For more info:
Allen Pitts, W1AGP
Media and Public Relations Manager
(860) 594-0328
apitts@arrl.org
Hams and Military to Jointly Test Communications May 14-15
May 3, 2005 Newington CT– The 2005 Armed Forces Military/Amateur crossband communications test will take place May 14-15. The US Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are co-sponsoring the annual event in celebration of the 55th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, which is Saturday, May 21. The test features military-to-amateur crossband communications using both voice radio and digital communications. The Secretary of Defense will also have his own message-receiving test. The Armed Forces Day radio event is scheduled a week earlier to avoid conflicts with the ham operators national “Hamvention”, May 20-22. Special cards confirming the contacts will be provided to those Amateur Radio operators making contact with the military stations and certificates will be awarded to those hams who receive and copies the digital Armed Forces Day message from the Secretary of Defense.
Amateur Radio, often called “ham” radio, has been shown to be a critical piece in modern emergency management planning. Amateur Radio operators provide volunteer communications for the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and thousands of state and local emergency management offices across the country. The hams are also an integral part of the new DHS Citizen Corps home defense programs. In the recent tsunamis and in many areas during the 2004 Florida hurricanes, Amateur Radio was the only effective communications that survived.
Military/Amateur Radio cross band operations will take place on selected radio frequencies. Voice contacts will include operations on single sideband radios. Digital communications using a blend of radios and computers will also be used. Participating military stations will transmit on selected Military Amateur Radio Service frequencies and listen for amateur radio stations in the Amateur bands. Each of the military station operators will announce the specific amateur band frequency being monitored at their location. The duration of each individual contact will be limited to 1-2 minutes to allow as many stations as possible to participate