MORSE CODE RETURNING TO MARS

[OLIVIER F6DGU]

Just received from ALFREDO DE CRISTOFARO IK6IJF/RO
QUOTE
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/june2008/mars_morse_code.htm
Morse Code Returning to MARS

After more than a dozen years, Morse code will soon be returning to
Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) nets. In the mid-1990s, the
Department of Defense (DoD) did away with CW operation across the
board -- including MARS nets -- as automatic systems such as the
Internet, SATCOM, cell phones and e-mail became available and the
payroll cost of manual operators escalated.

MARS members who had embraced CW operation knew that Morse code, the
most "digital" mode of all, was an important tool for Emergency
Communications. After Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the need for more
robust -- not to mention quickly deployable EmComm resources -- some
MARS members led a campaign to resume CW operations on their nets.
This resulted in the Chiefs of Army MARS and Navy-Marine Corps MARS
calling for a census of interested MARS members as the first step to
reactivating regular training nets.

Army MARS Chief Stu Carter told his members last October, "We are
pushing for the Department of Defense to use CW again." He designated
CW veteran Grant Hays, WB6OTS -- Operations Chief for Army
MARS at its Fort Huachuca, Arizona headquarters -- to coordinate the
effort. Like many hams who are skilled at Morse code, Hays, an ARRL
Life Member and active ARES/RACES participant in Arizona, has taken a
leading role in introducing new technology such as WinLink.

Army MARS launched a limited test of CW nets in four Midwestern states
in late 2007. During a DoD interoperability test this past March, a
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) station used it to
communicate with Ft Huachuca.

In announcing the return of CW to MARS nets, Navy-Marine Corps MARS
Chief Bo Lindfors cited an emergency where CW was sorely missed: "I
remember the [1998] Northeast Ice Storm shortly after I became [Navy-
Marine Corps MARS] Chief and the unnecessarily lengthy effort by all
of southern New England to receive one voice EEI [Essential Elements
of Information Report] from a northern New England member whose
antenna was covered in ice and lying on the ground. It took more than
an hour when CW could have handled it in a few minutes. 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."

Army MARS Chief Carter said the imminent return of CW will not replace
modes such as WinLink, Pactor 3 and MT63. "Our CW nets will focus on
maintenance of skills and will necessarily be limited by the shortage
of available frequencies and trained members," he said. "But if
members want to add CW to their skills, the nets will be available for
training."

MARS's primary mission is providing auxiliary communications to the US
Military and emergency communications to such national agencies as
FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. MARS is also available
to assist state and local emergency response agencies, and public and
select private agencies such as the Red Cross. On a day-to-day basis,
MARS members are available to handle messages to and from servicemen
and women on active duty, in the reserve or guard, or retired, as well
as certain employees of the federal government who are stationed
outside the US. The three MARS programs -- Army MARS, Air Force MARS
and Navy-Marine Corps MARS -- consist of a volunteer force of more
than 5000 skilled Amateur Radio operators.
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