1996 USAF MARS broadcast items exempt from normal 6 month expiration

#15, ITEM 034:  SHIPS ACTIVE LIST (SAL).  JOINT MARS CHIEFS POLICY MEMO.  IN ORDER TO FACILITATE INTEROPERABILITY AND TO ENCOURAGE EFFICIENT AND TIMELY EXCHANGE OF THIRD PARTY MARSGRAMS TO SAILORS AND MARINES DEPLOYED ON SHIPS, THE MARS CHIEFS CONCLUDE IT TO BE IN THE BEST INTEREST FOR ALL THREE SERVICES TO MAKE THE SAL AVAILABLE TO ALL OF OUR MEMBERS. THE MARS CHIEFS CONCUR WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SAL FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES. EFFECTIVE 1 JUNE 96, WE HAVE JOINTLY AUTHORIZED THAT THE INFO LINE ON NAVY-MARINE CORPS SAL MESSAGES INCLUDE ARMY AND AIR FORCE MARS MEMBERS.  THE INCLUSION OF ALL THREE SERVICES' MARS AS PART OF THE ADDRESS LINE ALLOWS LEGAL DELIVERY TO ALL SERVICE MARS MEMBERS.  THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SAL TO OUR MEMBERS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND TRAFFIC RECEIVED FOR DELIVERY TO A SHIP LISTED ON THE SAL WILL BE REFILED TO THE NAVY-MARINE CORPS NETS.  THIS TRI-SERVICE POLICY DOES NOT IMPLY LICENSE TO IGNORE OR VIOLATE RESPECTIVE SERVICES STRUCTURE, POLICY AND OPERATIONS. BOTTOM LINE: DIRECT ENTRY INTO THE NAVY SHIPS AFLOAT NETWORK IS NOT AUTHORIZED.

#24, ITEM 047:  POLICY CHANGES.  AS DISCUSSED AT THE REGION CONFERENCES, THE FOLLOWING POLICY CHANGES REGARDING CURRENT AND FUTURE USAF MARS AFFILIATES ARE NOW IN EFFECT.  AS PART OF OUR DOWNSIZING INITIATIVE, AND TO GET THE MOST EFFICIENT USE FROM OUR MEMBERSHIP WE ARE IMPLEMENTING INITIATIVES TO STREAMLINE AIR FORCE MARS INTO A BETTER MANAGED FORCE, CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE NECESSARY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS WHICH WILL BE REQUIRED OF THE SYSTEM IN THE FUTURE.  THE FIRST STREAMLINING EFFORT IS TO CONTINUALLY PURGE THE SYSTEM OF NON-PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS.  THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY ENFORCING THOSE RULES CURRENTLY IN-PLACE REGARDING PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS.  RECENTLY, STATE AND REGION OFFICIALS HAVE STARTED A PRO-ACTIVE PUSH IN THIS DIRECTION, WITH A MARKED INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TERMINATIONS RECEIVED WITHIN THE LAST QUARTER.  THIS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ALL NON-PARTICIPANTS ARE IDENTIFIED AND REMOVED FROM THE MEMBERSHIP ROLLS. T HE OTHER INITIATIVES ARE LONG RANGE ISSUES, BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO THE DOWNSIZING EFFORTS.  DIGITAL CAPABILITY BY ALL MEMBERS WILL BE A REQUISITE FOR CONTINUED MEMBERSHIP INTO THE NEXT MILLENNIUM.  A PHASE-IN PERIOD WILL BE GRANTED FOR ALL CURRENT MEMBERS TO OBTAIN SOME SORT OF DIGITAL CAPABILITY USEFUL TO MARS.  THIS PERIOD MAY BE FLEXIBLE DEPENDENT ON THE DOWNSIZING NUMBERS ACHIEVED THROUGH OTHER MEANS IN MEETING OUR PROJECTED GOAL. FINALLY, SELECTED RECRUITMENT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.  ONLY THOSE CANDIDATES POSSESSING CRITICAL DIGITAL TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS AND EQUIPMENT CAPABILITY, USEFUL TO THE FUTURE OF MARS, WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR MEMBERSHIP.  FINALLY, WITH THE CONTINUED DOWNSIZING OF THE USAF MARS MANAGEMENT STAFF AT AFCA, MORE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS WILL BE TASKED TO STATE AND REGION OFFICIALS TO ADMINISTER.  YOUR CONTINUED COOPERATION IN HELPING TO ACHIEVE OUR MANAGEMENT GOALS AND SHARING OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE IS APPRECIATED.

#25, ITEM 048: EXPANSION OF VHF VOICE REPEATERS AND DIGIPEATERS.  EFFECTIVE 1 JAN 97, THE OPERATIONAL RANGE OF ALL VHF REPEATERS AND DIGIPEATERS IN AIR FORCE MARS WILL BE PERMITTED TO CROSS STATE BOUNDARIES WITHIN EACH REGION TO PROVIDE COVERAGE TO THE ENTIRE REGION.  HOWEVER, THIS EXPANDED COVERAGE WILL BE LIMITED TO, AND WILL NOT EXCEED, REGION BORDERS.  AFTER THE ABOVE EFFECTIVE DATE, VHF REPEATER FREQUENCY MANAGEMENT WILL COME UNDER THE DIRECT CONTROL OF THE REGION MARS DIRECTORS.  STATE DIRECTORS WILL MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER VHF SIMPLEX USE.  THIS POLICY DOES NOT INCLUDE INTERSERVICE COVERAGE AT THIS TIME.  A SEPARATE JOINT POLICY WILL BE FORTHCOMING IN THE NEAR FUTURE, OUTLINING THE PROCEDURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED FOR ACCEPTING JOINT USE REPEATER AUTHORIZATIONS PERMITTED TO OPERATE ON AIR FORCE OR OTHER SERVICES FREQUENCIES. APPLICATIONS FOR JOINT SERVICE REPEATER OPERATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY EITHER SERVICE UNTIL THE JOINT POLICY HAS BEEN FORMALIZED AND DISSEMINATED.

#27, ITEM 050: PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS. FOR THE PURPOSE OF CLARIFICATION THE FOLLOWING PARTICIPATION REPORTING PROCEDURES WILL BE THE RULE: 12 HOURS OF PARTICIPATION TIME IN ANY, REPEAT ANY HF NET ACTIVITY WILL BE CREDITED AS VALID PARTICIPATION TIME, REGARDLESS OF PRIMARY NET ASSIGNMENT, THIS INCLUDE HF PACKET NETS. AT LEAST SIX HOURS OF PARTICIPATION IN ONE'S PRIMARY ASSIGNMENT IS PREFERABLE, BUT MAY BE WAIVED IF FULL PARTICIPATION IN OTHER AUTHORIZED HF MODES ARE ATTAINED. VHF TIME WILL BE CREDITED ONLY AFTER A MINIMUM OF SIX HOURS OF HF NET TIME HAS BEEN RECORDED, EXCEPT THOSE VHF ONLY MEMBERS PREVIOUSLY WAIVED. MEMBERS PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED TO CW ONLY NETS MUST BE REASSIGNED TO OTHER HF NET ACTIVITIES IF CONTINUED MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED. TRAINING ON VOICE PROCEDURES MAY BE INDICATED, AND WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SMD TO EVALUATE. TO MEET OUR OBJECTIVE OF MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF DIGITAL CAPABILITY, PRIMARY ASSIGNMENTS TO HF PACKET NETS IS AUTHORIZED.

    ITEM 051: SMD AUTHENTICATION. EACH NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS WILL BE AUTHENTICATED BY THE SMD IN THE REMARKS BLOCK INDICATING WHETHER THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN SCREENED FOR DIGITAL CAPABILITY. AS INDICATED IN A PREVIOUS BROADCAST, A SELECTIVE MORATORIUM IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT RESTRICTING NEW MEMBERSHIP TO ONLY THOSE CANDIDATES POSSESSING DIGITAL CAPABILITIES, IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL HF REQUIREMENTS.  APPLICATIONS NOT AUTHENTICATED WITH THE SMD ENDORSEMENT, ATTESTING TO THIS DIGITAL REQUIREMENT, WILL BE RETURNED TO THE SMD WITHOUT ACTION.

    ITEM 052: INTERSERVICE MESSAGE DISSEMINATION. BY COORDINATION WITH THE INTERSERVICE MARS CHIEFS, MARS MEMBERS WILL NOT INITIATE OR RELAY ANY MESSAGES ADDRESSED TO THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF ANOTHER SERVICE. THESE TYPES OF MESSAGES WILL BE ADDRESSED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE MARS CHIEF WHO WILL FORWARD, IF APPLICABLE, TO THE OTHER SERVICES THROUGH THEIR MARS CHIEF COUNTERPART. ANY MESSAGE RECEIVED IN USAF MARS CHANNELS FROM ANOTHER MARS SERVICE WITH AN "ALL MARS MEMBERS" ADDRESSEE WILL NOT RELAY, BUT WILL FORWARD TO THE CHIEF, USAF MARS FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION. EXCEPTION: SHIPS LISTS PUBLISHED BY THE NAVY MAY BE DISSEMINATED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES. PERSONAL MESSAGES ADDRESSED TO AN INDIVIDUAL MARS MEMBER OF ANOTHER SERVICE IS PERMISSIBLE, PROVIDED MARS POLICY MATTERS ARE NOT THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION. THIS POLICY PREVENTS THE PASSING OF INFORMATION TO OTHER SERVICES MARS MEMBERS THAT HAS NOT BEEN CLEARED THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE SERVICES CHIEF. YOUR COOPERATION IN THIS MATTER IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.