Navy-Marine Corps MARS
| Director, Region Ten |
| 30 January 2005 |
| LETTER OF PROMULGATION |
| 1. The Region Ten Training Plan dated 30 Jan 05 was developed under the direction of the Director, Region Ten and is promulgated for use by staff and members of Region Ten, Navy-Marine Corps MARS and authorized military units. |
| 2. This Region Ten Training Plan is an UNCLASSIFIED, non-registered publication. |
| 3. This Region Ten Training Plan is EFFECTIVE UPON RECEIPT. |
| 4. This Region Ten training plan supersedes all prior Region Ten Training Plans, except ECOM training plans. |
| 5. Permission is granted to copy or take extracts from this publication without the consent of the Director, Region Ten. |
| 6. This publication, or extracts thereof, may be carried in aircraft for use therein. |
| 7. Correspondence concerning this publication should be addressed via the normal chain of command to Director, Region Ten or Assistant to the Director, Region Ten, for Training. |
| 8. This publication has been reviewed and approved per governing regulations. |
| /s/__________________ |
| Pete Thunem,
Director, Region Ten |
|
| Region Ten, Navy-Marine Corps MARS |
| Region Training Plan |
| Dated: 30 JAN 05 |
| Purpose |
| The mission of Navy-Marine Corps MARS (hereafter MARS) is to provide adjunct communications services in time of need to the U.S. Navy, Dept of Defense, and other Federal agencies as authorized; and provide Emergency Communications services in times of local, state, regional, national, or international disaster, based on established guidelines and regulations. |
| To fulfill this mission MARS must be able to operate directly with military communications stations. Members of MARS must maintain the military standards of message formatting, on-the-air network operations, and other communications practices. |
| Members receive initial training in MARS policies, practices, and procedures during their trial service period. However, training is an ongoing need. As human beings we develop habits in our routines. Sometimes those habits drift from prescribed practices and thus from good, reliable communications skills. |
| The responsibility for the initial training of new members, known as Basic Procedures Training, falls primarily to the state directors. Corrective training on an individual case by case basis is also a primary function of state directors. As such Basic Procedures Training and corrective training, including CIMs, will not be covered in this Region Ten training plan. The purpose of this plan is to develop and maintain a standard system of regular, ongoing training of the members in Region Ten to assist them in improving their practices and keeping up a high standard of good communications practices. This training will be based on NTP-8 (series) and the Pac Area Ops Guide. |
| Objectives |
| In theory every time a MARS member operates on a MARS frequency, checks into a net, passes traffic, or listens to traffic being passed he or she is engaged in training. As mistakes are made or bad habits are formed by one, others pick those up. If not corrected they can become "the standard" habits used by others. The objective of this training plan is to help members learn and maintain good practices, eliminate wrong habits, and avoid their inception. |
| Methodologies |
| The Region Ten training plan will use a two-prong approach to assist members in maintaining the highest standards of correct communications skills as well as proper basic administrative procedures and requirements. |
| To meet these objectives the Assistant to the director, Region Ten, for Training (NNN0AS0 FOUR) is tasked with developing and maintaining an adequate system that will provide ongoing training and refreshers for members without overly taxing the time and availability of the members, or MARS resources. |
| NNN0AS0 FOUR is authorized to modify as needed and distribute training materials so long as they are consistent with governing publications and directives. |
| NNN0AS0 FOUR will work in concert with the Director, Region Ten, Assistant Director Region Ten, state directors, and state training staff in the development and implementation of the region training plan. |
| Mini Training Series |
| NNN0AS0 FOUR will develop, maintain, and update as needed a series of short training sessions. Each session will focus on one point or aspect of MARS procedures, policies, or practices. These sessions will be short and concise. Each session should be no more than two to three minutes in duration. |
| NNN0AS0 FOUR will work together with state directors, state training staff, net control stations, and other staff within Region Ten as needed to implement these mini training sessions. The primary means for conveying these training sessions will be by distribution of the sessions to net control stations. A specific session will be assigned for use on any given day or series of days. Whenever practicable each net control station will read the assigned session on the air on his or her net after all traffic has been disposed of. The assigned session should be read prior to any declaration of a free net or informal comms between stations on the net. As a normal practice, if members have questions regarding a mini training session they should direct them to their state or region training staff or state director. |
| In an effort to provide consistency and to allow ample research in relevant publications NCS should defer questions about mini training sessions to training staff. |
| Region Training Net |
| NNN0AS0 FOUR will develop and maintain a series of on-the-air training sessions to be conducted on region training nets. Ideally these sessions will last no more than 20 minutes. They will cover more detail than the mini training series sessions. Generally there should be time for question and answer period before the net is secured. |
| Region training nets will be conduct on a regular basis. Actual times, days, and frequency of occurrence of the nets will be determined by the Director, Region Ten. NNN0AS0 FOUR will submit recommendations for training nets to the region director. |
| NNN0AS0 FOUR will keep the Director, Region Ten informed regarding training nets, make recommendations for changes in net times and frequencies as needed, and revise and update the lessons as needed to cover the needs of the region based on prescribed practices and policies of NTP-8 (series), the Pac Area Ops Guide, and directives from Chief MARS, Director Pacific Area, and Director Region Ten. |
| NNN0AS0 FOUR has primary responsibility for the training nets and will serve as net manager for the region training nets. NNN0AS0 FOUR is authorized to delegate net control duties to another member in the region on an as-need basis. When practicable designated net control stations for the region training nets should be a state director, state training assistant, region director or assistant region director. |
| NNN0AS0 FOUR is responsible to make sure all required participation, net activity, and frequency usage reports are filed correctly and in a timely manner as prescribed elsewhere. |
| ECOM Training |
| The ultimate mission of MARS is emergency communications. As such there exists a fine line between what is training in overall practices and what is ECOM specific. Primary responsibility for ECOM planning falls to each state director. Region and Area ECOM assistants provide overall support and assistance to the state directors and ECOM staff in conjunction with the respective ECOM plan for their AOR and directives issued by proper authority. |
| State directors and their ECOM assistants develop and implement the ECOM plan and assist with the readiness of members within their AOR. This is done in concert with ECOM plans and practices prescribed by higher authority (region, area, national levels). NNN0AS0 FOUR should coordinate with state directors and the Assistant to the Director, Region Ten, for Emergency Communications (NNN0AS0 TWO) regarding ECOM training. |
| As an example: actual passing if EEI messages on nets is a general practices issue. The content of an EEI, including the list of addees therein, is ECOM specific. |
| Authority |
| Promulgation of this training plan is under the authority of the Director, Region Ten. All updates and modifications must be issued as a Notice of Change issued by the Director, Region Ten. |
| NNN0AS0 FOUR is the primary point of contact for suggestions and recommendations regarding this plan. NNN0AS0 FOUR will make his or her recommendations to the region director. |
| Any conflict between this plan and directives of higher authority shall be addressed to the Director, Region Ten for resolution. |
| END OF DOCUMENT |
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