Volume 13, Issue 22 Friday, April 6, 2012

Deckplate 

leadership

CPOs celebrate

119 years

Do try a yoga class

Don’t miss your flight

Don’t confuse the ‘Signals’

JTF do’s 

and don’ts:
It’s said that “perceptions are reality” – if 

someone perceives something to be good, 

then to that person the thing is good; and 

if that same person perceives something to 

be bad, from his point of view the thing is 

bad. The trick, we often find, is in shaping 

the perceptions of others to make them align 

more closely with the way we perceive things 

to be. And it is through our actions, our words 

and our attitudes that we have the ability to 

affect the way others 

perceive things every day.

 We have an extremely 

important, high-visibility 

mission and each of us 

has the ability to affect 

the way our mission 

is viewed – either 

positively or negatively 

– by the international 

community, the American 

public, visitors, media, 

family, friends and our 

fellow Troopers. More 

importantly, we have the 

ability to affect the way 

those audiences perceive 

the way in which we accomplish that mission.

 During my first weeks on the island, each 

of you has helped shape my perception of 

the way we accomplish our mission and the 

reality I’ve seen is one in which we can all 

take a great deal of pride. We’ve been given 

a difficult mission in difficult circumstances 

and our execution of that mission has been 

consistently marked by professionalism, 

discipline, competence, and pride. I hope 

that each of you also has the perception 

that Joint Task Force Guantanamo is doing 

an outstanding job providing safe, humane, 

transparent, and legal care and custody of 

detainees. We do our mission and we do it 

well. We know this to be a fact.

 It is also said that “first impressions are 

lasting,” and those lasting impressions are 

extremely important to the way our mission 

is perceived by those who are learning about 

or seeing our operations for the first time. 

In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve been 

able to observe the ways we ensure the first 

impression we present is a good one – one 

which accurately reflects our dedication, 

our professionalism, our patriotism and our 

unwavering commitment to service with 

honor.

 From the way in which we receive newlyreporting personnel 

to the way we host 

distinguished visitors, 

I’ve seen nothing but 

absolute professionalism, 

positive attitude, and an 

energy that shows how 

much we care about doing 

our mission right and 

presenting ourselves in a 

way that creates a positive 

perception. During 

my travels throughout 

the JTF, I have been 

continually amazed by 

the professionalism, 

competence, and attitude 

of Troopers at every level of the command. 

Military courtesies are exchanged, SOPs 

are followed, detainees are treated with 

fairness and respect, and there is a universal 

understanding that the work we are doing is 

important – and it is important that we do it 

right.

 Last week, Brig. Gen. Robert Arthur 

from U.S. Southern Command visited the 

JTF and we had the opportunity to make a 

first impression and help shape his perception 

of the way JTF Guantanamo performs. He 

toured the camps, saw our facilities, saw the 

way we execute our mission – and he was 

impressed. Thanks to all of you, he now 

better understands how we operate and 

every one of you helped shape that lasting

 The Wire | Page 2 Command Corner |

JTF Guantanamo

Commander

Rear Adm. David Woods

Deputy Commander

Brig. Gen. James Lettko

Command Master Chief

Cmd. Master Chief Reynaldo Tiong

Office of Public Affairs Director

Cmdr. Tamsen Reese: 9928

Deputy Director

Air Force Maj. Michelle Coghill: 9927

Operations Officer

Army Maj. Jon Powers: 3649

Senior Enlisted Leader

Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant: 3649

The Wire

Editor: Army 1st. Lt. Amelia Thatcher

Assistant Editor: Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Photojournalists

Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Keith Simmons

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Kilho Park

Army Sgt. Landis Andrews

Contact us

Editor’s Desk: 3651

Commercial: 011-5399-3651

DSN: 660-3651

E-mail: thewire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

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

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.

In the short time I’ve 

been here, I have 

been continually 

amazed by the 

professionalism, 

competence, and 

attitude of Troopers 

at every level of 

command.

Cover: Chief Petty Officer Michael Spivey, one of Joint Detention Group’s CPOs, began the 119th birthday of the 

chief petty officer rank by raising the colors April 1. –photo by Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Keith Simmons

Cc

ommand

orner

Joint Task Force

Guantanamo Safe Humane Legal Transparent l l l

Capt. W. Andrew Docherty

Chief of Staff, JTF Guantanamo

 see COMMAND next page

The Ceramics Shop will host an airbrush 

painting instructional class Apr. 14. It will be 

at 5:30 p.m. at the Ceramics Shop, building 

AV81. There is a $20 registration fee to cover 

the cost of supplies and instructions. Sign up 

by Apr. 11.

For more information, call 84475.

Celebrate National Poetry Month and 

National Library Week by sharing your poetry and talent with the Guantanamo community at the Caribbean Coffee & Cream 

(Starbucks) Patio on Apr. 11 at 7 p.m.. Sign 

up and pick up the rules at the Teen Center 

by Apr. 10. 

For more information, call 2096.

The following medical specialists will 

be available for appointments at U.S. Naval 

Hospital Guantanamo: Ear, nose, and throat 

(ENT); audiology; dermatology; podiatry; 

and urology.

For a referral, NAVSTA personnel can 

schedule an appointment with Primary Care 

Clinic at 72110. JTF personnel can call 3394.

INDEX

The Wire

March 23, 2012

Be your own budget god

Assure your information

Are you reading closely?

Happy birthday, CPOs!

Spaced out on Space A

GTMO travel tips

Snarkfest 2: The snarkening

Movie review: Hunger Games

Welcome, 20th Public 

Affairs Detachment!

5

7

8

10

12

13

17

18

| News from the Bay The Wire | Page 3

News from the Bay

Help raise money to transform Haiti. 

Take part in the 5K on Apr. 21 at 7 a.m. 

outside Denich Gym. Register for the event 

tomorrow and Apr. 14 at the NEX Atrium. 

Registration fee is $11. 

For more information, call Larissa Pillay 

at 3252 or Joshua Conwell at 84507.

Take advantage of the opportunity to go 

on a free night fishing trip tomorrow courtesy of MWR Liberty. Boats leave the dock 

at 6 p.m. so make sure you show up early. 

Bait, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks will be 

provided. 

For more information, or to reserve a 

spot, call 2010.

Want to learn the history and lineage 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.

MWR needs to know what you want from 

the movie program at Guantanamo Bay. 

Help out by logging onto:

www.surveymonkey.com/GTMOMovieSurvey

FYI... MWR is working on getting 3D 

movies at the Windjammer Ballroom.

April’s specialty care 

providers at USNH

5K run/walk for Haiti

In glorious Technicolor!

Airbrush painting class

Night fishing

MWR Liberty is looking for fun facilitators. Do you have your captain’s license? Volunteer to take the boat out on day and night 

fishing trips. Are you good at Texas Hold’em 

poker? Pool? What about ping-pong? Call 

MWR Liberty at 2010 and volunteer to teach 

others the your favorite games.

MWR Liberty will take Troopers and 

Guantanamo Bay residents on another history hike on May 5. This time it will be centered around Hicacal. 

Call 2010 to find out how you can help.

Help keep the trails of Gitmo beautiful and clean. The Trail Blazers are looking 

for volunteers to help cut grass, trim tree 

limbs, remove trash and anything else it 

takes to keep your hikes, trail runs and bike 

rides fun and easy. For more information, 

call Martin Sullivan at 8243/8242 or email 

Martin.E.Sullivan@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil.

MWR Liberty’s monthly free day fishing 

trip is Apr. 14 at 6:30 p.m. Bait, snacks and 

juice is provided. Spots on the boat go fast, 

so call 2010 to reserve your place soon.

The Jamaica Independence Day committee invites all hands to volunteer for a 

multitude of fundraising events, to include a 

car wash, T-shirt sale, sporting events, beach 

party, multicultural cook-off, Jamaican cooking class, gospel concert, chef auction and 

much more. Jamaican Independence Day is 

Aug. 6, and all fundraising event dates are 

TBD. To volunteer, call 4822.

History hike sequel

Volunteer everywhere

Trail Blazers

There’s another 

independence day

Poetry & Open Mic

Day fishing

North East Gate tour

impression for which we can be extremely 

proud.

If first impressions are in fact lasting, 

then I am convinced that every visitor 

who comes to JTF Guantanamo will take 

away an impression marked by the highest 

degree of professionalism and pride. And 

if we can truly shape the perceptions of 

others to help them better understand the 

reality of the way we do our mission, then 

we want them to see, hear and understand 

the ways in which we provide safe, humane, 

transparent and legal care and custody 

during every minute of every day. 

I hope that each of you knows how 

much your professionalism, your discipline 

and your commitment directly support the 

JTF mission and I encourage each of you to 

take great pride in knowing that your efforts 

and your sacrifices are making a difference 

every day.

COMMAND cont. 
Gone Phishing?

Phishing is a way of trying to get sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card or 

bank details by using a fake web site. You will get an email asking you to go to the fake web site and enter 

your information. There might even be a link to the web site in the email. The fake web site will look almost 

identical to the legitimate one. Phishing is an example of a social engineering technique used to fool people. 

Targeted versions of phishing have been termed spear phishing. Several recent phishing attacks have been 

directed specifically at senior executives and other high profile targets. Don’t go to a linked web site unless 

you know for sure it is legitimate! Be aware of phishing attacks. Protect your information: use OPSEC!

PSEC ALERT

PROTECT YOUR INFO!

 The Wire | Page 4 Trooper to Trooper |

Trooper to Trooper

Master Sgt. Dawn Hobeck

J6 Senior Enlisted Leader

a tradition of service

It is well known that the power of the 

United States military does not just come 

from expensive weapons and machines: it 

comes from the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, 

Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who put 

their lives on the line every day across the 

world. The personnel in our military are our 

nation’s strength.

Military tradition teaches us how past 

warriors were able to succeed. It teaches us 

about dedication to their unit, branch of service and their country as a whole. Military 

tradition creates combat warriors, develops 

them throughout their entire career, and also 

inspires them to reach their highest capabilities and performance in combat.

Each of the armed services has their own 

stories, customs, courtesies and way of doing things. Their heritage gets handed down 

from generation to generation. Heritage 

provides each service and its members with 

a means of understanding themselves and 

their place in American and military society. 

All United States Armed Forces share certain 

traditions: mission, a sense of community, 

leadership, and history.

Mission: The mission means everything 

in the military. The purpose of our military 

is to support and defend the United States 

and the Constitution. Every unit in each of 

the services has a mission which contributes 

to national defense strategy, and every individual has a purpose.

Community: Military members are dependent on community support and teamwork 

to complete their mission. Once service 

members develop their skills individually and 

collectively, the team will succeed. The unit 

accomplishes its mission by developing its 

personnel’s professional skills. 

Leadership: Good leadership is where the 

rubber meets the road. Without good leadership the mission will fail. Leaders should 

display good character and always lead by 

example. They are responsible for developing their subordinates mentally, physically, 

and emotionally. They must gain the trust of 

those under them and above them. 

History: The military traditions that exist 

have been in the making for over 200 years. 

We rely on a lineage built on traditions, customs, and courtesies from all our service 

members past and present. 

With all these factors in mind, the world’s 

strongest military is in the hands of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast 

Guardsmen who serve proudly every day, 

here at Joint Task Force Guantanamo and 

around the world. That strength comes from 

military tradition which provides the people 

of our Armed Forces with a way of life that 

explains who they are and what their duties 

are to themselves, to their unit, to their service and to their nation.

Hardly a day goes by without the national news media reporting on the budget, 

deficit spending and debt. Those three hot 

topics should be the focus of your personal 

money strategy every day to ensure a secure 

financial future according to Walter Barrett, 

personal finance specialist with the Fleet and 

Family Support Center at U.S. Naval Station, 

Guantanamo Bay.

“It is easy to talk about it but trying to 

put it into play is the difficult part,” Barrett 

said as he spoke about how as consumers we 

are attacked everyday with messages that encourage us to spend.

“Advertisers spend lots of money to figure out how to get us to part with our money,” added Barrett.

The plan is simple: budget your takehome pay into three broad categories, referred to as the 70-20-10 principle. If you 

follow it, according to Barrett, “you would 

be financially okay.”

Seventy percent of take-home pay goes 

to living expenses, which include gas, groceries, going out to eat, entertainment, insurance policies for medical, life vehicles; and 

personal property, whether you rent or are a 

homeowner.

A large chunk of that living expense is 

taken up by the cost of where you reside, either the rent you pay or monthly mortgage 

payment. “Even though a mortgage is a debt, 

it considered a living expense because you 

have to live somewhere,” said Barrett.

Next is the upwards of 20 percent being applied toward debt, which is vehicle or 

personal loans and credit cards. For example, 

a person with a yearly take-home salary of 

$50,000 should have no more than $10,000 

in debt.

This is also known as the debt to income 

ratio, a factor that is looked at by financial 

institutions to determine if you can handle 

any additional debt based on your earnings. 

“We like to see it at 15 percent or less,” said 

Barrett who encourages everyone to pay off 

credit cards because the interest is a drain on 

overall financial health.

Now the final percentage is what many 

financial experts call paying yourself first. 

“Ten percent should go to a savings plan or 

investment program,” Barrett said. “That 

should be the first thing, coming off the top 

of the income.”

| Command Information The Wire | Page 5

WASHINGTON – The Defense Department has referred charges against five suspected 9/11 co-conspirators to a military 

commission, Pentagon officials announced 

Wednesday.

The charges allege that Khalid Sheikh 

Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih 

Mubarak Bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali 

Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam 

al Hawsawi were responsible for the planning and execution of the Sept. 11, 2001, 

terrorist attacks on the United States.

The convening authority – DOD’s Office of Military Commissions – referred the 

case to a capital military commission, meaning the five accused could be sentenced to 

death if convicted.

In keeping with reforms in the Military 

Commissions Act of 2009, officials said, 

each has been provided, in addition to their 

detailed defense counsel, learned counsel 

with specialized knowledge and experience 

in death penalty cases to assist in their defense.

The five are charged with terrorism, hijacking aircraft, conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, 

attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, and destruction of 

property in violation of the law of war. The 

convening authority has referred all charges 

to a joint trial.

Officials emphasized that the charges 

are only allegations that the five accused 

have committed offenses punishable under the Military Commissions Act of 2009, 

and that they are presumed innocent unless 

proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

In accordance with military commissions rules and procedures, the chief judge 

of the Military Commissions Trial Judiciary 

will assign a military judge to the case, and 

the five accused will be arraigned at Naval 

Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within 30 

days after they’re served with the referred 

charges.

From American Forces Press Service

DoD refers 9/11 charges 

to military commission

did you know...

The Joint Task Force Intranet has classified ads! 

Click through the new SharePoint page with the 

Intranet tab. Scroll down to “classifieds” under 

“useful JTF links” and see what your buddies have 

for sale! This week, find new GTMO specials!

JTF stuff!

Balanced budget, balanced life

Money Matters

By Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven

 see BUDGETING page 7
 The Wire | Page 6 Trooper Focus |

trooper focus

By Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven

Back in the mid 1990s, large 

desktop computers had all the 

power and memory that you 

now carry in your hand with 

a cell phone or a tablet. This 

was the time that Staff Sgt. 

Brendon Van Veldhuizen’s 

beguilement with computers 

was just starting to blossom, a 

fascination that would lead him 

to an Air Force career.

“I built my first computer 

when I was 13, using some 

spare parts my neighbor was 

going to throw away,” said Van 

Veldhuizen.

His high school computer 

club was just Van Veldhuizen 

and a teacher. College lasted 

only a year before he decided to 

enlist in the Air Force as a way 

to continue his education and 

move forward towards his goal 

of working with computers.

After technical school Van 

Veldhuizen’s first assignment 

was with the Airborne Warning 

and Control System (AWACS) 

software testing flight at Tinker 

Air Force Base. Six years later 

he left the Oklahoma base as 

an experienced programmer 

and a staff sergeant.

Five and half months ago, 

he arrived at Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo to be the J6 project 

manager and contracting office 

representative.

“It was a lot more than I 

was expecting,” added Van 

Veldhuizen, who is working in 

an E-7 slot.

Van Veldhuizen appreciates 

the opportunity to hone his 

interpersonal skills on the 

job as he works closely with 

the contracting office until a 

contact is awarded, then he 

monitors and documents the 

contract until it is completed.

“As a programmer I really 

don’t have to talk to people 

other than to find out what I 

have to do, then sit there and 

do it for three to four months,” 

he said.

“Here I continuously talk to 

What did you get out of the ‘Sex Signals’ performance?

“It showed different 

scenarios that were very 

similar to real-life events.

Sgt. 

Nickolas Simpson

“We’ve all been through 

the slideshow briefing, 

but I retained more 

information from seeing the 

performance.”

Sgt.

Ebony Davis

“I learned that stop means 

stop, no matter what.”

Airman 1st Class 

Humberto Hinojosa

“I learned that alcohol is 

a negative contributor to 

problem.”

Aviation Ordnanceman 

3rd Class Ryan Silbaugh

Boots on the Ground

Time in service: Nearly 8 years in the 

Air Force; planning to make it a career

Hobbies: Disc golf with other J6 staff- ers; paintball and computer games

The boss says: “He can take a task and 

run with it. He requires minimal supervision and is a good self-starter.”

Advice to junior Troopers: “The im- portant thing is to figure out what your 

job is going to be and then do it. It all 

goes back to the amount of effort you 

put in.”

Bullet Bio:

SSGT Brendon Van

Veldhuizen

 see FOCUS next page

| News The Wire | Page 7

people. Every day my job is sending emails, 

talking to people on the phone and setting 

up meetings,” noted Van Veldhuizen 

looking at this work experience as a boost 

in preparing for future promotions.

The step up to technical sergeant could 

be later this year, when Van Veldhuizen 

takes the test for E-6.

“I want to stay in for the full 20 

(years),” said 27-year old Airman. “I like 

the Air Force a lot and they have taken 

good care of me.”

According to FOCUS cont. 

a recent study, 

the average 

American spends 

approximately 

32 hours on the 

Internet each 

month. See 

below for tips 

on how to surf 

the Web safely.

re: 

information 

assurance

– Turn on your browser’s 

pop-up blocker. 

– If a pop-up does 

squeeze through, don’t 

click on it. Close down 

the window from the 

Taskbar. Many pop-ups 

will try to trick you 

by reproducing the “X” 

close-window icon as 

part of the ad. When you 

click on it thinking 

you’re closing the 

window, you actually 

clicking through to the 

advertisement. 

– There’s nothing wrong 

with using your 

credit card to make 

online purchases if the 

site is reputable and 

uses secure connection. 

If the site is secure, 

you’ll see a lock icon 

displayed in the lower 

right corner of your 

browser window. 

– Turn on your browser’s 

anti-phishing filter to 

block confirmed phishing 

sites. Phishing is the 

act of sending an e-mail 

to a user falsely claiming to be an established 

legitimate enterprise in 

an attempt to scam the 

user into surrendering 

private information that 

will be used for identity theft. It is also 

referred to as brandspoofing or carding, and 

is a variation on “fishing,” the idea being 

that bait is thrown out 

with the hopes that some 

people may be tempted 

into biting.

– Don’t be suckered in 

by shady-looking ads 

that say you’ve won 

money or contests. 

It’s always too good to 

be true.

That 10 percent is easy for service 

members by taking advantage of the 

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The money is 

automatically deducted and reduces your 

taxable income for the year. The original 

funds set aside in your TSP can grow at 

different rates depending on the level of 

risk you want to take, and you only pay 

taxes on the income growth when you remove funds in retirement.

The first step is reviewing your income 

and expenses; and then making a budget, 

now the part that many people find the 

hardest, sticking to that budget. 

“People get lackadaisical and say they 

will catch up tomorrow,” Barrett noted as 

consumers go off their budget plans. “We 

are creatures of habit.”

It is the small things that add up to big 

savings, especially when you get back to 

your home port or station. Think about 

that the next time you’re a ready to plunk 

down a five dollar bill for a double caramel 

latte when you could have brewed coffee 

at home for a lot less.

Besides his office at the naval station, 

Barrett is available every Thursday from 

8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Fleet and Family Support Center satellite office located 

next to the Camp America post office. Call 

4050 or 4141 to set up an appointment.

BUDGETING cont. 

Super Troopers

Congratulations to the Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers 

who recently received commander’s coins! 

CPO Cruz

1LT Hillyard

SFC Jay

SPC Leomryno

SPC McKee

CPO Spivey

CPO Zagorski
| Feature The Wire | Page 9

Above: Actors Courtney Abbott and Kyle Terry roleplayed scenes to demonstrate inappropriate behavior.

Left: Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers at the “Sex Signals” performance 

raised signs to tell Abbott and Terry to STOP! during an on-stage skit.

–photos by Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Sex Signals

 The Wire | Page 8 Feature |

Troopers from Joint Task Force Guantanamo reevaluated the importance of sexual 

assault and harassment prevention with the 

help of improv skits, a little adult humor 

and two comedians. 

 “Sex Signals” visited Guantanamo Bay 

to explore how topics such as gender stereotypes, social pressures and unreal expectations contribute to tension in dating. 

The program then demonstrated how these 

factors can lead to sexual harassment or assault.

“We think this training is helpful for everyone because it allows them to actually 

engage in a discussion,” said Courtney Abbott, a performer and educator in Sex Signals. “It’s only when people actually talk to 

one another can a culture change.” 

“Sex Signals” uses improvisational acting and adult humor to immerse the audience into the scenes and create an open 

dialogue about the myths about sexual assault, coercive versus seductive behavior, 

and those who are responsible in a sexual 

assault.

“Using comedy was part of the initial 

concept of the show,” said Abbott. “The 

fundamental concept of a joke is that when 

you laugh, you are agreeing with the comedian.”

“Sex Signals” was started by Gail Stern 

and Christian Murphy in early 2000. It has 

been used by hundreds of college campuses 

and military installations around the world 

to educate students and service members. 

“We go everywhere. I’ve been to Iraq 

twice,” said Kyle Terry, a performer for 

“Sex Signals.” 

Abbott and Terry of Catharsis Productions spoke to the Troopers of Guantanamo Bay April 1 and 2. 

Abbott has performed in “Sex Signals” 

for nearly seven years and is a Northwestern University graduate. She received her 

training as a Rape Victim Advocate through 

Rape Victim Advocates Chicago. 

Terry earned a bachelor of arts in Theater at the University of Illinois and has 

performed in Sex Signals for eight years. 

“Our job is to encourage the community 

to be active in a way that facilitates people 

to help each other,” said Terry. 

Both actors feel that the military’s 

unique lifestyle creates unique factors in 

dealing with sexual harassment and assault 

prevention. 

“Everyone has agreed to adhere to a 

code,” said Abbott. “Because it’s a closed 

system and a committed team, people are 

more willing to make shifts in culture that 

will benefit the team to ultimately benefit 

the mission.” 

Military stereotypes can also play a role 

in sexual assault. 

“There’s a positive and negative,” said 

Terry. “If the idea is that service members 

are supposed to very gung ho and assertive, 

then we expect them to be very assertive in 

stopping something or preventing violence 

from happening. But if they’re supposed to 

be stubborn then we expect them not to 

stop and to be tenacious.” 

Troopers deployed to Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo Bay face many challenges that 

come along with deployments. One issue 

is the base’s small physical area and remote 

location. 

“I think one of the challenges living 

in a place like Guantanamo is that it’s like 

living in a fish bowl,” said Abbott. “But, 

that can also be helpful because it means 

people have the ability to look out for one 

another.” 

By Army Sgt. Saul Rosa
 The Wire | Page 10 FFeatture | | FFeatture The Wire | Page 11

Chief Petty Officers and senior staff 

members from Joint Task Force, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, celebrated the 119th 

birthday of the Chief Petty Officer rank 

on Sunday, April 1.

The day began with a breakfast at Seaside Galley, followed by a flag raising ceremony at Camp Delta and barbeque party 

later in the day at the U.S. Naval Station 

Guantanamo Bay Chief Petty Officer’s 

club.

The respected title of the chief petty 

officer dates back to 1893 when the rank 

was made official.

“The birthday is very special to me,” 

said Senior Chief Petty Officer Kevin 

Doucette, senior enlisted leader for the 

JTF J-4. “It’s an opportunity for chief petty officer brothers and sisters to stop and 

take a moment to reflect over 119 years of 

service and sacrifice to the Navy and to 

celebrate being a chief.”

The heritage of the chief petty officer 

is about being the kind of leader that junior personnel aspire to become and officers look to for support.

“When the chief spoke, that was it,” 

said Doucette. “You looked at chief as 

the authority figure. When the sailor had a 

problem, the chief always had the answer.”

Becoming a chief is a goal that the journey to and the reward from are life-changing experiences.

“How do you even describe it,” said 

Chief Petty Officer Michael Spivey of 

Joint Detention Group. “It was a very 

emotional moment. I have an uncle who’s 

a retired senior chief and that’s one of the 

motivating things that’s driven me for the 

last 10 years since I decided making chief 

is what I wanted to do.”

The U.S. Navy is the only branch of 

service to distinguish such an exclusive 

fraternity at the E-7 pay grade, and Spivey 

said serving in a joint service environment 

has proved interesting.

“I’ve never worked in a joint environment,” said Spivey. “Working with the 

Airmen, Marines and Soldiers is a new 

experience and it’s really great. The level 

of professionalism is awesome across the 

board. It’s great that everybody is able to 

combine and have such a great working 

environment.”

The annual day of celebration was a 

chance for everyone to pause and appreciate the time-honored traditions, camaraderie and brotherhood of the U.S. Navy 

Chief Petty Officer.

Joint Task Force chief petty officers and senior staff members enjoy a breakfast together at the 

Seaside Galley to begin the day’s celebrations.

By Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Keith Simmons

Happy Birthday,

Chief!

Chief Petty Officers Andrew Cruz (left), Amy Sigorsky (center), and Michael Spivey prepare 

to raise the ensign prior to morning colors.

Joint Task Force chief petty officers observe morning colors in formation at the Camp Delta 

flag pole as Command Master Chief Reynaldo Tiong and the color guard salute.

The youngest and oldest members of the chief petty officer’s association cut the cake 

with a Navy Chief Petty Officer’s Cutlass at the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay’s Goat 

Locker during a barbeque party.

Chief Petty Officers Andrew Cruz (left), Amy Sigorsky (center), and Michael Spivey fold 

the lowered flag.

119 years

 –photos by Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Keith Simmons
 The Wire | Page 12 Feature |

catch Space A

if you can

(actually, you kind of have to)

I was at the terminal with my bags in 

hand, when I found out I was only an hour 

and a half late for my flight. I thought I did 

everything right. Apparently, I had mistaken 

the showtime with the departure time. In my 

leisure state during my R&R leave I must 

have asked the wrong questions, a mistake 

that cost my unit and me time and my wallet 

a few hundred dollars. 

So you can avoid following in my footsteps, I will educate you on becoming familiar with the pass and leave system at Guantanamo Bay.

“The way it’s supposed to go is that if 

you’re going on leave you turn your packet 

in to your administrative officer and they 

make sure everything is correct and that you 

have everything you need,” said Spc. Rony 

Michaud, the Joint Personnel Center Leave 

and Pass Clerk. “It’s a little difficult for some 

people because it’s new to them, so I try to 

coach them through each step of the way.”

To start the process you must submit your 

leave paper work 21 days prior to leaving. 

Pass paperwork must be submitted 7 days 

prior to taking the pass. 

 Be sure that you’re eligible for R&R 

leave, regular leave or a pass. Most Troopers deployed to Guantanamo Bay will not be 

staying for 12 months or longer and will not 

be eligible for R&R leave. 

“R&R leave is funded by the government 

and is reserved for Troopers deployed for at 

least 12 months,” said Michaud. 

Passes can be awarded to Troopers at a 

command’s discretion. Passes do not consume leave days, but are only 96 hours long. 

“A pass isn’t a right, it’s a reward,” said 

Michaud. “It’s up to your command if you 

receive a pass or not, and it’s usually given to 

a person who is doing well or for completing 

a mission as a reward.” 

After you submit your leave or pass paperwork, you should start planning your time 

off so that you make sure to return to your 

duty station on time. 

Michaud explained that if you do not return on time that you will be charged for the 

days you took for your pass. 

The Air Mobility Command (AMC)’s 

Space Available program is a great tool for 

Troopers to use to return to their duty stations cheaply, but it does come with some 

drawbacks. 

“Depending on the time of the year it’s 

better that you buy your tickets rather than 

use Space Available,” said Michaud. “If it’s 

the off-peak time of the year it’s better to use 

space available, but around the Christmas 

timeframe or spring break its better for you 

to buy your ticket.” Otherwise, you might 

not get a seat.

If for any reason you can’t return in time, 

make contact with your chain of command 

and let them know the situation so they can 

request an extension. This prevents you from 

being marked as AWOL. 

Michaud explained that you can call the 

AMC to see how many seats are available for 

any given travel day, the show time for the 

flight and when the flight is departing so that 

you can avoid a late return.

Leave and passes are designed to relieve 

the stresses that Troopers face on tour, but 

without proper planning they can cause as 

much stress as they’re supposed to ease. 

“Make sure you manage your time and 

organize your schedule,” said Michaud. “As 

long as you do this you can go anywhere you 

want within reason.”

a mea culpa (that’s Latin for “my bad”) by Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

| Feature The Wire | Page 13

 What can

 do for you?

J4’s strategic movement office 

can get you to your destination.

– When can you leave? (yes, standard TSA

regulations apply)

- Every other Tuesday – the rotator 

operates out of Baltimore

- Every Saturday – the rotator 

operates out of Norfolk

- Note: all rotators stop in 

Jacksonville, Fla.

– Don’t want to lug your bags on the ferry? 

- Take advantage of early check-in 

& drop your bags off – not to exceed 70 

lbs/62 linear inches unless stated by 

pieces in your orders. 

- Drop off your stuff at the annex by 

Downtown Lyceum on the Monday before 

Tuesday flights between 12-6 p.m. and 

every Friday between 2-7 p.m.

– When is this ferry?

Ensure you catch the 10:30 a.m. ferry 

for space required; earlier for space 

available.

– When will you be wheels up? 

It depends on all passengers. Showtime 

at the air terminal for those who did NOT

utilize early check-in and for all space 

available is 10 a.m. Showtime for all who 

DID utilize the early check-in option is 11 

a.m.

– Want to fly Space Available? 

Once you are officially on leave status, fax 

your request to the air terminal at 6170.

– Who do I call? – Not Ghostbusters... but 

passenger travel at extension 3011, 

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

for all space required bookings.

–special thanks to Air Force 1st Lt. Carli Brown, J4 SMO

Brown
WASHINGTON – The Navy announced 

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and 

issued guidance to focus efforts on awareness 

and prevention of sexual violence through 

the use of special events and command-level 

education in NAVADMIN 106/12, released 

March 28.

The Department of Defense’s SAAM 

theme this year is, “Hurts One, Affects All. 

Prevention of Sexual Assault is Everyone’s 

Duty.” 

In addition to this overarching theme, the 

Navy will highlight complementary weekly 

themes throughout the month. 

“Sexual assault prevention is one key aspect of the Navy’s 21st Century Sailor and 

Marine initiative to increase the personal 

readiness of each and every Sailor within our 

Navy,” said Vice Adm. Scott R. Van Buskirk, 

chief of naval personnel and director of the 

Navy’s SAAM 2012 initiative. “The weekly 

themes will underscore varying aspects of 

sexual assault and the Navy’s efforts to raise 

awareness in order to eliminate this crime.”

The four weekly themes are: “Hurts One,” 

“Affects All,” “Prevention is Everyone’s 

Duty,” and “We Will Not Tolerate Sexual Assault.”

“Our goal is to foster a command climate 

in which reporting assault is embraced and encouraged while providing support to victims,” 

said Van Buskirk. “We are also demanding a 

strict zero tolerance policy for sexual assault 

and accountability of all offenders.”

Commands will host mandatory education sessions to raise sexual assault awareness among Sailors. Commanding officers 

can either hold a single two-hour stand down 

or break the discussions into four 30-minute 

weekly sessions, according to the NAVADMIN. 

Scripts and videos for each week’s theme 

will be provided to commanding officers to 

help facilitate discussion throughout their 

commands. These engagement products, in 

addition to talking points, posters and other 

tools, will be posted to the Navy Personnel 

Command’s Sexual Assault and Prevention 

website, http://www.sapr.navy.mil, according 

to the NAVADMIN.

Navy installations and commands around 

the world will be organizing activities to raise 

awareness of sexual assault throughout the 

month. All units are encouraged to participate 

and promote SAAM events in addition to the 

two-hour stand down in April, said Van Buskirk. 

“Collectively, we can make a difference in 

preventing sexual assault by engaging all of 

our people in a meaningful manner to raise 

awareness to change behavior,” said Van Buskirk. 

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response 

is an important element of the readiness area 

of the 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative which consolidates a set of objectives 

and policies, new and existing, to maximize 

Sailor and Marine personal readiness, build 

resiliency and hone the most combat-effective 

force in the history of the Department. The 

Department of the Navy (DoN) is working 

to aggressively to prevent sexual assaults, to 

support sexual assault victims, and to hold offenders accountable.

on t h e D E C K

 The Wire | Page 14 At Your Service |

In t h e f i g h t

Marine receives 

Silver Star for 

actions in Afghanistan

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – The parade deck at San 

Mateo was filled with Marines March 29, 

as Sgt. Ryan T. Sotelo, a San Mateo, Calif. 

native, was awarded the Silver Star. He was 

honored for the actions he took as a squad 

leader with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th 

Marine Regiment while deployed to Sangin 

District, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Maj. Gen. Ronald L. Bailey, commanding general, 1st Marine Division, presented 

the medal to Sotelo, who is now a scout 

sniper with Battalion Landing Team 3/5, 

15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The Silver 

Star Medal is the United States’ third highest award for combat valor and is fifth in the 

precedence of military awards.

“It was humbling when the general 

pinned on the star,” said Sotelo. “When we 

perform out in country we don’t do it for 

metals, we do it for the Marine on the right 

and left of us.”

On Nov. 25, 2010, Sotelo’s squad was 

ambushed in an open field with machinegun and small arms fire, killing the platoon 

commander. Without hesitation, Sotelo 

took charge of the unit and moved them 

to a nearby canal. He then sprinted through 

heavy fire across open ground to retrieve 

the body of his fallen lieutenant. 

With the defensive position now unreachable because of intense small arms 

fire, he called in supporting arms to cover 

the squad’s movement to a nearby compound. As insurgents began to assault the 

position, he fearlessly led his squad as they 

repelled the enemy. 

When one enemy combatant began to 

fire on an exposed Marine, Sotelo closed 

in on the insurgent and killed him with a 

grenade.

 “As soon as we got across, we got lit up 

and engaged in every direction,” said Cpl. 

Jose Launder, Company K, 3rd Bn., 5th 

Marines. “Sotelo just ran over and threw a 

grenade.”

After a reinforcing Marine unit was 

pinned down by heavy fire from the insurgents, Sotelo again disregarded his own 

safety to engage the enemy machinegun 

with rifle, finally calling in an air strike that 

silenced the enemy fire. 

“I think a lot of us are here because of 

his actions that day,” added Launder.

Realizing that his situation was dire, Sotelo lead a fighting withdrawal more than 

600 meters through enemy fire to bring his 

squad back to friendly lines and safety. 

Sotelo will continue serving his country 

as he prepares for the 15th MEU’s upcoming deployment scheduled for this summer.

By Lance Cpl. Timothy Childers

15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

‘Hurts One, Affects All’: Navy announces 

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-South turned over a 

small arms range and training facilities on 

Camp Hero to the Afghan National Army in 

a ceremony held March 31.

After cutting the ceremonial ribbon and 

taking a walking tour of the facility, which 

includes pistol, rifle, and heavy machine gun 

ranges plus all the associated infrastructure, 

the ceremony’s attendees sat down to refreshments of chai tea and pastries.

Construction on the $5.9 million small 

arms range began in March 2011 and was 

completed March 15. Cesar Lopez, the Kandahar Vicinity Resident Office resident engineer, said the project progressed well and 

that the Afghan National Army will be able 

to train many soldiers at the facility.

“I am very pleased to accept this training range and classrooms from the Corps 

of Engineers,” said Gen. Shah, the 205th 

Atal (Hero) Corps Chief of Staff through 

an interpreter. He thanked the South District Commander, Air Force Col. Benjamin 

Wham, Maj. Christine Cook, the area officer 

in charge, and the staff of U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers, or USACE.

“This facility will provide the soldiers ample training to improve their skills and bring 

security and peace to the Afghan people.”

To the Americans present he said, “I 

would love to see all of you return to Afghanistan one day with your families as tourists and show this facility to your children.”

“ECCI-C METAG Joint Venture, the 

contractor, was a pleasure to work with,” said 

Lopez, who is deployed from the USACE 

Philadelphia District. “Their performance 

on the project was excellent.” 

on t h e groun d

By Karla Marshall

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

O n Th e w i n g

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO - RANDOLPH, Texas – Air Force civilian hires will 

soon have access to a new virtual tool that 

provides more efficient and timely processing for job placement.

The USA Staffing Onboarding Manager 

tool will help reduce the average amount of 

time it takes to inprocess new civilians before they enter on duty. The tool is part of 

continuing efforts to move the service closer 

to an 80-day civilian hiring process initiative 

directed by the president in 2010.

Currently, when new civilians are hired 

they complete required in-processing documents through the Civilian Virtual Inprocessing system available on the Air Force 

personnel services website. However, cVIP 

doesn’t meet federal requirements to connect inprocessing data to an employee’s electronic official personnel folder, or eOPF. 

“The Air Force has been working with 

the U.S. Office of Personnel Management 

to develop a new on-boarding tool since late 

2009 when we found cVIP would not meet 

Enterprise Human Resources Integrations 

requirements for the OPM eOPF,” said Nancy Tackett, a supervisory human resources 

specialist with the Air Force Personnel Center here. EHRI is one of five OPM led initiatives designed to leverage the benefits of 

technology.

Implementing Onboarding Manager, or 

OM, will meet this requirement and reduce 

the number of documents manually processed, she said.

OM will still involve a simple inprocessing method that consolidates all documentation and helps reduce errors for employees 

and human resource officials. Meeting the 

federal requirement to populate data to an 

employee’s eOPF will also ensure complete 

and accurate information in the employee’s 

record throughout their career. 

On April 23, officials will implement OM 

through a phased-approach starting with a 

pilot for new hires at Air Force Reserve Command, Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Air Forces in 

Europe, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., Arnold 

AFB, Tenn., and Eglin AFB, Fla. By August, 

OM will replace cVIP Air Force-wide.

“OM is just one more efficient process to 

ultimately help the Air Force put the right 

people in the right place at the right time,” 

Tackett said.

By Erin Tindell

Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 15

Small arms range turned over 

to Afghan National Army

Afghan National Army Brig. Gen. Shah, the 205th Atal Corps chief of staff, cut the ceremonial ribbon signifying 

the official turnover of a small arms range March 31. U.S. Air Force Col. Benjamin Wham, the Afghanistan Engineer District-South commander (background center) and ANA Regional Military Training Center Commander, 

Col. Haroon (right) looked on. –U.S. Army photo

New tool helps process new civilian employees
I love stretching. It’s invigorating and I 

have informally practiced some type of it 

most of my life, from scooting around on 

the gym floor in grade school to midnight 

warrior series repetitions at Chapman Beach.

One can look at objective science and 

personal experience, study empirical data 

and concur that yes, stretching (and yoga!) is 

good for you.

My boss covered the science angle pretty 

thoroughly in his March 16 snarkfest, “I 

Hate Stretching!” Naturally, he came to 

the opposite conclusions he sought in the 

process, and some Guantanamo ears perked 

up at the headline. Myah Mason (Mrs. 525th 

Chaplain!), who teaches several group classes 

through Guantanamo Bay’s Morale Welfare 

& Recreation program including Wednesday 

night yoga, even issued him a challenge on 

her Facebook page, EpiYoga.

Wednesday’s class typically attracts at least 

30 participants, she said, including plenty of 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers.

“This is one of the best opportunities for 

the troops here,” she said. “This can be their 

escape, their one serenity on island.”

Mason dubbed the class “sweat yoga.”

“It’s not hot enough to be Bikram,” she 

said, referring to one form of yoga which 

brings the room temperature to 104 degrees. 

“But it gets steamy in here.”

Mason’s program, YogaFit, is a 

“nonpurist” form of yoga, which is focused 

on the physical benefits as opposed to 

spiritual. But that doesn’t stop 

Troopers and other participants 

from getting a full body-mind 

workout.

“It’s perfect for the 

JTF environment,” 

Mason added. 

“Between 

the 

job stresses and the sports-focused place 

Guantanamo is, yoga is good for everything.”

So I experimented on my own body. 

Yoga just feels good – there’s nothing like 

staggering out of one’s cubicle after 10 nearcontinuous hours of office jockeying and 

standing up super straight into mountain 

pose. Hearing every other vertebrae 

cracking, as well as a knee and an elbow and 

not to mention my screwy hip popping all 

over the place – at the tender age of 24! – 

is simultaneously alarming and fascinating. 

What is this physically placid job doing to 

me? I may not have the time and wherewithal 

to participate in Guantanamo sports, but 

even the most stationary of IOF staff can 

benefit from a few minutes of Warrior II in 

between the cubicle aisles. Even if a certain 

J1 master sergeant, before he escaped left the 

island, gave me funny looks as he passed by. 

Here’s my abbreviated, this-is-what-Iremember-from-classes-I-used-to-havetime-for-back-home-five-minute-regimen.

– Begin in the mountain pose. (Stand 

straight up with your hands at your sides.) 

– Sweep your arms up over your head 

without smacking your cube mate in the face.

– Bring your hands together over your 

heart and hold for a moment. All yoga poses 

are done at a slow rate of speed and with 

controlled motions, unless your phone rings 

or the boss appears out of nowhere.

– Drop your hands and sweep your arms 

straight out at your sides, and slowly forward 

fold down (also known as a hamstring stretch 

standing).

– Place your hands on the cleanest part 

of the floor you can find and hold for a 

moment.

– Step back with your left foot into a 

lunge. “Unfold” your torso so your body is 

straight up and you’re looking ahead.

–Bring your hands up together over your 

heart, pause, and straighten your arms over 

your head. Slowly turn your torso to the 

left and straighten your arms parallel to the 

ground. Bend forward and place your right 

hand on the ground, stretching your 

left arm above you. 

– Return to 

the previous pose. 

Bend back and place your left hand on the 

ground, stretching your right arm straight up. 

– Return to the previous pose, then face 

forward again, returning to the lunge. Step 

your left foot up to your right, fold up and 

sweet your arms up to the sky, place your 

hands together at your heart, and pause.

– Repeat this series, but on the other side 

of your body beginning with your right foot 

stepping back into a lunge.

Try these moves in your cubicle, in your 

room, on the beach, at sunrise, at sunset, at 

midnight, or at any other time your body 

needs to stretch.

According to Mason, athletes (and nonathletes too, I guess) who practice yoga 

become “better, faster, stronger.” Runners 

run harder, weightlifters lift more, and 

everyone benefits from stress relief. Does my 

boss have to take my and/or her word for it? 

No. Nor does anyone else, for that matter. 

But it’s just one LT’s experience that three 

weeks of yoga can significantly ease sciatic 

pain, and three more weeks of pilates (yoga’s 

faster, trendy cousin) increased my sit-up 

count on the Army Physical Fitness Test by 

10 – a good 15 percent improvement. 

Your results may vary, but it sure sounds 

like a good health investment to me!

Mind, Body & Spirit

A quasi-rebuttal by 

Army 1st Lt. Amelia Thatcher

I love stretching!

 The Wire | Page 16 Around the World | | Mind, Body & Spirit The Wire | Page 17

Redeployed... to GTMO by Capt. Randy Denman

Hey Sgt. Boonie! Check out the new 

“Tropiflage” the military is testing!

Well, sir, if all else fails, you at 

least have the uniform to work 

the cruiselines...

WASHINGTON – The Defense 

Department is closely monitoring the 

prospect of a long-range rocket launch this 

month by North Korea, a senior Pentagon 

official told reporters today.

“The North Koreans will be violating 

[United Nations] Security Council 

resolutions if they move ahead with such a 

launch,” said George Little, acting assistant 

secretary of defense for public affairs, “and 

we call on them, as other countries have, not 

to launch the missile.”

A spokesman for the Korean Committee 

for Space Technology announced March 16 

that North Korea would launch a long-range 

Unha-3 rocket between April 12 and 16.

The rocket would carry a North Koreanmade Kwangmyongsong-3 polar-orbiting 

observation satellite to mark the 100th 

birthday of the late President Kim Il Sung 

on April 15.

“This is very serious business when North 

Korea does something like this,” Little said. 

“We’re monitoring it closely. We understand 

the impact it could have on regional stability.”

North Korea tried to launch satellites into 

space in 1998 and in 2009, but the launches’ 

success has never been confirmed.

“We’re working very closely with our 

Republic of Korea allies as well as our 

Japanese allies to monitor what’s happening 

with respect to this missile launch,” Little 

said. “We hope it doesn’t happen. But if it 

does, we’ll be ready to track it.”

If launched, the satellite would travel 

southward from the Sohae satellite launch 

station in North Phyongan province’s 

Cholsan County, North Korean officials said 

in the statement.

“A safe flight orbit has been chosen so 

that carrier rocket debris to be generated 

during the flight would not have any impact 

on neighboring countries,” they added.

North Korean officials said they will 

“strictly abide by relevant international 

regulations and usage concerning the launch 

of scientific and technological satellites for 

peaceful purposes.”

State Department spokeswoman Victoria 

Nuland said March 16 that U.N. Security 

Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874 “clearly 

and unequivocally prohibit North Korea 

from conducting launches that use ballisticmissile technology.”

“Such a missile launch would pose a 

threat to regional security,” she added, “and 

would also be inconsistent with North 

Korea’s recent undertaking to refrain from 

long-range missile launches.”

State Department officials are consulting 

closely with international partners on next 

steps, Nuland said.

At the Pentagon today, Little said the 

Defense Department is operating on the 

assumption that the launch could happen. 

The North Koreans have indicated that they 

intend to launch the satellite, he noted.

“They have done so in the past,” Little 

said, “so if history is any guide to the future, 

we would be remiss if we didn’t take those 

North Korean announcements for what they 

are.”

In terms of U.S. allies in the region 

who could potentially be affected by the 

launch, Little said, “we have an unwavering 

commitment to the security of both Japan 

and the Republic of South Korea.”

Such a launch is unacceptable to the 

United States and other nations, Little said.

“I believe we have what we need to track 

[the launch] and to also work closely with our 

allies in the region to respond,” he added.

Pentagon: Prospect of North 

Korea launch ‘serious business’

Long-range rocket would destabilize region

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service
| Bulletin Board The Wire | Page 19 Downtown Lyceum Camp Bulkeley

 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU 7

Call the movie hotline at 4880 or see https://intranet/movies.html for more information.

6 8 9 10 11 12

Ghost Rider 

(NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Safe House

(R) 10 p.m.

This Means 

War (NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Hunger 

Games

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

This Means 

War (NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Hunger 

Games

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Ghost Rider 

(NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Safe House

(R) 10 p.m.

One for the 

Money (last 

showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Grey (last 

showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

Man on a Ledge 

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

One for the 

Money (last 

showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Grey (last 

showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

Man on a 

Ledge (last 

showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Woman in 

Black

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Chronicle

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Chronicle

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Woman in 

Black

(R) 8 p.m.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

GTMO Religious 

Services

NAVSTA Main Chapel

Easter Services

Good Friday, 

5 p.m. – Catholic Good Friday 

April 6

Passion 6:30 p.m. – Protestant worship

Saturday, April 7

7:30 p.m. – Easter Vigil Mass

Easter Sunday special 

April 8

services, 

6:30 a.m. – Easter Sunrise 

Service at Windmill Beach, with breakfast

12:45 p.m. – Protestant 

Easter Egg Hunt 

(chapel annex courtyard)

Protestant Worship

Sunday 9 a.m.

Bible Study

Wednesday 6 p.m.

Intense Spiritual Fitness 

Power Lunch!

Thursday 11-11:30 a.m.

JTF Chaplain’s Office

JTF Trooper 

Chapel

For other services, contact the 

NAVSTA Chaplain’s Office at 2323.

For more 

information, 

call 2305.

GTMO Quick Reference

Caribbean Coffee & Cream – 77859

Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-10 p.m. 

Sun. 1-10 p.m.

Jerk House – 2535

Sun.-Th. 5-9 p.m.

Fri. & Sat. 5-10 p.m. 

Bowling Center – 2118

Mon.-Fri. 6-11 p.m.

 Fri. 6 p.m.-12 a.m

Sat. 1 p.m.-12 a.m.

Sun. & Holidays 1-11 p.m.

KFC and A&W Express – 75653

Daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

MWR Liberty Centers – 2010 

Deer Point: Mon.-Fri. 4 p.m.-12 a.m.

Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m.-12 a.m.

Marine Hill: Mon.-Th. 11-12 a.m.

Fri. 11-2 a.m., Sun. 9-12 a.m.

Tierra Kay: Sun-Th. 7-12 a.m.

Fri. & Sat. 7-2 a.m.

Camp America - open 24 hours

Pirate’s Cove

Th.-Sat. 7 p.m.-12 a.m.

Cuban Club – 75962 (call ahead!)

Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

McDonald’s – 3797

Mon.-Th. 5 a.m.-11 p.m.

Fri-Sat. 5 a.m.-2 a.m.

Sun. 6 a.m.-11 p.m.

Pizza Hut – 77995

Mon.-Th. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Fri. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sat. & Sun. 12-9 p.m.

Windjammer – 77252

Fri. & Sat. 5 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Windjammer Cafe

Mon.-Th. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Fri. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sat. 5-10 p.m.

Sun. 5-9 p.m.

O’Kelly’s Irish Pub

Mon.-Th. 5-9 p.m.

Fri. & Sat. 5 p.m.-2 a.m.

Sun. 5-9 p.m.

Safe Ride - 84781

 The Wire | Page 18

It’s been about four months since I last 

reviewed a film about a dystopian future. 

Stories like this are great at making social 

commentaries about a caste society’s impact 

on people. During the McCarthyism of the 

1950s, Ray Bradbury and other science 

fiction writers used the conventions of 

these dystopian worlds to discuss ideas and 

moral tales with their readers. The format 

was a way to discuss war, sex, politics and 

religion by dressing these stories up in such 

a way that they would be passed off as 

“fantasy” or “make-believe” to get around 

the era’s intolerances for points of view 

that were considered inappropriate or even 

un-American. Today it is easier to openly 

discuss these grand themes without fear of 

prosecution. People are hungry for these 

kinds of stories and I suspect they will 

never be out of vogue. 

Proving my point, “The Hunger Games” 

currently has the third highest grossing 

opening weekend at the U.S. box office 

(following “The Dark Knight” [2008] and 

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – 

Part II” [2011]). 

Based on the young adult novel of the 

same name, “The Hunger Games” takes 

place in a future that is far beyond its postapocalyptical origins. Where the North 

American countries once were is now the 

nation of Panem with a grandiose capital 

and elite ruling class. Far beyond the city 

limits are 12 impoverished districts. 

To keep the districts in check, the ruling 

class has devised “The Hunger Games.” 

They serve as a harsh reminder of the 

previous world, before the “ages ago” postnuclear horror, and to quell any potential 

uprising against the elitist government. 

Through a lottery, each of the 12 districts 

must offer both a boy and girl between ages 

12 and 18 as “tributes” to fight each other 

to the death in a woodland arena until only 

one child remains. 

This being a form of reality 

entertainment, tributes require sponsorship 

endorsements much like NASCAR drivers 

do. The financial and popular support from 

the viewership helps to foster an interest 

in the perils of our youthful gamers. 

Anything for “must-see TV,” I guess. These 

gladiatorial games are televised live to the 

world with cameras hidden throughout the 

arena to capture every single movement 

from every single participant. Safeguards 

and arsenals are in place to keep the 

“tributes” on task and prevent their escape.

Skilled archer and hunter Katniss 

Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, “X-Men: First 

Class”) is very protective of her younger 

sister Primrose (Willow Shields, “R.L. 

Stine’s The Haunting Hour”). So much in 

fact, Katniss becomes the first volunteer 

to enter into The Hunger Games in lieu of 

her sister’s defining lottery drawing. Also 

from District 12 is the dopey-eyed Peeta 

Mellark (Josh Hutcherson, “Journey 2: The 

Lost Island”). The two kids are acquainted 

with each other, yet Peeta has underlying 

feelings for Katniss. How will this impact 

the outcome of this year’s Hunger Game?

President Coriolanus Snow (Donald 

Sutherland) leads Panem mercilessly, though 

he projects a public image of calmness and 

congeniality. He is not too thrilled about 

how the Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane 

(Wes Bentley, “Underworld: Awakening”) is 

handling the affection between Katniss and 

Peeta in front of global viewers. After all, 

there is world to keep in line. 

Suzanne Collins wrote the original 

novel. She was reportedly inspired to write 

the book by flipping through television 

channels. She noted a reality show on one 

channel and a military invasion on another. 

With some Greek influence added, she was 

able to conjure a story about loss, heroism 

and also make a social statement on poverty, 

starvation, oppression and the devastating 

effects of war on people. 

The themes from Collins’ book are 

present in the screen adaptation and are 

handled well. The culture of the goalmining District 12 reminded me of Amish 

communities in terms of plain dress and 

simple living. It is interesting to note the 

book is published by Scholastic, which 

I remember from my childhood were 

responsible for the books that you used to 

receive through a grade school book order. 

Funny to think Scholastic is now behind a 

teen-aimed fable where young people carve 

out each other’s entrails on live TV in return 

for riches. My, how times have changed. 

In spite of the positive reviews and 

strong box-office numbers, “The Hunger 

Games” is drawing criticism on allegations 

of racism, sexism and unrealistic body 

image. I don’t think the movie intends to 

be anything more than a commentary on 

social classes, such as wealth and poverty. 

These have been absolutes from the dawn 

of the world.

Though it is a good film, “The Hunger 

Games” feels a little incomplete. The setup is good, but I know there is more to 

this story. The novel is followed by two 

sequels “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay.” 

As of this writing, the second book will 

be made into a movie and released in late 

2013 and I have no doubt a third movie 

will be made. I suspect when “The Hunger 

Games” is viewed in the context with the 

other two stories it will be more rounded 

and complete.

“The Hunger Games” is a satisfactory 

fable with solid performances and good 

action. It’s refreshing to see a movie targeted 

at teen audiences that is witty and engaging. 

The “Team Edward” film series springs to 

mind. After all, the themes of war, starvation 

and poverty are a stark contrast to “Does 

my sparkly vampire boyfriend like me?” 

“The Hunger Games” does things right and 

whetted my appetite for more. I’m sure the 

upcoming installments will be the payoff. 

So far, the trilogy is off to a decent start.

By Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

The

Hunger Games

Movie Review PG-13

142 min.

Movie Review |
TheJTF

On this page: Sgt. 1st Class Michael Shimer shared facts 

about the history of U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay 

April 1, as Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers 

participated in a six-mile walk to view historical sites and 

other unique points of interest around the base. 

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