107th MP Co.

leaves its mark on GTMO
Brig. Gen. James Lettko

Deputy Commander, JTF Guantanamo

Fellow Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers: you are part of a one-of-akind organization composed of all branches 

of service and their components, as well as 

civilian and U.S. government contractors, all 

focused on a very important tactical mission that has strategic consequences. We 

all rotate to JTF Guantanamo on different 

cycles depending on our service, status or 

contract. We have six, nine 

and 12-month rotations and 

some of our civilians have 

been here for several years 

providing that continuity we 

all depend on.

Have you ever thought of 

why we are able to accomplish our mission every day 

with a group of professionals thrown together into the 

JTF Guantanamo melting pot? The Standard 

Operating Procedures have a lot to do with 

how we conduct our business. Our military 

competence, professionalism and “can-do” 

attitude also have a tremendous impact on 

our ability to conduct our mission. 

I see our ability to conduct our mission 

every day, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 

whether it be the guard force, medical staff, 

translators, analysts, IT staff and our service 

providers – is a direct result of our diversity. When you look across the Joint Task 

Force you will see diversity everywhere. We 

have the five services represented and within 

those services we have the active and reserve 

components. We have units and Troopers 

from the Pacific islands, west coast, through 

the heartland to the east coast and now from 

as far north as Minnesota to as far south as 

Puerto Rico. 

This Joint Task Force is unique in several ways. The JTF leverages the strengths 

of each service towards accomplishing their 

mission and the overall mission. Our contractor and civilian force is probably the 

most diverse part of the JTF. Our contractor and civilian staff represent over a dozen 

countries of origin. These team members 

are all U.S. citizens who are here contributing 

to the total team effort. We 

are truly a joint and diverse 

group of professionals all 

contributing in a multitude 

of ways to accomplish our 

no-fail mission. I urge you to 

take the time while at Joint 

Task Force Guantanamo to 

learn something new about 

the many diverse groups of 

people that make up our 

great team. We can’t accomplish our mission 

without all of us working together and leveraging those special skills towards mission 

accomplishment every day.

In addition to the great diversity of our 

team here, think about those who support 

us from home. Being deployed over holidays 

and special occasions can sometimes bring 

back memories of past celebrations, leaving a 

Trooper feeling a little down. This Sunday is 

Father’s Day. Father’s Day celebrates the contributions that fathers and father figures have 

made to their children’s lives. The celebration 

originated in the early 1900s as a way to recognize their contributions. Take the time to 

contact your father or father figure in your 

life. Thank them for their guidance and direction. If your father has passed away, take a 

few minutes to remember him.

Honor Bound! 

Cc

ommand

orner

Joint Task Force

Guantanamo Safe Humane Legal Transparent l l l

JTF Guantanamo

Commander

Rear Adm. David Woods

Deputy Commander

Brig. Gen. James Lettko

Sergeant Major

Sgt. Maj. Scott Smith

Office of Public Affairs Director

Navy Capt. Robert Durand: 9928

Deputy Director

Air Force Lt. Col. Laurel Tingley: 9927

Operations Officer

Army Maj. Jon Powers: 3649

Senior Enlisted Leader

Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant: 8141

The Wire

Command Information Officer

Army 1st Lt. Amelia Thatcher

Editorial Staff

Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Spc. Ryan Hallock

Spc. Vanessa Davila

Pvt. Loren Cook

Photojournalists

Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Army Staff Sgt. Lewis Hilburn

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Joshua Hammond

Webmaster

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Keith Simmons

Contact us

Editor’s Desk: 3499

Commercial: 011-5399-3499

DSN: 660-3499

E-mail: thewire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

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

 The Wire | Page 2 Command Corner

Cover: Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Ruffin (left) lead the team of New York Army National Guard Soldiers, including Spc. Gregg 

Gerber, who designed and built a replica of the World Trade Center towers on a five sided base to represent the Pentagon in 

honor of all the 107th Military Police Company members past and present who served in the unit since Sept. 11, 2001.

News from the Bay

News from the Bay The Wire | Page 3

INDEX

The Wire

June 15, 2012

GTMO’s Got Talent!

No Taps for GTMO

Tribute to GTMO fathers

107th leaves their mark 

MBS: Motivation

Movie: Snow White and 

the Huntsman

The WIRE is the official news magazine 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. 

This DoD news magazine is an authorized publication for the 

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 1,300.

5

7

8

10

13

14

Motorcycle Ride

Calling out all riders who would love the 

chance to ride along the complete Cuban 

fence line!

The ride departs from Marine Hill June 23 

at 8:30 a.m. Check in at 8 a.m.

See the fence line and learn the history 

about the North East Gate.

Sign ups are at Marine Hill June 18 and 22 

from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information contact SSgt Whatley at 2277 or 2002. 

$20 to sign up and all funds go to the Marine 

Corps Birthday Ball.

Choppers are welcome!

Don’t mail lithium 

batteries

Customers may not mail or receive electronic devices containing lithium batteries, 

including equipment with non-removable 

batteries, to or from any APO, FPO, and 

DPO offices. Lithium remains useful, as 

always, for treating bipolar musicians.

For more information about shipping 

restrictions, call 2156.

Go to college!

Get started with Columbia College. 

Sessions start five times a year. Sessions run 

for eight weeks.

What are you waiting for? Get educated 

on the military’s dollar!

Apply to become a student by visiting 

www.ccis.edu. 

North East Gate tour

Want to learn the history of the North East 

Gate and the United States Marines at Naval 

Station Guantanamo Bay? Meet at the Marine 

Hill Parade Deck at 11 a.m. on the third Friday 

of every month for the North East Gate tour. 

For more information, call 2334.

You’ll have a ball!

The 237th Army Birthday Ball is scheduled 

for June 30 at the Windjammer Ballroom. 

Cocktail hour will begin at 5:15 p.m.

The menu offers filet mignon with either 

shrimp skewers or vegetable lasagna.

Tickets are $40 for E-7 and above or civilians, $35 for E-5 and E-6, and $30 for E-4 

and below.

This is a formal event, and the attire for 

civilians is formal evening wear or black tie. 

Military personnel should wear dress uniform.

For more information or to buy tickets, 

call Staff Sgt. Baker at 8586.

Father’s Day fun!

Navy Child and Youth Programs will be 

hosting paintball and a pool party on June 17. 

Paintball runs from 2 to 4 p.m. at the paintball range and is open to anyone 10 or older. 

The pool party runs from 4 to 7 p.m. at the 

Windjammer Pool. Both of these events are 

free, and no registration is required.

For more information, call 2005.

Think before you act

The Coalition of Sailors against Destructive 

Actions is looking for new members! CSADD 

holds meetings every first and third Thursday of 

the month at 11 p.m. in the Windjammer Cafe.

For more information, contact RP2 Hosier at 

Sandra.Hosier@usnbgtmo.navy.mil.

Selling your vehicle?

Need to sell or transfer ownership of a 

vehicle?

If you buy a vehicle on island, you will 

need a bill of sale to properly register the 

vehicle. Current owner has to complete the 

bill of sale. Vehicle must be registered to current owner (seller).To obtain the bill of sale 

you are required to show your current registration as proof of ownership.

Contact Naval Legal Service Office 

Southeast at 4692.

Help the Red Cross

The Red Cross is requesting volunteer 

instructors to lend support to the community. 

If you are a Red Cross-certified instructor, 

please call the station manager at 2511.

Call Safe Ride!

Out drinking? Thinking about driving?

Put the keys down! Save your life, the lives 

of others, and your career.

Call 84913/84781.

In addition to the 

great diversity of 

our team here, 

think about those 

who support us 

from home.

Motorcycle Ride – June 23
I

n 1993, Congress passed Don’t Ask, 

Don’t Tell (DADT), which mandated the 

discharge of openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual 

service members. After more than 15 years, 

DADT was repealed last September. The 

repeal of DADT means that sexual orientation 

is no longer a disqualifying factor for entering 

military service, and that service members are 

no longer subject to administrative separation 

on the basis of lawful gay, lesbian or bisexual 

conduct. This policy change recognizes that 

the most valuable component of our national 

defense is the men and women in uniform 

who make up America’s all-volunteer force.

The month of June has historically 

been recognized as “Gay and Lesbian Pride 

Month.” On May 31, 2011, our Commanderin-Chief, President Barack Obama 

encouraged “all Americans to observe this 

month [June] by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere 

it exists.” Unfortunately, not everyone agrees 

with President Obama, and the acceptability 

of homosexuality continues to be a divisive 

issue in American society. However, for those 

of us serving our country as military members, we have chosen a higher calling – a noble 

and honorable profession – where it is critical 

that we work together as united teams. It is 

our ability and obligation to put our personal 

beliefs aside and respect one another based 

on performance and live by the standards of 

conduct and our core values.

Whether you agree or disagree with the 

repeal of DADT, or the recognition of Gay 

and Lesbian Pride Month, as service members we have the responsibility to tolerate one 

another’s differences. Simply stated, tolerance 

“is the appreciation of diversity and the ability to live and let others live. It is the ability to 

exercise a fair and objective attitude towards 

those whose opinions, practices, religion, 

nationality and so on differ from one’s own.” 

As William Ury states in his book, “Getting 

to Peace,” “Tolerance is not just agreeing with 

one another or remaining indifferent in the 

face of injustice, but rather showing respect 

for the essential humanity of every person.” 

As service members, we occupy a unique 

position in society and represent the military 

establishment. This special status brings with 

it a responsibility to uphold and maintain the 

dignity and high standards of the military services at all times and in all places. As a result, 

we are held to higher standards of conduct, 

which are ultimately enforced through the 

Uniform Code of Military Justice.

In today’s military, we have people of very 

different moral values and religious convictions who already co-exist, work, live and fight 

together on a daily basis. To be sure, the repeal 

of DADT does not ask you to change your 

personal, religious or moral beliefs; rather, 

you are expected to treat all others with dignity and respect. To do anything less creates 

an intolerance that has the ability to drive us 

apart. Keep in mind that the military services 

do not tolerate harassment or violence against 

any service member, for any reason.

We are in a war, and we are fighting this war 

together: one team, one fight. All differences 

aside, we are collectively professionals first, 

disciplined and respectful always. Ultimately, 

when we honor our fallen, what makes us different is irrelevant. Twenty-four notes. Twenty-four notes 

which stir something within us, that 

link us to the past, that bind us as service 

members together. In the history of military 

bugle call, none is more easily recognizable 

as “Taps.” Recently, a Soldier asked Joint 

Task Force Guantanamo’s Sergeant Major 

Scott Smith why the installation doesn’t play 

“Taps” at 9 p.m., like other military installations where he has served. 

“Taps” began as a revised version of 

“Extinguish Lights” during the Civil War. 

According to bugler and historian Jari A. 

Villanueva, Army Brig. Gen. Daniel Adams 

Butterfield, commander of a brigade of 

the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac, 

was not pleased with the bugle call for 

“Extinguish Lights,” thinking it too formal. 

With the help of the brigade bugler, Oliver 

Willcox Norton, he went about revising an 

older version of “Extinguish Lights” to what 

we now know as “Taps.” 

The revised bugle call caught on quickly 

in both the Union and Confederate Armies, 

though it was 36 years until Butterfield was 

given his due credit. 

In the August, 1898 issue of Century 

Magazine, Gustav Kobbe, a music historian 

and critic, used the Army Drill Manual, first 

published in 1867, to credit the person who 

compiled the bugle calls for the manual, Maj. 

Truman Seymour, with the composition of 

“Taps.” Norton read the article and wrote to 

the editor of Century, calling attention to the 

mistake. Upon writing to Butterfield himself, 

Century’s editor concluded that though the 

General did not compose “Taps,” he most 

certainly revised an earlier call into the present day bugle call now listened to every day 

on American military bases throughout the 

world. 

So, why don’t naval bases play “Taps” the 

same as other branches? Put simply, it’s not a 

naval tradition. As with many traditions, the 

U.S. Navy borrowed that of morning and 

evening colors from the British, and it hasn’t 

changed much over the last couple centuries. 

On Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, you’ll 

hear the bugle call “First Call” five minutes 

before 8 a.m. and five minutes before sunset, 

the National Anthem at 8 a.m. and “Retreat” 

at sunset. 

As with all American military braches, 

the Navy traditionally plays “Taps” at military funerals as a final farewell to men and 

women who served their country with 

honor.

Are you a Cuzco Barracks dweller? Have you ever been woken up by construction noise early on Sunday mornings? Senior 

Chief Petty Officer Kevin M. Doucette, J4 

Senior Enlisted Leader offers the following 

explanation for the ruckus:

The Joint Task Force (JTF) leases the 

Cuzco Barracks from Prime Projects 

International (PPI) so PPI is the contractor on site at the Cuzco Barracks. The lease 

agreement makes PPI responsible for the 

ongoing maintenance of each unit. 

Part of PPI’s responsibility to keep the 

units ready for occupancy. Most maintenance actions are performed during the day, 

Monday through Friday. However, because 

of the rotational JTF force, there are times 

when maintenance must be performed on 

Sunday depending on the number of units 

vacated the previous Saturday. 

PPI must keep up with the JTF’s demand 

for available units. In other words, if a large 

number of vacancies were created by an 

outbound unit on the Saturday rotator, then 

PPI has to work longerthan-normal hours to 

complete any required 

maintenance on those 

units so J4 can fill them 

as soon as possible. Often 

we have Troopers residing in Camp America or 

Tierra Kay waiting for a 

Trooper to depart and 

PPI to complete maintenance actions so they 

can move into the Cuzco 

Barracks. 

So the noise you hear 

on Sunday mornings is 

necessary preparation of 

the empty units, so the 

next set of Troopers can 

move in.

If any Trooper has 

a specific issue they can 

speak to their Block 

Captain or call the JTF 

Housing Office at 2102 

or 3145.

The not-so-Naval history of ‘Taps’

Construction waking you up?

Come on, feel the noise!

Maintenance workers for Prime Projects International adjust air 

conditioning units during maintenance operations at the Cuzco 

Barracks June 14.

 The Wire | Page 4 Trooper to Trooper Command Information The Wire | Page 5

By Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant

PSEC ALERT

PROTECT YOUR INFO!

Clog the Information Leak!

You may have seen stories in the news recently about government information leaks. The real story isn’t just 

about the leak; it’s about the operation and people put in harm’s way because of information leaks. The possible 

damage leaks could cause is hard to fully determine until it is too late and the damage has been done. Purposely 

disclosing classified information or sensitive unclassified information that you have been charged with protecting 

is not just morally wrong, it is punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and federal law. Leaking 

information is not “cool” nor does it make you whistleblower. Leaking information is illegal, a violation of policy, 

can and will get you in serious trouble, not to mention possibly put other peoples lives in danger and harm the 

mission. Maintain vigilant OPSEC, don’t leak information and report leaks if you find them. Be OPSEC strong!

Master Sgt. Vickie LeBrun

Law Office Superintendent, SJA

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class 

Kyle Steckler

Trooper to Trooper

Professionalism – Discipline – Respect
Boots on the Ground

Talent shows are a common event for schools and communities. They offer a 

way to showcase the talent of local residents, 

and they offer contestants a forum to display 

their talents in front of an audience, sometimes for the first time.

Morale, Welfare, and Recreation’s Child 

and Youth Programs teamed up with Armed 

Forces Entertainment to put on a talent 

show called “GTMO’s Got Talent!” at the 

Downtown Lyceum June 3.

This show, however, was different from 

most talent shows. How many local talent 

shows have you been where Randy Jackson, 

Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell are the 

judges?

Probably none, because Randy, Paula, and 

Simon weren’t at Guantanamo Bay either—

but Randy Jackson impersonator Kevin 

Rushing, Paula Abdul impersonator Lisa 

Scott, and Simon Cowell impersonator Craig 

Slezak were. Jovany Javier, a semifinalist from 

the tenth season of American Idol, hosted 

the event, in addition to performing during 

the show.

Rushing, Scott, and Slezak proved to be a 

hit with the crowd and contestants.

“Even though they’re not the real Simon, 

Paula, and Randy, they gave me valuable 

advice that worked for me,” said contestant 

Liana Merrill, a senior at W.T. Sampson High 

School.

The focus, however, was not on the 

judges and the host, but rather the talented 

Guantanamo Bay residents performing.

Guantanamo Bay residents turned out in 

force to show off their talent at auditions 

at the teen center June 2. Around 40 acts 

danced, sang, rapped, or rocked for a chance 

at local stardom. Judges had a hard time narrowing down the contestants, but eventually 

10 acts were selected for the semifinals, held 

the next day at the Downtown Lyceum.

Performing at the semifinals was vastly 

different from performing at the audition. 

Contestants had to contend not only with 

insects and heat, but also with stage fright. 

The audience at the auditions was mostly 

composed of other contestants, but the 

finals drew a much larger crowd.

“I was so scared! I’ve never performed in 

front of this many people,” Merrill said.

After all ten acts had a chance to show 

what they could do, the judges faced the difficult task of selecting two finalists. Eventually, 

they chose Merrill and Larry McGhee, both 

of whom had given excellent performances. 

The two finalists then performed one more 

time.

Merrill performed “Pie Jesu,” a selection 

from the Roman Catholic requiem mass in 

her finalist performance.

After a few audio mishaps, McGhee 

performed a medley of “Stand by Me” by 

Ben E. King and “Beautiful Girls” by Sean 

Kingston.

Merrill was eventually selected as the 

winner.

“I’m just overwhelmed! It doesn’t even 

feel real right now,” Merrill said shortly after 

being selected as the winner. “I couldn’t have 

done it without my family. They’ve all been 

supporting me, even my brothers and sisters, 

although I’m sure they’re tired of hearing me 

sing opera all the time. My parents are letting me go to college to study opera, so how 

much more supportive can you get?”

Merrill won the show, but one thing was 

very clear at the end of it all – GTMO’s got 

talent!

Feature The Wire | Page 7

Story and Photos by Pvt. Loren Cook 

GTMO’s 

GOTTALENT

What is your most memorable moment with your dad?

Boots on the Ground

“After a hard morning’s work of 

splitting and hauling firewood 

and clearing brush, just sitting 

down and drinking water talking 

about how hard the different 

types of wood were to split.”

Staff Sgt.

Thomas Harvey

“Dad would take me to a river 

to go hunting for frogs and 

pheasants. We would also go 

fishing at that river.”

Staff Sgt.

Matt Mays

“We would go on a nature trail 

near a river in New York. We 

would spend all day walking 

along and collecting unique 

rocks and fossils.”

Tech. Sgt.

David Poitras

“My most memorable moments 

with my dad will have to be 

every time we are in

each others’ company. Every 

moment is special. That’s my 

dad, what else can

I say.”

Sgt.

William Barnett 

“The first time I ever saw him 

cry. He cried when I graduated 

from high school. Until this day, 

I have not seen him cry again.”

Sgt.

Xenia Luna

Finalist Larry McGhee displays his singing 

chops at “GTMO’s Got Talent!” June 3.

Jovany Javier, host of “GTMO’s Got Talent!” 

gives Liana Merrill, a senior at W.T. Sampson 

High School, a trophy for winning the event.

The Wire | Page 6

“When I graduated from basic 

training. He wasn’t thrilled when 

I joined, but he was proud when 

I graduated and that stuck with 

me.”

Spc.

Rony Michaud
As the Troopers of the 107th Military 

Police Company concluded their Joint 

Task Force Guantanamo mission, these 

New York Army National Guard members 

took with them pride in a job well done. 

The Citizen Soldiers completed a one-year 

deployment as the external security force.

The historic importance of being at 

Guantanamo during the tenth anniversary 

of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 will always 

be a large feature of their deployment. Also, 

having the start of the military commission 

for the five alleged co-conspirators brought 

a sense of closure to some of the New 

Yorkers.

“Closing that circle in the whole process,” 

said 1st Sgt. Fabio Cardenas, who wears a 

New York State Police uniform when he 

is not the unit’s senior noncommissioned 

officer. 

The attacks on 9/11 have kept this unit 

busy for the past decade. The 107th MPs 

were one of the first Empire State Guard 

units to be in New York City at Ground 

Zero. The following year began the first of 

two mobilizations to Fort Drum, NY, then a 

pair of Iraq deployments before arriving at 

JTF Guantanamo.

That tempo for the unit post-9/11 has 

lead to a change in the age of the group, 

averaging 22 years old. This is the generation 

that watched the World Trade Center crumble on TV in elementary or high school, like 

Cpl. Edward Nepton. He remembers watching the events unfold in his typing class and 

not having it affect him until got home to 

find his mother crying.

Nepton, with several of his friends, are 

in the group of young service members that 

raised their right their right hand because of 

the events on 9/11.

“Most coming out of school wanted to 

go to Iraq or Afghanistan,” noted Cardenas, 

who had to explain that they were on the 

frontlines for the country. “You are dealing 

with the enemy every day on another level.”

Cardenas lead a core of senior enlisted 

who have served on prior deployments and 

several worked in law enforcement in civilian life. This brought experience vital to train 

the younger Soldiers to excel in the mission’s 

responsibilities. 

The hard work and long hours did not go 

unnoticed as Lt. Col. Christopher Wynder, 

Commander of the 525th Military Police 

Battalion, called them “superb performers.” 

The 107th served under the 525th MP Bn.’s 

umbrella of military police companies and 

“in order to capitalize on their unmatched 

work ethic” the unit was given increased 

responsibilities, according to Wynder.

“They realized the importance of what 

they do being from New York,” said 1st 

Lt. Andrew Miller, 107th MP Commander, 

talking about the unit’s sense of pride in 

the mission. Miller, a police officer in New 

York, encouraged his Soldiers to continually 

improve the operating procedures.

“We significantly raised the bar for other 

companies to follow,” noted Miller.

Before the Soldiers faced the challenges 

of sometimes repetitive and mundane work 

on long shifts, the unit needed to come 

together as a team. This was a difficult task 

to accomplish in the preceding year, as the 

Citizen Soldiers lived in 35 different New 

York counties, spending drill weekend at 

four armories located in upstate New York 

down to Fort Hamilton in New York City.

“They were phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal. I couldn’t ask for a better group 

of Soldiers to work with,” said Sgt. 1st Class 

Dennis Mower. 

One young Trooper said to Sgt. 1st Class 

Thomas Ruffin that “never in a million 

years” he would have thought that during the 

trial of the 9-11 co-conspirators he would be 

handling security outside the courtroom.

For Ruffin it was a “surreal moment” to 

be at Guantanamo Bay for the tenth anniversary of 9/11. “It has a lot of meaning 

to me,” added Ruffin, who led the team to 

design and build a lasting monument to their 

unit’s deployment.

The idea for the monument started as 

soon as 107th got on the island. The replica of the World Trade Center towers is set 

into a five-sided base, which represents the 

Pentagon. The towers are 9 feet tall, and 1x1 

foot in diameter. The north tower’s antenna 

is represented with a piece of metal rebar. 

W i t h m a t e r i a l d o n a t i o n s f r o m 

Guantanamo Bay Naval Station contractors 

and help from the Navy Seabee construction 

team, the monument towers over the other 

tributes to units who have completed a Joint 

Task Force Guantanamo tour of duty. 

A plaque dedicates the memorial to all 

who perished in the 9/11 attacks: a fitting 

honor of all the 107th MP Co. members, 

past and present, who served from Ground 

Zero to Guantanamo Bay.

In a New York

State of

Mind

The 107th Military

Police Company, New York 

Army National Guard, at 

their memorial dedication 

ceremony. The monument is 

a replica of the World Trade 

Center towers on a fivesided base to represent the 

Pentagon and is located at 

Memorial Field by Seaside 

Galley. A plaque dedicates 

the memorial to all who 

perished in the attacks of 

Sept. 11, 2001. 

The Wire | Page 8 Feature Feature The Wire | Page 9

Story and photos by Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven
The Wire | Page 10 Feature Feature The Wire | Page 11

Deployed Troopers face a variety of problems. One of the worst they face 

is homesickness. Deployed Troopers must 

leave their mothers and fathers, sisters and 

brothers, husbands and wives, and sons and 

daughters behind.

“I miss my family constantly, but never 

more so than around holidays,” said Army 

Sgt. William Barnett, property book officer 

with Joint Detention Group’s S-4 section.

Barnett would normally be spending 

Father’s Day with his 15-year-old son and 

his twin 7-year-old daughters. This year, 

he’ll be spending Father’s Day thousands 

of miles away instead.

 “I think it’s tougher for my family than 

it is for me,” said Army Staff Sgt. Jacob 

Chapman, a detainee librarian with the 

JDG.

Chapman is one of the newest fathers 

here at Guantanamo Bay. He was fortunate 

enough to go home to see the birth of his 

first child, now 5 months old.

“My wife was two months pregnant 

when I left, but we had a pretty good idea 

when she was due so I was able to get there 

in time for it. I was able to spend nine days 

with my son,” Chapman said. “He was jaundiced when he was born, so I stayed at the 

hospital with him for three or four days.”

“I thought I was going home to support 

my wife more than to see my son, but that 

all changed when I saw him for the first 

time,” Chapman said. “I guess men are just 

more visually-oriented. My baby was an 

abstract until I saw him, and then everything was put into perspective.”

Though Chapman was fortunate enough 

to see the birth of his child, some fathers 

don’t make it in time to see it. Others sacrifice that opportunity to avoid hurting their 

other children.

Tech. Sgt. Paul Edwards, a power 

production supervisor with the 474th 

Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron 

here, is the father of two daughters, ages 

3 and 5, and now a 1-month-old son. He 

decided not to go home for his son’s birth.

“My wife and I talked it over, and we 

both agreed that it would be harder on the 

girls if I came home just to turn around and 

leave in a week or two,” Edwards explained. 

“My son isn’t going to remember whether 

I was there when he was born or not, but 

my daughters will remember thinking I 

was home, and then being disappointed 

when I left again. I didn’t want to put them 

through that.”

Barnett regrets all of the bonding time 

he’s missing with his children.

“I really regret missing my kid’s games, 

piano recitals, and birthdays,” Barnett said. 

“My kids are growing up so much, and I’m 

missing it.”

“My son understands why I’m gone and 

that I’d be home if I could be. My daughters have a tougher time of it,” Barnett went 

on. “They’ve been told ‘Daddy’s at work,’ 

so they keep expecting me to come home 

from work every night. A young kid’s concept of time is much different than ours.”

Edwards also expresses regret for the 

lost bonding opportunities.

“The hardest part about being gone 

is missing my kids growing up. I’m missing my oldest kid’s sixth birthday and her 

preschool graduation,” Edwards said. “I 

may not be gone that long on our timescale, but kids grow up super fast. They’ll 

be so different when I come home.”

Chapman counts himself lucky that his 

son is so young.

“I’m sad that I’m missing my son’s first 

months, but I’m fortunate that he won’t 

remember me being gone these months,” 

Chapman said. “When I come home, I’ll 

be a stranger to my boy, but hopefully it 

won’t take too long before he recognizes 

his daddy.”

Without the opportunity to be with their 

children, deployed Troopers must use other 

means to keep in contact.

“My wife emails me a new baby picture 

every day, and she tells me all about him.” 

Chapman said. “They tell me he’s a very 

hungry baby, and mild-mannered. He’s also 

afraid of my dad for some reason.”

Barnett and his family send letters to 

each other. He also talks to his family on 

the phone every week, and uses Skype 

when he can. He and his son keep in touch 

on Facebook.

“My wife sends me pictures of our 

daughters in their Christmas dresses, and 

pictures from their school parties and so 

on. My son likes skateboarding, so he sends 

me pictures of himself doing skateboarding stunts,” Barnett said. “I send my family 

pictures from here: pictures of me at work, 

or at the beach, or pictures of the wildlife. 

My son gets a kick out of seeing pictures of 

the iguanas here.”

Edwards also uses Facebook to stay in 

touch with his family, in addition to calling 

home at least once a week.

“When I talk to my oldest daughter on 

the phone, I can have a pretty good conversation with her, but when I try to talk 

to my younger daughter, she doesn’t have 

the patience for the phone, so she just goes 

‘Hi! I love you, daddy! Gotta go!’” Edwards 

said.

Both Chapman and Edwards are nearing 

the end of their time here at Guantanamo 

Bay, and will be reunited with their wives 

and children soon.

“My advice to deployed fathers is to stay 

strong and remember what you’re fighting 

for,” said Edwards. “You’ll be home with 

your family again sooner than you know it.”

Barnett also has advice for deployed 

fathers.

“When you’re around your kids, love 

them. Spend as much time as you can with 

your kids while they’re young, because they 

grow up so fast,” Barnett said.

Chapman directed advice at newly 

expectant fathers.

“I’ve deployed to Iraq twice and I’ve 

seen some very scary things, but the most 

scared I’ve ever been was when my baby 

boy came out with the umbilical cord 

wrapped around his neck,” Chapman said. 

“I was just meeting my boy for the first 

time, and I was terrified I was going to lose 

him. But the doctors took care of it, and 

I got to hold him. You might be scared to 

become a father, but it’s not as scary as you 

might think. It’s the greatest feeling in the 

world when it happens.”

Barnett agrees. “My proudest moments 

as a father were when I held my kids for the 

first time. At that moment, with all three 

of my kids, I cried. It was like I won the 

lottery.”

Father Knows Best

Troopers trade tales of fatherhood from a distance

By Pvt. Loren Cook

Opposite page: Army Staff Sgt. Jacob 

Chapman shows off a picture of his 

5-month-old son, Gus. Chapman’s wife 

sends him a new baby picture every day.

Below: Army Sgt. William Barnett shares 

a picture of his 7-year-old twin daughters. 

Barnett also has a 15-year-old son.

– photos by Pvt. Loren Cook
STUTTGART, Germany – The United 

States has no plans to seek permanent bases 

in Africa, and, in the spirit of the new defense 

strategic guidance, will continue to maintain 

a “light footprint” on the continent, the top 

U.S. Africa Command officer said.

“In Africa, I would say a light footprint 

is consistent with what we need and consistent with the defense guidance,” Army 

Gen. Carter F. Ham told the House Armed 

Services Committee in February.

With no troops directly assigned to it, 

Africom relies heavily on its service components: U.S. Army Africa based in Vicenza, 

Italy; U.S. Air Forces Africa, at Ramstein Air 

Base, Germany; U.S. Marine Forces Africa 

and Special Operations Command Africa, 

both based here.

“It is that proximity to the theater that 

enables the agility we require,” Ham told 

Congress.

Africom has had its headquarters here 

since it initially stood up in 2007 as a subcommand of U.S. European Command 

before reaching full operational capability 

in 2008. Then-Defense Secretary Robert M. 

Gates and the first Africom commander, 

Army Gen. William E. “Kip” Ward, agreed 

to defer any decision on its permanent location until 2012.

A congressionally directed review of 

alternate basing plans is under way, and is 

expected to be delivered sometime this year. 

None of the plans being developed involves 

relocating the headquarters to the African 

continent, Ham said.

While not expressing his own preferences, 

Ham said he believes Africom has “been very 

well served” by its Stuttgart headquarters. In 

addition to good facilities and proximity to 

an international airport with direct links to 

Africa, he noted, Stuttgart offers the operational advantage of being in the same time 

zone as many of Africom’s 

African partners. “We are 

on the same daily rhythm,” 

the general said.

In addition, he said, 

collocating Africom with 

U.S. European Command 

makes sense, promoting 

their tradition of working together as they 

share forces, resources and capabilities.

Ham also underscored the importance of 

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, the only permanent U.S. base in Africa. With about 2,000 

U.S. personnel deployed there as part of 

Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, 

many from the Army National Guard, it 

provides a stable platform for U.S. military 

operations in a critical part of the world, he 

said.

“It’s a great strategic location,” he told 

American Forces Press Service. “It facilitates not only our operations for U.S. Africa 

Command, but also U.S. Central Command 

and U.S. Transportation Command. It is a 

very key hub and important node for us, a 

good location that allows us to extend our 

reach in East Africa and partner with the 

countries of East Africa.”

Ham said he recognizes concerns among 

some African countries about an increased 

U.S. presence on the continent, but emphasized that cost alone would preclude the 

United States from establishing more permanent bases there.

Meanwhile, a new initiative that Army 

Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno announced 

last month could increase Africom’s engagement opportunities with no uptick in 

permanent staffing.

The Army plans to implement a regionally 

aligned force concept next year to better support combatant commanders, Odierno said. 

Africom is expected to be the first to receive 

these rotational forces as part of the pilot 

program to begin next year, followed by U.S. 

Southern Command, U.S. Central Command 

and U.S. Pacific Command.

“In Africa, I would say a light footprint 

is consistent with what we need and 

consistent with the defense guidance.”

 – Gen. Carter F. Ham

 The Wire | Page 12 Service News Mind, Body & Spirit The Wire | Page 13

Only at GTMO by Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Looks like someone didn’t 

use a designated driver.

Drunk driving can cost you 

a lot more than $10,000. 

Always bring a sober buddy 

or call Safe Ride at 84781.

Africom will maintain 

‘light footprint’ in Africa

THIS WE’ ll DEFEND

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

Motivation Musings

As a psychologist, I’m often asked questions about motivation and behavior. 

One of the most frequent questions relates 

to work and productivity. Specifically, why 

don’t people do their job and try to do it 

well? I’m not talking about people who try 

and fail – or maybe just don’t succeed as well 

as they would have liked. Sometimes, people’s dreams and aspirations far exceed their 

abilities and skills. Maybe they just need to 

develop new skills, or further develop those 

that they have, and they will finally be able 

to achieve those dreams. Maybe they need 

to reevaluate what they are capable of and 

adjust their dreams to something that is 

within their reach. But for those whose abilities far exceed their productivity, leaders and 

colleagues are often at a loss. Doesn’t it just 

take a little motivation to get things done?

The most difficult part of leadership, 

I’ve found, is figuring out how to motivate 

people. Ideally, everyone would be internally 

motivated and leaders would just have to provide a little bit of guidance. In other words, 

they would just have to steer the vehicle a 

little, but the individual would be providing all the horsepower. Life, however, rarely 

works that way. It often is up to the leader 

of a group to figure out how to motivate the 

individuals in the group. One way to break 

down motivation is to think about where it’s 

coming from: externally or internally.

External motivation can be extremely 

effective. One of the problems with it is, 

once the external motivation is no longer 

present, the individual might stop whatever 

it is they’re doing. Some people use fear 

and intimidation, which may work for a 

little. Eventually, though, people begin to 

resent leaders that use these tactics. This 

resentment can turn to passive aggressive 

behavior, where they end up sabotaging 

whatever it is they’re working on. People 

may also adapt to the fear and intimidation 

tactics, so that they are no longer effective. 

On the flip side, some people use some type 

of incentive for external motivation: time 

off, awards, words of praise, etc. The same 

problem exists as with fear and intimidation 

– once the rewards stop, the individual will 

likely stop whatever they were working on. 

Or, people may adapt to the incentive so that 

they expect it and feel entitled to it. They 

may require additional incentives to continue 

working. Further, if the rewards aren’t salient 

to the individual (i.e., the person doesn’t care 

about praise or awards; they’re leaving the 

island soon anyway), then they aren’t likely 

to be effective. If external motivation isn’t 

working, or isn’t appropriate, focusing on an 

individual’s internal motivation may be a better solution.

Internal motivation also can be extremely 

effective, but it is much harder to influence 

as a leader. It requires understanding the 

people that you work with or that work for 

you. Once you have an idea of what drives 

them, then you can tap into that internal 

motivation to encourage them to do their 

job. The key is that you have to make things 

salient for the individual. In other words, you 

have to get their buy-in. If you can’t make it 

relevant to their existing goals, then you’re 

not likely to get the results you’re hoping 

for. For example, if someone is hoping to 

advance to the next rank, then you may have 

to tie a task to that particular goal. Say something like, “If you want to advance to the 

next rank, then you need to study for the 

advancement exam.” Although this advice 

may seem self-evident, sometimes it helps to 

have the obvious stated. Occasionally, you 

may need to help connect the dots or provide another perspective for someone. 

Leaders can influence others through 

applying external motivation, or by augmenting internal motivation. External motivation 

is easier to apply, but often is short-lived. 

Internal motivation is harder to augment, 

but can affect an individual’s behavior for as 

long as you work together. Certain situations 

may call for one or the other. If you have a 

task that needs to be accomplished quickly, 

you may not have time to try to figure out 

what motivates each person that works for 

you. You may need to provide some external 

incentive to help motivate them to accomplish this goal. If the task is more chronic 

in nature, then it may be worth the time and 

energy to figure out what already motivates 

each person that works for you, and then tie 

that to the task. You also can combine external and internal motivation techniques. The 

key is to have at least some understanding of 

the people that work for you.

Great leaders seem to have an intuitive 

ability to motivate those that serve them. 

For the rest of us, though, learning how to 

motivate others is difficult. In the end, most 

people will appreciate it if you take the time 

to try to understand what motivates them. 

Just that simple act of caring and understanding can do wonders for a seemingly 

unmotivated person, and pay off dividends.

Army Pfc. Daniel Baetson, deployed to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, serves as a mentor 

with Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa to help African partners build niche 

capabilities such as logistics, legal affairs and medicine.

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kelly Ontiveros 

Mind, Body & Spirit

By Navy Lt. Stephanie Long

JSMART
Movie Review

PG-13

127 min.

 see MOVIE page 15

 The Wire | Page 14 Movie Review

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up? Please stand up?” I know, I 

know. To quote the lyrics to an Eminem 

song isn’t the normal way to start a film 

review. But it seemed relevant in the case of 

“Snow White and the Huntsman.” Here is 

a film version of “Snow White” unlike any 

other before it. Though the 1937 animated 

Disney film became the popular version of 

the Snow White tale, it is not the definitive 

story. In fact, there isn’t one. Can the real 

Snow White please stand up? I don’t think 

she can.

There are multiple versions of the Snow 

White story throughout Europe. The generally accepted fairy tale was added to a 

collection of stories by the Brothers Grimm 

in 1812 (which was also revised for later editions). Despite the differences in the various 

tellings, there are common aspects to the 

story. These elements include an evil queen, 

a magic mirror, a poisoned apple, dwarves, 

haunted forests and a potential suitor for 

our fair maiden. Is she fair? In “Snow White 

and the Huntsman,” she’s more like Joan of 

Arc crossed with Aragorn from “The Lord 

of the Rings.” Given her iron will, maybe 

she’s more like an “iron maiden”?

“Snow White and the Huntsman” opens 

“once upon a time” with a beautiful queen 

admiring a solitary rose blooming in the 

dead of winter. She wishes to give birth to a 

child with raven’s hair, fair skin and a fierce 

determination to live just like the uncommon rose. The queen gets her wish when 

Snow White is born. Tragically, as is usually 

the case in this kind of story, the queen dies 

and King Magnus (Noah Huntly, “Your 

Highness”) and young Snow White are left 

without her. 

A few years after the queen’s death, the 

marauding Dark Army attempts to overtake 

King Magnus’ kingdom. After Magnus’s 

soldiers defeat the Dark Army they rescue 

the beautiful captive Ravenna (Charlize 

Theron, “Prometheus”). Magnus is so 

enamored with her loveliness and beauty, 

he marries her the very next day. To his 

horror, Ravenna is the dark sorceress who 

commands the Dark Army. She deliberately 

plotted to get into Magnus’ marriage bed 

to murder him and overtake the kingdom 

as the new queen of the land. The queen 

imprisons young princess Snow White in a 

tower, with the people believing her to be 

dead. The kingdom is no longer peaceful 

and prosperous it once was, but now dark 

and grim. The land becomes harsh and haggard under Ravenna’s reign. 

Flash forward 10 years. Ravenna has 

remained young though her witchcraft. She 

is able to suck the life force from fair maidens to maintain her radiance and beauty. 

When she asks her magic mirror “Who 

is the fairest of them all?” she learns that 

Snow White (Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight 

Saga”) has the ability to destroy her. This 

will not do.

Snow White escapes into the haunted 

forest where her pursuit is halted by forest’s 

treacherous nature. The queen’s lead henchman and brother, Finn (Sam Spruell, “The 

Hurt Locker”) recruits a drunken widower 

(Chris Hemsworth, “Thor”) to track Snow 

White for them. Not liking the arrangement, 

the huntsman decides to aid Snow White in 

her plight. 

Snow White is determined to defeat 

the tyrannical queen and restore peace and 

order to the land. Many people are willing 

to take up arms for the cause. This includes 

some fairly handy dwarves who are experts 

in guerilla-style combat. 

“Snow White and the Huntsman” is 

director Rupert Sanders’ film debut. He 

got his start directing television advertisements, including one for the video game 

Halo 3. He doesn’t hold back in creating a 

dark foreboding atmosphere for a majority 

of this picture. The cinematography is brilliant, yet so grim and colorless it might turn 

some people off. Nevertheless, it is stylish 

without going into cartoonish territory. 

Snow White’s world, though make-believe, 

feels real and lived in. The clothes and the 

sets are believable.

What really captured my imagination 

was the enchanted fairy forest. For me, this 

sequence was the crown jewel of the picture. The animals, the foliage and fairies are 

presented with such a vibrancy in stark contrast to Ravenna’s kingdom, I felt like I was 

watching a completely different movie altogether. This is easily the most fully realized 

storybook forest I have ever seen done in a 

live-action movie. The last movie to come 

this close to achieve this was Ridley Scott’s 

“Legend” (1986). 

There is no doubt “Snow White and the 

Huntsman” looks great. CGI helps tell the 

story, but thankfully its use doesn’t go over 

the top beyond what it is needed for. In 

Snow White

and the Huntsman

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class 

Ty Bjornson

Bulletin Board The Wire | Page 15

MOVIE from page 14

fact, the whole picture has an old-fashioned 

quality to it. The tone and the pacing are 

on par with the sword and sorcerer pictures 

from the early ‘80s. This might be distracting to some who want their movie action to 

come a little swifter. The movie takes time to 

set up the characters and develop the background stories for them, their lands and 

their goals. This adds a dimension to this tale 

probably not previously seen in the movies.

“Snow White and the Huntsman” is 

the second Snow White inspired film to be 

released in last three months. Both are live 

action pictures with alternate spins on this 

familiar story. I speculate the property is being 

revisited in 2012 to commemorate the 200 year 

anniversary of its inclusion into the Grimm’s 

fairy tale anthology. This new film is an interesting take on Snow White, though the pace 

might throw some people off. Nevertheless, 

“Snow White and the Huntsman” is nicely 

crafted and tells its story well.

GTMO Religious 

Services

NAVSTA 

Main Chapel

Daily Catholic Mass

Tues.-Fri. 5:30 p.m.

Vigil Mass

Saturday 5 p.m. 

Mass

Sunday 9 a.m.

General Protestant

Sunday 11 a.m. 

Gospel Service

Sunday 1 p.m.

Christian Fellowship

Sunday 6 p.m. 

 Iglesia Ni Cristo

Sunday 5:30 a.m. 

Room A

Pentecostal Gospel

Sunday 8 a.m. & 5 p.m. 

Room D

LDS Service

Sunday 10 a.m. 

Room A

Islamic Service

Friday 1 p.m. 

Room C

Intense Spiritual 

Fitness Power Lunch!

Study the Book of 

Romans with 

Chaplain Chouest

Thursdays 11-11:30 a.m.

JTF Command 

Chaplain’s Office

Protestant Worship

Sunday 9 a.m.

Bible Study

Wednesday 6 p.m.

JTF Trooper 

Chapel

For other services, contact the NAVSTA 

Chaplain’s Office at 2323.

For more information, contact the 

JTF Chaplain’s Office at 2305.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU 16

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

15 17 18 19 20 21

Madagascar 3

( NEW) (PG) 8 p.m.

The Five Year 

Engagement

(NEW)

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Pirates: Band 

of Misfits

(NEW) (PG) 8 p.m.

Prometheus

(NEW)

(R) 10 p.m.

Prometheus

(NEW)

(R) 8 p.m.

The Five Year 

Engagement

(NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Men in Black 3

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Madagascar 3

(NEW) 

(PG) 8 p.m.

NO MOVIE

NO MOVIE

NO MOVIE

NO MOVIE

NO MOVIE NO MOVIE

NO MOVIE NO MOVIE

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

MWR is converting from 35mm film format to digital format. 

The movie schedule will resume on June 22.

MWR is converting from 35mm film format to digital format. 

The movie schedule will resume on June 22.
Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael Cunniff visited 

New Jersey Army National Guard members this 

week, as well as other Joint Task Force Troopers 

who hail from the Garden State.

Cunniff toured JTF and Naval Station facilities on his two-day trip, which is his first as The 

Adjutant General of the State of New Jersey. He 

was confirmed in March 2012 as the commander 

of more than 6,000 Citizen Soldiers and Airmen.

 “This is the best part of the job, seeing the 

troops and where they work,” he said. 

Cunniff expressed gratitude for all reservists’ 

sacrifices and willingness to deploy. A longtime 

reserve component officer, he recalled the time 

when the focus on the hometown mission rarely 

took Guardsmen overseas.

“In 10 years, we deployed once to Ecuador for 

a training mission,” Cunniff said. “But now, the 

Guard has moved from a strategic reserve to an 

operational force.”

National Guard units will continue to rotate in 

and out as an essential part of the JTF Guantanamo mission, and include the Base Emergency 

Engineer Force (Prime BEEF), the external security company, and elements of the Joint Detention 

Group and J codes. 

Since 2001, New Jersey National Guardsmen 

have served around the world, some on multiple 

tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. The list includes 

JTF Guantanamo, 2004.

By Army 1st Lt. Amelia Thatcher

JERSEY

FRESH

Above: Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael Cunniff, The Adjutant General 

of the State of New Jersey (center) toured Camps 5 and 6 as part 

of his Joint Task Force Guantanamo visit June 12-13. Cunniff 

highlighted the significance of the large number of reserve 

component servicemembers, and praised the dedication 

and professionalism of all JTF Troopers. 

–photo by Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class 

Joshua Hammond