Monday, June 14, 2021

A Tale of Two SATERNs


Among hams, SATERN has long been an acronym for the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network. Now, according to the ARRL, it also stands for Strategic Auxiliary Team Emergency Readiness Net, a new group organized by former Salvation Army SATERN manager Lee Glassman, WA5LEE. To make matters even more confusing, the "new SATERN" holds daily nets on 14.265 MHz, the frequency formerly used by the original SATERN for its daily nets, which have now been moved to 14.325 MHz on a reduced 3-day-a-week schedule.

Logo of the "new" SATERN - Strategic
Auxiliary Team Emergency Readiness Net

Salvation Army SATERN National Committee Chair Michele Heaver told ARRL that her organization considers the new SATERN to be a "breakaway" group, does not support it and has no association with it. Glassman reportedly took the action because of "a conflict of ideals," including increased credentialing requirements and background checks being imposed by The Salvation Army on net members, and because it stopped holding daily nets on 14.265. He said his new group used the same acronym and frequency because they were already familiar to net participants.