[HCRA] FW: [VWS] Military Hams in Iraq - equipment needed

[Daniel Sullivan]

Please pass this around and help the guys and gals over there out if you
can.

 

Dan Sullivan

KO1D

 

  _____  

From: VWS-owner at mail.viennawireless.org
[mailto:VWS-owner at mail.viennawireless.org] On Behalf Of Don Arthur
Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 9:08 PM
To: VWS at mail.viennawireless.org
Subject: [VWS] Military Hams in Iraq - equipment needed

 

Fellow VWS members, 

Below is a note from the hams in Iraq (remember reading about them in QST?).
They are looking for donations of equipment for the Camp Victory ham club
they've established.

I'll be at the meeting on Friday and will be happy to act as a conduit if
any of you have items you would like to donate.

73, Don 
____________________________________ 
Don Arthur - K1DCA 

 

Fellow Hams, 

On behalf of our deployed soldiers in Baghdad, I'd like to ask for your help
in resourcing an amateur radio club station that is standing up at Camp
Victory, Iraq.

I can speak about life at Camp Victory from first hand experience as I was
part of the first group that came in an occupied the area.  Prior to April
2003, Camp Victory was one of Saddam's palace complexes.  The walled
compound is enormous, with it's most prominent feature being the series of
man-made lakes and two major palace buildings which we occupied for the V
Corps, later CJTF-7, now NMC-I Headquarters.  The area is located near the
Baghdad International Airport (known to the military as BIAP) and about 6
miles from the Green Zone.  While this complex was designed to serve as a
resort for the Ba'ath Party elite, it's now a major center for our military
operations in theater.  While the palaces and lakes of Camp Victory can make
you believe that you are light-years away from a war zone, the nightly
mortar and rocket attacks as well as the regular gun fire provides a
constant reminder that this is no vacation.

Some of you may be familiar with LTC Bruce McPherson (AB3AC/YI9AC) who wrote
an article in the March 2006 QST entitled "VE Testing in Iraq: How to set up
a test session in a Combat Zone".  I asked LTC McPherson about what support
our military hams needed in Iraq and he was put me in touch with SFC Saraos
"Gio" Giovanni (KF4ESG/YI9ESG) who is back in Iraq for his second tour at
Camp Victory.

Through the hard work of Gio, the newly formed Baghdad Amateur Radio Society
(BARS) has acquired a room in the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR)
building.  The intent is to setup a MARS/club station for BARS that will be
available to all amateur radio operators serving in and around Baghdad.
Their current equipment is quite limited, only a 3-element beam and some
coax.  Their initial goal is to setup an HF station with a PACTOR capable
MODEM in order to use MARS BBS and Winlink2000/Airmail.

If you have equipment (old or new) that you can contribute to this newly
formed club station here is the mailing address:

        SFC Giovanni Saraos 
        MNC-I CMD GRP/PSD 
        APO AE 09342 

Additionally, Gio will be here in the Hampton Roads, VA area to attend some
training from 15-20 May.  If your club would like an opportunity to meet Gio
and hear about amateur radio operations in Iraq, please let me know.

73 Scott AD7MI 
scott.hedberg at us.army.mil