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PUBLIC SERVICE MILITARY AUXILIARY RADIO SYSTEM MARS UPDATE THE US
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DOD SPONSORS THE MILITARY AUXILIARY RADIO SYSTEM, OR
MARS.  MARS IS MANAGED AND OPERATED IN TWO PROGRAMS, ONE BY THE US ARMY AND
THE OTHER BY THE US AIR FORCE.  MARS RECRUITS TALENTED AMATEUR RADIO
OPERATORS TO COMMUNICATE IN AND SUPPORT MILITARY RADIO NETWORKS WITH
ASSIGNMENTS OUTSIDE OF THE HF BANDS TO PROVIDE BACKUP AND AUGMENTATION OF
MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS.  MARS HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE YEARS.
MANY OLDER QST READERS MAY REMEMBER THE POPULAR PHONE PATCH OPERATIONS IN
THE 60S, ARRANGED AND CONDUCTED FOR TROOPS IN VIETNAM AND THEIR FAMILIES
BACK HOME.  TODAY, MARS AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS STILL OPERATE A PHONE PATCH
NETWORK SUPPORTING AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT AND SOMETIMES ARMY MANEUVER UNITS,
BUT THEY ALSO TRAIN TO SUPPORT COMPLEX COMMUNICATIONS TASKING, WHICH COULD
INVOLVE MAJOR DISASTERS AND EVEN CYBER SECURITY BREACHES.  IT SUPPORTS US
NATIONAL GUARD TRAINING AND OPERATIONS, AS WELL AS THE DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY SHARED RESOURCES SHARES HF RADIO PROGRAM.  MARS MEMBERS
OPERATE THEIR RADIO STATIONS ON THE SAME NET WITH MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
STATIONS PROMOTING INTEROPERABILITY.  THE ARMY MARS IS HEADQUARTERED AT
FORT HUACHUCA, ARIZONA, AND THE AIR FORCE MARS IS HEADQUARTERED AT THE
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE IN ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS.  MARS HISTORY MARS
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