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That's what it was called.....we had a "MARS" building on-post where we could write messages to send just about anywhere over the HAM network.

In MA...we have loads of Guard units...69 active armories/units. Just my infantry Bn had 5 units of 100-120 each....and we've got 3 Inf. Bns.

The way emergencies work in MA is that there's a signals corps that sets up immediate communications for the guvna...with a mobile signals corps unit right in front of the Statehouse...so I'm just wondering why there would be a need to use the HAM operators at all. 69 Army units in a state the size of MA is a whole lot of communications support.

Really...what I don't get is how Romney saying "No, we don't need to deal with ham radio operators..." with reference to "communications during an emergency/crisis" is a "dissing HAM operators".....when the state has millions of dollars of military comms at its disposal.

Not living in (but having visited there many, many times) I can't say for sure how your military units are going to provide information for the public, nor for the Police/Fire when they lose their communications. In fact, National Guard units, while they are certainly better trained today than they were 10 years ago, simply don't have the funding to supply things like stand-alone repeater systems. I'm pretty familiar with nearly all the military equipment used these days, and all of it is job-specific. In fact, UNITS are mission-specific.

Unless a military unit is directed to be trained and equipped for, say disaster communications, then their mission simply doesn't incorporate either the training for message traffic handling, or even how to deal with other government 'units'.

Hams have the ability to come in on a moments notice, set up equipment that would take hours, days or even weeks for the military to set up and install. And the military doesn't even OWN most types of equipment needed to set up local repeater systems.

Hams bring their own stuff, and they are training to set it up quickly and efficiently, AND operate it. Radio operators, by the way in the military are few and far between these days. Even the Air Force "got rid" of the AFSC for awhile. As a MAINTENANCE guy I became both. Yeah, they still exist, but they don't set up equipment. The walk into a site with existing stuff and use it. That's all.

Hams generally have a deeper knowledge and understanding of the equipment they are operating (and many times can even fix it if it breaks, in place). The MILITARY you're talking about CAN'T do that. You can argue with me about that if you like, but trust me, you'd be wrong. Most military units, and especially military personnel are trained in "ONE JOB SPECIFICATION" only and they don't set up, fix and operate equipment. That one piece of gear usually takes 3-7 people to maintain and operate.

It takes one ham to get it up and operational, and other hams around the area doing the same thing can do the same job in less time, more efficiently and with greater accuracy (in message traffic) than ANY MILITARY UNIT ON THE PLANET.