Radio traffic is teaching me at least one thing: the International Radio Alphabet. You never know when you may need this, so today’s assignment is to spell your name in radio alphabet. [Extra credit: spell a friend’s when you meet him/her: “Hi, Sierra Uniform Echo!”]
Flip the radio switch to “scan” and there are hours of entertainment in the county: loose dog terrorizing Main Street, 6-year-old boy missing at a park trailhead, routine traffic stops (which can turn un-routine in a blink), the solar panels malfunctioning in the campground, or a mountain bike accident with victim bleeding from nose and ears. Usually I hike without ‘scan’ turned on; it becomes intrusive. Wilderness isn’t the same with the dispatcher’s voice wantonly interrupting my thoughts, but it sure is nice to know I have a lifeline in my backpack.
Ranger Kathryn's Arches 
Kilo Echo Lima Lima Yankee! Kila Alpha Tango Hotel Romeo Yankee November!
My son, Nick, was boning up on these during basic training (no, actually BEFORE basic training) and encouraging me to learn them along with him. This is the same son (he’s now a sergent in the Army Rangers) who went online and emptied my saved items in my shopping cart at backcountry.com and had them shipped to me for Mother’s Day. He also added a few items he deemed necessary for my Utah experience. (He loves his mom!)
I have since grown a bit rusty with this phonetic alphabet and should study up again! Thanks for brining this to my attention!
Comment by Kelly — May 18, 2011 @ 2:41 pm |
Able, baker charlie, dog, easy fox, george, how, item, jig, king, love, mike, nancy, oboe, peter, queen, roger, sugar, tare, uncle, victor, (william?), x-ray, yoke, zebra.
Am I dating myself?
Comment by leroque — May 18, 2011 @ 4:02 pm |