Special Thanks Amateur Radio Operators
Emery W McClendon (KB9IBW)
on
January 16, 2007
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I want to take the time to say thank you to all of the Amateur Radio Clubs, Operators, and to the Communities that helped us make ARMAD (Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day) successful in the past year. Through our events we were able to promote the Amateur Radio hobby, as well as give positive support to those that serve in the Armed Forces. It means a lot for those in uniform, and their family members to hear positive support from the people of communities all over the U.S. and the World. It is not very often that our Troops, and Veterans get to hear a thank you or have support shown to them.
ARMAD is proud to have Amateur Radio Operators that give up their time and equipment during these events to demonstrate what we can do to make someone feel cared for.
I want to thank each of you for your dedication, and time as we seek to pass traffic, and allow the public to express thanks over the airwaves. Through our hobby we are able to link communities worldwide during these events.
The Fort Wayne area Amateur Radio Operators deserve a special thanks, as they have been instrumental during each event. They have given up their time sometimes under conditions of only a few hours notice to help provide this service to our community.
We have received many thanks from Military Support Groups, Troops, family members, and the media for using Amateur Radio to provide this service. As a result we are being asked to provide this service more in the future. ARMAD exists to promote our hobby, and to work with Amateur Radio Clubs, and Organizations. As we all work together we can spread the word about this hobby, and gain new operators that will help us continue to move forward into the future.
Amateur Radio is an excellent way to provide real time communications for community events thereby allowing the members of our communities the opportunity to explore our hobby. ARMAD has been asked to explain our mission as well as to promote our hobby on Radio, and Television shows as well as in the written media. This has provided the opportunity to promote the hobby to the public.
Thank you again Amateur Radio Operators for your dedication and support. Let's keep the hobby going by providing more events like this in the future along with emergency communications so that our neighbors, family, and friends can see the benefits of our hobby.
Be sure to visit www.armad.net for updates about future events for 2007, and beyond. Also, if ARMAD can assist your Club or group in any way with special events please contact us. We also invite your ideas as to how we can better serve our communities during ARMAD and other Amateur Radio Special Events.
Let's "Ham It Up For The Troops."
Sincerely,
Emery McClendon / KB9IBW
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Special Thanks Amateur Radio Operators
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by N6AJR on January 16, 2007
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Mail this to a friend!
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Always glad to help out the military.
Ny favorite memory from Nam is going to the mars shack and "hello Ma, over"
I know this is different, but thanks any how, Only a vet knows how musch is given to keep this land free..
God Bless
tom
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RE: Special Thanks Amateur Radio Operators
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by LNXAUTHOR on January 17, 2007
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- sounds like National Military Appreciation Month in May is a great way to express appreciation for our men and women in uniform (and those who've served before)... and a great way to gear up for Field Day!
- tks for the article!
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RE: Special Thanks Amateur Radio Operators
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by W4LGH on January 17, 2007
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AMRAD is a GREAT way to support our Troops! And have a little fun too! They will also help you out with your special event too!
73 de W4LGH - Alan
http://www.w4lgh.com
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RE: Special Thanks Amateur Radio Operators
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by N5LX on January 17, 2007
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Speaking of Military radio -- sort of..
I was in Vietnam as a pilot and now fly commercially and I remember standing in those long lines to send a 25 word MARSGRAM (that sometimes actually made it) or having to get on the radio and say OVER all the time when we called home ... but at that time -- in the early 70's -- that was cutting edge technology and also the best feeling in the world to be able to talk to the family from 8000 miles and an entire world away. I remember that we all thought the MARS guys walked on water for letting us use the equipment to talk home and send messages.
Fast forward to today and both my boys are deployed officers (one USMC the other Army) over in the "sandbox" right now and i have to actually say its incredible that we stay in touch with them both via cellphones and internet connectivity availabe all throughout their bases -- and i am so happy for that.
I guess the MARS of yesterday has been replaced by the CINGULAR of today.
Seems a mere 35 years after Vietnam and now soldiers are going into combat with cellphones and internet capable laptops and staying in touch with family and friends that way.
Technology has certainly changed.
My boy thats in the Army says that they do still have a MARS station set up somewhere he thinks and he will try to use it once before he leaves there just to tell his kids that he too, like grandpa, used the MARS, but when he can pick up a cellphone and pay pennies to call me per minute, or sign onto the internet and send us videos and pictures from him instantaneously -- its hard to get the younger guys excited over a technology that still requires you to say "OVER" after each sentence.- LOL
But my hat off to the ARMAD folks who are doing this. Helps remind folks here in the states that we still have folks in harms way everyday and should not be forgotten.
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RE: Special Thanks Amateur Radio Operators
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by KX8N on January 18, 2007
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" -- its hard to get the younger guys excited over a technology that still requires you to say "OVER" after each sentence.- LOL "
I think the interest is just something you have to have on your own - you can't talk people into getting excited about ham radio anymore than you can talk people into collecting stamps, knitting, amateur astronomy, etc. Yet people participate in those hobbies every single day.
I guess what we CAN do, though, is expose others to amateur radio and show them what a good time WE are having with it. Maybe our enthusiasm will rub off on them.
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Special Thanks Amateur Radio Operators
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by KB9IBW on January 20, 2007
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Amateur Radio Military Appreciation is an event that links our hobby directly to the public, to our Troops, and Veterans. Many people used MARS to get messages to deployed Troops, and many of us that served overseas used MARS to send messages home, and to speak to loved ones.
ARMAD seeks to bring the people of communites together to express live messages of thans and appreciation directly over the air thereby demonstrating our hobby in real time. ARMAD is a Special Event, and Public Service that helps to promote Amateur Radio.
The more Amateur Radio Stations that are on the air during ARMAD, the better we promote the hobby, and help those that serve and our Veterans know that they have support.
Thanks again to all that help us fulfill our mission during ARMAD. Together we can help Amateur Radio continue to grow, and give people a hands on experience with Amateur Radio. We also gain media attention so that the people of our communities, and the Troops know what we are doing to let them know we care.
Lets "Ham It Up For The Troops."
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MARS is Still Alive and Well
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by KC2WI on January 23, 2007
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MARS is still alive and well, and we do still occasionally pass some "morale traffic." (Probably most often this is in the form of a phone patch from an aircraft in flight on the USAF MARS phone patch net.)
We always look forward to directly helping any serviceman or woman. However, the focus has shifted from communications between deployed personnel and "the states" to serving the country with emergency communications ("ECOM") and backup comms for the military and government agencies that would be active in any major disaster. We are proud and pleased that we can be of service to our country in this new role.
In the northeast US, USAF MARS is the lead agency in a large-scale exercise this February. See the USAF MARS Region One web site www.marsregionone.org for more information.
MARS membership is open to all hams. It is a great way to put your HF expertise and equipment to good use in a well-organized, structured, and disciplined organization. Consider joining MARS and becoming a part of this service to the nation.
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