[FedCom] MARS Gets New Name As It Fine Tunes Mission

[Bill]

>
> MARS Gets New Name As It Fine Tunes Mission
>
>
> On Wednesday, December 23, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued an
> Instruction <http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/465002p.pdf>
> concerning MARS, effective immediately. This Instruction gives the three
> MARS services -- Army, Air Force and Navy/Marine Corps -- a new focus on
> homeland security and a new name: Military Auxiliary Radio System. The
> Instruction is the first major
> <http://www.arrl.org/news/files/dod46502_1988.doc>  revision to MARS since
> January 26, 1988 -- as such, the first revision since the 9/11 attacks and
> Hurricane Katrina, two major events that changed the way Amateur Radio 
> dealt
> with emergency communications.
>
> The DoD defines a "military auxiliary" as "an organized body of volunteers
> prepared to supplement the uniformed services or any designated civilian
> authorities by provision of specialized autonomous services when called 
> upon
> or when situations warrant," and gives the Civil Air Patrol and Coast 
> Guard
> Auxiliary as examples of auxiliaries.
>
> In the past, MARS had focused primarily on emergency communications and
> health and welfare support. The DoD's Instruction now directs the three 
> MARS
> services to provide "contingency radio communications" to support US
> government operations, DoD components and "civil authorities at all 
> levels,"
> providing for national security and emergency preparedness events. MARS
> units will still continue to provide health and welfare communications
> support "to military members, civilian employees and contractors of DoD
> Components, and civil agency employees and contractors, when in remote or
> isolated areas, in contingencies or whenever appropriate." MARS must also 
> be
> capable of operation in "radio only" modes -- without landlines or the
> Internet -- and sustainable on emergency power (when public utility power
> has failed); some MARS stations must be transportable for timely 
> deployment.
>
> The Instruction, however, does not mention which of the three MARS 
> services
> will take the lead when responding to events. According to sources, this 
> has
> been seen as a critical issue in conforming to the National Incident
> Management System (NIMS) that calls for "unity of command." As now
> constituted, the three separate MARS services are supposed do
> "interoperate," but command-wise, each operates independently. Some MARS
> members had urged clarification on this issue to avoid confusion during an
> emergency, sources said.
>
> The Secretaries of the Army, Air Force and Navy are to encourage
> participation in MARS, the Instruction states, saying this may be
> accomplished "by establishing and funding an active MARS program within 
> each
> Military Department, which shall then assign a MARS-licensed staff
> representative to manage operations, readiness, planning, procedural and
> technical development, documentation, standards, training, equipment,
> program and membership administration, and other matters necessary for
> mission accomplishment."
>
> The Secretaries are also tasked with bringing new personnel into their 
> MARS
> services. The Instruction calls on them to establish programs "to promote
> civilian interest, recruit qualified volunteers, sponsor them for basic
> background checks and furnish them suitable training in contingency 
> support
> communications."
>
> The Instruction also dictates that MARS leaders will now report to three 
> DoD
> officials; before this revision, they only reported to one person. The
> Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security and Americas Security
> Affairs (ASD [HD&ASA]) now has primary responsibility for the MARS Defense
> Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) mission. In addition, MARS leaders 
> will
> report to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information
> Integration/DoD Chief Information Officer (ASD[NII]/DoD CIO) and the
> Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Material Readiness
> (ASD[L&MR]). In the 1998 charter, oversight of MARS was assigned to a 
> single
> top official, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control,
> Communications and Intelligence.
>
> This revision -- which was years in the making -- keeps the Navy/Marine
> Corps MARS intact; until now, members of this MARS service were concerned
> that their part of MARS might be terminated by Navy commanders.
>
> The Instruction also gives some new perks to MARS members. Active duty
> military personnel who are affiliated with MARS may be able to earn 
> Reserve
> points based on service in MARS and, in cases of permanent change of
> station, qualify for weight exemption for transportation of MARS
> communications equipment. All members may be considered for benefits
> associated with DoD civilian service, such as access to DoD morale, 
> welfare
> and recreation Category C recreational facilities and access to DoD credit
> unions.
>
> Membership in any of the three MARS services is open to qualified active
> duty, Guard and Reserve personnel, as well as those in civilian agencies 
> who
> report to civil authorities or their supporting organizations (including
> nongovernmental organizations) and private US citizens who meet age,
> education and other criteria -- such as an FCC-issued Amateur Radio 
> license
> -- imposed by a DoD Component MARS office.
>
>
>
>
>
> =================================================


Bill Dunn    N1KUG
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