Today I visited the Georgetown Airport for the 75^{th Annual Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day where I declared the month of June as Amateur Radio Month in the State of Delaware. Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, involves amateur operators who communicate with each other throughout the country and the world. It was my pleasure to use the different radios of 20 meter and 40 meter frequencies to contact other hams in Pennsylvania and Indiana.}

These ham operators are residents committed to emergency preparedness in our state. During unpredictable and tragic emergencies, such as the September 11th attacks, the Tsunami in Indonesia, and Hurricane Katrina, these amateur radio operators play an important role in our emergency communication network. They are off grid and sometimes the only way to communicate. I appreciate the active involvement and cooperation of our General Assembly, Sussex County Council, local officials, Delaware National Guard, Delaware State Police, Delaware Emergency Management Agency, Sussex County Emergency Operations Center, Sussex Amateur Radio Association, and the Nanticoke Amateur Radio Club. By working together we are better prepared to protect the residents of Delaware when disaster strikes.

^{Ruth Ann Minner
Governor State of Delaware}