1. Lewis Thompson AAA6TX April 25, 2011
Texas Army MARS
Lewis Thompson
AAA6TX
April 25, 2011

2. MARS
Military Auxiliary Radio System – DOD sponsored programs separately managed by Army, Navy and Air Force
History
Established Nov as Army Amateur Radio System
Renamed MARS 1948 by Army and Air Force
Navy joined in 1962

3. MARS Mission (DoDI – )
Provide contingency radio communications:
DOD Components
Civil Authorities (DoDI )
Provide Heath & Welfare radio communications to:
Military
Civilian employees and contractors of the DoD
Civil agencies’ employees and contractors
Ensure MARS “Radio Only” communications:
Between individual MARS stations
Interoperable between all MARS services
Civil/Military authorities radio services
Communications sustainable on emergency power
Some MARS stations to be transportable for timely deployment.

4. Texas Army MARS Served Agencies
Texas DEM SOC - CCG
Texas Military Forces (TxMF)
FEMA – Region 6
ARNORTH
TSA

5. Unique Capabilities MARS does not fall under the FCC Part 97 rules:
Employment in a served agency does not prevent operating a MARS EMCOMM station for that agency in either an exercise or actual event.
All Texas Army MARS mobilization team members (26) (TxSG MARS Detachment) are provided the following during an exercise or actual event:
Salary
Expenses (per diem and mileage)
Worker’s Compensation Insurance
TXSG Military Picture ID
Members of TxSG MARS detachment have had a complete criminal background check

6. Conus Organization http://www.netcom.army.mil/mars/
Region 6
Director
Scott Warren
AAA6RD
Chief
Army MARS
Jim Griffin
AAA9A
Same as FEMA Regions

7. Texas Army MARS Zone Map
State MARS Director
Lewis Thompson
AAA6TX
96 Texas Members
Zone 1 Coordinator
Don Josephs
AAR6PC

8. Texas Army MARS Staff State Director Assistant State Director
AAA6TX: Lewis Thompson
Assistant State Director
AAM6TX: Bill Fogg
Emergency Operations
AAM6ETX: Dave Martin
Training
AAM6TTX: Scott Hamende
Administration
AAM6ATX: Brian Manka
Web Master
AAM6WTX: Matt Bogner
Interoperability
AAM6ITX:Don McFarland

9. Membership/Participation Requirements
18 years of age
US citizen or resident alien
FCC amateur General class
HF station capable of operating on MARS frequencies
15 hours of participation per quarter, 9 hours on state nets.
Winlink Telnet
HF digital modes
Serve as NCS quarterly
Participate in two exercises per year (6 hours)
Complete the National Basic Training Course and 4 FEMA ICS classes (ICS 100, 200, 700, 800)
Non compliant members have their MARS license revoked by SMD

10. TX Army MARS Training
Weekly state-wide training administered during the four scheduled HF radio nets per day, 7 days per week (1 hour nets).
Two Field Days per year
Monthly FEMA Region 6 COMEX exercises
Participate in exercises with our served agencies:
DICE (SJIATF - TxANG)
SOC (MOBEX –Heavy)
SOC (MOBEX – Light)
RRTF exercises 2010 – AUSTIN, DALLAS, WACO

11. Training - Field Day

12. Approximate TX Army MARS Frequencies
3200. KHz USB
4000. KHz USB
4900. KHz USB
5200. KHz USB
5400. KHz USB
6900. KHz USB
7400. KHz USB
7700. KHz USB
9900. KHz USB
Plus 120 MARS Winlink Gateway Frequencies
This close spread of available frequencies allows Texas
Army MARS to maintain state/nation wide HF communications under
almost all ionospheric propagation conditions.
These are exclusive MARS/military use frequencies and not subject to
interference by other radio services.
Both voice and digital transmissions are allowed on all these
frequencies.

13. Region Traffic Routing

14. Inter Region Traffic Routing

15. World Wide Traffic Routing

16. Operating Modes (Allowed on all net frequencies)
Voice – SSB
Digital:
MT-63 (Sound Card,FEC)
Olivia (Sound Card, FEC)
PACTOR (100% accuracy – 3600 baud, attachments)
Winlink – MARS HF Gateways (Radio Message Server – RMS)
Station to Station (P2P)
WINMOR (ARQ-100% accuracy)
Winlink – MARS HF Gateways (Radio Message Server-RMS)

17. Sound Card Modes
Forward Error Corrected “Broadcast” Message capability.
All Texas Army MARS members can operate this mode.
Example of typical 16-line military message sent by MT-63:
DE AAR6NAC NR 242
R Z SEP 2008
FM AAR6NAC TX
TO AAA6TX TX
AAR6NAB TX
AAR6NAD TX
AAN6ETX TX BT
ACTUAL INCIDENT
SUBJECT: SITREP / HOWLING WIND / TX
1. DTG: Z SEP 2008
2. NET: AAA6RD/E
3. OPERATION: DEPLOYED WITH SJIATF BALL HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT, GALVESTON TX
LAT - 29 DEG ' N, LONG DEG ' W
4. CUSTOMERS: SJIATF
5. REMARKS: AAR6NAC READY TO SEND AND RECEIVE TRAFFIC, SOUND CARD, PACTOR, VOICE AS
OF Z SEP 2008.
NNNN

18. MARS WINLINK Message Capability
HF Internet Gateway stations (44)
Very long range (outside affected area)
Ionospheric Skip (no satellites or relay stations)
Available 24 hours per day
120 military frequencies (CONUS & OCONUS)
No operating cost
100% accuracy (packet ACK/NACK)
Attachments (.PDF, .jpg, etc)
Multiple addressees
Internet addresses
Winlink MARS and Ham addresses
National MARS Incident Notification system (EEI)
Special address + subject line code
Automatically distributes emergency messages to national address list.

19. MARS WINLINK (44-PACTOR, 12 WINMOR)

20. MARS WINLINK Message With Attachment

21. PACTOR/WINMOR Radio Only (P2P) Mode
AAN6ETX

22. Resource Type 1 & 2 Home located MARS HF stations (80)
Digital and Voice
Emergency power
Report local incidents – National Incident Notification System or to SOC via MARS staff officers
Provide NCS duty, relay and forwarding for deployed teams
Customer fixed location stations
SOC
JOC
TxSG
CCG
FEMA Region 6

23. Resource Type 3 TxMF Mobilization Teams CCG Task Groups (4 teams)
Plus Refueling/Reentry locations
Digital
Voice
MARS & Ham – HF/VHF
Emergency power/Shelter
72 hours independent
26 Paid members of the TxSG MARS detachment with military picture ID.

24. Resource Type 4 Independent Operations (4 teams)
Refueling/Reentry locations
Digital
Voice
MARS & Ham HF/VHF
Emergency power
72 hours
Shelter (personally owned trailers, campers, vehicles)
Paid members of the TxSG MARS detachment with military ID.

25. INTEROPERABILITY Friday Workshop – Communications Time – 08:00 – 09:30
Room – 207B

26. State MARS Director, Texas
CONTACT INFO
Lewis Thompson, AAA6TX
State MARS Director, Texas
U.S. Army
Home –
Cell –
Web Site