CANCELING MESSAGES

Before the ending proword OVER or OUT is sent, a station can cancel a message transmission by using the proword DISREGARD THIS TRANSMISSION, OUT. For example, if Key should realize, while sending a message, that the message is being sent in error, Key would cancel the transmission as follows:

". . . Proceed Underwater Sound Laboratories, DISREGARD THIS TRANSMISSION, OUT."

After a message has been completely transmitted, it can be canceled only by another message. For example:

"Polk, THIS IS Key, Cancel My Zero Eight Zero Nine Three Zero Zulu, TIME Zero Nine Five Zero Zulu, OVER."

Polk transmits:

"Key, THIS IS Polk, ROGER, OUT."

RECEIPT OF A MESSAGE

No message is considered delivered on an R/T circuit until the transmitting station receives a receipt. A receipt is effected by the use of the proword ROGER. The receiving station can transmit a receipt after each message or after a string of messages if there is more than one message to be receipted for.

In a collective net, the transmitting station may determine that speed of handling should be the primary consideration. In this case, one station in the net maybe directed to receipt for the message or messages and no other station may answer until instructed to do so. This, however, does not prohibit any station in the net from requesting repetition.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF R/T MESSAGES

You should not confuse an acknowledgment with a reply or receipt. An acknowledgment is a reply from an addressee indicating that a certain message was received, understood, and can be complied with. A receipt means only that the message was received satisfactorily. Only the commanding officer or his or her authorized representative can authorize communications personnel to send an acknowledgment.

A request for acknowledgment is accomplished by use of the word "acknowledge" (not a proword) as the final word of the text. The reply is the proword WILCO. If the commanding officer can acknowledge at once, the communications operator may receipt for the message with WILCO because the meaning of ROGER is contained in WILCO. If the acknowledgment cannot be returned immediately, the communications operator receipts for the message with ROGER, and replies with WILCO later. The return transmission to a request for an acknowledgment is either ROGER or WILCO; never both. For example, Polk receives the following transmission from Key: "Polk, THIS IS Key, Request Special Communications Training, Acknowledge, OVER."

The commanding officer wishes to consider the request before acknowledging; the operator sends:

"Key, THIS IS Polk, ROGER, OUT."

After consideration, the commanding officer of Polk understands and can comply with the message. The operator then transmits:

"Key, THIS IS Polk, WILCO, OUT."

VERIFICATION OF R/T MESSAGES

When a receiving station requests verification of an R/T message, the originating station verifies the message with the originating person, checks the cryptography (if the message is encrypted), and sends the correct version. For example:

"Key, THIS IS Polk, VERIFY your Zero Eight Zero Nine Three Zero Zulu-SAY AGAIN FROM TO INFO, OVER."

Key then transmits:

"THIS IS Key, ROGER, OUT."

After checking with the originating officer, Key determines that the portion to be verified is correct as transmitted previously and sends:

"Polk, THIS IS Key, I VERIFY My Zero Eight Zero Nine Three Zero Zulu, I SAY AGAIN, FROM TO INFO-FROM Key, TO Polk, INFO, OVER."

Polk receipts for the transmission:

"THIS IS Polk, ROGER, OUT."