Volume 13, Issue 11 Friday, January 20, 2012

Here’s the 

BEEF!

Missouri Air National 

Guard’s 139th CES 

joins JTF Guantanamo

Commissions coverage: 

al-Nashiri motions continue
| News from the Bay The Wire | Page 3

News from the Bay

Looking for an event for the gamer in 

you? Come to the Camp America Liberty 

Center Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. and pwn your friends 

in the game of your choice. Whether you’re a 

serious gamer or a n00b, this event is for you. 

Select the game, establish the rules and play 

until a winner is crowned. There will be free 

snacks, prizes and giveaways.

Are you looking for something new to 

do on base? Come to Downtown Lyceum 

on 28 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. for the 

MWR Expo. Representatives from the different MWR sections will be there to show 

you what exciting events and adventures they 

have to offer. There will be lots of prizes and 

free giveaways.

Want to purchase some treasures and gifts 

made by local craftsmen? Come to Downtown Lyceum Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

for the Craft Fair. If you want to sell some 

of your hand crafted goodies, register a table 

by Jan. 26 by calling the Ceramics Shop at 

74795 or 75351.

Looking for some outdoor fun? Join Liberty MWR for a hike and cookout tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. The trek starts at the SCSI 

building and goes to the end of the Ridgeline. 

The Liberty van will then drive the hikers to 

Windmill Beach for a free barbeque. 

Call 2010 to sign up as soon as possible, 

so enough food can be purchased to accommodate everyone.

MWR will host a half marathon at Jan. 

28 at 7 a.m. with musical acts and cheering 

sections every mile. Registration is $25 per 

runner and runners must register by today. 

There will be no same-day registration. This 

even is open to everyone 16 years and older.

For more information, call 2157.

Grab some friends and some sunscreen 

and get ready for the coed Blizzard Sand volleyball tournament. The action runs from 

Feb. 18-20. Register your team (four to six 

people) by Feb 14 at 7 p.m. There will be a 

coaches’ meeting Feb. 16 at 5:30 p.m. You 

must be at least 16 years old to join a team.

For more information, call 2113.

Hike and cookout

Downtown Lyceum 

craft fair

Camp America video 

game tournament

GTMO Rock & Roll 

Half Marathon

Sand volleyball 

tournament

MWR Expo

Want to see Guantanamo Bay from a new 

perspective? Come to the Marina Jan. 28 at 8 

a.m. for a mountain bike trip through some 

of the base’s beautiful trails. No bike? No 

problem. Reserve a bike or register for the 

trip Jan. 27 by 3 p.m. by calling 2345.

Come to the Marina tomorrow morning 

for a free fishing trip. The boat leaves at 6:30 

a.m. Bait, snacks and drinks will be provided. 

Bring a pole and bring a friend. Sign up now 

by calling 2010.

Golf cart rentals will be half price every 

Tuesday in the month of January. $5 covers 

a rental for one person and $7.50 covers two 

people. 

Additionally, boat rentals will be half 

price every Wednesday this month. Prices 

vary based on the boat. 

For more information, call 2345.

Tax season is here. W2s are now available 

via myPay. Don’t wait until the last minute to 

get your taxes filed.

Free mountain biking

Day fishing

Half price recreation 

in January

Tick-tock: it’s tax time

Did anything strange happen to you on Friday the 13th?

“Nothing happened, 

but I am superstitious. 

I try to avoid black cats, 

walking under ladders and 

breaking mirrors.”

Senior Master Sgt. Deb Rush

“I went fishing. I don’t 

believe in bad luck, but 

I didn’t catch any fish 

either.”

Sgt. 1st Class

George Watkis

“I picked up a lot of 

superstitious habits. I still 

don’t step on the foul line in 

baseball because someone 

told me it was unlucky.”

Tech. Sgt. Lonnie Bass

“Nothing really happened. 

I don’t believe in bad 

luck.”

 Logistics Spc. 2nd Class 

Charles Scogins

BOOTS ON THE GROUND

The Wire | Page 2 Command Corner |

JTF Guantanamo

Commander

Rear Adm. David Woods

Deputy Commander

Brig. Gen. James Lettko

Command Master Chief

Cmd. Master Chief Reynaldo Tiong

Office of Public Affairs Director

Cmdr. Tamsen Reese: 9928

Deputy Director

Air Force Maj. Michelle Coghill: 9927

Operations Officer

Army Maj. Jon Powers: 3649

Senior Enlisted Leader

Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant: 3649

The Wire

Editor: Army 1st. Lt. Amelia Thatcher

Assistant Editor: Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Photojournalists: 

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Kilho Park

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Louis Batchelor

Army Sgt. Landis Andrews

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Jon Dasbach

Mass Communication Spc. 3rd Class Marquis Whitehead

Contact us

Editor’s Desk: 3651

Commercial: 011-5399-3651

DSN: 660-3651

E-mail: amelia.c.thatcher@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

Online: www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil/wire/wire.html

The WIRE is the official newsmagazine of Joint Task Force Guantanamo. It is 

produced by the JTF Public Affairs Office to inform and educate the Troopers 

of JTF Guantanamo through news, features, command guidance, sports and 

entertainment. The WIRE seeks to provide maximum disclosure with minimum 

delay with regard to security, accuracy, propriety and policy. This is an authorized 

publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of The WIRE 

are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, 

the Department of Defense, or Joint Task Force Guantanamo. It is printed 

by Defense Logistics Agency Document Services with a circulation of 1,200.

Our opinions count!

I am reminded of this as the nation 

observes our political process in action 

during this election year. It’s remarkable: 

the debates within each party lead to 

the primaries. The parties’ nominees 

will emerge and be confirmed at their 

respective conventions. Then in the 

general election, we the people get the 

opportunity to decide with our vote for 

the leader we want 

to take the reigns 

of the presidency 

for the next four 

years. 

You and others 

before you have 

served and fought 

to preserve this 

right and other 

rights our great 

nation affords. I 

encourage you all 

to full participate 

in the process to 

decide our nations 

leadership and 

do not miss the 

opportunity to 

VOTE! 

Here at Joint Task Force Guantanamo, 

your opinion counts too. There are 

many ways to ensure your voice is 

heard: first and foremost, through 

your chain-of-command. We are made 

up of a network of leaders with series 

of responsibilities and authorities. As 

the subject matter expert at your job, 

your stellar performance will give you 

the “street cred” and provide weight 

to your opinion and suggestions. Give 

those leaders in your specific chain-ofcommand the benefit of your expertise 

by fully developing and discussing your 

ideas on current procedures and how 

we can do things better. If you see a 

problem or something that is distracting 

from our mission then do not let it 

persist without comment and/or action. 

This how the JTF will improve!

Other avenues are available to have 

your voice and ideas heard. In addition 

to your leaders and commanders, we 

have several personnel who are here to 

listen to you. They run the full spectrum 

from our Inspector General (IG) office 

to our JSMART professionals to the 

Family Service Center counselors to our 

Chaplains. Everyone in these offices 

are available to allow you to vet your 

concerns and help you formulate a path 

for resolution. I encourage you to seek 

out these professionals and full utilize 

the services they are trained to provide.

Also, the 

suggestion boxes 

are an option 

to articulate the 

“ d i s t r a c t i o n s ” 

which need to be 

removed to enable 

you to do your 

job better. This 

suggestion box is 

also a means to 

recognize Trooper 

p e r f o r m a n c e 

which may 

otherwise not be 

brought to my 

attention. Many of 

you have utilized 

this tool and I 

welcome your 

comments. I personally read each one.

Last Friday I sent out an All Hands 

email announcing OUR Command 

Climate Survey. Notice I emphasize that 

it is a survey on the climate in OUR 

Command. This is another method 

to have your voice and opinion heard. 

I ask that you take the half hour to 

thoughtfully complete the survey online 

between now and Jan. 27. The results 

will be complied and then debriefed 

with all senior leaders within the 

command. My plan is to then conduct 

another series of “All Hands Calls” later 

in February to discuss the results with 

all of you. I am, as I hope all of you, 

are very interested in making this the 

best command it can be in effectively 

executing our mission. I truly believe we 

are each “Honor Bound” to do so. 

It may still be a long way until the 

next national election, but the Joint Task 

Force still needs your opinion. Submit 

your “vote” by Jan. 27!

Rear Adm. David Woods

Commander, Joint Task Force Guantanamo

Cc

ommand

orner

Here at Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo, your 

opinion counts too. Give 

the leaders in your chain 

of command the benefit of 

your expertise and ideas 

on current procedures 

and how we can do things 

better. Our Command 

Climate Survey is a way 

to have your voice and 

opinion heard.
| Student of the Game The Wire | Page 5

Defense wins championships. 

That idiom will be tested this 

weekend as four teams battle for 

a chance to play in Super Bowl 

XLVI (that’s 46 for the Roman 

numerally challenged).

AFC title game

Baltimore Ravens at New 

England Patriots

Sunday, 3 p.m.

Tom Brady and the Patriots 

have one of the most explosive 

offensive attacks in the league.

He’ll have his work cut out 

for him as he tries to shred a 

Ravens defense that gave up 

30 points once this year. New 

England’s 2011 schedule had one 

team with a strong defense and 

they dropped that game to the 

Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The Pats make a living off 

of making secondaries look like 

Swiss cheese, but Baltimore has 

one of the best safeties in Ed 

Reed. He has eight interceptions 

in his last 10 playoff games and 

will have Brady keeping tabs on 

his whereabouts on every play.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco 

complained that his team doesn’t 

get enough media coverage. Now 

he’s got the spotlight and will 

have to prove that his career isn’t 

going to be as stagnant as his past 

three years have been. Joe Cool 

was on fire when he came out of 

the University of Delaware. But 

his recent yeaars have only been 

deployment hot. With Ray Lewis’ 

time in the league coming to an 

end, the stage is set for Flacco 

to step up as the next captain 

of this team. What better way 

to establish leadership than to 

defeat the big bad Patriots?

Lewis and the pride of Ball 

So Hard University, Terrell 

Suggs, will lead the Ravens to 

the Super Bowl much like they 

did in 2001, with defense. 

The Patriots might show 

spurts of brilliance, 

but they will not be 

able to establish 

dominance over 

this battle-tested 

squad. 

NFC title game

New York Giants at 

San Francisco 49ers

Sunday, 6:30 

p.m.

This is bound to be a hardhitting battle that goes down to 

the fourth quarter. The Giants 

are the most complete team in 

the hunt, but there are questions 

that need to be answered on a 

weekly basis.

Which Eli Manning is going 

to show up? Will it be the 

Easy E that got the Giants to 

the big dance in 2008 or the 

dumbfounded guy that looks like 

the person phoning plays into his 

helmet is speaking Latin? Will the 

running game show up? If so, will 

the maiin rusher be 

Ahmad Bradshaw 

or Brandon Jacobs? 

Will Victor Cruz or 

Hakeem Nicks be 

the go-to receiver? 

They never have a 

big game together.

The one 

certainty in 

this matchup is 

defense. Justin 

Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and the rest 

of the Giants pass rush will be in 

49ers quarterback Alex Smith’s 

face like girlfriends on Sunday.

The only way to keep New 

York’s furious pass attack at bay 

is for running back Frank Gore 

to establish the run between 

the tackles and last week’s hero, 

tight end Vernon Davis to get 

involved early. Giants coach Tom 

Coughlin won’t be able to call 

so many blitzes, affording Smith 

time to throw the ball.

The 49ers will look to continue 

being the stingiest defense in the 

league. Linebacker Patrick Willis 

and company only allowed one 

rushing touchdown this regular 

season. The red and gold defense 

topped the league by only 

allowing 13.4 points per game. 

But, this defensive unit doesn’t 

get the respect they deserve and 

they will be on a mission to prove 

it to the national audience.

Unfortunately for San Fran 

fans, Eli Manning’s experience 

will prevail when the going gets 

tough. His fourth quarter play has 

been better than any quarterback 

in history and I plan to see some 

more this weekend.

Oh, and by the way, a sports 

column wouldn’t be complete 

without... Tim Tebow.

Ok, I’m done.

By Army Sgt. Landis Andrews 

XLVI approaches 

in MMXII

Student of the Game

Anniversaries, birthdays, and 

other significant events continue 

to occur. If your partner wants 

to share a new experience and 

talk, give them the opportunity 

to do so. And remember, it’s not 

just you who’s going through the 

separation. In order for a long 

distance relationship to work, it 

takes compromise and work on 

both ends to keep it going.

Should you have difficulty 

in adjusting to the hardships 

of maintaining a long distance 

relationship, the staff at 

the Joint Stress Mitigation 

and Restoration Team offer 

comprehensive mental health 

services to meet the needs of 

any JTF personnel stationed or 

deployed to Guantanamo Bay, 

Cuba. We have recently relocated 

to a new building across from 

the Trooper Chapel and next 

to the new Camp America Post 

Office. Feel free to stop by 

the clinic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Monday–Friday, or give us a call 

at 2321. For emergencies, our 

24-hour duty number is 3566.

JSMART cont. 

The Wire | Page 4 Mind, Body & Spirit |

Would you recognize critical information?

Some things are obviously sensitive, like our social security numbers, bank account information and credit 

card numbers. We protect these so we don’t fall victim to fraud and identity thieves. But what else is critical 

information? Remember COPP: Capabilities, Operations, Personnel, Personal data. We protect our facilities 

and operational plans, schedules and rosters, procedures, people and work related information. If you’re 

not sure if something is sensitive, treat it like it is until you find out for sure. Don’t post things online, or talk 

about work in non-work places. Once information has been released, you can’t ever get it back. 

THINK OPSEC FIRST!

PSEC ALERT

PROTECT YOUR INFO!

Mind, 

Body

& Spirit

by Hospitalman 3rd Class 

Dominique Cannon

JSMART

Starting the new year has given us a lot 

more than just a few extra pounds to shed 

after holiday dinners. It was a time to reflect 

on the year past, bridge broken relationships, 

and discover ways to mature and grow. 

Spending the holidays here at Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo undoubtedly proved 

difficult for many of us. It was especially 

hard on those who left significant others 

back at home. 

Long distance relationships were once 

a rarity prior to the advent of the Internet 

and significant advances in communication 

technology. Those who were deployed 

abroad before us relied heavily on the long 

anticipated arrival of mail and the unreliability 

of a telephone. However, as technology has 

become more dependable, faster, and other 

forms of communication have emerged, long 

distance relationships amongst American 

couples have grown exponentially. A study 

conducted by the Center for the Study of 

Long Distance Relationships (CSLDR) 

found that 2.9% of newlywed couples 

spent a period of six months or longer 

separated by great distances. That’s nearly 

3.5 million people! However, just because 

a larger portion of American newlyweds 

have endured a period of maintaining a 

long distance relationship does not imply 

that it is easy. As with any type of intimate 

bond, long distance relationships bring to 

the table their very own set of unique and 

complicated dynamics that can easily prove 

overwhelming to the unprepared.

The CSLDR has found that the biggest 

issue facing partners attempting to sustain 

a long distance relationship is loneliness. 

Though we all have close friends and peers 

willing to listen to our problems, nothing truly 

replaces the companionship of a partner. 

The second most cited difficulty is, of 

course, communication. Although you and 

your partner may have done everything 

in your power to get in contact with one 

another, unforeseen circumstances can arise 

that prevent this. Feeling upset about being 

less involved in your partner’s daily life is 

also a significant hardship often felt by 

couples separated for the first time. This, in 

turn, feeds into once distant fears that your 

partner may become involved in a traumatic 

accident, develop a serious medical condition, 

fall victim to a financial crisis, or worse, 

become unfaithful. In our absence from the 

lives we left behind, these speculative fears 

and doubts become ever more real. Whereas 

we are only offered a limited perspective 

into the events occurring back home, our 

wild imaginations have a tendency to fill in 

what we cannot see. Needless to say, should 

you be prone to assume the worse, it’s only a 

matter of time before your suspicions make 

themselves known in your conversations 

with your loved ones.

Long distance relationships present a 

whole spectrum of new hardships you and 

your partner must overcome. But it doesn’t 

have to be a negative experience entirely. 

Using good judgment, common sense, and 

approaching the entire situation in a positive 

light can make a long distance relationship just 

as rewarding and provide the foundations for 

you and your partner to mature as a couple. 

The first step in this process is for you to 

attempt to normalize the situation as much as 

possible. Try not to dwell on the difficulties 

of being away and the great distances 

separating the two of you. Keep in mind that 

the world still turns and the days continue to 

come and go in the life you have left behind. 

It’s worth it: maintaining long distance 

relationships through a deployment 

 see JSMART next page
| Feature The Wire | Page 7

Only at GTMO by Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Louis Batchelor

The Wire | Page 6 Feature |

The California Air National Guard’s 146th Civil 

Engineering Squadron completed its duty as Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo’s 474th Base Emergency Engineering 

Force upon its transfer of authority ceremony Jan. 12. 

The 146th arrived in Guantanamo Bay in summer 

2011 for a six-month tour, their first mobilization 

together.

“As the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering 

Squadron, our mission for the JTF is to maintain the 

Expeditionary Legal Complex and Camp Justice,” 

said Air Force Maj. Patrick Shanahan, commander of 

the 146th ECES. According to him, the unit’s biggest 

accomplishment consisted of improvements to the 

Media Operations Center and Camp Justice, which 

were completed in time for the November al-Nashiri 

arraignment.

The squadron received ample support from the JTF 

throughout their tour. 

 “There are a lot of unique challenges at Guantanamo, 

and those challenges are overcome when we get a lot of 

support and cooperation from the other offices,” said 

Shanahan. “We received a lot of support from the entire 

JTF and that has made this a good experience for all 

of us.” 

California Dreamin’: outgoing BEEF says goodbye to GTMO

By Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

recently welcomed the Airmen 

of the Missouri Air National 

Guard’s 139th Civil Engineering 

Squadron.

The 139th serves as JTF’s 

new resident Base Emergency 

Engineer Force (BEEF) and is 

currently settling into their new 

positions.

Maj. Tracy Beattie is transitioning into her role as the 

BEEF’s new executive officer. 

She said her new job here is to 

oversee both the unit’s products 

and the leadership of her Troopers.

“We have to be versatile in 

our job field,” Beattie explains. 

“We are engineers building roads, 

airfields, HVAC and designing 

basic infrastructure, while also 

leading. We also are in charge of 

prioritizing work. We perform 

a vetting process on all projects 

and work requests.” 

Master Sgt. Randy Smith is 

the BEEF’s facilities manager. 

His position is to assist Beattie 

as a work control supervisor, 

overseeing the budget and maintenance of JTF facilities.

“Generally, we build and control all equipment and parts necessary for the set up and use of a 

base or facility,” Smith said.

Beattie added that BEEF 

teams are specialized civil engineer units which provide a full 

range of engineering support 

required to establish, operate, 

and maintain garrison and contingency installations.

“The BEEF will support JTF 

by servicing, building or maintaining structures and electrical 

loads,” said Beattie. “We do have 

additional projects on the horizon, but our primary responsibility here is to ensure Camp Justice 

is always in good working order. 

Think of us as a military version 

of a public works department 

for a normal city.”

Smith said this new iteration 

of BEEF isn’t really new. The 

National Guard unit displays a 

multitude of skill sets, ready for 

use.

“We bring a lot of expertise 

in civil engineering with us.” 

Smith said. Every one of us has 

a can-do attitude and are happy 

to join Guantanamo’s team.”

Welcome, 

Missouri!

By Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Louis Batchelor

Above: New BEEF commander Lt. Col. Grace Link accepted the 474th 

Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron guidon from outgoing 

commander Maj. Patrick Shanahan Jan. 12. Though the two units are 

from different states, while they are here the Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

BEEF is always known as the 474th ECES. 

–photo by Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Left: Staff Sgt. Anthony Anderson, 139th Civil Engineering Power 

Production Technician, records battery readings, including amperage, 

voltage and cooling temperature, from one of the BEEF’s generators. 

–photo by Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Louis Batchelor

Below: The California Air National Guard’s 146th Civil Engineering Squadron (right) turned their Base Emergency Engineering Force 

responsbilities over to Missouri’s 139th CES Jan 12. –photo by Mass 

Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson
The Wire | Page 8 At Your Service |

FORT MEADE, Md. – The commander of the U.S. detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo 

Bay, Cuba, defended the new policy that allows government officials 

to monitor prisoners’ mail during 

the opening day of pretrial proceedings for the alleged mastermind in the USS Cole bombing.

Navy Rear Adm. David Woods, 

commander of Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo, testified Tuesday in 

response to a motion by the defense at the military commission 

hearing for Abd al-Rahim Hussein Muhammed al Nashiri. Army 

Col. James Pohl ruled during proceedings at Guantanamo Bay that 

Woods should explain the policy 

he instituted last month.

Woods, one of the highestlevel officials to testify in a military 

tribunal, said the new policy balances his responsibilities to facilitate attorney-client communication while also ensuring security, 

safety, force protection and good 

order at the facility.

Woods told Navy Lt. Cmdr. 

Stephen C. Reyes of the defense team the new policy allows 

members of a team that reviews 

detainee privileges to conduct a 

“plain-view review” of written 

communications not marked as 

protected attorney-client information. The review, he said, is 

designed to ensure this correspondence does not include physical or 

“information contraband” such as 

maps of the detention facility.

Woods disputed the defense 

position that the policy violates 

client-attorney privilege, or that 

reviewers must read the material in 

full to make a determination. He 

also denied that the policy restricts 

access between detainees and their 

lawyers.

One of its benefits, he said, is 

authorizing guards to search the 

plastic bins reserved for legal paperwork and correspondence in 

detainee living spaces. Guards reportedly have found contraband 

stowed in these “legal bins” in the 

past.

Woods acknowledged that the 

policy depends on the professionalism of the privileged review 

team, as well as their contractual 

commitments, to ensure their review is conducted properly and 

ethically. He noted that reviewers, 

all civilian contractors, must sign 

a non-disclosure agreement that 

bars them from sharing this information, particularly with prosecuting attorneys associated with the 

case.

The prosecution called the defense’s request for Woods to appear before the court irrelevant 

to the case because Nashiri hasn’t 

been subject to mail searches.

However, officials said Pohl’s 

decision to call him likely was 

made because what happens in 

the Nashiri case – the first to go 

through a revised military commission system – is likely to set 

the precedent for trials to follow. 

Army Col. John Head, deputy 

chief of staff for the convening 

authority, told reporters the defense’s request likely is intended 

to institute an across-the-board 

process that ensures all detainees 

receive equal treatment.

Nashiri, 47, is charged with 

“perfidy,” or treachery; murder in 

violation of the law of war; attempted murder in violation of 

the law of war; terrorism; conspiracy; intentionally causing serious 

bodily injury; attacking civilians; 

attacking civilian objects; and hazarding a vessel.

The charges arise out of an attempted attack on the USS The 

Sullivans in January 2000 and an 

attack on the USS Cole in October 2000, during which 17 U.S. 

sailors were killed and 37 more 

wounded. Nashiri also is accused 

of involvement in an attack on the 

MV Limburg, a French civilian oil 

tanker, in October 2002 in which 

one crewmember was killed and 

about 90,000 barrels of oil spilled 

into the Gulf of Aden. If convicted, Nashiri could be sentenced 

to death.

Nashiri did not enter a plea 

during his arraignment in November.

Although the defendant was 

in the room during today’s proceedings – albeit it out of camera 

view for remote viewers for most 

of the hearing – all the activity 

revolved around the prosecution 

and defense teams.

Pohl rejected two defense motions: one to allow Nashiri to be 

unrestrained during his meetings 

with his legal counsel, and one to 

establish an enclave – a protected 

network within the larger Defense 

Department computer network – 

 see COMMISSIONS next page

HONO R B OUND

Pretrial proceedings continue for al-Nashiri

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 9

in an effort to keep DOD from 

monitoring the defense counsel’s 

computers and electronic communications.

Pohl dismissed civilian defense 

counsel Richard Kammen’s argument that defense counsel should 

be able to meet with unrestrained 

detainees in locked-room meetings, as representatives of the International Committee of the Red 

Cross are able to.

The current policy requires 

detainees to be shackled and in 

an unlocked room during meetings with their attorneys, enabling 

guards to enter the room and for 

attorneys to exit quickly in the 

event of a disturbance, the prosecution noted.

Anthony W. Mattivi, a member 

of the prosecution team representing the Justice Department, 

expressed concern that changing 

the current policy could put the 

guards at increased risk and said 

Woods should be the one to make 

any changes to the policy, not the 

court. “That’s not his call,” Mattivi 

said of Kammen. “It’s the commander’s.”

Pohl agreed, ruling to keep the 

current policy intact.

The judge, however, left the 

door open for a possible request 

by the defense for an enclave 

or other security remedy for its 

electronic communications in the 

future, while acknowledging that 

even material in enclaves is subject 

to monitoring.

Kammen compared the encryption system the defense now 

uses to protect sensitive materials 

to putting them in a locked drawer 

in an office, then handing the government the key to the drawer and 

leaving the office door open. “It’s 

the appearance of confidentiality 

without the substance,” he told 

the court.

Lockhart argued that an enclave 

isn’t necessary because encryption 

already ensures the maximum security possible for the documents. 

Pentagon computer security expert Adam Bennett, whom she 

called to the stand, said it’s virtually impossible for government 

officials to access encrypted information or open documents – including those used by the defense 

team – without the password and 

encryption software needed to access it.

Both the defense and prosecution, as well as the judge, recognized that all material on DOD 

networks is subject to routine, 

noncontent-related screening to 

prevent viruses and cyber attacks.

In other motions considered 

today, Pohl granted a motion 

supporting more public access to 

court proceedings. Currently the 

proceedings are broadcast from 

the court at Guantanamo Bay via 

closed circuit to three locations in 

the United States. Two of those 

sites are here at Fort Meade in a 

theater and training-room facility. 

Another, at Norfolk Naval Base, 

Va., is reserved for families of 

USS Cole victims as well as crewmembers aboard the vessel during 

the attack.

Pohl also moved that unofficial transcripts of the proceedings, 

posted online while the official 

transcript remains classified, may 

be referred to by both legal teams 

during the trial.

Speaking to reporters after the 

hearing, Kammen said the defense considered today “on balance, a very successful day,” while 

acknowledging that some of the 

motions made could ultimately 

delay the trial, possibly as far out 

as 2015.

Kammen called military commissions “at best, a second-class 

system of justice” and said they 

are designed to be secretive and 

provide expedient justice at the 

expense of transparency and fairness. He added that the defense 

team today fought for things it 

wouldn’t have had to in federal 

court, and accused the government of blurring the line between 

classified and embarrassing information.

Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, 

chief prosecutor for the Office of 

Military Commissions, disputed 

Kammen’s charges, noting that the 

prosecution team in the commissions operates much like prosecutors in federal courts. They play no 

part in handling defendant’s correspondence or defense attorney’s 

emails, don’t communicate with 

facility personnel about contacts 

with an accused legal materials 

and aren’t privy to those materials, 

he said.

Martins said proceedings like 

today’s are designed to ensure legal 

issues are resolved in a way “consistent with the fair, transparent 

and accountable administration of 

justice under the rule of law.”

Despite the manpower and expense associated with the commission proceedings, Martins said the 

United States has a responsibility to follow them through. “Not 

only must we continue to pursue 

the truth for the surviving family members of victims who have 

been rendered silent, but we must 

also pursue it because that is what 

justice requires,” he said. “A civilized and open society facing very 

real and modern security threats 

can demand no less.”

COMMISSIONS cont. 

Clockwise from bottom left: Richard Kamman, lead defense attorney for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri; Command Master Chief 

(ret.) James Parlier, former command master chief of the USS Cole (DDG-67); and Brig. Gen. Mark S. Martins, chief prosecutor for the Office of Military Commissions address the media in a press conference after concluding a round of legal motions. 

al-Nashiri is accused of plotting the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 Sailors and wounded 37 others. 

–photos by Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Kilho Park
The Wire | Page 10 Movie Review |

“J. Edgar” is Clint Eastwood’s biopic chronicling the complex life of 

J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Hoover, believed to have been the second most powerful man in the 

U.S. at times during his 1924 to 1972 tenure, was well-known as being 

extraordinarily meticulous. He implemented many basic procedures of 

the agency, including its centralized fingerprint file system and the use 

of forensic laboratories to aid in solving crimes. Though commonplace 

today, these methods were considered revolutionary in that time.

It was only in Hoover’s later years and after his death that he became 

more of a controversial figure. Rumors persisted that he abused his 

power as FBI director with his exaggerations of events, reports and 

supposedly overextended the authority of the FBI for his personal gain. 

If that weren’t enough, rumors persist Hoover was a crossdresser and 

closeted homosexual.

Director Clint Eastwood showcases the man for all his strengths 

and with his faults. He shows Hoover as the consummate professional 

capable of such brilliance, yet lacked so many social graces, especially 

with members of the opposite sex. He’s presented as a man with a fierce 

determination to be right at almost any costs, all the way to executing 

the alleged Lindbergh kidnapper and murderer Bruno Hauptmann. 

Though many still believe there was enough circumstantial evidence 

to the contrary, there was no doubt in Hoover’s mind Hauptmann was 

guilty of the “Crime of the Century.” In fact, Hoover is depicted in “J. 

Edgar” as being jealous of the media’s attention to special agent Jack 

Purvis after Purvis took down the gangster John Dillinger in Chicago. 

Supposedly, Hoover saw to it that Purvis’s reward for his societal good 

deed was to be slowly removed from the FBI. 

Leonardo DiCaprio does a superb job of conveying Hoover’s 

thoughts and emotions throughout the picture. He is a man molded by 

his mother (Judi Dench, “Quantum of Solace”) to be a problem-solver 

and to excel at what he does. Often, to maintain this reputation, Hoover 

hides behind facts to project an image of confidence and superiority. 

Eastwood’s film is more interested in the psychology of the famed FBI 

director than his actual achievements. 

As the film progresses, Hoover endures turmoil over his sexuality. 

When he confides in his mother that he doesn’t care for dancing with 

women, she asserts that “I’d rather my son be dead than have a daffodil 

for a son.” This definitely hampers his budding relationship and 

attraction to his FBI number two man Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer, 

“The Social Network”). The sexual tension between the two men is kept 

in check, despite always taking daily lunches, weekends and vacations 

together. Historically, Hoover and Tolson were often seen in public 

holding hands. DiCaprio does a nice job of showing a broken man who 

didn’t know how to exist personally and professionally. He would never 

have his mother’s consent, nor in the public’s eye, to engage in an open 

relationship with Tolson. Perhaps that helped the man bury himself so 

much into his work.

Obviously Tolson loves Hoover deeply, yet that love can never be 

fully reciprocated. Tolson is loyal to Hoover to his detriment. Hoover’s 

faithful secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts, “Eastern Promises”) 

stayed in his service for over 54 years. 

Clint Eastwood creates a stirring drama on the man the public 

thought Hoover was, and of the fears and anxieties of someone at 

odds with himself. Was he in denial? Did Hoover really experiment with 

crossdressing as a way to cope with a personal loss? These concepts 

are explored and the feelings on the screen are compellingly real. You 

genuinely want to see what happens to this man and see what lengths 

he’ll go for the FBI and himself. “He’s a mystery man,” director 

Eastwood said of Hoover. “I still don’t have all the answers on him.”

“J. Edgar” features some of the best age makeup I’ve ever seen in 

modern cinema. Hoover and Gandy’s aging look absolutely authentic as 

the film progresses over 50 years. Still, it’s the actors who really sell us on 

who these characters are at different stages of their lives, and DiCaprio 

and Watts pull it off nicely. Hammer is excellent as the aging Tolson, 

but looks like the bedridden old man in astronaut Dave Bowman’s 

hallucination in “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968). It’s mildly distracting, 

but Hammer’s talent is the saving grace. 

Visually successful, the film conveys the shifting time periods very 

well. There isn’t an overabundance of special effects to recreate the past. 

The naturalistic appearance of the clothes, sets and props are welcome 

and feel genuine. 

“J. Edgar” is a well-made, thought-provoking film. It handles the 

public image of Hoover while giving us insight into his soul. The film 

takes us through many decades at the different junctures of Hoover’s 

life. He left quite a legacy, but it’s hard to say exactly who he really was. 

Right or wrong, Clint Eastwood’s film does a fine job of putting the 

pieces of the puzzle known as J. Edgar Hoover together to try to make 

sense of the FBI icon. 

I’m sure there are a few pieces missing, but are we not all flawed in 

some way? “J. Edgar” tells it like it is.

Movie Review

R

137 mins.

By Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

J. EDGAR

Downtown

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| Bulletin Board The Wire | Page 11

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Call the movie hotline at 4880 or see the MWR GTMO Facebook page for more information.

20 22 23 24 25 26

Adventures of 

Tintin

(PG) 7 p.m.

Red Tails 

(NEW)

(PG-13) 9 p.m.

Joyful Noise 

(NEW)

(PG-13) 7 p.m.

The Rum Diary 

(last showing)

(R) 9 p.m.

Joyful Noise 

(NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Rum Diary 

(last showing)

(R) 10 p.m.

Immortals

(R) 8 p.m.

Red Tails 

(NEW)

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

We Bought a 

Zoo

(PG) 7 p.m.

J. Edgar

(R) 8 p.m.

The Muppets

(PG) 7 p.m.

Tower Heist 

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Tower Heist 

(last showing)

(PG-13) 7 p.m.

Jack and Jill

(PG) 8 p.m.

J. Edgar

(R) 7 p.m.

Arthur 

Christmas

(PG) 7 p.m.

Girl with the 

Dragon Tattoo

(R) 8 p.m.

War Horse

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Downtown

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Bulkeley

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Chapel

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 Mass

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For other services, 

contact the NAVSTA 

Chaplain’s 

Office at 2323.

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Wednesday 6 p.m.

For more information, 

contact the JTF 

Chaplain’s Office 

at 2305.

NAVSTA 

Main Chapel
Background: The Missouri state flag now flies over the Base Emergency Engineer Force 

(BEEF), located at Joint Task Force Guantanamo’s Camp Justice. The 139th Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) transferred responsibility from the California Air National Guard 

Jan. 12. –photo by Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

TheJTF

The 525th Military Police 

Battalion cosponsored 

the Martin Luther King, 

Jr. memorial run Jan. 14. 

–photo by Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class 

Louis Batchelor

Army National 

Guard director Lt. 

Gen. William Ingram visited Joint 

Task Force Guantanamo Jan 19. His 

stop here included 

a meet-and-greet 

with members of 

the Joint Detention 

Group. –photo by 

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class 

Kilho Park