The ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
– along with individual hams – teamed up with Army and Air Force MARS in
February for a quarterly Defense Department communications exercise. According
to the ARRL Letter, more than 300
non-MARS members joined with Military Auxiliary Radio System members to provide
reports from 312 counties around the U.S. during a simulated widespread loss of
telephone and Internet service. Army MARS Program Officer Paul English, WD8DBY,
said military officials were "very pleased with the outcome of the
exercise and especially with the number of amateur radio stations that
participated on a weekday and the number of unique county reports
received." He said one of the exercise's goals was to develop local
working relationships between MARS, ARES groups, local clubs and individual
amateurs.
News and information of interest to ham radio operators from CQ Amateur Radio magazine, the world's leading independent ham radio magazine.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
ARES Supports MARS Exercise
The ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
– along with individual hams – teamed up with Army and Air Force MARS in
February for a quarterly Defense Department communications exercise. According
to the ARRL Letter, more than 300
non-MARS members joined with Military Auxiliary Radio System members to provide
reports from 312 counties around the U.S. during a simulated widespread loss of
telephone and Internet service. Army MARS Program Officer Paul English, WD8DBY,
said military officials were "very pleased with the outcome of the
exercise and especially with the number of amateur radio stations that
participated on a weekday and the number of unique county reports
received." He said one of the exercise's goals was to develop local
working relationships between MARS, ARES groups, local clubs and individual
amateurs.