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/folde...q9?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:
Frequency
1400Z 1420Z 1440Z 1500Z
1900Z 1920Z
1940Z
RTTY
2000Z
RTTY
2200Z
2220Z 2240Z
2330Z
CW
(kHz) CW CW CW CW
RTTY RTTY RTTY RTTY
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 usarmymars.org/events and complete the request form.