AFRTS was "born" May 26, 1942, in a directive that established the Armed Forces Radio Service.

Today, while AFRTS is the headquarters of American military radio and television operations overseas, the audience knows their radio and TV services simply as AFN: the American Forces Network. AFN uses satellite technology and digital compression to provide eight television and 12 radio services, and nine streaming Internet radio services to military audiences in more than 170 countries and U.S. territories, as well as to U.S. Navy ships afloat around the world.