Utilitiesman 1st Class Kevin Geegan checks a level 

for the installation of batter boards as part of the 

construction of a new enlisted club at Camp America, 

Mar. 2. — photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Jordan Miller.

Around the

JTF

Sailors from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo take the Navy-wide first class petty 

officer advancement examination at the Windjammer 

Ballroom, March 3. — photo by Mass Communications Specialist 

1st Class David P. Coleman.

Service members from Naval Station Guantanamo and 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo participate in a team 

building run, March 3. — photo by Mass Communications Specialist 

1st Class David P. Coleman.

Spc. J Woodard, with the 525th Military Police Battalion 

has the hood strings of his joint lightweight integrated 

suit technology (JLIST) coat loosened at Buckeley Field, 

Mar. 3. — photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Jordan 

Miller.

Volume 12, Issue 12 Friday, March 11, 2011

Weekend full

of rivalries

A Day in the Life

Following the NEGB – Part 1 of 2

Theater of War 

dramatizes cost 

of service

Daylight Savings Time begins

 Sunday! Don’t forget to set 

your clock ahead an hour. 
The Wire | Page 2 Trooper to Trooper |

Trooper to Trooper

featuring

Operations Sgt. Maj., 525th Military Police Battalion

Sergeant Major

Steven Townsend

Ask 10 Troopers why they joined the 

military and undoubtedly one of the reasons 

you will hear is “for the discipline” or “I 

needed the structure in my life.” 

As leaders we are charged with enforcing 

standards. Leaders at all levels should take 

a look at ourselves first. Are we living up to 

the standards and setting good examples to 

those we lead? Further, if you are already 

living up to the standards yourself, are you 

correcting deficiencies with on-the-spot 

corrections as you see them? Somewhere 

along the way I heard the saying, “If you 

walk by or fail to correct a deficiency, you 

have just set the new standard.”

Troopers’ personal discipline is usually 

a good indicator of what is happening 

in a command. It concerns me when a 

few among us continue to show a lack 

of discipline. Take a look around – what 

is your Troopers’ off-duty conduct like? 

Are courtesies and honors being rendered 

properly? How many uniform violations do 

you see?

Small things usually lead to bigger 

things, so if your Troops aren’t conducting 

themselves in accordance with prescribed 

regulations, ask yourself what other 

shortcuts they could be taking. Are they 

maintaining their weapons and equipment 

properly? When they assume a post are they 

executing their duties professionally and as 

directed by post orders?

Some may see uniform or conduct onthe-spot corrections as being petty in the 

grand scheme of things. General George 

Washington considered discipline so 

important that through Benjamin Franklin 

he enlisted the aid of a Prussian Officer, 

Baron Friedrich von Steuben, to help train 

an otherwise undisciplined force. Upon his 

arrival to Valley Forge in 1779, von Steuben 

wrote the first Army field manual, aptly 

titled The Regulations for the Order and Discipline 

of the Troops of the United States. Discipline, 

precision and teamwork were instilled into 

the Soldiers of the Continental Army, 

ultimately leading to the independence of 

our great nation.

For a more recent example of the 

importance of discipline, one can take a 

look at the insurgent attack of a military 

supply convoy in Iraq on March 20, 2005. 

Because Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester and the rest 

of her squad members were so disciplined, 

even in a task that would appear so trivial 

to some – vehicle load plans – her squad 

was able to counter and defeat the insurgent 

ambush. Hester stated because her squad 

had adhered to strict vehicle load plans 

she was able to move from vehicle to 

vehicle during the ensuing gun battle and 

immediately secure what was needed to 

continue the fight.

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. 

The WIRE seeks to provide maximum disclosure with minimum 

delay with regard to security, accuracy, propriety and policy. 

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 the Defense Logistics Agency 

Document Services with a circulation of 1,000.

JTF Guantanamo

Commander

Navy Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harbeson

Command Master Chief

Command Sgt. Maj.

Mark Porrett

Office of Public Affairs Director

Navy Cmdr. Tamsen Reese: 9928

Deputy Director

Air Force Lt. Col. Don Langley: 9927

Operations Officer

CW2 Raymond Chapman: 3649

Senior Enlisted Leader

Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class 

Sally Hendricks: 3649

The Wire

Executive Editor

Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel: 3499

Assistant Editor

Spc. Meredith Vincent: 3651

Photojournalists:

Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Elisha Dawkins

Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Jason Tross

Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Miller

Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Wesley Kreiss

Spc. Kelly Gary

Spc. Justin Pierce

Contact us

Editor’s Desk: 3499

From the continental United States

Commercial: 011-53-99-3499

DSN: 660-3499

E-mail: thewire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

Online: www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

BACK COVER: Air Force Master Sgt. Marcus Wilkins rakes gravel on top of a mound made to cover an old bunker outside Camp 

Justice, Mar. 10. Wilkins is attached to the Base Emergency Engineer Force of the 138th Fighter Wing, Oklahoma Air National 

Guard - photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Miller.

COVER: An assistant watch commander with the Naval Expeditionary Guard Battalion checks-in with his Sailors inside Camp 6. - 

photo by Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

| newws you can use The Wire | Page 3

Obama Approves Resumption of Guantanamo Bay Military Trials

Voice of America News Service

President Barack Obama on Monday 

approved the resumption of controversial 

military trials for suspected terrorists at the 

U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, 

Cuba. The decision, which ends a twoyear ban on military trials of detainees at 

the facility, is disappointing for some legal 

scholars.

The White House released a new executive 

order for Guantanamo trials to resume, after 

a long review of judicial options concerning 

alleged terrorists.

Obama promised better safeguards for 

the rights of detainees, following criticism by 

human rights groups and other countries for 

a lack of fairness.

The executive order states that the 

Obama administration remains committed to 

eventually closing the detention facility, where 

about 170 detainees remain in custody. It also 

said the U.S. system of justice remains a key 

part of the war against al-Qaida terrorists.

In a background briefing, senior 

administration officials said the order 

strengthens U.S. security needs and American 

values.

Mason Clutter, an attorney for the 

Washington-based Constitution Project, says 

her organization has mixed feelings about the 

president’s decision to resume the military 

trials.

“The Constitution Project is pleased that 

the administration remains committed to 

using our civilian criminal justice system,” 

said Clutter. “However, we are disappointed 

that the administration is not going to be 

proceeding with parallel trials in the civilian 

justice system while they are trying cases in 

the military commission system.”

Clutter said many of the detainees at 

Guantanamo Bay are being charged with 

material support of terrorism and conspiracy, 

and that it is debatable whether these charges 

qualify as war crimes.

The chairman of the House of 

Representatives Armed Services Committee, 

Republican Howard McKeon, said he was 

disappointed that Obama had made his 

policy through an executive order rather than 

through legislation. But he welcomed the 

resumption of military trials at Guantanamo 

Bay. Another Republican, House Judiciary 

Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, said he 

hoped Obama would abandon his promise to 

close the detention center.

The White House stated that some of 

the detainees must continue to be held at 

Guantanamo Bay even though they have not 

been formally charged because they remain at 

war with the United States.

One of the first trials likely to proceed 

under the new order would involve Saudi 

national Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged 

mastermind of the 2000 bombing of the USS 

Cole. Legal scholars say that case presents 

challenges for the Guantanamo military 

Surrounded by security forces, US government contractor Alan Gross, left, 

arrives to a courthouse to attend a trial in Havana, Cuba, March 5, 2011

— photo by AP

commissions because it concerns an attack 

that took place before the 2001 terrorist 

attacks on the United States, which led to 

the establishment of the Guantanamo Bay 

detention center. They also say the trial might 

involve the death penalty, which has not been 

considered in previous Guantanamo trials.

Clutter said she hopes the executive order 

is a start and that the Obama administration 

will continue to make progress on the issue.

“The way that we have proceeded to date 

has caused quite a bit of conflict between the 

United States and our allies, and I think it is 

in our best national security interests to work 

toward a system that is more consistent with 

the rule of law and with our constitution to 

better protect our relationships with our allies 

abroad,” she said.

Legislation passed earlier this year 

denies the use of defense funds to transfer 

Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United 

States to face trial in the U.S. civilian justice 

system. And there are efforts underway in 

Congress to ban the use of government 

funds for such transfers.

Prior to becoming president, Obama 

promised to close the Guantanamo Bay 

detention center, move detainees to the 

United States and shift cases to U.S. civilian 

federal courts. But those plans have met 

stiff resistance from many U.S. politicians, 

including from those in the president’s own 

Democratic Party.

Trial of U.S. contractor resumes in Cuba

Voice of America News Service

The American contractor accused in Cuba of supplying dissidents 

with communications equipment could be facing a verdict on day 

two of his trial, Mar. 5.

An official statement said lawyers would give evidence and closing 

remarks Saturday in the case against Alan Gross. Under Cuban law, 

judges can give verdicts immediately following the presentation of 

evidence.

Gross was arrested in Cuba in December 2009. He is alleged to 

have violated the “integrity and independence of Cuba” by distributing 

Internet equipment and satellite phones to Cuban dissident groups. 

He could face 20 years in prison if convicted.

Gross’s wife and U.S. officials were present in the court. However, 

the trial is closed to the media. Gross’s American lawyer said the 

contractor and his Cuban attorneys presented a vigorous defense 

during the first day of the hearing Friday, and urged Cuba to release 

the ailing 61-year-old on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Friday appealed to Cuba 

to release Gross “unconditionally” and allow him to return to his 

family.

Gross was working for a private firm, Development Alternatives 

International, contracted by the U.S. Agency for International 

Development, when he was arrested.

The company says Gross was working on a project to bring 

Internet communications equipment to members of Cuba’s small 

Jewish community, and denies he was working with dissidents. The 

firm has since ceased its activities in Cuba.

The United States has repeatedly called for his release and says he 

was not doing anything illegal.
The Wire | Page 4 News from the Bay | 

News from the Bay

Triathlon marks Chief 

rank anniversary 

Boots on the Ground

What have you accomplished here on Guantanamo Bay that you are most proud of?

“My preparation for 

retirement.”

Army Sgt. 1st Class

Mustafa Abdullah

“I paid off my car.”

Petty Officer 3rd Class

John Sullivan 

Religious Programs 

Specialist 3rd Class

Jeffrey Lauber

“Completed advanced diving 

certification.

“Helped find a charity 

hospital for a Jamaican burn 

victim.”

Spc. Thomas Johnson

Celebrating the 118th birthday of the 

Chief Petty Officer rank – established April 

1, 1893 – members of the Guantanamo Bay 

chief petty officer community will sponsor a 

triathlon, April 2.

Registration for the 200-yard swim, 10-

mile bike ride and 5k run event is already 

underway at the Navy Exchange atrium, 

Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The 

first 150 individuals to sign up will receive a 

commemorative t-shirt for the event.

Participants can compete in the event as 

MWR outdoor rec gets 

some March Madness

Boaters and outdoor sportsmen have 

plenty to be thankful for this month, as 

Morale Welfare and Recreation kicks off 

their version of March Madness with 

numerous deals and discounts.

“We try to have at least eight events 

every month,” said MWR Outdoor 

Recreation Director Cory Geiger. 

For March Madness, every Wednesday 

all boats are half-price to rent, Geiger 

explained. That means kayaks are $1 

an hour, fishing boats are $3 an hour, 

pontoons are $5 an hour and Sea Chasers 

are only $10 an hour. The half-off special 

will also run on St. Patrick’s Day, March 

17.

“The marina is more than just a place 

to rent boats,” said Geiger. “It is a onestop shop for everything outdoors. 

Kayaks, mountain bikes, road bikes, tents, 

generators, canoes, sailboats, rolling 

coolers and much more.”

 The day after St. Patrick’s Day, March 

18, MWR will offer another of their sunset 

cruises at 6 p.m.

“You will be driven out to the southern 

boundary, watch the sun set on the water 

and then cruise back to the marina,” said 

Geiger, adding coolers and cameras are 

welcome, but the event is always popular 

so it would be a good idea to call ahead.

“Outdoor recreation is a great way to 

get fit, and meet people,” Geiger said. 

“There are so many things available to the 

community at little or no cost.”

For more information about outdoor 

MWR events, contact x2345.

Spc. Meredith Vincent

either a single contestant or as a team of no 

more than three. Individual registration is 

$25, groups can register for $70.

“Proceeds generated from the triathlon 

go to our annual scholarship funds given to 

W. T. Sampson Senior Student,” said Navy 

Counselor Chief Robert Pagtakhan, one of 

the lead organizers of the event.

Army Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

| Trooper Focus The Wire | Page 5

Nearing the end of his deployment, 

Staff Sgt. Tyler J. Smith has made a positive 

impression on Soldiers he has trained as well 

as his leadership.

“He is not afraid to take charge,” said 

Sgt. 1st Class Alex Hedges, internment 

resettlement plans noncommissioned officer 

in charge for the 525th MP Battalion.” “If 

he sees something that doesn’t look right or 

needs to be corrected he is one of the first 

to correct it or step in to get it going in the 

right direction,” he said.

Smith, a movement control NCO in the 

525th Military Police Battalion S3 shop, has 

worked hard and excelled in his duties.

“Staff Sgt. Smith has jumped in to lend a 

hand in several areas,” said Sgt. Maj. Steven 

Townsend of the 525th MP Battalion. “He 

is personally responsible for training five 

company training NCOs in the use of the 

Digital Training Management System.”

In addition to DTMS training, Smith is 

the pre-service manager, responsible for 

coordinating the training all MP guards 

must complete before taking their post in the 

detention facilities.

“[The Soldiers] go through a whole 

confidence course,” Smith explained.

When he is not training Soldiers, Smith also 

plays guitar and poker. However, most of his 

time and energy outside of work is focused 

on volunteer opportunities.

When Soldiers Undertaking Disabled 

Scuba came to town, Smith was among those 

who stood up to help. SUDS helps wounded 

warriors obtain scuba certification and 

facilitate the rehabilitation process as well as 

promote mobility. 

“I don’t care about the volunteer hours,” 

he acknowledged. “It’s about helping these 

trooper focus

Staff Sgt. Tyler Smith

 see FOCUS, page 19

Spc. Kelly Gary

‘Theater of War’ encourages discussion on challenges of combat

Story and photo by Mass Communication 

2nd Class Jason Tross

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class 

Jau Yun spent Saturday night 

getting very personal with a 

group of strangers who have 

something very meaningful in 

common - combat experience in 

Iraq and Afghanistan.

Yun shared his story with the 

audience during a performance 

by the critically acclaimed 

Theater of War Productions. 

The group’s four performances, 

split between Camp Bulkeley and 

W.T. Sampson School, attracted 

hundreds of Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo Troopers, their 

families and Guantanamo Bay 

residents.

 “Theater of War” is a 

traveling group of actors and 

creative directors who read 

ancient Greek plays, then 

organize a four-person panel of 

speakers to stimulate thought 

and understanding between 

audience members who have 

combat experience and those 

who don’t.

“I spoke about what I 

experienced in combat and 

how that relates to the plays 

performed here tonight,” said 

Yun. “Hopefully I touched 

bases with the audience and they 

can relate to what I was talking 

about.”

Each “Theater of War” 

performance begins with actors 

reading the plays aloud to the 

audience. The panelists then share 

their thoughts on how the 2,500-

year-old play about combatrelated behavior resonates with 

their own experiences. The 

idea is to get a dialogue rolling 

between everyone in attendance.

“We know servicemembers 

here are dealing with one of the 

most challenging and difficult 

ethical situations of our time,” 

said Theater of War Artistic 

Director Bryan Doerries. “And 

with these plays and discussions, 

we hope we might 

Bullet Bio

Time in service: 9 years

Hobbies: going to the gym and 

UFC

Pet peeves: laziness and lack of 

communication 

Next goal: deploy as many times 

as possible until retirement 

Advice to junior Troopers: do 

your best with any task given to 

you

Brian F. O’Byrne, an actor with the Theater of War production 

group, reads the part of Ajax during a performance of 

Sophocles’ Ajax Mar. 6 at W.T. Sampson School.

 see WAR, page 19
The Wire | Page 6 | News

Seabees celebrate 69th birthday at The Windjammer

“We can’t get to the gym with 

our schedule.”

This refrain is what Gilman 

Fortin, a hospital corpsman 

first class with Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo’s Joint Medical 

Clinic, was used to hearing from 

his Troopers working shifts 

spread around the clock. 

“Trying to keep up with the 

regular gym hours on base was 

getting irritating for my guys 

working the odd shifts, holidays, 

weekends, things like that,” 

Story and photo by Mass Communication 

Specialist 2nd Class Elisha Dawkins

Two hundred servicemembers 

and their guests attended the 

Seabee Ball at the Windjammer 

March 5, to honor the Seabees’ 

69th birthday. 

“This is our time to celebrate 

our legacy and reflect upon what 

all the Seabees have done in the 

past and the great future ahead,” 

said Cmdr. Wendy Halsey, public 

works officer for Naval Station 

Guantanamo Bay.

Navy Capt. Thomas 

Karnowski with Civil Engineers 

Corps led the audience in a toast 

to honor those lost in battle or 

who have passed away. On stage, 

a circular dining table with five 

empty seats was displayed. A 

member from each military 

branch placed his cover onto the 

table in tribute to prisoners of 

war and servicemembers missing 

in action. 

Guest speaker Navy Capt. J. 

Heinzel, commanding officer, 

Naval Facilities Engineering 

Command Southeast, focused 

on the unique roles both Naval 

Station Guantanamo Bay and 

the Seabees have today.

“Naval Station Guantanamo 

Bay is one cool location to 

celebrate the Seabee Ball,” said 

Heinzel. “In today’s conflict, 

Guantanamo Bay is one-of-kind 

and the United States Seabees 

are one-of-a-kind.” 

The Navy introduced the first 

Naval Construction Battalion on 

March 5, 1942 which became 

the official Seabee birthday. 

“It’s really important to 

celebrate the history and all 

the great accomplishments of 

the Seabees,” said Rear Adm. 

Jeffery Harbeson, commander, 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo. 

“They do a fantastic job for us 

in the Navy and the military.”

During the ceremony, 

Heinzel presented a Seabee 

Combat Warfare device to 

Construction Mechanic 2nd

Class Bryant Curry of Naval 

Mobile Construction Battalion 

28. 

“The award symbolizes his 

ability and proficiency in combat 

skills, especially those needed in 

contingency operations,” said 

Medics get creative, solve fitness scheduling challenges

Story by Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel Fortin said.

Fortin decided to do 

something about it. Finding a 

pavilion on Camp America not 

in use, he gathered up a few 

pieces of equipment and set 

up an “always open” CrossFit 

(a strength and conditioning 

program used by many police 

academies and tactical operations 

teams, military special operations 

units, champion martial artists, 

and hundreds of other elite and 

professional athletes) style gym. 

“Building this will allow 

Troopers to be well rounded in 

their physical fitness, 24-hours a 

day, without having to leave the 

area,” he explained.

Fortin marshaled his fellow 

Troopers into action and the 

crew began the task of cleaning 

out the pavilion and prepping it 

as a work-out space.

“It started out as a patio area 

that was dirty and being used for 

nothing,” he said. “I asked people 

what they desired for equipment. 

They would give me a request, I 

would hunt it down and if it was 

not easily acquired I would make 

it from scratch.”

Unlike a traditional gym, 

Fortin said one of the benefits 

of the open air gym is the ability 

to drop the weights.

“The type of work-out a lot 

of my guys do involves pushing 

the exercise to muscle fatigue,” 

said Fortin. “This means 

sometimes weights or equipment 

gets dropped. They really frown 

on you doing that at the gyms 

here on base.”

Fortin added much of the 

equipment was extremely 

Capt. J. Hienzel, commanding officer, Naval Facilities Engineering 

Command Southeast and Capt. Thomas Karnowski, perform a line dance 

at the 69th Seabee ball in the Windjammer Ball Room, Mar. 5.

Equipment Operator 1st Class 

Lori Roberts. 

 After the award presentation, 

the oldest Seabee, Capt. Thomas 

Karnowski, age 58, and the 

youngest Seabee, Engineering 

Aide 3rd Class Roger Alexander, 

age 21, were asked to cut the cake. 

Junior officers attached to 

NAVSTA Guantanamo Bay’s 

Public Works Department 

provided another highlight when 

they led the audience in singing 

“The Song of the Seabees.”

The evening event was made 

possible by a wide variety of 

people who offered their time and 

effort.

“I want to thank the Seabee 

Ball committee who has been 

working on this for six months 

as well the Navy Exchange who 

donated goods, the Windjammer 

staff and the entire community 

who has supported events like 

our Mud Run and auctions,” 

concluded Halsey.

Presently, Seabees from 

NMCB 28, a reserve unit from 

Shreveport, La., are constructing 

a new Club Survivor building in 

Camp America. Seabees are highly 

trained and experienced in their 

specialty. 

“The average age of a Seabee 

in a reservist battalion is about 

36 years old,” explained Logistics 

Specialist 1st Class Terry Keck. 

“Most of these Sailors do 

construction outside the military. 

They are knowledgeable about 

concrete and some work on million 

dollar projects when they are not 

doing reserve drills. These guys are 

phenomenal in their fields.”

 see FITNESS, page 19

| News The Wire | Page 7

USCG leadership training open to all services

Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo Troopers 

got a rare opportunity 

to attend the Coast 

Guard’s Leadership 

and Management 

School this week at 

the Naval Station 

Guantanamo Navy 

College Office. 

The five-day course, 

traditionally reserved 

for Coast Guard 

E-5s, was expanded 

to include all five 

services represented 

on Guantanamo Bay. 

While each branch 

has its own leadership 

training, students 

found value in this service-unique class.

“This is a Coast Guard-specific 

requirement for advancement to E-6,” said 

LAMS Instructor Yeoman Chief Brian 

Giles. “These other services have different 

advancement requirements, but it’s great 

to have them here because they bring a 

different perspective.”

In all, 22 JTF Guantanamo Troopers 

attended the five-day course, concentrating 

on various aspects of organizational 

leadership.

“This is really for middle management – 

which is very important,” said LAMS Student 

USCG Yeoman 2nd Class Melissa Lewis. 

“Helping everyone understand what and 

why their leaders are tasking them to do.”

While the course is designed to help 

Coast Guardsmen, instructors and other 

servicemembers found 

many similarities between 

the various branches 

present in class.

“Sure some things 

are different, but you 

see a lot of commonality 

between the services’ 

leadership approaches,” 

said Navy Boatswain’s 

Mate 2nd Class Laura 

Coss. “Good leadership 

comes down to the 

way you lead people in 

general, not just your 

service. Treat people like 

you want to be treated. 

I think that’s the same 

with all services.”

LAMS instructors use 

the Coast Guard’s core 

values of honor, respect 

and devotion to duty as a 

fundamental backbone to the curriculum. 

“We covered the Coast Guard core values 

today,” said Coss. “Theirs are different from 

ours in the Navy and the Army and Air 

Force but all the core values get at the same 

idea.”

The LAMS students got an opportunity 

Story and photo by Mass 

Communication Specialist 

2nd Class Jason Tross

Regardless of military 

service, personnel assigned to 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

are offered the opportunity to 

acquire professional and personal 

knowledge for success and 

improvement at the Fleet and 

Family Support Center.

The FFSC provides a wide 

variety of life skills services to 

servicemembers in the form of 

informative brochures, classes, 

workshops and counseling. 

These resources cover a broad 

range of subjects from personal 

finance and parenting to sexual 

assault prevention and response.

“It really is all about support,” 

said Angel Holland, FFSC work 

and family life specialist. “The 

most important part is people 

should feel free to come in, 

whether it’s financial issues or 

counseling issues.”

With all the assistance offered, 

Holland said she’d like to see 

more JTF Troopers at the center. 

She remarked that many times, 

the only time she sees Troopers is 

when they are checking out.

“I’ve had guys say, ‘Oh, we 

didn’t know you were over here’ 

or ‘we didn’t know you had a 

satellite office,’” Holland noted.

Holland acknowledged 

possible disadvantages JTF 

personnel have compared to 

Sailors assigned to Naval Station 

Guantanamo Bay. She pointed 

out servicemembers working at 

JTF Guantanamo are deployed 

and are consequently without 

their families, while personnel 

billeted to NAVSTA Guantanamo 

Bay might be afforded the option 

to have their family with them. 

“If you don’t have friends and 

family around, you could become 

isolated,” Holland said. “A place 

like Guantanamo Bay - where it 

truly is an isolated place - it really 

isn’t a good thing.”

She said FFSC has resources 

on how to keep in contact 

with loved ones and activities 

to do with your children when 

separated.

Family or no family, the 

FFSC is always ready to answer 

concerns connected to Troopers’ 

present deployment.

“If you’re deployed here 

and having trouble, we have 

counselors that can work with 

you on those issues,” Holland 

said.

Other relevant tools extended 

to JTF personnel are return 

and reunion briefings for those 

departing Guantanamo Bay.

Carol Leaphart, family advocacy 

program educator and advocate, 

explained in these briefings 

it is FFSC’s intent to prepare 

servicemembers for their arrival 

home. 

“My job before they go home 

is to make sure they know what 

FFSC ready to answer questions, concerns about deployment

Story by Mass Communication Specialist 

2nd Class Jordan Miller

to do in case something violent 

occurs so they can get the help 

they need,” Leaphart said.

Holland said the FFSC is 

also here for those members 

separating from the military, 

providing guidance for landing 

a civilian job and achieving a 

smooth adjustment to life outside 

the military.

“For finding jobs we go 

through all aspects, anything you 

can think of,” said Holland. “The 

Transition Assistance Program is 

for the guys getting out of the 

military.”

For personnel planning to 

stay in the military and thinking 

of what station to transfer to, 

FFSC has a career center, for 

researching different commands 

to make an informed decision.

For those interested in FFSC 

services, contact x4141 or x4153 

or contact their satellite office at 

x8127.

U.S. Coast Guard Leadership and Management School 

Instructor Yeoman Chief Brian Giles shows students 

stress-relief techniques during the week-long course at 

the Navy College Office.

 see LEADERS, page 19
The Wire | Page 8Sports |

Down four runs and their final at-bats 

pending, members of the Chief Petty 

Officers Association softball team stopped 

for a minute to gather their senses. Huddled 

tightly, the team let out a rousing chant of 

“Navy Chiefs! Navy Pride!” 

The rally had the desired effect; scoring 

five runs, the Chiefs held the First Classes 

scoreless in the bottom of the seventh for 

a 15-14 victory.

While not the drubbing from their 

December match-up, this was a contest the 

First Classes wanted to win as evidenced in 

their pregame smack talk.

“We’re going to kick their butts,” said 

John Lukosus, a member of the First 

Classes’ team. “They only got like five 

players that can play; the rest are coming 

out of retirement.”

Undeterred and un-rattled by the 

lopsided support for the First Classes, the 

Chiefs took to the field with their own 

brand of swagger.

“We’ll put our talk on the field,” said 

Frank Lewandowslki. “We put them to 

shame the last time.” 

From the start it looked as though the 

Chiefs were being fed a healthy diet of 

crow as hit after hit the First Classes built 

a substantial lead, stymieing attempts by the 

Chiefs to even things up.

Inning after inning, the jeering and 

snarky comments coming from the side of 

the First Classes grew louder culminating in 

the bottom of the sixth when it appeared 

the First Classes would get the job done and 

bring home the win.

Then the seventh inning came along.

Confidently, the Chiefs placed balls to 

short right field, confounding the defense 

of the First Classes. For the first time in the 

game, the First Classes were on the wrong 

side of a winning score with three outs 

separating the Chiefs and a victory. 

As the First Classes took to the field for 

the bottom stanza, the heckling from the 

First Classes side turned against their own, 

begging for a hit, anything to drop the Chiefs 

– but it wasn’t to be.

“Even though they spotted us eight in 

the first half, we still beat them,” said Edgar 

Gomez of the Chiefs team.

First Classes’ shortstop, Troy Clark, who 

played in both contests, was resigned in the 

defeat.

“We played a lot better and it was more 

exciting,” he said. “We’ll get ‘em next time!”

First Classes vs. the Chiefs

The First Classes try to 

rewrite history, while 

MPs battle it out. In a 

weekend of epic clashes, 

who was left standing?

Stories by Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel W E

| Sports The Wire | Page 9

While the regular 2011 winter softball 

season is grinding down, the rivalry on the 

field, Mar. 4, got heated when the Vigilant 

Warriors (comprised mostly of members 

of the 525th Military Police Battalion) and 

Semper Lex (Soldiers from Company B, 

1-296 Infantry, attached to the 525th MP 

Battalion) took to the confines of Cooper 

Field for the 8 p.m. game.

The Semper Lex sluggers did their best 

to fend off the Vigilant Warrior’s bats but 

a combination of clutch hitting and superb 

defense on the part of the Warriors took 

the day, 21-13.

“Tonight’s game was about esprit de 

corps within the 525th MP Battalion,” said 

Christopher Wynder, 525th MP Battalion 

battalion commander and first baseman. 

“Even though B/296 came up short 

tonight, they still won at the end of the 

day because they are a part of the Vigilant 

Warrior Battalion.”

Roberto Dekony, Company B, 1-296 

Infantry commander and Semper Lex 

outfielder, echoed Wynder’s comments.

“It was a fun game,” Dekony said. 

“Especially when you play against your 

boss. Everyone within the battalion had 

fun.”

Adding an extra element of excitement 

to the game was Willie Oden, 525th MP 

Bat. who brought his mobile PA system to 

the match up and announced the game – a 

first for the season.

The Vigilant Warriors got things started 

with a slew of runs in the first inning. 

During their half of the first inning, 

Semper Lex responded back but only one 

runner crossed the plate. 

Heading into the fifth, the Vigilant 

Warriors realized they had a game on their 

hands when Semper Lex hitters strung 

a series of hits together to drive in nine 

runners, bringing the score within four, 

15-11. 

Dekony credited the Vigilant Warrior’s 

defensive play as a crucial factor in the 

game.

“Vigilant Warriors had a good 

night,” Dekony said. “Their defense was 

effective.” 

 “I think everyone in attendance enjoyed 

the camaraderie and sportsmanship on 

display by both teams,” said Wynder.

With the rivalry game off their schedule, 

the two teams will focus on the pending 

playoffs – both teams are still alive in the 

hunt. But the game Friday will stick with 

all of them as more than just another game 

at Cooper Field.

Vigilant Warriors vs. Semper Lex

(opposite page) Scott Evans, first baseman for the Chiefs, 

reaches for the incoming ball as Michael Fisher sprints 

toward the base. - photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class 

Sally Hendricks

(below) Jeffery Porter, shortstop for the Vigilant Warriors, 

and Tara Schellhammer collide with the Semper Lex catcher 

as they race into homeplate, March 6 at Cooper Field. - photo 

by Spc. Meredith Vincent E K
The Wire | Page 10 Feature | | Feature The Wire | Page 11

Story and photos by Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

Standing before his guards, the assistant 

watch commander looks over his notes. His 

eyes close and a deep sigh escapes as he 

shakes his head from side to side.

“Be advised,” he calls out in a calm voice. 

“All guards working on the block -- we’ve 

received word someone is getting number 

two-ed today.”

Without even knowing, a quick glance 

around the room will tell you who they are. 

Pained expressions flash across the faces of 

those working the block only to be quickly 

replaced with solemn resignation. For these 

Troopers of the Naval Expeditionary Guard 

Battalion, it’s just another day working the 

camps of Joint Task Force Guantanamo.

The infamous number two. A mix of 

feces, urine and other bodily fluids rolled 

into a putrid cocktail and thrown on the 

guards by detainees of the facility. 

“They’ll wait, they’re very patient,” the 

AWC explains. “You’ll be talking to one 

detainee and get involved in a conversation 

with them and not be paying attention to 

everything that is going on around you.”

That’s when they strike. While the guard 

is preoccupied by one, another detainee will 

appear and deliver the foul payload. 

“I try and keep my head on a swivel,” the 

AWC says. “I try and be aware of everything 

that is going on around me from every 

direction.”

Sometimes the detainees miss, but 

typically the fire for effect is on target. Either 

way, the psychological affect is the same.

Its 5:30 in the morning. This group of 

guards are just starting their day and already 

the specter of a number two weighs on their 

minds. The leading chief petty officer walks 

amongst the group inspecting uniforms, 

checking haircuts, ensuring every Sailor is 

squared-away. The AWC finishes relaying all 

the significant activities from the previous 

watch and the guards head out to assume 

their duties.

a Day in the Life

The day begins with breakfast. This place 

is like Burger King -- they make it your way, 

right away.

“There are some detainees who are on 

a very strict diet for health reasons and 

there are some detainees who have special 

requests,” one of the guards explains as he 

lines up carts for each of the blocks at the 

facility.

“If you screw anything up, if a detainee 

doesn’t get exactly what he is supposed to 

get, that could cause problems on the block,” 

he says. “We don’t want any problems on the 

block.”

The two guards separating the breakfasts 

are experienced. They know which detainee 

is where and they quickly separate the meals 

by blocks. Finished, the convoy of carts 

makes its way to the rotunda from which 

all blocks are accessed. Breakfast goes off 

without a hitch but a detainee wants to talk 

to the AWC about his cancelled phone call.

“He’s very upset and will only talk to the 

tall AWC,” the guard explaines to the AWC.

Every guard, every AWC, every watch 

commander has a nickname – the stupid 

one, the tall one, the one who gets things 

done -- the detainees have devised a system 

shared only with the guards who work the 

block.

“He said the stupid AWC doesn’t know 

what he’s doing and he wants to talk to the 

tall AWC,” the guard explains further.

“Tell him I’ll be there in a few minutes,” 

the AWC responds. 

The AWC is currently caught in a flurry 

of moving detainees. 

“Man,” the AWC exclaimed. “I know 

some people think the AWC doesn’t do a 

whole lot, but moving all these detainees to 

their medical appointments, getting to their 

classes and everything else keeps me busy.”

“That’s okay though,” he says. “It makes 

the day go by faster.”

Each of the AWC’s has a system to make 

sure they know which detainee is out of 

their block and what block they’re supposed 

to go back to.

“Putting a detainee in the wrong block 

is something you really don’t want to do,” 

explained the AWC.

After nearly half an hour of making 

sure the rotunda is clear, moving detainees 

to a van outside waiting to take them to an 

appointment, getting them to classes and 

the myriad of other movements that take 

place within a day, the AWC makes his way 

to another block. He knocks on the door to 

announce his presence to the guards inside, 

then asks one of the guards to step into the 

rotunda.

“Why was his call cancelled?” the AWC 

asks the guard.

The guard explains the International 

Committee of the Red Cross couldn’t get 

the detainee’s family to the call location in 

the detainee’s home country in time to make 

the appointment.

The AWC notes there’s only one place 

in that country where these types of phone 

calls can take place. If the families don’t 

make it to that location in time, the call 

doesn’t go through. 

“Just getting to the families and letting 

them know when the call is going to take 

place seems to be difficult,” the AWC says, a 

sigh of exasperation punctuating his words. 

Nodding to the guard in understanding, 

the AWC slips into the narrow passageway 

separating the detainee and the guards. The 

detainee and the AWC engage in an animated 

conversation while the AWC tries to explain 

the complications of the situation. As the 

AWC talks to the longhaired detainee, 

his eyes shift from left to right, never 

stopping for more then a few seconds. The 

conversation comes to a close and the AWC 

walks back into the rotunda.

Part 

One

Be sure to pick up a copy of next week’s Wire for 

the conclusion to our in-depth report on the life of a 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo guard. 
The Wire | Page 12 At Your Service |

In The Trenches

Commission recommends women be allowed in combat arms 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A report 

released to the president and Congress 

Monday recommends 20 changes in the way 

the military facilitates diversity, and suggests 

gender barriers be lifted on all career fields.

The Military Leadership Diversity 

Commission, established under the 2009 

National Defense Authorization Act, is a 

group of 31 active-duty and retired officers, 

enlisted personnel and senior executives 

from major corporations. Research the 

commission conducted included finding a 

new universal definition of diversity and how 

to increase language, regional and diverse 

cultural knowledge in military leaders.

The commission is also recommending 

that the Department of Defense eliminate its 

combat-exclusion policies, which currently 

bar women from combat-arms specialties 

and from assignment in units battalion-size 

or smaller that have a routine mission to 

engage in direct combat.

According to the report, the commission 

would like the military to immediately 

allow women to be assigned to any unit 

that requires their military occupation, 

regardless of the type of unit. It would also 

like the DoD to take steps to open up career 

fields traditionally not available to women, 

including combat arms.

Several of the changes recommended will 

need a congressional vote, while others could 

be implemented at the level of the secretary 

of defense.

Sgt. Amanda Solitario, an Army Reserve 

Soldier with the 304th Public Affairs 

Detachment at Joint Base Lewis-McCord, 

Wash., said she doesn’t agree with the idea 

of women serving on the front lines.

“I don’t really feel that women should be 

serving in combat-arms positions,” she said. 

“I don’t know how the average American 

feels about this, but I think that even if the 

woman is qualified for the position, I think 

it would be detrimental to put her in an allmale unit.”

Solitario, who served in Iraq in 2007, 

explained that while there, on one occasion, 

she was the only female Soldier traveling 

with an all-male infantry unit. Solitario 

convoyed with the unit, and spent the night 

in an empty building with them en route to 

their destination.

She explained that even though the unit 

was stand-offish toward her at first, they 

warmed up to her after one day. However, 

sleeping in a room full of men with no 

privacy to change her clothes or use the 

bathroom was uncomfortable for Solitario.

Solitario’s main concern of having women 

in combat-arms units, is she thinks women 

would simply slow the men down. She said 

she thought women would hold them back 

in training, and in a combat situation, men 

might be more worried about protecting the 

female Soldiers than their mission.

“There are separate standards, so how can 

you ask to put a female in an all-male unit?” 

Solitario said, pointing out the differences in 

scoring for the Army Physical Fitness Test as 

an example.

Solitario also said she was worried that 

more female Soldiers being killed in combat 

could have a detrimental effect on the 

country.

“If you put women in combat-arms 

positions, there are simply going to be a lot 

more female fatalities,” she said.

Conversely, Staff Sgt. Genevieve Chase, 

a military intelligence Soldier and founder 

of American Women Veterans, has a very 

different point of view.

“We serve in normal society as equals 

now,” Chase said, explaining that she thinks 

women should be allowed to join combatarms units – if they can keep up.

Chase said she doesn’t think standards 

should be altered to cater to women, noting 

that she knows some female Soldiers 

who are just as physically fit as their male 

counterparts, so they should have an equal 

shot at any career path they choose.

“The infantry is not for every female 

Soldier, just like it’s not for every male,” 

Chase explained. “There are a lot of men in 

the Army, and not all of them want to be 

infantry.”

As a military intelligence specialist, Chase, 

who speaks fluent Pashtu, said she’s often 

been in circumstances where she is the only 

woman in a group of male Soldiers, and she’s 

fine with that. She said her experiences with 

otherwise all-male units have been good ones, 

and she would like to see all jobs opened up 

to women – if they can make the cut.

Chase also said she would like to see more 

acknowledgment for female servicemembers 

killed in combat, which is part of the reason 

she started American Women Veterans. 

She said that American society largely 

ignores the fact that more than 140 female 

servicemembers have been killed in Iraq and 

Afghanistan, and that women are already 

unofficially serving in combat-arms positions 

in jobs like military police.

Overall, she said she supports what the 

Military Leadership Diversity Commission 

is trying to accomplish, but said the hardest 

thing to change will be the culture of the 

military.

“The commission envisions expanding 

opportunities while maintaining the military’s 

high standards,” said retired Air Force Gen. 

Lester Lyles, chairman of the commission 

in an Military Leadership Diversity 

Commission press release. “This could be 

done by removing barriers that are unrelated 

to doing the job, such as barriers related to 

the individual’s demographic membership, 

rather than their ability.”

To view a copy of the Military Leadership 

Diversity Commission’s final report, visit 

http://mldc.whs.mil.

Spc. Crisma Albarran detaches an ammunition 

case from its mount after a UH-60 Black Hawk 

helicopter flight over Iraq, March 14, 2010. 

– Photo by U.S. Army 

Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown

Army News Service

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 13

On The Deck

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Master 

Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick D. 

West released the following Navy Reserve 

birthday message to the fleet Mar. 3.

“Shipmates,

As the Navy Reserve celebrates 96 

years of service, we can look back at a 

rich history of service to our nation and 

our Navy, from World War I to today.

As I travel the world to meet and talk 

with Sailors, I could not be more proud of 

the day-to-day efforts and tenacity of our 

Sailors. I’m amazed at the integration that 

has taken shape over the years between 

our Active and Navy Reserve. We are one 

Force working side by side in all corners 

of the world; a Total Force integrated and 

executing the Navy’s mission wherever 

and whenever called.

Our Navy Reserve provides our 

nation with a pool of trained and talented 

Sailors who live up to their motto Ready 

Now, Anytime, Anywhere. I am proud 

of the operational capabilities our Navy 

Reserve provides every day, and those 

capabilities are made possible by our 

outstanding Sailors, their families and 

civilian employers.

Our Sailors are able to serve when 

called because of their unique support 

network that makes their service to 

our Navy and our nation possible. It’s 

because of the devotion and care of 

Navy families and the Ombudsmen who 

help them become strong and resilient 

that our Sailors can serve in harm’s way 

knowing their families have the support 

they need; and it’s because of the support 

of civilian employers our Sailors can serve 

when called and return to work when 

their mission is complete; and it’s because 

of this support network that our Sailors 

are able to serve with honor, courage and 

commitment making America’s Navy 

truly a global force for good.

To our more than 64,000 Navy Reserve 

Sailors, thank you for what you do every 

day and for your continued service and 

dedication to our nation and our great 

Navy.

Happy 96th Birthday Navy Reserve!

HOOYAH!

Very Respectfully,

MCPON”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary Ray 

Mabus and Harvard University President 

Drew Faust signed an agreement March 4, 

to bring the Naval Reserve Officers Training 

Corps (NROTC) program back to Harvard 

for the first time in 40 years.

Under the agreement, the NROTC 

program will have an office on the Harvard 

University campus. This returns an NROTC 

presence to Harvard, one of the six original 

partner institutions of NROTC when the 

program was established in 1926.

“NROTC’s return to Harvard is good 

for the university, good for the military, 

and good for the country,” said Mabus. 

“Together, we have made a decision to 

enrich the experience open to Harvard’s 

undergraduates, make the military better, 

and our nation stronger. Because with 

exposure comes understanding, and through 

understanding comes strength.”

“Our renewed relationship affirms the 

vital role that the members of our Armed 

Forces play in serving the nation and 

securing our freedoms, while also affirming 

inclusion and opportunity as powerful 

American ideals,” Faust said. “It broadens 

Navy ROTC returns to Harvard

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 13

MCPON Sends Navy 

Reserve Birthday Message

Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Ray Mabus 

addresses students, professors and veterans at 

Harvard University, Mar. 26, 2010.

– Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin S. O’Brien 

the pathways for students to participate in 

an honorable and admirable calling and in 

so doing advances our commitment to both 

learning and service.”

NROTC active duty Navy and Marine 

Corps officers will meet with Harvard 

NROTC midshipmen on the Harvard 

campus during routinely-scheduled office 

hours. This partnership will enhance the 

mentoring and development of Harvard 

NROTC midshipmen and provide an 

opportunity for the Harvard community 

to learn more about the Navy and Marine 

Corps.

“The commitment of the university to 

educating active duty officers and military 

veterans is absolutely tremendous; over 100 

current members of the university are serving 

or have served. And it is a relationship that, 

quite literally since the birth of our nation 

has benefited and enriched the experience of 

both Harvard and the military.”

The NROTC program develops young 

men and women morally, mentally, and 

physically, and instills in them the highest 

ideals of honor, courage, and commitment. 

The program educates and trains young men 

and women for leadership positions in an 

increasingly technical Navy and Marine Corps.

Secretary of the Navy

Public Affairs Office
The At Your Service | Wire | Page 14

 CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. (AFNS) – In the latest step to 

improve space capability and further develop an affordable, reusable space vehicle, Air Force 

technicians launched the second X-37B here March 5, officials said.

 The Orbital Test Vehicle-2 launch comes on the heels of the successful flight of OTV-1, 

which made an autonomous landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Dec. 3 after 224 

days in space. According to officials, post-flight analysis of OTV-1 revealed OTV-2 needed 

no significant changes, but detailed assessments of the first mission are ongoing. 

 “Launch is a very demanding business and having what appears to be a successful launch 

is always welcome news,” said Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space Programs 

Richard McKinney, adding he is pleased with the vehicle’s initial status reports. “It is important 

to remember that this is an experimental vehicle; that this is just the second launch; and that 

we have just started what is a very systematic checkout of the system.”

 Mr. McKinney explained the second X-37B flight will help Air Force scientists better 

evaluate the vehicle’s performance characteristics and expand upon the tests from OTV-1.

 One performance test, for example, will evaluate a change following the flight of OTV-1, 

which showed potential for greater flexibility in the landing parameters. 

 “We look forward to testing enhancements to the landing profile,” said Lt. Col. Troy 

Giese, X-37B program manager for the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, which leads the 

Department of Defense OTV program. Colonel Giese added that program officials want to 

test landing capabilities in stronger wind conditions.

 “The X-37B really is a remarkable scientific and aerospace achievement,” he said. “We’ll 

also be looking at the performance of its advanced thermal protection systems and tiles, solar 

power systems and environmental modeling - all important system capabilities for a space 

vehicle that we want to be able to bring back and then re-launch quickly.” 

 Power and environmental protections are also important to one of the most promising 

capabilities of the vehicle: its orbit duration, which is much longer than a manned mission 

like NASA’s space shuttle, Colonel Giese said. 

 Similar to OTV-1, OTV-2’s actual mission duration will depend on the vehicle achieving its 

test objectives, but he expects it to remain on orbit for approximately 270 days. 

 “We may extend the mission to enhance our understanding of the OTV capabilities,” 

Colonel Giese said, “especially since the performance data from the first flight suggest that 

the vehicle could have gone beyond the 270-day requirement.” 

 Officials believe the program has potential to make space experiments more affordable. 

 “This program provides a test capability that was difficult to achieve through other means, 

the ability to examine how highly complex technologies will perform in space before they are 

made operational,” Mr. McKinney said, “But right now our focus is on the X-37B itself, and 

this second flight is important to our further understanding of its capabilities.”

 Air Force officials anticipate multiple missions will be required to satisfy the X-37B program 

test objectives, but a third mission has not yet been scheduled. 

On the Wing

AF launches unmanned spacecraft

Second flight of new reusable vehicle to last up to 270 days

 WASHINGTON, D.C. (AFNS) – Air Force officials announced 

plans recently to allow some prior-service officers the opportunity to 

retire earlier than expected.

 As a result of the Fiscal 2011 National Defense Authorization 

Act, eligible officers with prior enlisted service who have completed 

20 years of total active federal military service may apply to retire by 

Sept. 1 with less total active federal commissioned service. 

 “This new legislation gives the Air Force the ability to allow most 

prior service officers the option to retire with eight rather than 10 

years of active commissioned service,” explained Brig. Gen. Sharon 

K. G. Dunbar, the director of Air Force Force Management Policy. 

More Airmen are choosing to stay in the Air Force, and retention is at 

the highest level in 16 years. For that reason, the Air Force introduced 

voluntary and involuntary force-management programs to 

Some prior-service officers now eligible for early retirement

 DJAERBA, Tunisia – Airmen from 

Ramstein Air Base, Germany, delivered 

humanitarian aid March 4 to Libyan evacuees 

and foreign nationals, who have fled here 

due to a political uprising in Libya.

 The Airmen, assigned to the 37th Airlift 

Squadron, piloted two C-130J Super 

Hercules and carried 2,000 wool blankets, 

40 units of tarps and 9,600 water containers 

from the U.S. Agency for International 

Development in Pisa, Italy.

 Lt. Col. Charles Schlegel, the 435th Air 

Mobility Squadron commander, is leading 

a contingency response team working 

with aircrews from the 37th ALS on the 

humanitarian missions. He said his team 

is excited to partner with 17th Air Force 

members to support State Department 

officials.

 “We know that there are a lot of folks 

(who) are currently displaced, (who) will 

hopefully soon be able to return to their 

home countries and, hopefully, we can 

expedite that and bring humanitarian 

assistance to people who need it,” Colonel 

Schlegel said. “This is being driven by the 

State Department, and we are ready to 

support any requests they have.”

 Army Col. Alberto Chidini, coordinator 

of the Army’s Camp Darby humanitarian 

assistance program at Pisa, was on the 

flightline for the pickup, making sure the 

humanitarian cargo was ready to load. 

 “I’ve seen the reports,” Colonel Chidini 

said. “The situation is very bad, and our 

people are ready to react. This could happen 

to anyone and hopefully someone is ready 

to help. In this case, (it’s) us.”

Airmen deliver aid 

to Libyan evacuees

better size and shape the current force. A two-year waiver of active 

commissioned service is one of many voluntary programs available 

to eligible officers this year as part of the Air Force’s initiative to 

reduce end strength.

 “We want to leverage voluntary separation and retirement 

programs to the maximum extent possible, and so we’re pleased this 

early retirement option is now available,” General Dunbar said. 

Most officers in the line of the Air Force, judge advocate general, 

chaplain, biomedical science corps and medical service corps 

competitive categories are eligible. Additional program eligibility and 

information will be sent out from the Air Force Personnel Center. 

For more information, visit the Air Force personnel services website 

or call the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102.

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 15

CENTRAL TRAINING AREA, Okinawa, Japan — Terrorists 

concealed within a civilian population are a prevalent enemy of Operation 

Enduring Freedom. Veiled behind a cloak of anonymity, they strike and 

then recede back into the shadows disappearing once more into the local 

populace. 

Putting down the typical weapons of an insurgent and picking up the 

staff of a shepherd or tools of a carpenter may temporarily disguise a 

hostile person but it will not deceive trained eyes for long, said a forensics 

expert at the Central Training Area.

“The people we are dealing with right now are not wearing distinctive 

uniforms, and we need to identify them somehow,” said Tim Seguin, a 

latent print examiner and Forensic Material Collection and Exploitation 

Course instructor. “We are identifying them by biometrics.”

Biometrics are the unique biological traits, such as fingerprints or DNA, 

used to identify individuals, said Seguin.

Members of Military Police Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 

37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and 

Army soldiers from 441st Military Intelligence Battalion, 500th Military 

Intelligence Brigade, Intelligence and Security Command, participated in 

FMCEC training at the Central Training Area March 8 designed to teach 

them to capture and document biometric data at tactical sites in a forward 

operating environment.

Troops trained in battlefield forensics will be able to collect evidence 

and process a scene for clues such as fingerprints that could lead to the 

capture of a bomb maker, said Seguin. 

“We are building a database of latent fingerprints with the automaticbiometric-identification-system,” said Seguin. “That’s where all these 

Biometrics becomes next battlefield in War on Terror 

Inside the Jar

Marines with Military Police Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine 

Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, interview an actor playing the role of an 

Afghan farmer at the Central Training Area March 8. The training teaches Marines how 

to process personnel found at tactical sites along with processing the sites for biometric 

data. – Photo by Lance Cpl. Mark W. Stroud

fingerprints are being deposited, just like a criminal database (in the United 

States).”

As the database grows and becomes a more inclusive collection of 

insurgents, servicemembers operating in theater will be better able to 

identify and confront this enemy, he said.

The technology and techniques behind the FMCEC have found new 

applications in the war on terror but are not themselves new, having been 

a domestic crime-fighting staple for some time. 

“It’s the same procedure I’ve used stateside for 20 years (as a sheriff),” 

said Seguin. “You take your photographs, you collect your evidence, and 

you process whatever you can’t put in an evidence bag.”

In addition to helping identify and stop bomb makers in war zones, 

biometric data captured by forensic material collection teams is being 

shared with domestic U.S. government agencies and foreign allies to restrict 

the travel of terrorists. 

“It’s a huge part of the global war on terrorism, and on top of that, 

we are benefitting the homeland,” said Senguin. “What we are gathering 

is being shared with (Homeland Security), and we are sharing it with our 

allies.”

As more FMCEC-trained servicemembers are deployed and allowed 

to utilize this skill set to capture and record the biometric data of more 

insurgents, the growing database will see increased effectiveness, according 

to Fred Hines, FMCEC team leader.

“The goal is to train every Marine, every Soldier, everybody that is 

deploying,” said Hines.

The FMCEC here was a three-day, 30-hour evolution that educated 

Marines and soldiers then tested them with progressively more challenging 

practical application portions, said Seguin. 

“It’s amazing to watch ... how much they will have picked up,” said Hines.

Lance Cpl. Mark W. Stroud

Marine Corps Bases Japan
The Wire | Page 16 At Your Service |

Coast to coast

Coast Guard Training Center Petaluma to receive Environmental Sustainability Award

Coast Guard News Service

PETALUMA, Calif. – Coast Guard Training Center Petaluma is 

slated to receive the Coast Guard’s 2010 Environmental Sustainability 

Award in recognition of the commands dedication to environmental 

stewardship Friday.

The Training Center is winning this award for the second consecutive 

year after also claiming the top award in 2009. It recognizes Petaluma’s 

personnel for their superior environmental performance and commends 

them for their significant achievement and commitment to being 

environmentally friendly in 2010.

Vice Adm. Sally Brice-O’Hara, vice commandant of the Coast Guard, 

Florida Keys to implement paddle craft labeling program

Coast Guard News Service

KEY WEST, Fla. – The Coast Guard and 

Coast Guard Auxiliary in Sector Key West 

are teaming up to launch Operation Paddle 

Smart, a campaign benefiting the Florida Keys 

and the U.S. maritime community.

The goal of Operation Paddle Smart is 

to educate small watercraft owners on water 

safety and provide them with a sticker that 

could be beneficial to everyone involved, 

whether they’re kayaking or part of a search 

and rescue operation.

Large recreational or commercial vessels 

include hull registration numbers and a vessel 

name, which identify the owner. Kayaks and 

other forms of paddle watercrafts often don’t 

include identifying features that allow the 

owner to be contacted.

Operation Paddle Smart will feature safety 

messages and provide small-watercraft owners 

with reflective, waterproof stickers offering 

space for boaters to write their name and 

two phone numbers in case their watercraft 

is found drifting. Stickers will be available at 

boating safety events, boating supply stores 

and through partner agencies.

“With the ability to contact the smallwatercraft owners, 

Coast Guard and 

partner agency 

responders can cut 

back on the number 

of unnecessary risks 

placed on search 

and rescue operators 

and reduce the 

money and resources 

expended,” said 

Capt. Pat DeQuattro, 

commander, Coast 

Guard Sector Key 

West.

The campaign 

will begin with 

a proclamation 

presented to DeQuattro from the Mayor 

of Monroe County Heather Carruthers at 

the March 16 County Commission meeting 

in Marathon, Fla., declaring April “Paddle 

Smart Identification Month” in Monroe 

County.

he Safe Boating Fair will be offered at the 

Key West Sail and Power Squadron Building 

at 5205 College Road in Key West, April 2. 

Ceremony posthumously honors Emlen 

Tunnell with Silver Lifesaving Medal

Coast Guard News Service

ALAMEDA, Calif. – During a ceremony Thursday, the Coast 

Guard posthumously honored former Coast Guardsman and Pro 

Football Hall of Famer, Emlen Tunnell, with the Silver Life Saving 

Medal and gymnasium dedication. Tunnell’s sister, Vivian Robinson, 

accepted the award on his behalf.

Tunnell was awarded the SLM for conducting two life-saving 

rescues during his short Coast Guard career from 1943-46. His role as 

an athlete throughout his lifetime before, during and after the Coast 

Guard made it fitting and appropriate to name the Coast Guard Island 

gym after him. He pursued a professional football career after the 

Coast Guard and helped break the color barrier in sports history. 

Beginning at 9 a.m., this day-long event will 

team the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. 

Sail and Power Squadron and other partner 

agencies to demonstrate numerous aspects of 

safe boating, including paddle craft labeling.

For more information on Operation 

Paddle Smart or to obtain a sticker, please 

contact the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Monroe 

County at 888-470-5566.

will be presenting the award on March 11, at the Training Center.

Capt. Christopher Hall, commanding officer of Petaluma, and 

Cmdr. Jeffrey Good, the facility engineer, will accept the award in 

recognition of the Training Center’s strategic planning and renewable 

energy and water initiatives. They achieved significant savings and 

pollution prevention through innovative storm water management, 

spill prevention, landscaping, and recycling practices.

“Winning the environmental award two years in a row is a great 

honor for us,” said Hall. “I believe it reflects the values of those that 

live and work at Training Center Petaluma – I’m extremely proud to 

be a part of this community. One of my goals is to make this the most 

environmentally friendly Coast Guard base in the world.”

Upon arriving in Petaluma two and a half years ago, Hall created 

a four year program called Petaluma Green. The first two years of 

the program focused on renewable energy and energy conservation 

measures. The second two years will focus on water conservation and 

the protection of natural resources.

Highlights so far include a five acre solar array that provides 1MW 

of solar power and prevents the release of approximately 2,500,000lbs 

of carbon dioxide greenhouse gases per year into the atmosphere. The 

base also installed a solar thermal array for the swimming pool, solar 

street lights, and upgraded to more efficient windows and siding in 

housing. The Training Center has also focused on reducing its water 

usage through low flow fixtures and a comprehensive landscaping 

strategy saving water by requiring less irrigation. Additionally, 400 

native plants and trees were planted across the base. Future plans 

include a comprehensive energy audit strategy that will allow the 

Training Center to modernize its buildings and significantly reduce 

its energy footprint.

| Mind, Body & Soul The Wire | Page 17

GTMO Religious Services

Daily Catholic Mass

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

Main Chapel

Vigil Mass

Saturday 5 p.m.

Main Chapel

Mass

Sunday 9 a.m.

Main Chapel

Catholic Mass

Saturday 7:30 p.m.

Troopers’ Chapel

Sunday 7:30 a.m.

Troopers’ Chapel

Church of Christ

Sunday 10 a.m.

Chapel Annex

Room 17

Seventh Day Adventist

Saturday 11 a.m.

Room B

Iglesia Ni Christo

Sunday 5:30 a.m.

Room A

Pentecostal Gospel

Sunday 8 a.m.

Room D

Liturgical Service

Sunday 10 a.m.

Room B

General Protestant

Sunday 11 a.m.

Main Chapel

United Jamaican

Fellowship

Sunday 11 a.m.

Building 1036

Gospel Service

Sunday 1 p.m.

Main Chapel

GTMO Bay Christian 

Fellowship

Sunday 6 p.m.

Main Chapel

Bible Study

Wednesday 7 p.m.

Troopers’ Chapel

The Truth Project

Bible study

Sunday 6 p.m.

Troopers’ Chapel

Protestant Worship

Sunday 9 a.m.

Troopers’ Chapel

Islamic Service

Friday 1:15 p.m.

Room C

Jewish Service

Friday 7 p.m.

Chapel Annex

LORIMI Gospel

Sunday 8 a.m.

Room D

LDS Service

Sunday 10 a.m.

Room A

Mind, Body & Soul

As servicemembers, fitness is a part of our 

daily routine. Our command expects us to 

maintain a high level of strength and endurance 

so we can accomplish our mission to the best 

of our abilities. Individually, we should also 

all feel driven toward fitness. Regular exercise 

benefits the body psychologically as well 

as physiologically. The rush of endorphins 

following a good long run takes away stress, 

relaxes the body and makes you feel better. As 

you get further along in your fitness routine you 

may start to feel an urge to do 

more and more. While this is 

inherently a good thing, there 

can be a negative side if you 

are not properly resting and 

feeding your muscles. This 

negative side is often referred 

to as overtraining syndrome. 

Overtraining syndrome 

is exactly what it sounds like. 

It’s the continual overuse of 

a muscle without proper rest 

or nutrition. That being said, 

what constitutes overtraining 

varies greatly from one person 

to another. Everything from 

genetics to diet affect what 

your body can handle in a 

workout session and how long 

you need to recover to be at 

your best again. 

So how can you tell if 

your body is reaching its 

breaking point with your 

current routine? The first sign 

of overtraining is plateauing. This term refers 

to your body’s inability to still produce gains. 

Because over-trained muscles don’t receive 

proper time for recuperation, when you come 

back around to working that same muscle 

again, it still isn’t ready and it can’t operate at 

the full potential. 

Lethargy prior to a workout is another sign 

of overtraining. Hitting up the gym or going 

for a run should be something you are eager 

to do. If you’re already tired before you even 

get started, how can you possibly expect to get 

anything positive out of the session? Take a 

rest and regroup later.

Lastly, in the advanced stages of overtraining 

syndrome, an individual may start to experience 

depression or anxiety. This factor of overtraining 

is probably the most compounding. Because 

your body is in a constant state of recovery, 

you can start to feel stressed by the lack of 

gains and constant fatigue. Where are those 

endorphins now and why can’t they help you 

feel better right? This stage of overtraining 

should be a red light to anyone. Once you’ve 

reached a point where working out doesn’t 

leave you feeling great afterward, it’s time to hit 

the breaks and evaluate your routine.

Reaching the severe stages of overtraining 

can sound drastic, but correcting the behavior 

is actually simpler than you may think. First 

off, REST! Do not completely shut down 

all physical activity – just turn it down. This 

same approach works well when you’re feeling 

under the weather or have a strain. Keep the 

same routine, just lighten the load. Even if this 

means benching an empty bar, it’s better than 

getting hurt or becoming chronically fatigued. 

You will be surprised what even light lifting can 

do to continue your fitness.

Once you’ve rested a bit, it’s time to kick 

things back up, but not to 100 percent effort. 

One of the best ways to fall into an overtraining 

cycle is to assume you need 

to give your all every minute 

of every workout. If you’re 

the type of person who likes 

doing two and three-a-days, 

understand you should not 

exhaust yourself at each 

session. Your workout 

schedule should compliment 

your sleep schedule. In the 

mornings, start out a little 

slower, 60 – 80 percent 

effort. Around the middle 

of the day, you’re fully awake, 

presumably eating healthy 

and you’re ready for 80 – 90 

percent effort. As the day 

progresses, you should be 

planning for bed, eating your 

last meal about four or five 

hours out from bed time and 

working out no later than six 

hours before bed. Again, as 

your body is readying itself 

to sleep, this work out should 

be low effort 50 – 60 percent.

Just like overtraining, these percentages are 

relative to the individual. The more in shape 

you are, the more work you can handle without 

burning out. However, keep in mind you didn’t 

get to a high level of fitness by over doing it. 

You got there by doing it right. Know your 

body and your limits. Listen to what your body 

is telling you before, during and after a workout 

and overtraining won’t get the best of you. 

Working out without 

Spc. Justin Pierce wearing down
The Wire | Page 18 At the Movies |

Movie Review

It’s been 12 long years since the Farrelly 

brothers brought us the gem among grossout comedies, “There’s Something about 

Mary,” – as well as launching a million hair 

gel jokes – and longer still since Jim Carrey 

and Jeff Daniels showed just how dumb 

(and dumber) they could be. The early and 

mid-nineties were years of comedic gold 

for Bobby and Peter Farrelly as audiences 

ate up their crude, crass and oftentimes 

hysterical stories of men behaving stupidly. 

Unfortunately, the new millennium has 

not been as kind to the director/producer 

team as they have not been able to connect 

with movie-goers quite like they used to. 

Take “Hall Pass,” for example. The plot 

is fairly simple: Rick (Owen Wilson) and 

Fred (SNL’s Jason Sudeikis) are best friends 

whose wives, motivated by frustration at 

their husbands’ unrelenting and boorish 

sexual appetites, decide to allow them 

one week “off marriage.” It’s an act of 

desperation, advised by “The View’s” Joy 

Behar, to save their marriages and force 

their adolescent partners to let go of their 

glory days and focus on the present. 

Of course, the joke is these guys think 

being married is what is preventing them 

from having unrestrained sex lives, when in 

reality, between the two of them, they don’t 

have game enough to fill a small Viagra 

bottle. Upon release from their marital 

chains, they promptly infiltrate an Applebee’s 

looking for girls, then eat themselves into a 

stupor. What chick can resist a guy with a 

BBQ sauce ring around his lips?

 And so it goes, a day-by-day account 

of Rick and Fred’s misadventures as they 

attempt to recreate their bachelor glory 

days. Sudeikis is actually the most lovable of 

the two, if not the most delusional. Wilson, 

with tucked-in plaid shirts and dweeby 

square-guy haircut, triggers a desperation 

and awkwardness that’s sometimes just 

short of creepy. 

Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate 

are the duo’s wives, and although they are 

given plenty of screen time and their own 

subplots, there’s nothing much for them to 

do but stand around complaining about the 

men they married. 

Peppered throughout are the shocking 

“Oh-no,-they-did-not-just-show-that!” 

scenes the Farrelly brothers are famous for, 

most of which I cannot describe in these 

pages. Instead of helping to drive the plot, 

these scenes feel disconnected and unnatural 

– shock for shock value alone. Did I laugh 

when Rick and Fred, accompanied by their 

diverse few friends that every male comedy 

must come with, scarf brownies on a golf 

course, only to watch one of those said 

friends defecate on a bunker? Yes, I did. 

In fact, I laughed a lot during this movie. 

But I have to wonder if I wasn’t tricked into 

laughing, or if it was genuine amusement. 

Three banana rats, because I’m pretty sure 

it’s the former. 

Spc. Meredith Vincent

R

 105 min. 

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Call MWR at ext. 2010 for more information. Movie Hotline - call 4880.

Just Go With It

(PG-13) 7 p.m.

No Strings 

Attached

(R) 9 p.m.

Hall Pass

(R) 8 p.m.

The Dilemma

(PG13) 8 p.m.

The Fighter

(R) 8 p.m.

Unknown

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Season of the 

Witch

(PG-13) 

8 p.m.

Just Go With It

(PG-13) 8 p.m. 

No Strings 

Attached

(R) 10 p.m.

Hall Pass

(R) 8 p.m.

True Grit

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Fighter

(R) 8 p.m.

Green Hornet

(PG-13) 

8 p.m.

Rango

(PG) 8 p.m.

Country Strong

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

The Dilemma

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

Rango

(PG) 7 p.m.

Country Stong

(PG-13) 9 p.m

| The Last Word The Wire | Page 19

guys, I could just as easily be in 

their situation.”

Smith encourages Troopers 

to participate in programs like 

SUDS.

“It’s just inspiring to see these 

young Soldiers,” Smith said. 

“These guys have been through a 

hell of a lot more than I have.”

Deployed to Iraq multiple 

times, Smith acknowledges how 

lucky he is to be healthy and 

unharmed. Military service runs 

in his family Smith said, so he is 

familiar with the sacrifices.

Smith’s father, a former Soldier 

himself, showed his appreciation 

for his son’s dedication by 

presenting a welcoming gift for 

Smith upon his return home.

“I was home from deployment 

on R&R and he had the whole city 

council in his office and gave me 

an award,” remembered Smith. 

There may be more awards in 

Smith’s future. He not only plans 

to deploy to Afghanistan soon, 

but says he wants to continue 

deploying until his retirement.

“I am hoping to end up with 

10 years deployed,” Smith said. 

As Smith draws near the end 

of this tour, the hard work he has 

done has not gone unnoticed.

“Everyone is stepping up to 

fill his shoes,” said Hedges.

have something to say to 

them – specifically how they’re 

relevant to their struggles and with 

their stress and feelings.” 

Doerries and the “Theater of 

War” actors also see these ageold stories having a potent effect 

on common misunderstandings 

between combat veterans and 

civilians – including the performers 

themselves. 

“People would ask me 

before, ‘How do you feel about 

the military?’” said actor Bryce 

Pinkham. “And all I had to go by 

was the media. Working on this 

project has completely changed 

durable, and said it was a 

tremendous stress relief to 

“throw, beat and lift away 

your daily frustrations.”

The area is intentionally 

designed to be spaced out 

and open. Troopers using the 

facility don’t feel like they are 

stacked on top of each other, 

Fortin said.

“It [the gym] allows 

Troopers the space to be able 

to set stations in any location 

and in a style they desire 

without interfering with 

normal gym activities,” he 

to test their inter-service leadership skills 

with several team-building exercises. The 

first challenged everyone to work together 

shuttling a ping-pong ball through various 

pieces of long trays down a hallway and into 

a box. 

“That was a good project,” said Coss. 

“They [instructors] were just trying to get 

us to work together as a team. It was funny 

because afterward they asked us if anyone 

got angry during it and everyone said no.” 

The LAMS instructors didn’t tell the 

students, but they took notes about how 

the various team members were responding 

during what appeared to be a joking exercise. 

Afterward, they shared their notes with the 

students.

“We see the same thing every time,” said 

McCoy. “Some people try to take charge, 

some people run to the end and some people 

just stay quiet in the middle. Even though 

people are laughing and having fun with each 

other, we see things and hear things they’re 

not aware of. They’re surprised when we 

show them what we notice.”

“We saw there was anger during the whole 

thing and we didn’t even realize it,” said Lewis. 

“We thought we were working together as a 

team, but we weren’t. By the end we got the 

task done, but a bunch of people were trying 

to take charge and not communicating with 

each other in the process.”

Lewis brings ten years of military service 

and experience to the class. She feels 

even long-time leaders and graduates from 

leadership programs can find value in LAMS. 

Like all other things, the tactics change over 

time.

“Today, I see more respect for people as 

individuals and more respect for their ideas - 

what they do and what they can bring to the 

table,” said Lewis. “There’s more idea flow 

and leadership is much more open to doing 

things differently to get the mission done 

than before.”

New ideas play a big role in the LAMS 

and other classes, but taking pride in passing 

on knowledge and success remains.

“I love to watch people grow and shape 

into leaders,” said Lewis. “This is the future 

of the Coast Guard – and our military.”

my entire outlook on the military/

civilian relationship.” 

The March 6 evening 

performance was “Theater of 

War’s” 145th – having now reached 

more than 30,000 servicemembers 

across the globe. The actors who 

performed here are just four of 

more than 100 who have rotated 

through the program. Doerries 

sees something special about this 

particular stop.

“This crew is the best actors 

we’ve ever had,” said Doerries. 

“Tonight, as evidenced by the 

panel, we had an incredibly 

forthcoming audience too. I think 

we heard what we were looking 

for – which was really honest and 

insightful reflections about what 

they [combat veterans] are doing 

now.”

The “Theater of War” group 

hopes those who attend their 

performances came away feeling 

better about themselves and each 

other and carry that forward. Yun 

feels he achieved that.

“Just knowing there’s somebody 

there who is with you ... I think 

people can really relate to that,” 

said Yun. “I thank JSMART for 

bringing these guys here. This is a 

very good thing.”

said. “You really can’t do a real 

circuit course without running 

into another gym user at the 

facilities on base.”

Because the gear was selected 

with the circuit training method 

in mind, Fortin said much of 

the available equipment – free 

hanging gymnastic rings, kettle 

bells, sandbags and plyometric 

boxes – are not available at 

Naval Station Guantanamo 

Bay gyms.

Fortin stressed anyone can 

use the gym.

“Some of the gear is secured 

when it is not used but all of 

us at the JMG have the combo 

to the lock,” said Fortin.

With the equipment in 

place and the area made fit 

for duty, Fortin said there is 

no reason for anyone not to 

develop a fitness routine.

“There are no excuses,” 

he said. “Its right there, every 

day, rain or shine and we 

never close. Being unfit is no 

one’s fault but your own.”

LEADERS cont. 

FOCUS cont. WAR cont. 

FITNESS cont.