elcome to the TN Army MARS eNEWS!
 Bill Baker/AAV4ZX

We hope you will find this first issue of your email newsletter to be both informative and interesting. Although it exists on a web server, and you may also view it there ( http://home.comcast.net/~cpt_baker/ ), it should normally arrive to you in the form of an email. Your email client (application) should be set to accept HTML. If your email client is relatively up to date (the past 2 or 3 years), you should have no problem. Otherwise, you may want to acquire a more recent email client or go to the link above using your browser.

If you have information you think should be shared with the membership, email it to me at: cpt_baker@comcast.net --at least 2 weeks prior to the end of the month. If our officers agree, I will include it in a future issue. While this newsletter is not meant to replace or duplicate what is on the website, we may in the future use photos or diagrams sparingly when necessary.

Enjoy reading!

TN Army MARS
Paul Drothler/AAA4TN, SMD

The TN Army MARS Staff has already been very busy in 2006 developing new methods designed to increase member participation as well as the level of enjoyment that we can all achieve from being a part of the MARS team. Designing and publishing the monthly newsletter, preparing for Annual Recognition Certificates, implementing new digital services, expanding methods of interactive training, providing new on-line forms, and improving the TN ARMY MARS Web site are just a few of the many items which have either already been completed or are well underway.

As we continue to increase our individual level of “readiness to serve” in the event of an emergency, we ask each member to assess his/her talents and offer to assist the team whenever possible. Collectively we have a tremendous variety of skills. If each person shares just a portion of their abilities then the entire organization will be much stronger.

Even though each staff member has specific responsibilities and assignments, they can only do so much. As new opportunities present themselves, we hope that each member will assist to the best of his/her abilities. Thank you to each and every member for the service that you provide. We are looking forward to an outstanding year of achievements.

Emergency Operations Update
 Howard Bradley/AAM4ETN

We’ve gotten a lot of nuts and bolts details out of the way in the past few months. The TN Emergency Operations Plan (Oplan is easier) has been extensively revised thanks to AAT4GM, our operations expert and Webmaster. The call tree has also gone through a major update and, depending on how some experiments go, may have more changes soon.

Our first all-digital exercise on 3 March went very smoothly and provided an example of how seamlessly a state net using MT-63 keyboard-to-keyboard mode can feed into a nationwide MARS Pactor net and deliver traffic at the destination (the “last mile”) either by HF, VHF or Internet. The system is fast, redundant, capable of dealing with propagation conditions that would cripple a voice net, and flexible in the ways it can accept and deliver traffic. One of our 2006 goals is integration of digital modes with all emergency exercises, and we’re making a good start on that.

More exercises are coming up, as another of the 2006 TN Army MARS goals calls for a minimum of 12 exercises this year. These will include the major national exercises, our in-state “mini” exercises which may extend over several days, and “micro” exercises designed to be completed in an hour or two. Also, we intend to have some of our exercises be joint operations with other states and services. The importance of this was brought out during Katrina and the subsequent hurricanes, where all the emergency nets were multi-state. We can never be completely ready for emergencies but we will be better prepared this year than we were last year.

TN ARMY MARS has had a GREAT run with 100% reporting!
Mike Bishop/AAM4ATN

And I’ll be the first to say to the membership….A JOB WELL DONE! Keep up the good work.

One of my jobs as State Admin Officer is assigning Net Control Stations along with tallying up the Monthly Participation Reports. I understand that NCSs can not always conduct their nets because of other commitments. If you do not hear an NCS and it is 2 minutes pass the hour, feel free to open the net. Being an NCS is good training and shows your support, and it will also give those members that call so many nets a much needed break.

Starting this year we will be giving members a certificate for on-air-hours participation. Members with 200, 300, and 400 net time on-air-hours in 2006 will be the ones receiving the certificate, which will be sent out in January 2007.

It was good seeing those of you I ran into at the Dalton Hamfest. GA ARMY MARS conducted a good meeting. If you attend a MARS meeting at any hamfest, you can count your time to and from the hamfest towards your total MARS time ie: A-1. You can also count working on antennas, radios, etc. towards your total MARS time as long as it pertains to MARS.

I encourage members to set up a digital station if you have not already done so. Your station does not have to be PACTOR III. You can connect to AT4TTN or AAT4KV via HF PACTOR I or VHF PACKET. Setting up a PACTOR I station can be done cheaply. We have several members that are very knowledgeable in digital operation, and they are willing to help.

We are in the process of setting up digipeaters in Cleveland and Crossville to help in connecting to AT4TTN and AAT4KV via VHF PACKET, and we hope these are operational sometime in March 2006.

As always I wish to thank each member for their support.

(Remember the latest frequency allocations are always listed on the roster.)



FEMA: New Madrid Preparedness a Priority
Cheryl Wittenauer, Associated Press Writer

Preparing for a catastrophic earthquake along the New Madrid fault is a priority, a FEMA official said Friday before a congressional field hearing on government readiness to handle natural disasters. " New Madrid is at the top of the list," Michel Pawlowski, section chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said. "It's our primary objective."

Pawlowski told a congressional committee that FEMA has "significant concerns" for the potential of a catastrophic earthquake equal in magnitude to those that struck parts of the Mississippi River Valley in 1811-1812, and again in 1895. The estimated magnitude of those earthquakes is 7.5 or 8. The probability of a magnitude 6 or larger earthquake is 25 percent to 50 percent over the next 50 years.

Even a magnitude 7 earthquake would destroy more than 60 percent of buildings in St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn., because most buildings predate building requirements aimed at resisting the shock, officials estimate. " A catastrophic earthquake in the central United States along the New Madrid Seismic Zone could pose unprecedented problems and challenges," Pawlowski said

FEMA officials are worried about how quickly they could enter the affected area because many roads, bridges, and approaches could not be expected to withstand a high-magnitude earthquake, he said. " It will be a monumental challenge," Pawlowski said. "That's why we want as many partners as possible to address this."

FEMA, which was sharply criticized for its handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, began in earnest in December to prepare for the possibility of an earthquake along the New Madrid fault. Pawlowski would not say whether the Katrina criticism had prompted the agency's interest in the 50-mile-wide New Madrid fault zone, centered near the southeast Missouri town New Madrid, and which stretches from Alabama to Illinois.

Instead, he pointed to its potential, wide-ranging impact on the nation's economy, estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. He said a strong earthquake could disrupt the flow of commodities by underground pipeline, rail, barge and highway; halt the flow of food exports, fuel oil and coal outside the region; cripple FedEx's hub in Memphis, Tenn.; and block routes for emergency services. Pawlowski said FEMA expects to have a regional response plan in place by June 2007.

A House subcommittee chaired by Rep. Bill Shuster (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., and which oversees FEMA and emergency management, traveled to Los Angeles on Thursday and St. Louis on Friday to gauge how prepared local, state and federal governments would be in responding to a natural disaster, and avoid problems that emerged with Katrina.
Shuster served on a special committee that last week released the findings of its investigation into the government's response to Katrina. Shuster said Friday he is leaning toward introducing legislation that would separate FEMA from the Homeland Security Department. That's in response to criticisms that FEMA's traditional role of dealing in natural disasters has gotten lost in Homeland Security's emphasis on fighting terrorism. " Response was slow and key decisions were made late," Shuster said. "We can't afford to get it wrong again. Business as usual doesn't work in a catastrophic disaster."

Missouri emergency management director Ronald Reynolds said most federal emergency funds have been tied to terrorism and not available for natural disasters. "That's been changing since Katrina," he said. "It's about time."

Eugene Schweig of the U.S. Geological Survey testified Friday that the 1800s New Madrid earthquakes and its thousands of aftershocks upended land, made the river unnavigable, and created landslides in a multistate region. Such an event today would rupture underground pipelines, burst levees, and wreak havoc in the Midwest and East.

Sen. Jim Talent (news, bio, voting record), R-Mo., and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (news, bio, voting record), R-Mo., have asked the federal government to conduct an emergency response exercise along the entire New Madrid fault zone to expose how response might be improved in the event of a devastating earthquake.

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.



TN Army MARS Roster
Ed Daszkiewicz AAT4GM

I hope that all of you are getting a copy of the roster each time it is sent. The roster is a very basic tool for every member. We need to have a copy of it available at all times. The roster contains all the basic information on each member in the state. MARS and amateur call signs, name, email and physical address, as well as phone number are all available from the roster.

Also included on the TN MARS roster is basic contact information for sending actual and exercise messages to JDOMS and HQ at Ft. Huachuca AZ. Net frequencies and times are available for all TN nets. Alternate frequencies are also posted on the roster. Members can also see who is going to be the net control station for any given TN net. If you need it, you can find the password needed to gain access to the “Online Reports” web page. There is also a blank space provided so you can enter your local emergency phone numbers for easy access. Region 4 frequencies are listed with the rally and alternate rally frequency clearly marked. Digital frequencies are listed as well.

With all this information and more listed on the state roster, it is important to stress that is a document that is considered “For Official Use Only”. When you get a new copy of the roster, please don’t dump it in the trash can and let it go at that. For OPSEC reasons we need to shred and or burn every copy that we don’t need anymore.

Take the time to print out a copy of the roster and the calling tree so that you can keep them at your station for easier access. This will make your life a lot easier while on the nets.

I have also been collecting out-of-state station call signs for many years. I only use the call sign and name of the out-of-state station. This allows me to better know who is checking into the nets I call, and I can greet the station by name for their comments.

There really is a lot of information on the roster, so keep a copy close at hand.



From your AA4RGN Sysop
Paul Drothler/AAA4TN
SYSOP/AA4RGN

An Introduction to the Army MARS WinLink 2000 System

The WinLink 2000 system has been used within the Amateur Radio world for many years. It is an evolving technology with enhancements being made on a regular basis. After careful review, Army MARS approved the use of WinLink 2000 in February 2006 and has established a goal of implementing the system worldwide by this summer.

Two primary objectives were established. The first was to provide another method of communications for Army MARS members to use. The second objective was to increase our ability to provide timely and accurate communications, both to and from the customers we serve (state and federal agencies).

The system uses a “flat star” configuration, whereby the sending station and the receiving stations are linked through a common hub. This differs from the hierarchical design of our existing communications systems that use a state-to-region, region-to-area, and area-to-national level hierarchy.

We now have several Radio Message Servers (RMS) in operation across CONUS that scan multiple frequencies 24/7. During the first 2 months of operation we have already proven the effectiveness of this network design. One of the main advantages is that we are able to effectively use the system even with the frequent changes in propagation. MARS members are able to use whichever RMS location and frequency is available without concern for geographical boundaries.

We will not get into the technical details of how the system operates in this article. However, it is important to note that WinLink 2000 is primarily a radio based system. It takes full advantage of our Pactor equipment (Pactor I, II or III) and provides a highly reliable method of moving traffic both accurately and rapidly. It is able to communicate from HF to HF, HF to VHF, VHF to HF, and also includes a method of moving traffic from radio to the internet and from the internet back to radio.

The WinLink 2000 RMS network does not replace any mode or system that was already operational within Army MARS. Rather, it is designed to complement and expand our emergency service capabilities. The system has already been used to support several emergency exercises that have been conducted throughout the country. The system appears to be working flawlessly.

MARS members are encouraged to use the “AirMail” client program as the interface with the WinLink 2000 system. This program is available at no charge to our members. User instructions are being developed and will be distributed in the near future. In the meantime many of our nets have been devoted to the subject of “how to” and all members are welcome to participate in these discussions.

The bottom line is that the system is “alive and well” with hundreds of users nationwide. Traffic volumes are increasing on a daily basis and Army MARS is very proud to be able to offer this service to our nation.



NIMS FEMA/TEMA Certification Classes
Gary Buczkowski/AAV4WB

MARS members are invited to attend (with reservation) the following training, sponsored by METERS:

NIMS CLASS: METERS is sponsoring a NIMS class on Tuesday April 11, 2006 from 6:00-10:00PM at the Blount County EOC/TEMA Regional Office. The course will be conducted by Carl McDaniel, Area Coordinator of TEMA, and will culminate in FEMA/TEMA certification in NIMS upon successful completion of a multiple choice exam.

Anyone interested in attending the class, please email Gary/AAV4WB: gary.j.buczkowski@us.army.mil
For the latest info go to: www.metersinc.org



TN MARS Training
Chris Bindrim/AAM4TTN

The coming year will be a new adventure for me in the MARS program. I have been asked to be the new State Training Officer for Tennessee Army MARS. First, let me say that I will do my very best to do the job properly and efficiently. I have been a MARS member for about two years, so any difficulties our new recruits might go through are fresh in my mind.

On behalf of all our members, I would like to welcome the following trainees who have recently joined the program:
Ed Nutter, AAR4WF/T
Dan Crump, AAR4WT/T
Steve Waterman, AAR4WU/T
Alex Graham, AAR4XC/T
Dalton McCrary, AAR4XI/T

Also, congratulations to Chip Jowers, AAV4VE, who has just completed his training requirements and has demonstrated excellent operating skills, both on voice and digital operations.

One of my duties is to assist each one of you in achieving full membership (the removal of the /T). Any time that you need assistance or have a problem to overcome, feel free to meet me on the air for the Sunday night Tango net; Wednesday Bravo net; or call me anytime at (423) 744-7898. In April each new member will have a MARS mentor to also assist them. These mentors will be there to help new members though any hurdles including assisting in antenna and radio modifications. Being green myself can be a great advantage. I have no preconceived notions and am open to any assistance from any member.

We need to always look to improve our training system on our nets and to promote our new mission. By using the experiencr of our long-time members and input from our new members, we can all provide some fresh ideas, so that checking into nets will be fun and informative.

My Philosophy on MARS NET time use:

A MARS NET needs to accomplish the following GOALS:

My task for this year, and my plea for help, is that we find the means by which our state nets accomplish at least 5 of these goals during each net.

Ultimately the greatest advancement in education/learning comes from feeling free to make the mistake, accept constructive criticism, and then have the opportunity to try again.



TN MARS Interoperability
Carmen Thompson/AAM4ITN

Greetings all. Allow me to first thank those who have given their time to make this newsletter a reality. It’s not an easy job, especially when it entails chasing down material from miscreants such as myself. May the newsletter’s inaugural issue coincidence with the coming of spring be an omen of good things to come.

First, some of you may be wondering what the Interoperability Officer staff position involves. The answer is still evolving. "Forging formally recognized relationships with other agencies active in disaster operations” might be the best answer I could provide at this point. The first of these relationships to approach fruition involves Tennessee Army MARS and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). The parties have been hammering out the details on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for some time. The details are now agreed upon by both parent agencies and the document is awaiting final signatures. When that happens all members will be notified post-haste.

In some of the research on surrounding states’ MARS programs on the web, it’s come to my attention that Tennessee’s Army MARS program is quite robust by comparison to many. Believe it or not, some states’ entire program cannot boast as many members as a single one of Tennessee’s Tango nets has checkins. Congratulate yourselves folks. As you know if you’ve heard me say on my net (Monday evening Bravo net); “It’s people like you who make Tennessee Army MARS possible”.



Emergency Coordinator
Pat Lane/AAA9EC

As per CAM 19-06, all stations are encouraged to notify the new MARS chief, Ms. Kathy Harrison, as to your feelings on the Chief Army MARS Net that has been held on Friday evenings. Please give your constructive comments and recommendations through your SMD or, as the CAM states, directly to her.

As for emergency communications preparedness, this is the time of year to prepare your "to go" kit for deployment to an emergency communications site. The tornado season is approaching, and then the hurricane season will be just around the corner. Stores such as Walmart and others sell heavy-duty deep-cycle batteries that can power your transceiver for many hours. At WUG-231 last year for the AFD communications test, we used one of these Everstart Maxx Marine batteries to power one of the 14 MHz stations for the entire day. We operated with a very heavy transmit to receive cycle and never ran down the battery while powering a Kenwood TS-570 radio.

Thanks for your continued support of the program. '73.



TN Army MARS Staff

AAA4TN/Paul Drothler • State Director
paul.e.drothler@us.army.mil 

AAM4ATN/Mike Bishop • Administrative Officer
aam4atn.bishop@us.army.mil

AAM4ETN/Howard Bradley • Emergency Operations Officer
howardbradley@att.net

AAM4ITN/Carmen Thompson • Interoperability Officer
aam4itn@bellsouth.net

AAM4TTN/Chris Bindrim • Training Officer
ke7gz@comcast.net