Army Radio Etiquette: What You Should & Shouldn't Do!

Army Radio etiquette…

How does it work? What should you know? What should or shouldn’t you do when talking on an Army Radio?

Be it civilian radios or military radios, there is etiquette that must be followed. In the Army, much of this etiquette is actually rules that must be followed.

While there are normal Army radio operators who know the etiquette and rules, every Army soldier and officer should know the basic etiquette and rules because at any given time in battle, you may be in a situation where you will have to operate that Army radio.

I am putting several good links in the reference section that can help you understand as much as possible.

Army Radio Etiquette: 10 Things to Know

In today’s post, I am giving you 10 things you should know about Army radio etiquette.

# 1: Slow And Clear

It is best if you speak slow and clearly. Depending on conditions, there can be some interference, so by speaking slowly, the receiver is more apt to understand. Remember, speaking loud does not necessarily help. It can actually cause more confusion.

# 2: When Finishing A Message

To let the receiver know you have finished the message, you simply say “Over” and wait for their reply. If you do not expect or need a reply, your say “Out.”

# 3: Do Not Interrupt Other Conversations

In some cases, the channel may be used by other units too. Unless you have a dire emergency, allow other messages to be sent before you send your message. If it is an emergency, wait until you hear “Over” and immediately say “Break, Break, Break”, give your call sign and say “I have an Emergency Message for (recipient), Do You Copy? Over!

# 4: Precedence

In any Army call, you must give precedence. There are 4 types:

Flash (For initial enemy contact reports).
Immediate (Situations which greatly affect the security of national and allied forces).
Priority (Important message over routine traffic).
Routine (All types of messages that are not urgent).

# 5: Proper Message Format

There is a format that should always be followed:

Identify first the station you are calling.
Identify your unit.
Transmission instructions which could be relay to, read back or do not answer.
Precedence…

# 6: Should Know…

All units and all potential radio operators should have a copy of ATP 6-02.53.

It should be studied carefully to ensure proper Army radio etiquette.

# 7: Never Use Radio Without…

A radio operator is to not use that radio unless he/she has an order to do so from a superior officer.

The story was told about a radio test being given. The soldier was asked what he should do if he saw a mechanized unit driving into a known minefield. When he said he would “Camm them to give a warning,” he found himself in hot water.

The answer is do nothing. The unit would find out soon enough and it could cost lives. But “Camming the radio” could cost more lives.

# 8: If Message Not Understood

If you do not understand a message, you simply say “Say Again.” The term “Repeat” should not be used as that is used if additional artillery fire is needed.

# 9: Messages Should Be Kept Under 30 Seconds

Every attempt during war should be made to keep radio communications under 30 seconds because:

The enemy can pinpoint your location.
They can intercept and listen in.
Or they can use electronic jamming equipment to disable your communications.

# 10: Always Assume

You should always assume the enemy is hearing what you are saying. Unless you are certain your conversations are secured with the proper level of encryption for the level of sensitivity, you should not divulge secret, sensitive information.

Best Practices

What you see below are some of the best practices for Army Radio Etiquette.

Identify with whom you want to communicate by using their call sign.
Pause a moment after pressing the “push-to-talk” (PTT) button.
Be direct and short when communicating.
Speak slowly and clearly.
Spell out letters and numbers, using the Military Alphabet (NATO Phonetic Alphabet.
Use correct lingo and prowords to reduce confusion and shorten transmitted messages.

Source: MilitaryAlphabet.com

Final Thoughts

These are just 10 Army radio etiquette rules. Can you share any more you feel are important? Leave all comments and questions below.

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Army Radio Etiquette: 10 Things You Should Know