DE NNN0ASA 050
R 292200Z MAY 2008
FM CHNAVMARCORMARS WILLIAMSBURG VA
TO ALNAVMARCORMARS
INFO CHIEF ARMY MARS FT HUACHUCA AZ
CHIEF AIR FORCE MARS SCOTT AFB IL
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UNCLAS
SUBJ: CHNAVMARCORMARS BCST 06-08
A. DRAFT RADIOTELEGRAPH PROCEDURES
1. WHEN I ASSUMED THE CHIEF, NAVMARCORMARS POSITION IN NOVEMBER, 1997, 
WE WERE MORE THAN A YEAR INTO THE DOD MANDATED BAN ON CW ON MARS 
FREQUENCIES.
A. SINCE THAT TIME THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION HAS, IN STEPS, 
ELIMINATED THE MORSE CODE REQUIREMENT FOR AN AMATEUR LICENSE. ALL 
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATORS KNOW THAT WHEN VOICE AND OTHER DIGITAL MODES 
SLOW TO A CRAWL OR BECOME UNUSABLE, CW CAN STILL BE USED. 
B. I REMEMBER THE NORTHEAST ICE STORM SHORTLY AFTER I BECAME CHIEF AND 
THE UNNECESSARILY LENGTHY EFFORT BY ALL OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND TO 
RECEIVE ONE VOICE EEI FROM A NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND MEMBER WHOSE ANTENNA 
WAS COVERED IN ICE AND LYING ON THE GROUND. IT TOOK OVER AN HOUR WHEN 
CW COULD HAVE HANDLED IT IN A FEW MINUTES. 
C. AS MORE AND MORE OF OUR MEMBERS ENTER MARS WITH NO MORSE CODE 
EXPERIENCE, I AM AFRAID THAT WE WILL SOON LOSE THAT SKILL SET IF WE 
DON'T DO SOMETHING.
2. IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE AND EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, AREA AND REGION 
DIRECTORS ARE AUTHORIZED TO ESTABLISH CW TRAINING AND TRAFFIC NETS IN 
THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS AND REGIONS. ALL STATE DIRECTORS ARE STRONGLY 
ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN CONDUCTING TRAINING IN CW ON THEIR TRAFFIC AND 
TRAINING NETS.
3. SINCE THE RADIOTELEGRAPH PROCEDURES WERE ELIMINATED BEFORE THE 
PUBLICATION OF NTP 8(C), REF A WILL BE POSTED UNDER THE DOCUMENTS TAB 
ON THE NATIONAL WEB PAGE SOON. USE THESE DRAFT PROCEDURES UNTIL A FINAL 
TRI-SERVICE MARS PROCEDURE FOR RADIOTELEGRAPH IS DEVELOPED AND 
PROMULGATED.
4. MARS: TOGETHER WE CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING.
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