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| (Courtesy Architect of the Capitol) |
A committee report accompanying the National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2013 calls on the Pentagon to "clarify
and maintain policy oversight of MARS within the Office of the Secretary of
Defense" and to appoint one person to coordinate the policies and
activities of volunteer group across the Army, Air Force and Navy/Marine Corps.
Currently, the Military Auxiliary Radio System operates independently in each
service. The ARRL Letter says the report from the House Armed Services
Committee recognized MARS as "an important back-up" to government
communication systems but noted that oversight is unclear due to a recent
Pentagon reorganization and that there is a lack of standardization among the
three MARS branches.
