We are the Sea Services branch of Military Affiliate Radio in North Carolina. The Army and the Air Force also have their own MARS organizations.
MARS has a long and honorable history. We've provided Welfare and Morale message traffic for service personnel throughout past wars and armed conflicts. Today, rather than competing with the Internet, we make use of it, and we've also shifted the focus of our mission a bit. In addition to providing Welfare and Morale communications for our military folks overseas, we also are trained and ready to provide communications assistance to Federal, State, and Local emergency service organizations. Our communications system is likely to survive a disaster that could cripple the Internet or satellite communications.
Participation is voluntary. We give our time and make our personal amateur radio equipment available. In most cases, we have had to modify our equipment in order to participate. Amateur Radio equipment (radios and antennas) doesn't usually work on military communications frequencies. And, although we are Hams, we operate differently. For example, we often combine both voice (SSB) and digital (perhaps SITOR-FEC) modes on the same center frequency. A fair degree of technical ability is a necessity, as is a love of radio communications.
What's in a name? We usually shorten the name to Navy MARS when we talk about it, with no disrespect meant to the Marine Corps. It's just easier to say.
We also refer to ourselves as NAVMARCORMARS, particulary in official correspondence. That's almost unpronouncable, but is typical of the reduction of all words to the barely recognizable so common among the Military services.
Want to know more about MARS, and perhaps investigate joining us? Take a look at the National Navy MARS website.
