2007 MARS BROADCASTS

All, Attached is the final Joint Voice SOP including letter of promulgation with an in effect date of 1 January 2008. Please disseminate to the membership and make the appropriate changes to the national/regional training documents and programs. Thank you for your patience and support. Regards, Al Eiermann Chief, AF MARS (Pending) DoD Teleport Air Force Lead Command Satellite Communications Manager HQ AFCA/ESLM (MARS/DoD Teleport) 203 West Losey Street Scott AFB, IL 62225 DSN: 779-5964 (618) 229-5964 FAX (618) 256-8673 Joint Voice SOP

All, Personnel Actions: Effective immediately I will officially begin processing all pending personnel actions. I will be working from the oldest to most recent. Any actions needing immediate response please send/resend me an email with the particulars and Ill try to expedite the process. I have several hundred emails in my personal and MARS inboxes, so it will take time. Equipment Issues: Equipment screening, pickup/turn in from DRMO is still on hold until I can get the proper procedures and authorizations from DLA. However, any equipment transfers between affiliate members are authorized as long as they are properly documented! Please maintain the paper trail! Thank you again for your support of AF MARS. Regards, Al Eiermann Chief, AF MARS (Pending) DoD Teleport Air Force Lead Command Satellite Communications Manager HQ AFCA/ESLM (MARS/DoD Teleport) 203 West Losey Street Scott AFB, IL 62225 DSN: 779-5964 (618) 229-5964 FAX (618) 256-8673

All, In response to questions from George Dykes.... As you can see by my signature block, my appointment is still "Pending". We are undergoing a "reorganization / transformation" here at HQ, so I still do not know when the appointment will be finalized. However, we cannot continue to remain stagnate while the bureaucratic process moves forward, so I will be lifting the freeze on personnel actions with an email to the RMDs very shortly (this week) and will also consider loosening up, to some degree, on the equipment program. Regards Al Eiermann Chief, AF MARS (Pending) DoD Teleport Air Force Lead Command Satellite Communications Manager DSN: 779-5964 (618) 229-5964 FAX (618) 256-8673

QST November 2007 Article

From The ARRL Letter, Vol 26, No 32 (Friday, August 10, 2007)

* New Chief for Air Force Mars: Allen Eiermann, K3LSR, has been named the new acting chief of Air Force MARS. Eiermann takes over for Don Poquette who recently retired form the Air Force. Eiermann holds a General class Amateur Radio license and is a former Navy/Marine Corps MARS member. "I am looking forward to serving the MARS community and will work closely with the Army and Navy-Marine Corps MARS Chiefs to bring the tri-service MARS programs closer to being just MARS. I fully support interoperability between the three services and the efforts to provide communications services to other federal agencies and civilian communities during times of need," Eiermann said.

DE AGA3C NR 10 R 221818Z MAY 2007 FROM AGA3C TO ALL AF MARS MEMBERS AND STATIONS INFO CHIEF ARMY MARS INFO CHIEF NAVY-MARINE CORP MARS BT SUBJECT AF MARS CAST 07-10 1. THIS IS A JOINT ARMY, AIR FORCE AND NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS BROADCAST. 2. DURING DISCUSSIONS AT THE DAYTON HAMVENTION, ALL THREE MARS CHIEFS AGREED TO THE FOLLOWING: A. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP): OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR ALL THREE SERVICES ARE BASED ON THE ALLIED COMMUNICATIONS PROCEDURES. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ALL INTERPRET THEM IN DIFFERENT WAYS. WE WILL HAVE TRAINING REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THREE SERVICES WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP A SINGLE PROCEDURE TO BE USED ON ALL MARS NETS. WHEN THE SOP HAS BEEN WRITTEN AND MODIFIED BY ON THE AIR TESTING, IT WILL BE PROMULGATED FOR USE BY ALL SERVICES AS THE STANDARD. B. WINLINK 2000 OPERATIONS: DISCUSSIONS WITH THE WINLINK 2000 DEVELOPERS HAVE RESULTED IN TWO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. FIRST, THE MARS PORTION WILL BE SEPARATED FROM THE AMATEUR SIDE TO ENSURE NO CROSSOVER OF MESSAGES AND SECOND, THE ARCHITECTURE IS BEING CHANGED SO AS TO ENSURE THERE IS ALWAYS AN HF LINK TO AND FROM EACH MAILBOX. THESE CHANGES WILL ALLOW NAVMARCORMARS TO UTILIZE WINLINK 2000. THE NEW ARCHITECTURE IS EXPECTED IN THE FALL. C. WINLINK 2000 CODE: ARMY MARS HAS EXECUTED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DEVELOPERS TO MAINTAIN A DEPOSITORY OF THE SOURCE CODE FOR WINLINK 2000. THE CURRENT DEVELOPERS RECOGNIZE THAT THEY WILL REACH A POINT WHEN THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE AND WANT TO HAVE THE CODE AVAILABLE SO IT MAY BE KEPT UP TO DATE IN THE FUTURE. D. FREQUENCIES: WE AGREED THAT ALL FREQUENCIES CAN BE USED BY ALL THREE SERVICES AS NEEDED. ALSO, NET CONTROL STATIONS CAN BE FROM ANY SERVICE. SCHEDULING OF NETS ON FREQUENCIES WOULD STILL BE DONE BY THE SERVICE THAT MAINTAINS THE GOVERNMENT RECORD FOR THE FREQUENCY. THIS APPLIES TO HF, VHF AND UHF. E. VHF FREQUENCIES: WE HAVE REPEATEDLY ENDORSED FULL INTEROPERABILITY ON VHF. WITH OUR RANGE OF VHF FREQUENCIES BEING REDUCED TO THE 25 ALLOCATED BY THE MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS BOARD, IT WILL BE VITAL THAT WE FULLY SHARE THESE FREQUENCIES AS 'MARS' NOT AS INDIVIDUAL MARS SERVICES. F. DISASTER RESPONSE: IN THE PAST WE HAVE ACTIVATED SERVICE MARS NETS THAT OPERATED IN PARALLEL WITH LITTLE OR NO INTERACTION. WE WILL PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO OUR REGION DIRECTORS TO SET UP JOINT REGIONAL NETS ON THE BEST FREQUENCY AVAILABLE TO BE USED FOR RESPONSE TO ANY EVENT WITHIN A REGION. THE TWO REMAINING FREQUENCIES CAN BE USED FOR PASSING TRAFFIC OR HELD IN RESERVE FOR WHEN PROPAGATION CHANGES. G. AUTOMATIC LINK ESTABLISHMENT: ARMY MARS STATED THAT SINCE THEY HAD NO CUSTOMERS THAT REQUIRE ALE, THEY WILL NOT PURSUE FURTHER USE OF ALE. NAVY-MARINE CORPS AND AIR FORCE MARS WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE ALE DEVELOPMENT AS WE DO HAVE CUSTOMERS USING ALE. MEMBERS OF THE THREE MARS SERVICES ARE INVITED TO CONTINUE THEIR SUPPORT OF THE MARS-ALE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TEAM. 3. PROVIDING THE REIGNS OF COMMUNICATIONS--IN EMERGENCIES SIGN DON POQUETTE, AGA3C CHIEF, AF MARS

DE AGA3C NR08 R 141830 MAY 2007 FRM AGA3C, IL TO ALL AF MARS MEMBERS AND STATIONS ZEN ARMY MARS CHIEF ZEN NAVY-MARINE CORP MARS CHIEF BT SUBJECT: UPDATES 1. THE ARMED FORCES DAY MILITARY AMATEUR RADIO CROSS BAND WENT RATHER WELL, DESPITE A FEW HICCUPS. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CONTACTED AIR AND THE OTHER SERVICES. 2. CHARLES SHEFFER AFA2DB/AFN2RT AND ALLEN SMITH AFA3HW/AFN3AT HAS RESIGNED THEIR NATIONAL MARS POSITIONS. THEIR LEADERSHIP ROLES WILL BE MISSED. 3. GEORGE STICKLER, AFA4CU HAS GRACIOUSLY STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE TO TAKE ON A NEW ROLE IN AF MARS AS NATIONAL DIGITAL MANAGER AFN4DM. THIS NEW POSITION COMBINES THE DUTIES OF AFNXRT AND AFNXAT. CONGRATULATIONS TO MR STICKLER. 4. I WILL BE OUT OF THE OFFICE FROM 15 MAY TO 22 MAY 07. I HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE AT THE MARS BOOTH AT DAYTON, DEPENDING ON THE INTERFERENCE IN THE BUILDING, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME ON 143.45 SIMPLEX. 5. PROVIDING THE REIGNS OF COMMUNICATIONS--IN EMERGENCIES SIGN DON POQUETTE, AGA3C CHIEF, AF MARS

DE AGA3C NR 08 R 191930Z APRIL 2007 FM AGA3C, IL TO ALL AF MARS MEMBERS AND STATIONS ZEN NAVY-MARINE CORP MARS CHIEF ZEN ARMY MARS CHIEF BT SUBJECT CHIEFS LAST DAY 1. AFTER 26 YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE, I WILL BE TRANSITIONING OUT OF THE AIR FORCE AND INTO CIVILIAN LIFE, THUS VACATING THE AF MARS CHIEF POSITION. MY LAST DAY AS CHIEF WILL BE 22 MAY 2007. EFFECTIVE 22 MAY 2007, THE FOLLOWING SERVICES WILL BE CURTAILED UNTIL A REPLACEMENT AF MARS CHIEF HAS BEEN APPOINTED: A. PROSPECTIVE AF MARS MEMBERS WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL A NEW AF MARS CHIEF IS IN PLACE, INCLUDING MEMBERS WANTING TO MOVE FROM ARMY OR NAVY MARS. PER AFI 33-106 (PARA 6.2.12), ONLY THE AF MARS CHIEF IS AUTHORIZED TO SIGN NEW LICENSES; NATIONAL MANAGERS, REGION DIRECTORS, STATE DIRECTORS, AND MEMBERS HOLDING OTHER OFFICIAL POSITIONS MAY NOT BE DELEGATED THIS AUTHORITY. CURRENT AF MARS MEMBERS WITH A VALID FCC-ISSUED AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE AND A VALID MARS LICENSE MAY CONTINUE TO OPERATE. SHOULD THE MEMBER'S LICENSE EXPIRE BEFORE A REPLACEMENT AF MARS CHIEF IS APPOINTED, MEMBERS MAY CONTINUE TO OPERATE IN THE MARS PROGRAM SO LONG AS PROOF OF AN UPDATED FCC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE AND PROOF OF AN AF MARS LICENSE (WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE FCC-ISSUED AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE) ARE PROVIDED TO THE OPERATOR'S REGION DIRECTOR; THIS APPROACH WILL ENSURE THE OPERATOR'S CONTINUED MEMBERSHIP IN AF MARS DURING THIS PERIOD OF TRANSITION. EXPIRED AMATEUR RADIO LICENSES AND/OR FAILURE TO PROVIDE AN EXPIRED AF MARS LICENSE WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE RENEWAL FCC AMATEUR LICENSE DATE, WILL BE CAUSE FOR TERMINATION FROM THE AF MARS PROGRAM. B. CURRENT AF MARS TRAINEES (HOLDING A "T" LICENSE) MUST BE FULLY QUALIFIED, AND REGIONAL TRAINING MANAGERS MUST PROVIDE AN AF FORM 3661 SHOWING THE TRAINEE'S COMPLETION OF ALL REQUIREMENTS BY 22 MAY 2007, OR MUST REMAIN IN TRAINEE STATUS UNTIL A NEW AF MARS CHIEF IS APPOINTED. C. A MORATORIUM WILL BE PLACED ON NEW SHARES APPLICATIONS. BO LINFORS, NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS CHIEF WILL SERVE AS SHARES INTEROPERABLE WORKING GROUP REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE CURRENT AF MARS SHARES MEMBERS ONLY. D. NO DOD MARS DISASTER SUPPORT IDENTIFICATION CARDS, DD FORM 2350, WILL BE ISSUED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. 2. UNTIL A REPLACEMENT IS APPOINTED, AF MARS WILL PUT A HOLD ON ISSUING SURPLUS EQUIPMENT AND GRANTING CANNIBALIZATION REQUESTS EFFECTIVE 28 APRIL 2007. DIRECT TURN-INS TO DRMO WILL CONTINUE. AS ALWAYS, DRMO TURN-IN PAPERWORK MUST BE MAINTAINED FOR DOCUMENTATION PURPOSES. 3. PROVIDING THE REINS OF COMMAND--IN EMERGENCIES. SIGNED DON POQUETTE, AGA3C CHIEF, AF MARS

DE AGA3C NR07 R 101830 APR 2007 FRM AGA3C, IL TO ALL AF MARS MEMBERS AND STATIONS ZEN ARMY MARS CHIEF ZEN NAVY-MARINE CORP MARS CHIEF BT SUBJECT: CLARIFY CAST 07-06 AND NEW PROCEDURE 1. TO CLARIFY ITEM 3 IN AF MARS CAST 07-06. THE FREQUENCY CHANGE WILL TAKE EFFECT ON 13 MAY 2007. THIS CHANGE WILL ALSO BE PERMANENT. WE CAN NOT CHANGE FREQUENCIES UNTIL MAY 13 2007 BECAUSE THE FREQUENCIES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN WORLD RADIO MAGAZINE. IF A HF FREQUENCY ENDS IN DECIMAL 1, CHANGE IT TO DECIMAL ZERO. IF A HF FREQUENCY ENDS IN DECIMAL 6, CHANGE IT TO DECIMAL 5. 2. ACCORDING TO ACP 125(F)PARAGRAPH 218 CALLSIGNS ARE TO BE USED WHEN MAKING INITIAL CONTACT. AFTERWARDS THERE IS NO NEED TO TRANSMIT CALLSIGNS. IF THE SAME TWO STATIONS REQUIRE ANOTHER CONTACT, CALLSIGNS WILL BE USED FOR THE INITIAL CONTACT AGAIN, THEN AFTERWARDS NOT USED. 3. PROVIDING THE REIGNS OF COMMUNICATIONS--IN EMERGENCIES SIGN DON POQUETTE, AGA3C CHIEF, AF MARS

DE AGA3C NR 06 R 61830 APR 2007 FRM AGA3C, IL TO ALL AF MARS MEMBERS AND STATIONS ZEN ARMY MARS CHIEF ZEN NAVY-MARINE CORP MARS CHIEF BT SUBJECT: AF MARS CAST 07-06 1. ARMED FORCES DAY WILL OCCUR ON 12 MAY DETAILS ARE PROVIDED IN THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT. 2. TO INCREASE FREQUENCY EFFICIENCY THE WORLD WIDE SPACE SUPPORT NET AND THE TRR NET WILL MERGE WITH THE TRANSCON VOICE NET. A NEW FREQUENCY WILL BE ADDED TO HELP SUPPORT THIS ADDED MISSION. WSSN-5 HAS BEEN CHANGED TO TVH. THE OTHER WSSN FREQUENCIES ARE NO LONGER AUTHORIZED FOR USE WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE AF MARS CHIEF. 3. EFFECTIVE 13 MAY 2007, ALL HF FREQUENCIES WILL GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DECIMAL ZERO OR DECIMAL 5. ANY HF FREQUENCY ENDING IN DECIMAL 1 WILL BE CHANGED TO DECIMAL ZERO. ANY HF FREUQENCY ENDING IN DECIMAL 6 WILL BE CHANGED TO DECIMAL ZERO. REPEAT AGAIN EFFECTIVE 13 MAY 2007, THIS IS DUE TO ARMED FORCES DAY. 4. PROVIDING THE REIGNS OF COMMUNCIATIONSIN EMERGENCIES SIGN DON POQUETTE, AGA3C CHIEF AF MARS

ARMED FORCES DAY (2007)

DE AGA3C NR 04 R 281420Z MAR 2007 FROM AGA3C, IL TO ALL AF MARS MEMBERS AND STATIONS SUBJECT: SHARES 1. ALL AF MARS MEMBERS SHOULD NOTE WHEN APPLYING FOR SHARES, THE ONLY VOICE FREQUENCIES THAT SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE FORM ARE TVE, TVD, TVC, TVB. 2. ALL OTHER AF MARS VOICE FREQUENCIES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR SHARES USE. 3. AIR FORCE MARS, PROVIDING THE REINS OF COMMAND--IN EMERGENCIES SIGNED DON POQUETTE, AGA3C CHIEF AF MARS

DE AGA3C NR 04 R 261930Z MAR 2007 FM AGA3C, IL TO ALL AF MARS MEMBERS AND STATIONS ZEN ARMY MARS CHIEF ZEN NAVY-MARINECORP MARS CHIEF BT SUBJECT AF MARS CAST 07-04 USAF MARS SPECIAL EVENT STATION 1. FLORIDA USAF MARS WILL OPERATE A SPECIAL EVENT STATION, CALL SIGN AGA2MD FROM MACDILL AFB, AIRFEST 2007 ON SATURDAY MARCH 31 AND SUNDAY APRIL 01, 2007 AS FOLLOWS: A. TRANSCON NET BEGINNING AT 09:00 HOURS EASTERN TIME (1300Z) TO END OF DAILY AIR SHOW. PRIMARY FREQUENCY DESIGNATOR TANGO VICTOR ECHO (TVE). B. REGION 2 NET ;BEGINNING AT 10:00 HOURS EASTERN TIME (1400Z) TO END OF DAILY AIR SHOW. PRIMARY FREQUENCY DESIGNATOR ROMEO FOXTROT (RF) 2. STATIONS ARE INVITED TO CHECK INTO THE ABOVE NETS AS APPLICABLE. SIGNED DON POQUETTE, AGA3C CHIEF AF MARS

DE AGA3C NR 03 R 121600Z FEB 2007 FM AGA3C, IL TO ALL AF MARS MEMBERS AND STATIONS ZEN NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS CHIEF ZEN ARMY MARS CHIEF BT SUBJECT RECENT EVENTS 1. AS OF MAY 2006 IT SEEMS THAT THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION OR NTIA HAS PLACED STRICTER SPECIFICATIONS ON HF RADIO EQUIPMENT. UNTIL I GET FURTHER GUIDANCE, WE WILL SUSTAIN OUR CURRENT HF OPERATIONS. FREQUENCY TOLERANCE OF PLUS OR MINUS 20 HERTZ, AND UNWANTED EMISSIONS WILL MEET OR EXCEED THE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURES SPECIFICATIONS. 2. THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THE VHF NARROW BANDING. 3. AS A SIDE NOTE, THE FCC DOES NOT REGULATE GOVERNMENT FREQUENCIES. THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE NTIA. 4. DUE TO LIMITED FREQUENCIES AND OTHER LOGISTICAL SITUATIONS, I HAVE DECIDED TO POST PONE THE REGION RESTRUCTURING. 5. WITH THE UPCOMING HURRICANE SEASON, I WILL BEGIN ISSUING THE DD FORM 2350 MARS DISASTER ID CARD. A NEW CHAPTER HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND WILL BE STRICTLY ADHERED TO. NOT ALL AF MARS MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE A DISASTER ID CARD. 6. PROVIDING THE REINS OF COMMAND--IN EMERGENCIES SIGNED DON POQUETTE AGA3C

CHAPTER 19

Previous MARS Broadcasts