Download the Radio Operator Cheat Sheet Here
If you are doing any kind of radio operations, it is really going to be important to have a standard operating procedure (SOP). To keep it simple, I recommend that you just take from the actual NATO standard versus just coming up with your own.
The first thing you are going to want to do is get your call signs situated. You have to have a way to be able to identify who is talking on the net. If you don’t know who’s talking and if people aren’t identifying themselves, then it’s going to be really hard to figure out what’s going on and who needs what. Honestly, it could lead to a pretty dangerous situation and people could actually end up dying depending on what kind of rules you’re involved with—search and rescue, maybe a preparedness group, or whatever it may be.
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Real-World Radio Communication Examples
To see how standard prowords and flows work in the field, check out these two examples from actual operations:
Example 1: Initial Contact & Tracking
Whiskey Set 245: Whiskey set 245. We have eyes on four possible echo charlies. I say again, have eyes on four echo Charlie’s bearing 030 from your position. Distance approximately 650 m. Moving southeast over.
Raven Watch 23: Raven watch 23. This is whiskey set 245. Say again. All after 650 meters. Over.
Whiskey Set 245: Whiskey set 245. This is Ravenatch 23. I say again, moving south and east. Over.
Raven Watch 23: Raven watch 23. This is Whiskey SAD 245. Roger. Copy for echo. Charlie is bearing 030 650 m. Moving south. Break. Request ISR asset. Continue to track until we hit the main road. Over.
Whiskey Set 245: Whiskey sat 245. This is Raven watch 23 Wilco. ISR asset will continue to track. Advise if you require additional assets. Over.
Raven Watch 23: Raven watch 23 whiskey sad 245 will go continue to monitor and will advise whiskey sad 245 out.
Example 2: Medical Report & Radio Check
Whiskey Set 245: Raven watch 23, this is Whiskey Sat 245. Radio check over.
Raven Watch 23: Whiskey Sat 245, this is Raven Watch 23. I read you Lima Charlie. Over.
Whiskey Set 245: Raven watch 23, this is Whiskey Sat 245. Message follows. Break. We have one WIA. That’s Whiskey India Alpha with a head injury. Break. Requesting ISR support for evac. Need eyes in the sky at grid. November golf 4 27 88 88 tree break. We plan to eback to my November over.
Essential Communication Prowords
To help you get started with developing your own communication plan, let’s break down the key procedural words (prowords) into clear categories.
1. Transmission Control Prowords
These manage the opening, flow, and closure of your conversations.
| Proword | Purpose & Usage |
| This is | Placed between call signs to identify who is speaking (e.g., [Recipient], this is [Sender]). |
| Over | Signals the end of a transmission and expects a response. |
| Out | Signals the end of the entire conversation. Generally, only the station that initiated should say “out.” |
| Standby | Means “hold”—transmission will follow shortly. |
| Wait | A short pause; communication will resume shortly with minimal delay. |
| Wait out | Used when you must step away immediately and don’t know when you can return to the net. |
| Break | Separates parts of a long message (such as blue/maintenance reports) to give the tactical operations center (TOC) time to log details. Leave a 1–2 second pause. |
| Nothing follows | Indicates the end of a transmission list with no further reports coming. |
2. Acknowledgement and Compliance Prowords
| Proword | Purpose & Usage |
| Roger | Message received and understood. |
| Wilco | Short for “Roger, Will Comply.” Message received, understood, and action will be taken. |
| How copy | Asking the receiving party how well they are hearing the transmission. |
| Radio check | A routine call to test signal strength and verify equipment function. |
| Lima Charlie | Phonetic for “L” and “C”—meaning Loud and Clear. |
3. Repetition, Clarification, and Correction
| Proword | Purpose & Usage |
| Say again | Requests repetition of all or part of a message. (Note: Avoid using “repeat,” which traditionally means to fire for effect on an artillery target!) |
| Words twice | Requests that every phrase or phonetic word be spoken twice for absolute clarity. |
| Correction | Used to fix an error made during a transmission or intel report. |
| I spell | Indicates that the following word will be explicitly spelled out using the phonetic alphabet. |
| All after / All before | Used by a TOC operator to request a specific slice of a lengthy message to be re-read. |
Pro-Tip on Hollywood Mistakes:
Avoid saying “Over and out” (since over means the conversation continues and out means it’s closed—they contradict each other). Similarly, while common habits die hard, stick to Roger rather than casual expressions like “copy that” when possible.
The Phonetic Alphabet & Numbers
When static and interference threaten to garble your audio, the phonetic alphabet is your best tool for spelling out call signs, licenses, or location grids.
Phonetic Numbers
Certain numbers sound too similar over poor connections and have dedicated phonetic pronunciations:
| Number | Phonetic Pronunciation |
| 3 | Tree |
| 4 | Fower |
| 9 | Niner |
Make sure to download the cheat sheet PDF (linked in the original description) featuring the full alphabet from Alpha to Zulu and print it out for your group training sessions.
Implementing a clean, standardized SOP will eliminate chaos, stop people from talking over each other, and keep your net running smoothly when it matters most!