[Milsurplus] Goverment Liquidators (and MARS)

[Mike Morrow]

On 4/26/05, Peter Gottlieb <nerd at verizon.net> wrote:

> Right, as far as I know the surplus program at MARS
> is completely shut down.

I was in Navy-Marine Corps MARS from 1968 to 1981 (N0LTD), and Army MARS from 1982 to 1986 (AAT6UI).  I never heard of any equipment issue in Army MARS during the time I was in, but I didn't pay much attention to that aspect and maybe some equipment issue was taking place.

In the late 1960s, NAVMARCOR MARS had the following types of gear for issue in the Eighth Naval District:

BC-348, R-105/ARR-15, AN/SRR-13 and -13A, AN/FRR-23,
AN/PRC-6, -34, and -36, RT-68/GRC, plus various types
of RATT gear. 

I never saw any "command set" or TCS gear for issue, and during this time the Navy had a few aircraft using neat stuff like the R-23/ARC-5 and AN/ARC-2 still flying.

I was issued an ARR-15, SRR-13A, and PRC-6, -34, and -36 between 1968 and 1970.

Unlike Army and USAF MARS of that era, the Navy did NOT drop accountability for issued equipment, and the gear had to be turned in if a member left MARS.  In the early 1970s, I needed some odd solder-in subminiature tubes for the SRR-13A.  Because it was still government property, I was able to get the tubes I needed through regular military supply channels at a nearby USAF base.  In the mid-1970s, I received back the accountability forms I'd signed with a letter saying the equipment was judged unsuitable for future recall.  The Army and USAF MARS equipment issue program had some minor scandals in the late 1960s which, IIRC, caused them to adopt an accountability program similar to the Navy's.

My dad had been in USAF MARS (AF5WRR) in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  He was issued a NIB BC-191, a SCR-522, and several SCR-274 and ARC-5 receivers and transmitters.  Unfortunately, the BC-191 got chopped up to make a linear amp.  This era was likely the high point of the MARS equipment issue program.  

I typically spent about 20 hours per week on Vietnam-era Navy MARS circuits, until entering the military myself after high school curtailed most of my participation.  Real Vietnam and recruit depot related serviceman traffic comprised the majority of the messages handled.  Today, about 99.99 percent of the messages handled by today's MARS is self-generated administrative and training traffic.  Worse, about 10 years ago all MARS organizations *banned* the use of Morse, even for training.  Even MARS repeater IDs were no longer allowed to utilize Morse.  Sad.

73,
Mike / KK5F