Hello and a sincere welcome to new AFMARS members. The
purpose of this training is to prepare you for sending, receiving,
and quickly delivering messages of several types via both voice and digital
modes to the recipients. The method of study is large self taught through your
reading of the attached documents which are the MARS Operating Instruction
(MOI) 1 December 2005 and the AFMARS Training Manual 1March 2006 which
are available for reading and downloading on this site. I recommend that
you first read the MOI in order to become acquainted with the mission of AFMARS
and the directives for accomplishing that mission. Study the AFMARS
Training Manual to learn the practices to be used in AFMARS communications.
There are recent changes to the AFMARS Training Manual
regarding the addressing of EEI reports and those are documented in the sidebar
on the Region 4 web site training page. Also, when checking into voice nets,
give only the state as your location. Should a NCS need to arrange to pass a
message on the net, he can request stations in the vicinity of the addressee to
come forward to handle the traffic and assign the most appropriate station.
There may be additional changes to come in the near future so please be
flexible.
���������� The current emphasis in your training
is to learn how to properly check into and out of voice and digital nets and
how to correctly format, send, and receive messages in both voice and digital
formats. Your training will be completed when you have finished the above
self study materials and have sent me two correctly formatted and delivered
messages. The first message is to be delivered via voice net and appropriate
net procedures, prowords, and
format is to be used. The second message is to be delivered to me via a
digital mode. I will accept delivery by either Pactor
1 using a TNC or a sound card mode, preferably MFSK 16 or MT 63 which are
currently the most used SC modes in MARS. The required digital message is
an EXERCISE EEI report. The report should be included in the text body of
a message which is addressed to me and should have the correct addressing in
the header of the EEI report, i.e. TO AFN1EC.
���������� If you do not have current digital
radio capability, contact me to request to send me the EEI report via
email. I am asking for the report to be sent via digital radio because
digital communications are rapidly becoming a very important tool in all
emergency communications and the equipment to send in the digital modes has
become common and relatively inexpensive. Also, the digital modes have
the capacity to complete sending traffic when propagation and atmospheric noise
severely limits voice communication. Digital messages also permit easy
conformance with the documentation requirements of current national emergency
management guidelines.
���������� Two scheduled training nets (4TGS1)
are Saturday morning 10:00 CST on frequency RK and Wednesday evening at 20:00
CST. Please use those nets to check in for net practice and to direct
your questions to me. I often check into other evening nets and I welcome
your questions then also. You may contact me through either of the following
email addresses:
[email protected]
( accepts attachments smaller than 1 megabyte please)
[email protected] (no attachments).
You
may also call me at my home (405)7....
���������� We thank your for your volunteering
to participate in our task of supporting the national communications support
effort of AFMARS and fully understand that your work here is at your expense
and must be fitted with your lifestyle. As Region 4 Training Manager, I will be
reasonably flexible in your meeting your training requirements as long as you
keep me informed of your needs. As you will read in your course of study, that
time allocated you to complete the training period is sixty days and that
guideline will be used. I also realize that some circumstances may arise that affect your on time completion of training in
that time, please contact me to arrange an extension should that be
needed. Gerald (Gerry) Taylor AFF4T/AFA4TG/KC5MWZ