Prowords and prosigns are vital for fast pace communication. This is not something you learned in 4th grade English class. It is a way radio operators standardize and condense common words, phrases, instructions, requests, and information while transmitting and aid in keeping logs. Prowords are spoken. Prosigns are the written form of prowords and not spoken as they are written. Hang on you'll understand soon enough.
Example when I want to say "Hey y'all, I want to talk to to Billy Jean" It would be broken down using prowords and spoken over the radio like this. BRAVO JULIET ZERO THIS IS BRAVO SIERRA ONE OVER. BJ0 is Billy Jean's call sign. Proword THIS IS means transmission is from the following. BS1 is Big Squirrel's call sign. The prosign for THIS IS is written like this DE. The whole transmission is written in the log book like this. BJ0 DE BS1. With a little practice you can get the basics down in no time. Below is a list of a few common Prowords with their definition. I would do the prosigns but they have overscore and underscore marks on some of the text. If you want more I got about 51 of them.
Prosign Meaning
All after The portion of this message to which I reference is all that which follows
All before The portion of this message to which I reference is all that which precedes
Break I hearby indicate the separation of text from the other portion of the message
Correct You are correct sir (or ma'am)
Correction An error has been made in this transmission will continue with last correct trans
From The originator of the message
Info The addressees immediately following are addressed for information
I Say Again I am repeating transmission or potion indicated
I Verify That which follows I have verified (only used to reply to Verify)
Message A message that requires recording follows (see their is a use for prowords)
More to follow Additional traffic for the receiving station
Out This is an end of transmission and no answer is expected or required
Over This is a end of transmission and a answer is required; go ahead transmit
Read back Repeat entire transmission back to me exactly as received
This is Transmission is from the station whose designator follows
Verify Verify entire message or portion with the origionator and send correct version
Wait I must pause for a second (take a sip of coffee or whatever)
Wait out I must pause longer than a few seconds.
Wrong your last transmission was incorrect
Congratulations you are the 2% that made it to the bottom. In all seriousness this does take practice.
Why not just say "repete that", ?that's what my friend wants to know
To field radio operators in the Marine Corps saying the word "repeat" is akin to saying "Voldemort" in Hogwarts. (at least when I was in) Their are two reasons I remember. When the in the chaos of battle and your ears are rining from machine gun fire, incoming motor/artillery rounds, IEDs, (even your own rifle with out earplugs) the word "repeat" can be misinterpreted as "retreat". The second is a that "repeat" is a word used say to shoot again "repeat your last fire mission". I would say "repeat" to have the tanks/arty fire another volley. Mostly I used "call for fire". Anyway hope that helps.
Roger will-co on the Retreat, see ya at base.
Anyway one reason why I an still for the "Say again" besides being stubborn is that it has a proword with a designated prosign. Also I like to use commonality, use one word or phrase for a given command, I believe it lends it self to a faster process. If I am in charge of 5 nets and have to monitor 2 addition net and keep track of all transmission on 5 nets as well as messages sent down from my two additional nets I need to use prowsigns. That is two uppercase letters to replace one word or phrase, you can write a message like Jimmy Johns freaky fast. Important when you are the only one there and disaster strikes. Then again that is before the internet and all my log books had to be hand jammed.
However what should a MAG SOP be on that? Could we have two phrases that mean the same thing? Should when try to simplify common commands/ phrases and use one word or proword for it? I don't have the answers for that now. Thanks
Second, adoption of what does work and how to adapt to the current situation. Many rolls would be used. From the guys on patrol to putting a mechanised convoy on the road. SOP should be to use a standardized standard rather than being specific. Example of that is FAA require that Communications be kept extra short. To the point that LAX was thinking of charging pilots a fee for every unnecessary syllable spoken on the radio. The phrase "line up and wait" replaced "position and hold" one more word, but one less syllable.
S.O.P is different between units but there are definitely system wide standards such as the use of the international phonetic alphabet Alpha, Bravo Charlie instead of , Boy, Charles, David. The general obsolete use of 10 codes other than the dominant 10-4 for Roger, understood, received, etc... A tribe may use these codes intratribe however SOP may be to refrain from using them between tribes due to confusion. Your 10-3 might be different from my 10-3, hoo-ah?
Frequencies or channels used to establish Communications should be SOP, so if I'm mobilising to operate in
SOP would be to send these in the most secure manner available. Currier is that, encrypted email is another option. It could be as complex or as simple as what works... It's a complicated situation. But definitely a worthy one.
Read back over. Lol.
There is NO WAY, Lol. I wrote that and almost threw my laptop at the end only when I find out that you cannot use underscore or overscore, I had spent all that time writing a post on prosigns that required it. Just added 3 shades of gray to my beard. But I hope people can get something out of it. They can kind of see an end product if you will. What one kind of communication style is like. If it is confusing to them now when they first learn about radio communication maybe later when they come across it again after they had gained some experience, they will say "now I get it, but man did he ramble on". Now they have a little reference list to prowords.