[SFDXA] Excerpts From ARRL Letter - Iraq Operations By Military Men

[Bill Marx]

-Bill W2CQ

DXCC TO ACCEPT IRAQ PORTABLE OPERATIONS APPROVED BY COMMANDING OFFICERS

ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG, says the League will
accept for DXCC credit YI/ operations from Iraq by US or British military
personnel provided the operator has written permission from his or her
commanding officer.

"There is precedent for this," Mills said, citing an operation during the
1991 Gulf War. "These operators will need written authorization to operate
from their commanding officers until an interim Iraqi civilian government
is in place," Mills said. After that point, operators would need
documented permission from Iraqi authorities.

The Daily DX <http://www.dailydx.com> has reported that several hams with
the US military in Iraq have been showing up on the air in recent days.
Mark Smith, NG5L, has been active from near Nasiriya as YI/NG5L on SSB,
usually around 0500 UTC near 14.195 MHz. He's also been spotted in Europe
and North America on other 20-meter frequencies and at other times of the
day. Smith is in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Jim Dunkerton, YI/KT4CK, has been active on 15-meter SSB between 1430 and
1600 UTC. Dunkerton is believed to be with the 101st Airborne. Bob Furzer,
9K2ZZ/K4CY, reportedly has been on the air from Iraq as K4CY/p or K4CY/m.
Other hams are known to be in Iraq but have not yet been reported on the
air.

Still not known is whether Ed Giorgadze, 4L4FN--now in the Middle East
after wrapping up his North Korean (P5) operation last fall--will be on a
United Nations World Food Program assignment inside Iraq in the near
future. That could depend in part on how big a role the UN plays in
rebuilding Iraq.