[Oremem/Idamem] All Oregon Army MARS Members

[leo]

Greetings All,

Contacts with AAM6O questioning the mission and the clients of Army MARS
reflected the feelings of more than one member of Army MARS - Who uses our
services? The following information is MOST IMPORTANT!  If we use this
information, Army MARS will have been identified with more than enough
government clients to keep us all hopping - and our Army MARS emergency
communications system will be hopefully foremost in emergency
communications.

Investigation into government agencies purported to be clients of Army MARS
emergency communications has shown a lack of serious intent by those(?)
agencies.  The bottom line of these discussions is as follows:

1.  Government agencies who should be using Army MARS emergency
communications are sadly lacking in basic information about Army MARS.
1-A. Who then is responsible for this situation?  The membership, plain and
simple.
2.  How can this situation be remedied?  By the membership, even plainer.

Let's analyze a solution to the governmental ignorance of the effectiveness
of the well-trained and dedicated membership of Army MARS.

Each agency within the government has oversight by a government committee.
Each committee's membership is comprised of our Congressional
representatives.  Get the picture?  If everyone of the Army MARS members
were to contact their Congressional representatives with a letter of
introduction and explanation of Army MARS abilities, that information would
be carried down to those committees with agency oversight responsibilities.
The agencies would then have information and cause to investigate the
possibility of becoming an Army MARS client!

Here is a means of promoting the mission of Army MARS where it counts, where
we have the best chance of getting results.  Remember, this is an election
year.

It is very easy to contact one's representatives, House and Senate, by using
the internet. Enter US Government in any search engine and you will be led
to a site that will allow you to email your reps. Please, Please DO SO!

Also, there is a listing which I will print below which allows one to
contact ANY government agency.  I used it to contact the National
Communications Service (they use SHARES at the present time) and it was very
easy to do.  The list is exhaustive - every agency is listed - just pick out
a few and send a letter requesting they contact Chief Army MARS for full
information on the use of Army MARS emergency communications. This will
ensure we have access to the government agencies from committee to direct
agency contacts.

The agency listing is as follows:

www.lib.lslu.edu/gov/alpha

This will give one a complete listing of nearly 1,000 government agencies.
Select those you think are good prospective customers.  Following is my
message to NCS.  You may use it as a platform for your own letter.

Dear Sirs;

The SHARES system is manned primarily by MARS members, and yet it seems your
organization has overlooked the MARS tri-service systems as a means of
emergency communications network.

I speak from membership in Oregon Army MARS and can tell you that Army MARS
has over 5,000 radio operators, trained, equipped and ready to serve our
nation and your agency with a highly dedicated organization.

Chief Army MARS can be contacted at Fort Huachuca, Arizona for further
information on the extent and effectiveness of Army MARS emergency
communications operations. I sincerely hope you contact Chief Bob Sutton
with a ready mind to include Army MARS in your efforts to serve our nation.

Thank you for your time. A reply would be most appreciated.

73's
leo griffin
Oregon Army MARS Member / AAR0NH
Newport, Oregon

We may all harbor doubts as to the effectiveness of our service to Army MARS
from the standpoint of "real" use as an emergency communications system.  We
train and practice, but seldom see any interface with government agencies.
Well, here is one way to correct this problem.  We can't expect HQ to do the
job - we have to use the power of our political votes to get the attention
of those who can use Army MARS as it should be used.

I hope you all take this to heart and act on this information.  It is for
the betterment of all of us and for Army MARS.  Any questions, comments, or
otherwise may be directed to me at:
paupo@charter.net

73's
leo
AAR0NH