The Department of Defense annual Armed Forces Day (AFD) Cross-Band Test will be May 12 & 13, 2023. During this event Military stations will transmit on military frequencies and announce the amateur radio frequencies they are monitoring. Amateur stations are invited to then make contact on those monitored frequencies.
For a list of military frequencies used see the official DoD MARS website (CLICK here…)
Event: AFD Cross-Band Test
Start : Friday, May 12 at 8:00 PM EDT (0000 ZULU)
End: Saturday, May 13 at 7:59 PM EDT (2359 ZULU)
Modes: Phone (USB), RTTY, and CW
In addition to the cross- band communications described above a one way message will be transmitted by MIL stations at 1400 ZULU and 2000 ZULU using the MIL-STD 188-110A/B data modem protocol (visit the DOD MARS website for details).
For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in the Armed Forces Day Cross-Band exercise, designed to include hobbyist and government radio operators alike.
The Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) is a civilian auxiliary consisting primarily of licensed amateur radio operators who are available to assist the military with communications when traditional forms of communication are unavailable.