAU / HQ US ARMY GARRISON FORT KNOX, KY (USB + RTTY)
081400Z – 081900Z 5,371.5 7,645.0 14,512.5 18,293.0 20,920.0

ABH / SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI
081500Z – 082359Z 5,357.0 14,438.5 18,272.0 20,997.0

ADB / CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA
081500Z – 082359Z 14,487.0 20,994

AAM3D / DISA CYBERSPACE OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE, FT MEADE, MD
071300z – 082100z 5,403.5 7,421.5 13,993.5 18,254.0

ABM4B / HSC, HHBN, 82ND ABN DIV, FORT BRAGG, NC
081100Z – 082300Z 5,371.5 7,431.5 13,910.5 18,281.5

WAR / PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC (USB + CW + RTTY)
081200Z – 082359Z 4,018 5,357.0 13,963.5 18,211.0 24,760.0

AIR / ANDREWS AFB
081200Z – 082359Z 4,517.0 7,305.0 15,807.0 20,740.0

AFM4NPD / NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY MID-SOUTH MILLINTON, TN
081200Z – 080300Z 4,802.0 7,375.5 15,712.0

AGA2SY / HANCOCK FIELD, NY
081200Z – 082359Z 4,575.0 7,540.0 13,993.0

AGA5SC / SCOTT AFB, IL
081400Z – 082100Z 4,017.0 5,186.0 7,305.0

AGA5TR / TRAVIS AFB, CA
081600Z – 080100Z 4,017.0 7,329.0 13,996.0 14,411.0

MARSRADIO /
081400Z –090100Z 4,557.0 7,460.0 (LSB) 14,606.0

MARSCOMM /
081400Z – 090100Z 4,448.5 6,994.0 (LSB) 14,877.0

NEPM / USS IOWA BB 61 LOS ANGELES, CA (USB + CW)
081450Z – 082359Z 6,903.5 14,463.5 18,293.0

NIIW / USS MIDWAY CV-41 SAN DIEGO, CA (USB)
071800Z – 082359Z 4,013.5 5,371.5 7,493.5 14,383.5 18,293.0

NWVC / LST-325 EVANSVILLE, IN (USB + CW)
081200Z – 090400Z 4,007.0 6,913.0 9988.5 13,974.0

NSS / US NAVAL ACADEMY ANNAPOLIS, MD (USB + CW)
081200Z – 090400Z 4,038.5 5,330.5 7,533.5 9,447.0 14,487.0 17,545.0

NAF/ NEWPORT NAVAL RADIO STATION MUSEUM NEWPORT, RI (USB + CW)
081200Z – 090200Z 4,013.5 7,542.0 14,383.5

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 message will also be sent in Continuous Wave (CW) mode and Radio
Teletype (RRTY) as indicated under the transmission times. The message
will be transmitted on the following frequencies in Kilohertz and at the
listed times:

CW / RTTY

1400Z 1420Z 1440Z 1500Z 1900Z 1920Z 1940Z 2000Z 2200Z 2220Z 2240Z 2330Z

5,346.50 AAC NEPM
7,540.00 AAU ABM4B AAMED AAC AAC ABM4B AAN NEPM
13,506.50 AAMED WAR AAN AAZ WAR AAU NIIW AAZ WAR
17,443.00 AAMED AAC WAR AAZ WAR ABM4B NIIW ABM4B WAR

For those who wish to document their contacts with a QSL card, go to

http://www.usarmymars.org/events

and complete the request form.

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ARRL Pacific Section
Section Manager: Joseph Speroni, AH0A
ah0a@arrl.org
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