Navy-Marine Corps MARS Program Sunset?
The Chief’s Broadcast that dropped this bomb was read on the 5G1B on 16May09. The text of the broadcast is as follows:
UNCLAS
CHNAVMARCORMARS BCST 03-09
A. DOD DIRECTIVE 4650.2 DTD 26 JAN 1998
B. DOD INSTRUCTION 4650.02 (PROPOSED) NOTAL
1. COMMANDER, NAVAL NETWORK WARFARE COMMAND (NNWC) HAS DECIDED TO 'SUNSET' THE MARS MISSION WITHIN NAVY AS OF 30 SEP 2009. NNWC HAS REQUESTED ALL MILITARY BILLETS AND MY CIVILIAN POSITION BE DELETED AND UNFUNDED AFTER THAT DATE. OPNAV HAS NOT YET APPROVED THIS REQUEST.
2. ALL THREE MARS SERVICES HAVE OPERATED UNDER THE MANDATE OF REF A, WHICH IS STILL VALID. REF B IS A PROPOSED UPDATE TO REF A AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING COORDINATED BETWEEN DOD AND THE THREE SERVICES. REF B INCREASES THE SERVICES REQUIREMENT TO SUPPORT THE MARS PROGRAMS WITHIN THEIR SERVICE. ARMY AND AIR FORCE HAVE AGREED TO THE CHANGES BUT NAVY (OPNAV) HAS ASKED TO BE LET OUT OF THIS REQUIREMENT. THIS NEGOTIATION IS STILL IN PROCESS AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE RESOLVED.
3. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF NNWC DECISION TO 'SUNSET' THE MARS MISSION, I AM FORCED TO INITIATE ACTION TO CLOSE DOWN NAVY-MARINE CORPS OPERATIONS AND FACILITIES BY 30 SEP 2009. ACCORDINGLY: A. AREA DIRECTORS WILL TRANSFER ALL MEMBERSHIP RECORDS TO HQ NLT THAN 31 JUL 2009. WHEN RECORDS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED, STATE DIRECTORS WILL SEND ALL MEMBERSHIP RELATED MATTERS DIRECTLY TO CHNAVMARCORMARS VICE THE AREA DIRECTOR.
B. AREA DIRECTORS WILL CLOSE DOWN THEIR OFFICES AND TURN IN ALL EQUIPMENT TO DRMO NOT LATER THAN 30 SEP 2009.
C. NONE OF THE EQUIPMENT AT THE AREA DIRECTORS STATIONS WILL BE ALLOWED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO ANY MEMBERS. THE EQUIPMENT MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER OFFICIAL NAVY ORGANIZATIONS (LIKE MWR OR SPECIAL SERVICES) TO HELP EQUIP OR START UP MILITARY RECREATION STATIONS. THESE TRANSFERS WILL BE APPROVED BY HQ ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
4. IF NAVY'S REQUEST TO BE DELETED FROM REF B IS NOT APPROVED, THERE WILL BE A NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS PROGRAM BUT IT WILL NOT HAVE AREA DIRECTORS (THEY WILL HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED). ALL MEMBERSHIP CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE HANDLED BETWEEN THE STATE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF, NAVMARCORMARS DIRECTLY. AREA DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND AREA STAFF POSITIONS WILL BE RETAINED TO COORDINATE FREQUENCY MATTERS, TRAINING, ETC.. ALL OPERATIONAL MATTERS WILL BE HANDLED BY STATE AND REGION DIRECTORS.
5. I WILL INFORM YOU AS SOON AS I FIND OUT THE FINAL RESOLUTION OF NAVY'S REQUEST TO 'SUNSET' NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS.
If you are content to sit back and wait to see what happens, you should probably stop reading here. If you think this is a call to action, read on.
The one action we can take as citizens is to contact our U.S. Congressman and Senator and make them aware of the impending action, educate them about the value of the Navy MARS program inn Minnesota, and ask for their support in preventing the sunset of the program.
The text of a letter you may want to use is included below. You should send your letter via email if possible. Surface mail sent to a Washington D.C. address will be delayed by three to four weeks due to the screening process. You can contact your Congressman’s local office by phone or mail and make your views known. This might be an effective method because Congressmen will be back home during the summer recess to campaign. Those summer parades and celebrations are prime time for them!
If you value the Navy MARS program, take action and make a contact.
Sample letter:
Honorable Congressman ,
The Chief of Naval Operations is considering termination of the U.S. Navy–Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (Navy MARS). I am writing to ask your support for continuation of the Navy MARS program.
The Navy MARS program was authorized by the Sec. of the Navy in 1962. The program was established to provide Department of the Navy and Department of Defense sponsored emergency communications on a local, national, and international basis as an adjunct to normal naval communications.
The major functions of Navy MARS are to: Provide auxiliary communications to military, federal or civil disaster officials during periods of emergency, Assist in effecting normal naval communications under emergency conditions, Handle morale and quasi-official record and voice communications traffic for armed forces (active duty, retired and reserve), and Veterans Hospital patients and staff, Create interest and furnish a means of training members in naval communications procedures, and Provide a potential reserve of trained radio communications personnel for military duty when needed.
The amateur radio network is one of the few communications resources in reliable operation within minutes of the 9/11 attack. This amateur radio asset is cost free to the Government.
The Navy personnel involved in the Navy MARS program include only four billeted positions and one civilian that administer the program. All remaining administrative activity is handled by MARS volunteers serving in leadership positions at the Region and State levels. The Navy MARS program has minimal budget impact on the U.S. Navy and provides benefits impossible to replace.
When an emergency, man-made or natural, hits Minnesota, Navy MARS members provide local boots-on-the-ground information for the Navy, Dept of Defense, and Dept of Homeland Security through situation reports (SITREPS) consolidated within a local, Minnesota, radio network in real time.
The Navy MARS program in Minnesota currently includes twenty three members, all licensed amateur radio operators, who conduct high frequency radio communications on a daily basis. Minnesota Navy MARS members routinely log over 2,000 hours per year on regularly scheduled communications.
In addition to scheduled communications, Minnesota Navy MARS members engaged in an additional 2,000+ hours of training, experimentation, maintenance, and planning.
The Minnesota Navy MARS program is not a sign-up organization. Each member of the Navy MARS program undergoes a program of 20+ hours of on-air training to earn their permanent membership in the program. Members must meet minimum on-air participation requirements to maintain their membership.
Members demonstrate their commitment to Naval communications on a daily basis. The members’ contribution totals an estimated $80,000 in labor, at no cost to the U.S. Navy, annually.
Additionally, the Minnesota Navy MARS members have amateur radio installations valued at an average of $6,000 available for use in emergency communications in support of the U.S. Navy. The Navy has an asset valued at $138,000 in communications equipment available for use at a moments notice.
The Navy is considering walking away from $218,000 in emergency communications capability that is virtually cost free!
The Minnesota Navy MARS members are a trained, dedicated, professional group of volunteers who provide a valuable service to the U.S. Navy, the State of Minnesota and the Nation. I urge you to support the retention of the program.
Sincerely,
Local Legislator Contact Information
Dist 1
The Honorable Tim Walz
Email: http://walz.house.gov/zip_auth.shtmWWW Homepage: http://walz.house.gov/
District Offices:
227 East Main Street, Suite 220
Mankato, MN 56001 Voice: 507-388-2149
1134 7th Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901 Voice: 507-206-0643
Dist 2
The Honorable John Kline
Email: http://kline.house.gov/?sectionid=7§iontree=47
WWW Homepage: http://kline.house.gov/
District Office:
101 West Burnsville Parkway, Suite 201
Burnsville, MN 55337 Voice: 952-808-1213
FAX: 952-808-1261
Dist 3
The Honorable Erik Paulsen
Email: https://forms.house.gov/paulsen/contact-form.shtml
WWW Homepage: http://paulsen.house.gov/
District Office:
250 Prairie Center Drive, Suite 230
Minnetonka, MN 55344 Voice: 952-405-8510
FAX: 952-405-8514
Dist 4
The Honorable Betty McCollum
Email: http://mccollum.house.gov/custom/mccollum-contactme.asp
WWW Homepage: http://mccollum.house.gov
District Office:
165 Western Avenue North, Suite 17
St. Paul, MN 55102 Voice: 651-224-9191
FAX: 651-224-3056
Dist 5
The Honorable Keith Ellison
Email: http://ellison.house.gov/Email/
WWW Homepage: http://ellison.house.gov/
District Office:
2100 Plymouth Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55411 Voice: 612-522-1212
FAX: 612-522-9915
Dist 6
The Honorable Michele Bachmann
Email: http://bachmann.house.gov/Email/
WWW Homepage: http://bachmann.house.gov/
District Offices:
110 2nd Street South, Suite 232
Waite Park, MN 56387 Voice: 320-253-5931
6043 Hudson Road, Suite 330
Woodbury, MN 55125 Voice: 651-731-5400
FAX: 651-731-6650
Dist 7
The Honorable Collin C. Peterson
Email: http://collinpeterson.house.gov/email.html
WWW Homepage: http://collinpeterson.house.gov/
District Offices:
Centre Point Mall
320 th Street SW
Willmar, MN 56201 Voice: 320-235-1061
Minnesota Wheat Growers Building
2603 Wheat Drive
Red Lake Falls, MN 56750 Voice: 218-253-4356
Lake Avenue Plaza Building, Suite 107
714 Lake Avenue
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 Voice: 218-847-5056
SW/SC 1420 East College Drive
Marshall, MN 56258 Voice: 507-537-2299
Dist 8
The Honorable James L. Oberstar
Email: http://wwwc.house.gov/oberstar/zipauth.htm
WWW Homepage: http://www.house.gov/oberstar/
District Offices:
Brainerd City Hall
501 Laurel Street
Brainerd, MN 56401 Voice: 218-828-4400
FAX: 218-828-1412
231 Federal Building
Duluth, MN 55802 Voice: 218-727-7474
FAX: 218-727-8270
Chisholm City Hall
316 Lake Street
Chisholm, MN 55719 Voice: 218-254-5761
FAX: 218-254-5132
U.S. Senate
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar
Email: http://klobuchar.senate.gov/emailamy.cfm
WWW Homepage: http://klobuchar.senate.gov/
District Offices:
Olcott Plaza, Suite 105
820 9th Street North
Virginia, MN 55792 Voice: 218-741-9690
FAX: 218-741-3692
121 4th Street South
Moorhead, MN 56560 Voice: 218-287-2219
FAX: 218-287-2930
1134 7th Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901 Voice: 507-288-5321
FAX: 507-288-2922
1200 Washington Avenue South, Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55415 Voice: 612-727-5220
FAX: 612-727-5223