ANNUAL ARMED FORCES DAY CROSSBAND TEST (10 May 2025)
The Department of Defense will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test, scheduled for May
10, 2025. 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.
AAC / BARROW ARMY RESERVE CENTER, KY (USB + RTTY)
10May 1100Z – 11May1100Z 4011.0 kHz USB 5,346.5 kHz USB 6,968.5 kHz USB
13,963.5 kHz USB 17,457.5 kHz USB
AAM3D / DISA CYBERSPACE OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE, FT MEADE, MD
1400Z – 2000Z 4,013.5 kHz USB 5,403.5 kHz USB 7,431.5 kHz USB
14,484.0 kHz USB 20,920.0 kHz USB
AAN / U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND, CO
1300Z – 2000Z 6,970.5 kHz USB 14,550.5 kHz USB
AAZ / FT HUACHUCA, AZ
1500Z – 2359Z 7,645.0 kHz USB 14,438.5 kHz USB 18,211.0 kHz USB
ADB / CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA
1500Z – 23590Z 14,487.0 kHz USB 20,994.0 kHz USB
AFM4NPD / NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY MID-SOUTH, MILLINGTON, TN
1200Z – 2200Z 4,575.0 kHz USB 7,540.0 kHz USB 13,993.0 kHz USB
AGA0WJ/ NAS WHIDBEY ISLAND OAK HARBOR, WA
1600Z – 2300Z 5,403.5 kHz USB 7,431.5 kHz USB 13,528.5 kHz USB
18,272.5 kHz USB
AGA2SY / HANCOCK FIELD, NY
1200Z – 2000Z 7,473.5 kHz USB 15,807.0 kHz USB 19,955.0 kHz USB
20,740.0 kHz USB
AGA5SC / SCOTT AFB, IL
1500Z – 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
1700Z – 2359Z 5,004.5 kHz USB 7,915.0 kHz USB 14,760.0 kHz USB
20,763.0 kHz USB 27,877.0 kHz USB
GRIFFIN1 / 193rd RTI ARMY NATIONAL GUARD BETHANY BEACH, DE
1300Z – 1800Z 5,217.0 kHz USB 7,588.5 kHz USB 14,441.5 kHz USB
18,293.0 kHz USB
NAF / NEWPORT NAVAL RADIO STATION MUSEUM NEWPORT, RI (USB + CW)
1400Z – 2300Z 7,498.5 kHz USB 14,463.5 kHz USB
NBGC/ USS HORNET AMATEUR RADIO CLUB ALAMEDA, CA (USB + CW)
1400Z – 2359Z 7,935.0 kHz USB 14,375.0 kHz USB 21,886.0 kHz USB
27,860.0 kHz USB
NEMW / BATTLESHIP ALABAMA BB-60 MUSEUM SHIP, AL (USB + CW)
0000Z – 2359Z 4,043.5 kHz USB 7,882.5 kHz USB 14,441.5 kHz USB
18,211.0 kHz USB 20,997.0 kHz USB
NEPM / USS IOWA BB 61 LOS ANGELES, CA (USB + RTTY +CW)
1400Z – 2300Z 4,013.5 kHz USB 7,493.5 kHz USB 14,463.5 kHz USB
18,293.0 kHz USB 20,997.0 kHz USB
NEPP/ USCGC HEALY SEATTLE, WA (USB + RTTY)
1700Z – 2359Z 7,5433.5 kHz USB 9,430.0 kHz USB 15,742.0 kHz USB
19,223.0 kHz USB
NIIW / USS MIDWAY CV-41 SAN DIEGO, CA
10May 0000Z – 11May 0400Z 4,010.0 kHz USB 5,371.5 kHz USB 7,390.5 kHz USB
14,476.0 kHz USB 18,060.0 kHz USB 20,973.5 kHz USB
NITG / SUBMARINE DRUM SS-228 MUSEUM SHIP, AL (USB + CW)
0000Z – 2359Z 4,445.0 kHz USB 7,718.5 kHz USB 14,512.5 kHz USB
18,272.5 kHz USB 20,973.5 kHz USB
NMC1/ US COAST GUARD BASE ALAMEDA, CA (USB + RTTY)
1700Z – 2359Z 7,351.5 kHz USB 14,459.5 kHz USB 22,955.5 kHz USB
NSS / US NAVAL ACADEMY ANNAPOLIS, MD (USB + CW)
10May 1300Z – 11May 0200Z 4,038.5 kHz USB 5,330.5 kHz USB 7,533.5 kHz USB
9,944.0 kHz USB 14,487.0 kHz USB
NWKJ / USS YORKTOWN PATRIOTS POINT, SC
10May 1300Z – 11May 0100Z 4,027.0 kHz USB 7,421.0 kHz USB 14,438.5 kHz USB
NWVC / LST-325 EVANSVILLE, IN (USB + CW)
10May 2022Z – 11May 0300Z 3,325.0 kHz USB 6,913.0 kHz USB 9,988.5 kHz USB
13,974.0 kHz USB
WAR / PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC (USB + CW + RTTY)
1200Z – 2400Z 4,018.0 kHz USB 5,357.0 kHz USB 7,305.0 kHz USB
14,383.5 kHz USB 20,997.0 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 frequencies designated below.
AAC: MILSTD110/RTTY 13,963.5 kHz USB
AAZ: MILSTD110 14,438.5 kHz USB
ADB: MILSTD110 20,994.0 kHz USB
AGA0WJ: MILSTD110/RTTY 13,528.5 kHz USB
NEPM: RTTY 13,483.5 kHz USB
NEPP: RTTY 15,742.0 kHz USB
NIIW: MILSTD110/RTTY/CW 14,476.0 kHz USB
NWKJ: MILSTD110 14,438.5 kHz USB
NWVC: CW 13,974.0 kHz USB
WAR: MILSTD110/RTTY/CW 14,383.5 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.