I passed my first FCC amateur radio license test in 1957. I have been continuously licensed since then. I am currently an ARES county Emergency Coordinator and liaison to the Illinois state emergency operations center. 

I strongly oppose RM-11831 as a major impediment to emergency communication services that would be vital in time of need. Our operations across the state and county are making strong use of Winlink as the backbone of our network capable of moving large amounts of traffic in an error free way. To this end, Illinois hams have implemented a large network of gateways and digipeaters covering the state from one end to the other. This is in addition to HF operations to cover larger areas. Please do not un-do all the good work that has been done to date in the interest of public service.

Roger Whitaker,  K9LJB