Air Force MARS

[W3KPQ]

Who can I contact about being a member of the A.F. Mars program?  Any help will be appreciate. I am a resident of PA.

Thanks
de ron w3kpq

[W3LK]

http://public.afca.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=7037

Lon - NNN0OOR (Former MDE SMD, Deputy SMD, Assistant For Net Operations)
Southern New England Navy-Marine Corps MARS
Proudly Serving Those Who Serve

[W3KPQ]

To: W3LK  Thanks for the info.

W3KPQ

ROn

[W3LK]

Ron:

If you don't have any luck with AF MARS, the Navy-Marine Corps MARS site is www.navymars.org.

Lon - NNN0OOR (Former MDE SMD, Deputy SMD, Assistant For Net Operations)
Southern New England Navy-Marine Corps MARS
Proudly Serving Those Who Serve

[W4LTX]

At the moment it seems difficult to join AF MARS.  Best bet is to consider Army or Navy/Marine MARS as both organizations have a professional paid administrative staff to promptly process applications.
God bless,
Pudge AAR3RF

[W3KPQ]

Thanks for the info, have been trying now for awhile and finally sent one to an AF person in PA abt 2wks aga and havent heard anything back as of today.

de Ron W3KPQ

[W3LK]

I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that AF MARS has moved primarily to VHF and essentially supports local comms for nearby bases. If I am incorrect, I'd love for someone from AF MARS to come aboard and give the correct information. It won't hurt my feelings.

Personally, unless I lived very close to an Air Force base, or has a strong AF background, I'd look at the other two services, especially if I was interested in HF communications.

Lon - NNN0OOR (Former MDE SMD, Deputy SMD, Assistant For Net Operations)
Southern New England Navy-Marine Corps MARS
Proudly Serving Those Who Serve

[KA0P]

AF Mars has not moved to VHF as primary operation. In areas where there is a base, or a large number of members there is probably VHF operation either on a repeater or simplex, but the primary operation is HF. I am a long time AF Mars member, since 1972. Our operation , though small is primary HF. One of the reasons is probably that our frequencies have usually been somewhat removed from the amateur bands, and , not reachable within the VFO band  coverage overlap of 1950-1980 generations of equipment.  

It is primarily run by volunteer affiliates handling the day to day business as their schedules allow. The primary net operation is the region HF net. Once a person finishes training, there are digital nets, digital pbbs operations, a daily Transcon net, and phone patch nets (authorization required).

I and would be glad to provide whatever information I can to anyone considering AF MARS.

[W3KPQ]

Thanks for the info.  I am awaiting for the Navy to ok my app.

Thanks again
de Ron W3KPQ

[KB1RBF]

Thought I'd jump in as I'm looking into MARS, myself.  
I fired off contacts to both Air Force and Navy-Marine Corp MARS last night.  As this thread bears out, I received an e-mail from the Navy first thing this morning they had already forwarded my info to the regional manager and were very courteous.  I'm waiting for the Air Force to get back to me.  It's only been 24 hours but I'm willing to bet that I don't hear from the Air Force.  It's a shame, as I'm an Air Force Vet.  LOL!
I suppose that if I learned nothing else, while on active duty, it's this: The AF has perfected the concept of "hurry up and wait".
:0)
73!
Gene KB1RBF

[KC2LSU]

Take a look at their website, it was where I was directed to by the email from their incoming chief, back in the summer of 08

http://www.marsregionone.org

[KA0P]

If you have not yet heard from AF, let me know what state you are in and will see if I can help. I am in AF Mars in  Missouri. AF Mars is undergoing a transition to a new Region structure starting 1 Jan, and official are busy assigning new callsigns to most stations, and 1 Jan is usually a date for some officials to step down and new ones take over, so that may be part of the delay.  

[KA9QWC]

Ron/w3pkg,

I assume by now you may of received sufficient information in regards to
your initial question on Air Force MARS?

I became interested in MARS for several reasons; but primarily due to the
service and support I received while in the army and stationed on Engineer
Hill in Vietnam located near the Pleiku Air Base. I used the Air Force MARS
station at the air base and later down at Dalat from the Army Signal Corps
operators.

The MARS service gave me great pleasure for being able communicate with my
family at home in Indiana while stationed in RVN during my tour. That is
what I defined as service and support for my morale and that of my family
too.

Appreciating and remembering those services after retiring from the army
gave me inspiration to join one of the MARS programs when getting my ham
license. And I want to comment briefly on this joining scenario. I signed
a note pad on the various MARS tables at about every ham fest here in the
Hoosier state. Finally sometime between 2 or 3 years later I received my
1st response. And that happened to be the Air Force and the program I still
remain in to this day.

Having said all that above I have not only been a member of AFMARS using
various modes besides voice, but also checked into the other MARS service
nets such as the Army and Navy. That also eventually led to my turn at
helping to staff the MARS table at the Fort Wayne hamfests. In my personal
opinion the operators of all the MARS services are a great group.

Further with the changes in time from Vietnam and technology in the world
since - communications as we knew it has also changed. Today my grandson
in Iraq has the convenience of frequent email and chat on a laptop computer.

With the alerations in technolgogy and the MARS services we still have a
mission as radio operators. Most recently this mission has been supporting
the role of providing communications in the time of emergency. Certainly
this fact has surfaced significantly during the recent enormous wide area
power outages experienced from the wrath of mother nature that shut down
electricity, telephone and cell phone services.

Hope I did not bore you or anyone else to tears.

Don Evilsizor /KA9QWC Formerly /AFA1OK now /AFA5ED
ka9qwc@arrl.net