Blog Editor: This has been a long time coming. I have discussed this on this blog and other venues several times over the years. DoD should now do the smart things and combine AF and AR MARS into one service auxiliary. Failure to do so is fraud, waste and abuse of valuable HF frequency resources and the taxpayers money. As a former members it pains me to see this organization fold. Fair winds and following seas to all who served in NMCM.
From the ARRL website:
The US Department of Defense is phasing out the US Navy-Marine Corps Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) program. Its operational mission will transition to the other MARS service branches by the end of September.
The head of the US Navy-Marine Corps MARS program in Williamsburg, Virginia, made the announcement. The Navy-Marine Corps MARS program also supports the US Coast Guard as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the US Department of Homeland Security, and local emergency management agencies.
A US Department of Defense-sponsored program, MARS branches are separately managed by their respective military service branches. MARS volunteers are Amateur Radio operators who provide auxiliary or emergency communications to local, national, and international emergency and safety organizations, as an adjunct to normal communications.
Message from Navy-Marine Corps MARS (edited content by author):
DE NNNØASA ØØ1
R 122Ø3ØZ MAY 2Ø15
FM CHNAVMARCORMARS WILLIAMSBURG VA
TO ALNAVMARCORMARS
INFO ZEN/CHIEF ARMY MARS FT HUACHUCA AZ
ZEN/CHIEF AIR FORCE MARS SCOTT AFB IL
BT
UNCLAS
SUBJ/TRANSITION OF NAVY MARINE CORPS MARS (MILITARY AUXILIARY RADIO SYSTEM PROGRAM//
REF/A/PHONECON/NCTAMS LANT/NAVIDFOR/FCC-C1ØF/STRATCOM/Ø8 MAY 2Ø15//
REF/B/DODI 465Ø.2/MILITARY AUXILIARY RADIO SYSTEM (MARS)//
REF/C/DODD 3Ø25.18/DEFENSE SUPPORT OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES//
RMKS/1. IAW REF A, NAVAL COMPUTER AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS AREA MASTER STATION ATLANTIC (NCTAMS LANT) INTENDS TO WORK WITH U.S. ARMY MARS AND U.S. AIR FORCE MARS IN TRANSITIONING THE NAVY MARINE CORPS MARS (NAVMARCORMARS) PROGRAM BY 3Ø SEP 2Ø15. THE INTENT OF THE TRANSITION IS TO BEST ALIGN THE PROGRAM TO SUPPORT NATIONAL MISSION REQUIREMENTS.
2. EVALUATION OF THE NAVMARCORMARS PROGRAM BY FLEET CYBER COMMAND (FCC)/COMMANDER 1ØTH FLEET (C1ØF), NAVAL INFORMATION DOMINATION FORCES (NAVIDFOR), AND NCTAMS LANT DETERMINED THAT THERE ARE NO U.S. NAVY SERVICE UNIQUE REQUIREMENTS.
3. NCTAMS LANT WILL WORK WITH OTHER U.S. NAVY, U.S. ARMY, U.S. AIR FORCE, U.S. STRATEGIC COMMAND, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY REPRESENTATIVES, AND NAVMARCORMARS VOLUNTEERS TO DEVELOP A TRANSITION PLAN FOR NAVMARCORMARS MEMBERS WHICH MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF REF B AND REF C.
4. CURRENT NAVMARCORMARS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS AND CLUBS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS TO U.S. ARMY MARS OR U.S. AIR FORCE MARS PROGRAMS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. U.S. ARMY MARS MEMBERSHIP CAN BE REQUESTED AT
HTTP://WWW.USARMYMARS.ORG/RESOURCES/APPLICATIONS-AND-FORMS AND U.S. AIR FORCE MARS MEMBERSHIPS INFORMATION CAN BE REQUESTED VIA E-MAIL TO 38CYRS.SCM.MARS@US.AF.MIL.
5. ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED SEPCOR FOR MARS STATIONS UNDER MILITARY AUSPICES, AGENCY STATIONS, AND INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS WHO ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE DHS SHARED RESOURCES (SHARES) HF RADIO PROGRAM.
6. AT A MINIMUM, FUTURE NOTICES WILL BE PROVIDED VIA CHIEF, NAVMARCORMARS MESSAGE. OTHER MEDIA WILL BE IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE TRANSITION COMMUNICATIONS PLAN.
7. THE U.S. NAVY GREATLY APPRECIATES THE THOUSANDS OF MARS VOLUNTEERS, PAST AND PRESENT, WHO HAVE BEEN INTEGRAL TO THE SUCCESS OF MARS. NCTAMS LANT WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED OF TRANSITION EFFORTS AND REQUESTS YOUR ASSISTANCE TO HELP START THIS NEW CHAPTER IN MARS OPERATIONS.
12. INTERNET RELEASE IS AUTHORIZED.//
BT
NNNN
