Radio Procedure

These radio procedures are intended primarily to make radio comms sound cool, but they also serve the purpose of making radio communication clear, short, standardized and free of disambiguation and confusion. They are based loosely on US and UK military radio procedures, but are significantly simplified and modified for the purposes of larping.

Remember to have fun

Even active military radio operators sometimes make mistakes or forgo the radio procedures. We don’t want you to feel frightened by this document. If you forget the words or make a mistake, never mind. The important thing is not that you do a 100% correct radio procedure, the important thing is to have fun. If that means not following the radio procedure, then do so. If someone is trying but not getting it right, play nice and help them out. If someone doesn’t understand your cool radio lingo, then make yourself understood without it.

But please give the radio procedures a try! It really makes radio comms much more interesting (and easier to understand), and you’ll feel like a pro with very little effort.

Basic Radio Procedure

When speaking over the radio, speak as clearly as possible, as radios do tend to have bad reception. Also make sure you express yourself tersely, but most importantly you need to make extra sure there is no way to misunderstand what you are saying. For this reason there are both “procedure words” (standardized words, terms and responses) that you must use always, as well as procedures for reading back and confirming information and/or requesting clarification.

Some commands may be time sensitive or so important that you need them acknowledged quickly, then you are allowed to repeat them twice. Say, for instance, a unit is currently , unknowingly, firing at own forces you would call out CEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE.

A few words on basic radio usage

First, remember the three T’s:

• Think
• Transmit
• Talk

What this means is:

Think through what you are going to say before pressing the button to transmit. It is much better if you delay transmitting for a few seconds and prepare what you are going to say, instead of taking up valuable on-air time mumbling and getting your transmit together.

Press the Transmit button only when you’ve thought through what you are going to say. If someone is urgently calling you, making you stressed, and you have no reply, you can always just transmit “WAIT, OVER”. Also be aware that most radio systems will clip the first half second of your transmit, so press the button, wait a second and then speak.

Talk clearly, to the point, and do not speculate unless specifically told to do so.

The Radio Alphabet

Speech over radio can be quite garbled and noisy, and it can easily be misunderstood or misheard. For that reason we employ something called a radio alphabet, that you use for clarity. For instance the word “five” can easily be misheard for “nine”, which is why nine is always instead called “niner”. Same goes with trying to spell out words, if you were to spell out B-U-T it could just as well be heard as V-O-P etc.

A few examples:
- Alpha, this is Bravo, report current grid reference, over.
- Bravo, this is Alpha. Grid reference is ECHO HOTEL SIX NINER, over.

- Hitman, this is Godfather, interrogative, name of your current actual, over.
-Godfather, this is Hitman. Current actual is Reed, Romeo Echo Echo Delta, over.

Initiating a transmission

In a real multiple-radio situation there might be lots of different conversations going on over the same radio channel at any given time, which can cause quite some confusion as to who is speaking to who. For this reason, all radio transmissions should start with the callsign of the RECEIVER, followed by the callsign of the SENDER (although, in a situation where the net is not very busy and two parties are having an ongoing conversation without much pause, this might be skipped after initializing the transmission).

The basic syntax is:
[RECEIVER], this is [SENDER], [message], over.

The words “this is” might sound cumbersome after a while, but they are important as they separate the receiver from the sender, as in a real case there might be one Alpha unit and another one called Alpha Bravo, and sending something like Alpha, Bravo, you are cleared to engage might actually be interpreted by the wrong unit. You can also use “from” instead of “this is”, e.g: “Alpha, from Bravo”.

Example:
- Alpha, this is Bravo, what’s your location, over.

Ending a transmission

There are two basic ways of ending a transmission: OUT or OVER. Think of OVER as meaning “over to you” - it is used when you expect an answer to your message. OUT is used by the initial caller when the dialogue is over or you don’t expect (or need) an answer to your message. When in doubt, go for OVER, then the party that initiated the call can end the transmission if they have nothing further to add by sending an OUT.

Example:
- Alpha, this is Bravo, we are returning to base, over.
- Bravo, this is Alpha, roger.
- Bravo out.

- Bravo, this is Alpha, interrogative: are you approaching the objective from the north, over.
- Alpha, this is Bravo, affirmative, over.
- Alpha, roger out.

Responses

Giving clear answers over the radio is very important, and for that purpose there are several procedures and procedure words you need to know. When possible, it is good to repeat the information you received back to the sender so that they can be sure you actually received and interpreted the information correctly.

Affirmative/Negative

When answering a direct question with an explicit “yes” or “no”, we instead use Affirmative or Negative. This is different from the usage of Roger, see below.

Examples:
- Alpha, this is Bravo, are you currently to our right, over?
- Bravo, this is Alpha, affirmative, we are on your right, over.
- Roger, Bravo out.

- Alpha, this is Bravo, are you able to assist, over?
- Bravo, this is Alpha, negative, unable to assist. We are currently engaged, over.
- Roger, Bravo out.

Roger

The procedure word Roger can be thought of as “I understand”, or “I received your message”. It does not mean you agree to anything more than that you received the message in full. It is important to remember the difference between Roger and Affirmative - an Affirmative means “yes”, Roger means “received”.

If ROGER is the last word in your transmission, you can leave out OVER or OUT.

It also common to use COPIES instead of ROGER, but it has the same meaning: “I got your message”. When using COPIES you generally just transmit your callsign and COPIES, eg “Alpha copies”.

Example
- Alpha, this is Bravo, we have eyes on enemy activity five hundred meters to your north, over.
- Bravo, this is Alpha. Enemy acitivity to our north, roger.

- Alpha, this is Archangel, we will be going off-net in five, over.
- Alpha copies.

Wilco

Wilco is short for WILL COMPLY, meaning that you understood the message and will carry out the requested action. While Roger means “I understand” and “Affirmative” means “Yes”, WILCO actually means “Yes, I understand and will do what you asked me to do”.

In case you cannot comply with the requested action, your answer should instead be UNABLE TO COMPLY (or NEGATIVE), followed by the reason why you cannot.

When just replying “WILCO” with no further message, there is no need to send an OUT or an OVER.

Examples:
- Preacher, this is Viper, move out, over.
- Viper, this is Preacher, wilco.

- Badger, this is Gator, engage targets to your north, over.
- Gator, this is Badger, unable to comply. We are black on ammo, over.
- Roger, out.

Say again

When you need clarification or a repeat of any message you just received, you use the procedure word SAY AGAIN. We never, ever use the word “repeat” (as it is easily misheard as “retreat”).

Example:
- Alpha, this is Bravo, proceed to coordinates [unintelligible]
- Bravo, this is Alpha, say again, over.
- Alpha, this is Bravo, proceed to coordinates six-niner-eight-four, over.

SAY AGAIN can also be further specified with the word AFTER, followed by the last thing the receiver heard.

- Archangel, this is Charlie, what’s the ETA on our evac, over.
- Charlie, this is Archangel, say again after ETA, over.
- Archangel, this is Charlie, on our evac, over.

Wait

If you receive a message and cannot immediately reply, you should at least acknowledge that you received the message and that you will respond later. WAIT can also be combined with a number, indicating how many minutes you expect until you can answer.

Example:
- Alpha, this is Archangel, ACE report, over.
- Archangel, this is Alpha, wait one, over.

- Alpha, this is Archangel, what is your current position, over?
- Archangel, this is Alpha, wait, over.

Advanced usage

Now you should have the basics down, so let’s move on more advance radio procedure.

How copy

Keyword used when you have just sent a message and want them to read it back to you to make sure they understood and didn’t get the message wrong. In case they read back the message and it was somehow wrong, your answer should be WRONG, CORRECTION, followed by the correct message and ending with HOW COPY. When the receiver finally reads back the correct message, your response should be, CORRECT.

Example:
- Gator, this is Badger, move to five-six-niner and take up station, how copy, over.
- Badger, this is Gator, move to six-five-niner and take up station, wilco.
- Gator, wrong, correction: Five-six-niner, how copy, over.
- Badger, this is Gator. Move to five-six-niner, take up station, wilco.
- Gator, this is Badger, correct, out.

Acknowledge

When you want to make it extra clear that you expect either a WILCO or an UNABLE TO COMPLY, or the receiver failed to send that in their message.

Examples:
- Alpha, this is Archangel, capture and hold the building to your north, acknowledge, over.
- Archangel, this is Alpha, capture and hold building north of us, wilco.

- Alpha, this is Bravo, fall back immediately, over.
- Alpha copies.
- Alpha, this is Bravo, acknowledge fall back, over.
- Bravo, this is Alpha, wilco. Falling back now, over.

Interrogative

Asking questions can be tricky over the radio. A question can easily be interpreted as a statement, and vice versa. By using the keyword INTERROGATIVE you make it extra clear that what you are saying is not a statement of fact or an order, but a question.

Example:
- Alpha-1, this is Alpha-2, move up on the objective, over.
- Alpha-2, this is Alpha-1. Interrogative: are we to move on the objective, over.
- Alpha-1, affirmative, move on objective, over.
- Alpha-2 wilco.

As follows

A short code phrase more or less used as a pause or the vocal equivalent of a textual colon, intended to separate a preceding statement from the forthcoming information. Most often used when you are about to send some data and want to give the receiver time to mentally separate the preceding radio talk from the actual data being transmitted.

Example:
- Alpha, this is Bravo, what’s the marching order, over?
- Bravo, this is Alpha. Marching order as follows: Bravo, Alpha, Charlie, over.
- Bravo copies.

Prepare to copy & Send it

When you either have longer information to impart, or information that you want the receiver to write down, you use the code phrase “prepare to copy”. Once you, as the receiver of the message, are ready to copy the message (ie you have found something to write on), you respond by saying “send it” (or “send your message”). When you have received the message you will read it back to the caller.

If the receiver gets something wrong you answer with the callsign of the receiver and the procedure word WRONG, then you repeat the message again using the procedure word I SAY AGAIN. You can always request that they read back the message they received by using the keyword READ BACK.

Example:
- Vulture, this is Condor, prepare to copy, over.
- Condor, this is Vulture, wait.
- Condor, this is Vulture, send your message, over.
- Vulture, this is Condor. New target coordinates are as follows: Romeo Zulu Niner Niner Zero, how copy over.
- Vulture copies. New target coordinates Zulu Romeo Niner Niner Zero, over.
- Vulture, wrong. I say again: New target coordinates Romeo Zulu Niner Niner Zero, over.
- Vulture copies. New target coordinates Romeo Zulu Niner Niner Zero, over.
- Alpha, this is Condor. Correct, out.

- Alpha, this is MISCON, read back last order, over.
- MISCON, this is Alpha. Recon at grid Tango Zero Eight Juliet Kilo One, over.

Units and “actuals”

All units have a callsign. You call that specific unit or group on the radio by using their callsign, such as Alpha or Charlie, and the radio operator for that unit will respond. Very rarely is the actual commander of the unit also the person answering the radio. Sometimes, however, you want to speak directly to the actual commander of that unit and not the radio operator, and this is when you use the codeword ACTUAL (meaning the actual commander of the unit).

Examples:
- Alpha, this is MISCON, put actual on the line, over.
- MISCON, this is Alpha, wait over.
- MISCON, this is Alpha actual, over.

- Bravo Actual, this is Gator, prepare to copy privileged message, over.
- Gator this is Bravo, send it, over.
- Bravo, is this actual, over?
- Gator, from Bravo, negative. I’ll bring Bravo Actual up, wait five, over.

Be advised

This is a code phrase that signals that the message that follows is not a question or a command, but general information. It is not used for critical information but rather general information that is not critical.

Examples:
- All units, this is Archangel, be advised weather report indicates rain in 30 minutes, out.

- Alpha, this is MISCON, be advised we are changing shifts now. Good luck and thank you, out.

ACE Report

Your commander will sometimes call for an ACE Report, meaning a report on Ammunition, Casualties and Equipment, at which time the unit being asked for a report will check and report back. A unit can also, of its own accord, state an ACE to make the commander aware of their current situation. A typical ACE report looks something like: “Yellow on ammunition, green on casualties, green on equipment”.

A green on ammunition means the unit has plenty of ammunition, yellow means they’ve spent around half, red means they’re running dangerously low, and black means they are completely out.

For casualties a green means no injuries, yellow means some injuries sustained but not enough to evacuate or abort mission, red means there has been critical injuries making it hard or impossible for the squad to continue the mission. Black will most likely never be used, and would more or less indicate the entire unit is incapacitated.

Equipment means specific equipment carried by the unit, such as explosives, rocket propelled grenades etc. Same applies here: green is full, yellow is half, red is almost out and black is competely out.

Examples:
- Bravo, this is Condor, ACE Report, over.
- Condor, this is Bravo, wait over.
- Condor, this is Bravo, ACE Report as follows: Red on ammunition, yellow on casualties, red on equipment, over.
- Bravo, this is Condor, roger, out.

- Alpha, this is Condor, move up and support Bravo in pushing to the objective, acknowledge, over.
- Condor, this is Alpha, cannot comply. We are red on casualties, interrogative: Permission to withdraw, over.
- Alpha, this is Condor, permission granted. You are clear for RTB, over.
- Condor, this is Alpha, we are Oscar Mike, RTB. Out.

SITREP

This means “Situation Report” and is used when the caller (usually a commander) wants the receiver to describe their current situation and anything of note. SITREPS usually consist of current position and activity, immediate plans, ACE report and any other information the receiving unit thinks the commander needs to know.

Example:
- Alpha, this is MISCON, SITREP over.
- MISCON, this is Alpha, currently holding position around an old barn at reference point Delta Hotel, team is eating. ACE green across the board, we’re in good shape. Seeing some lights to the north of us, stationary. Ready to move out in five, over.
Alpha, roger, out.

Radio check

Can be called by anyone, to check that radios are working and everyone is still on-net. Unless a specific callsign or group is called, a radio check is for everyone on that net, in alphabetical order. A radio check is always performed at the start of a SURFOPS mission once the surface team has left Thermopylae. If we have Alpha, Charlie, Foxtrot and MISCON on the net, a radio check might sound like this:

Example:
- This is MISCON, radio check, over.
- Alpha, roger.
- Charlie, roger.
- Foxtrot, roger.

You always leave a few seconds between the preceding unit and your own call, as to avoid sending over each other or overwhelming the operator asking for a radio check. If a unit that should be on-net has not answered within ten seconds you go on to the next one and then specifically call the missing unit once the radio check is over.

Example:
- This is MISCON, radio check, over.
- Alpha, roger.
*10 second silence*
- Foxtrot, roger.
- Charlie, this is MISCON, radio check over.
- MISCON, this is Charlie, roger. We were in radio shadow, over.
- Charlie, this is MISCON, roger, out.

Other important terms

ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival. Meaning “when do you estimate X will arrive at Y?”, e.g “We are inbound on your location, ETA five minutes”.
Click - A click is a kilometer (0.62 miles for you backwards people). E.g “Move north two clicks”.
Contact - Means you have spotted, heard or otherwise detected something that might be an enemy. A contact does not necessarily have to be an be an enemy. “Alpha, this is MISCON, contacts to your north, 200 meters, acknowledge.”
Engage - Means to actively engage in combat. “Engaging Enemy now”, “We are currently engaged”
Disengage - Means to break off combat with the enemy. “You will disengage and fall back to reference point Zulu”.
Fall back/withdraw - SURFOPS never retreat. They “fall back” or “withdraw”. Meaning “move back the way you came” (or, if there is a pre-determined fallback line, move towards it). “MISCON, this is Alpha, we are falling back to reference point Sierra to avoid being overrun, over.”
Oscar Mike - Means "On the move", ie squad is moving.
Reference Point - A named point on the map used for referencing locations or directions. If you were to report your position you’d find the nearest Reference Point and reference your position relative to that, e.g: “We are currently two hundred meters southwest of reference point Zulu-Niner”.
RTB - Return to base.