On his first command net of the year, Chief Army MARS opened the year 2000 with the reading of the honor roll of silent keys who departed their MARS service in 1999. Forty-five valued members were read into that list and are missed. So far, in the year 2000, we have had 10 additional members leave us. Some people have questioned the viability of the continuation of Army MARS given the number of lost volunteers. Actually, the volunteer Army MARS membership has increased over the last few years.
New members outnumber departing members with great consistency.
Army MARS welcomes new members from the experienced ranks of FCC Amateur licensees as well as newly licensed Hams. The great advantage of being an army MARS member is the opportunity to operate in modes from which they are barred in the civilian Amateur Radio community. We welcome all of you because with the entry of new members comes an automatic entry of new talents and new ideas. Others have questioned the viability of continued MARS operation in terms of useable services. They cite the improved organization and operational capabilities of the ARES and other civilian emergency communications teams.