The Philip B. Petersen Collection Broadcast March 13, 1990

     We all know about the planet Mars.  But, what do you really know about this MARS?  MARS is the acronym for Military Affiliate Radio System and consists of thousands of FCC licensed radio amateurs who volunteer their time and equipment to operate in a global military network that sends thousands of messages to military personnel and their families at locations all over the world.
     They operate officially under authority of the U.S. Department of Defense in three mail branches:  Army MARS, Air Force MARS and Navy Marine MARS.
     In 1925, the Army Amateur Radio System was started by a few dedicated radio amateurs in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.  It went through several changes after World War II, and was reorganized with official name Military Affiliate Radio System, commonly called MARS by radio amateurs.  MARS members operate on special military frequencies and are assigned military call signs.  They use many modes of operation: Morse code, phone, radioteletype and packet radio (which is a form of high-speed electronic printed messages sent through an operator's personal computer).  MARS sends thousands of messages to and from military servicemen and women and their families stationed overseas in countries such as Germany, Korea, Japan, Guam, the Philippines and wherever our servicemen and women are stationed.
     Michael Begalia, K2CTJ of Fair Haven, uses his military call AAR2HF and often runs one of several MARS nets.  Mike says, "We have 70 MARS members in New Jersey and several thousand in the United States who conduct various simulated emergency drills and work with other military units such as the National Guard."  During actual emergencies they are often placed on alert and often respond with radio communications and the messages are of a higher order of priority.
     Normally the messages are health and welfare, sent free of charge.  During the Korean and Viet Nam wars, many thousands of messages were sent back home to loved ones.  Most were printed formal messages delivered by local MARS operators around the country.  But a large number of servicemen were using the MARS radiotelephone networks and talked directly to their loved ones at home, sent though a local radio amateur's MARS station telephone.
     These messages greatly improve the moral of our servicemen and women and also warm the hearts of the MARS amateur radio operators who often receive grateful comments.  Mike Begalia, K2CTJ was a G.I. in Europe in World War II and he knows how important it is to hear good news from home.

March 13, 1990

** Broadcasts recordings preserved and presented here by Mr. Robert Buss and Mr. Bernie Ricciardi, Phil's friends and fellow Marconi Chapter 138 QCWA members **

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