[SMCARA] USNS APACHE

[Grant Graessle]

By the way,
I forgot to tell you all that I am pretty computer savvy and did a little
searching on the internet. 
MSC had already been contacted and the PAO office was able to provide me
with the snail mail address, but not much else... like "what are they doing
here?" 
You would think that would be an easy one. 

There was a day when data was published in a paper format (I think that the
paper informational transfer devices were called books).  I figured one of
you Elmer pack rats might have kept on old "book" that had POCs in them. 

Don't mind my sarcasm. 

THX!
KE4RTJ

-----Original Message-----
From: Franc, Steve M. CIV NAVAIR PMA 248 [mailto:stephen.franc at navy.mil] 
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 12:08 PM
To: stewfoot at verizon.net
Subject: RE: [SMCARA] USNS APACHE

 Here is a website for the Military Sealift Command.. Maybe they can help..


webmaster at msc.navy.mil

Steve/K3EZ

-----Original Message-----
From: Franc, Steve M. CIV NAVAIR PMA 248 
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 12:05
To: stewfoot at verizon.net
Subject: RE: [SMCARA] USNS APACHE

 Grant...  You may be able to get additional address information for the
Apache by contacting:

Point Of Contact
Public Affairs Office
Military Sealift Command
Washington, DC 20398-5540
(202) 685-5055 

73's de Steve/K3EZ


-----Original Message-----
From: smcara-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:smcara-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Clarke, Tom AIR4.0P NATOPS
Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 11:42
To: stewfoot at verizon.net
Cc: SMCARA Reflector (E-mail)
Subject: Re: [SMCARA] USNS APACHE

All righty! Good for him!

MARS is pretty much out of the "morale" business, i.e., we don't send
MARSGRAMS anymore. Also MARS tends to discourage email, preferring to keep
the HF backup network viable. Everything is concentrated on emergency Comm
backup to the national command authority and our only traffic is admin and
occasional practice EEI messages (essential elements of information) hoping
to provide early reporting of disasters, damage, weather, civil unrest, etc.
The theory is that MARS/Hams can react quickly to provide some simple,
initial responder type Comm support, while waiting for the infrastructure to
provide more robust and long term comms. Seems to be a good niche.  The
teletype/packet based message system has gone over to a version of the ham
program WINLINK, so most of the ops have dropped out.  If we get 2 checkins
to our nightly net, it is a crowd! There was some talk last year about
combining Army, AF and USN/MC MARS into a DOD MARS, but no action so far.  

The boys in blue (USAF) saw the handwriting on the wall and restructured
their program to provide phonepatch service to aircraft.  Most of the admin
phonepatches (like "Reach 817 estimating Dover at 2130Z, requesting 45K fuel
and crew transport for 12" type of thing along with weather update requests,
etc).  The volunteer MARS ops have autovon (DSN) to their homes to support
the service.  If you ever get a chance to listen to your HF radio, 13927.0
is their prime spot.  All this used to be handled by the USAF HF Global
Network (Andrews, Scott, McClellan, Lajes Airways, etc), but they seem just
to handle operational and EAM stuff now.

Short of flashing light or semaphore from the beach, I suspect snail mail is
the only option (unless they tie up to the pier during their stay)!

73 Tom

"It does not take a majority to prevail...but rather an irate, timeless
minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men."

Samuel Adams (1722-1803)


-----Original Message-----
From: smcara-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:smcara-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Grant Graessle
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 7:03 PM
To: smcara at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [SMCARA] USNS APACHE

Hey all!
My son is beginning to develop early ship recognition skills.  He was the
first to notice that the USNS APACHE is off NRC Solomons.  

Two questions:
1) Does anybody know what she is doing there?
2) Do any of you MARS operators have an e-mail POC for the ship?  Arthur
draw a picture and he would like to forward it on to the crew!  I have the
USPS APO address. I would like to e-mail it while they are here on site.  

THX
KE4RTJ (Grant)

Gonna lay done my sword and shield, down by the river side. Ain't gonna
study War no more.
American folk hymn. 


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