Volume 12, Issue 22 Thursday, May 19, 2011

Challenge accepted

Thor vs. the island

How the God of Thunder 

stormed - literally - into theaters 

On the Green

The GTMO Open tees off

Swimming 50 miles in 50 days
The Wire | Page 2

Trooper to Trooper

featuring

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.

Trooper to Trooper |

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

Command Information NCOIC:

Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel: 3499

Executive Editor

Spc. Meredith Vincent: 3651

Photojournalists:

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class 

Maddelin Angebrand

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Tross

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joe Ebalo

Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Spc. Kelly Gary

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

COVER: Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Ryan Anthony swims at Marine Hill pool to log laps 

for the Marine 50/50 challenge. Ryan is a Joint Task Force member who is using his off time to train 

for a triathlon. 

Senior enlisted leader, MSST Miami

Senior Chief Petty Officer

In my last article, I addressed our 

responsibility to fulfill our contractual 

obligations and commitments to our 

country, branches of service, unit and 

fellow servicemembers. This week I wish 

to point out a different responsibility, or 

duty if you prefer. We not only need to 

improve our units and services, we need 

to also expend that same energy and drive 

on ourselves and families. It is not good 

enough to just settle for the minimum in 

our personal lives. Utilize the opportunities 

around you. Strive to improve your life 

and the lives of those who depend on 

you. Use some of your free time taking 

CLEP tests, college courses, or seeking 

technical certifications. Give yourself 

options in life, plan ahead and aggressively 

seek out information on the benefits you 

have earned. Don’t wait until after you 

leave the service to use your GI bill – 

get your degree using tuition assistance 

and give yourself the option for higher 

degrees, or shift those benefits to family 

members later. Tomorrow comes much 

quicker than most of us realize. Just as we 

need to strive to learn and improve on the 

job, we also need to grow and excel in our 

personal lives. The more well-rounded we 

are, the better we are at all we do, at home 

and at work.

Wendell Burnette

Gates stresses U.S. 

support role in Libya

Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, – The United States 

has no intention of putting boots on the 

ground in Libya and should not become 

militarily involved in unrest shaking Syria, 

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said 

in portions of an interview aired on “The 

CBS Evening News” Monday night.

CBS anchorwoman Katie Couric spoke 

with the secretary over the last several weeks, 

and portions of those interviews aired on 

the “60 Minutes” program Monday night.

Asked if the United States is at war 

with Libya, Gates said that from the U.S. 

standpoint, “we are involved in a limited, 

kinetic action.”

“If I were in [Libyan strongman 

Moammar] Gadhafi’s shoes, I would think 

I was at war,” he added.

Gates said “war” connotes what has 

taken place in Iraq and Afghanistan over 

the last several years. “Our goal right now 

[in Libya] is actually very limited,” he added. 

“It is basically a support role.”

NATO has taken responsibility for 

enforcing the no-fly zone against Gadhafi’s 

forces, and some European nations are 

providing military advisors to the Libyan 

rebels. Gates emphasized that President 

Barack Obama “has been very, very clear” 

that he has no plans to deploy U.S. troops 

there.

Warrior Games commence with opening ceremony

Cpl. Derek Meitzer

Wounded Warrior Regiment

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — 

The U.S. Paralympics and Department 

of Defense held its opening ceremony 

Wednesday for the 2011 Warrior Games at 

the Olympic Training Center in Colorado 

Springs, Colo. 

More than 200 wounded, ill or injured 

service members from the Marine Corps, 

Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Special 

Operations Command are scheduled 

to compete in the Paralympic-style 

competition May 16-21.

A horse-mounted color guard led 

the way for service members who have 

illnesses or injuries ranging from cancer to 

combat wounds. 

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, 

Medal of Honor recipient, was selected as 

the torchbearer for the Games. Giunta is 

the first living recipient of the Medal of 

Honor since the Vietnam War. 

Veteran Marine Cpl. Travis Greene 

from Boise, Idaho, was selected as the 

torchbearer for the All-Marine Warrior 

Games team. Greene, a graduate of Twin 

Falls High School in Twin Falls, Idaho, was 

on his third tour to Iraq when an improvised 

explosive device explosion cost him his legs 

in Al Ramadi, Iraq, in December 2005. He 

earned two gold medals during the 2010 

Warrior Games as a member of both the 

wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball 

teams. He also won a silver medal in shot 

put and a bronze in hand cycling. Greene 

will participate in wheelchair basketball, 

volleyball, sitting discus and sitting shot 

put this year. 

Greene was assisted down the pathway 

by Marine veteran Cpl. Angel Gomez from 

Farmersville, Calif., Gomez, who sustained 

traumatic injuries from an improvised 

explosive device while serving in Iraq, 

will participate in the shooting prone and 

standing competition and cycling at the 

Games.

“The whole time I was going down 

the aisle with the torch in my hand, I kept 

saying to myself, ‘don’t drop the torch,’” 

Greene said. “I’m very honored that my 

teammates picked me to carry the torch. It 

means a lot. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind 

of thing and I’m very blessed to be here.”

Ken Fisher, the chairman of the Fisher 

House Foundation and guest speaker, 

applauded the athletes’ determination 

to overcome the hurdles that could have 

challenged them. 

“Perseverance is defined as a continued 

effort to do or keep something, despite 

difficult failure or opposition,” Fisher said. 

“Each of you looked into the future and 

saw yourself serving your country, and 

you saw that vision come true. Then once 

injured, you looked to the future again and 

saw yourself recovering and competing 

in sports. Here you are seeing that vision 

come true.”

Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, Medal of Honor recipient, lights the 

Olympic cauldron Monday, during the opening ceremonies at the 

Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

| News you can Use The Wire | Page 3
News from the Bay Stories and reporting by Spc. Meredith Vincent 

and Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Maddelin Angebrand

College appreciates

military students

To honor active duty and veteran students, 

Colombia College is hosting military 

appreciation day May 26, from 3 p.m to 7 p.m 

at the Navy Exchange Atrium. 

With 35 campuses around the United 

States, Columbia College recognizes its military 

students every year on the Thursday before 

Memorial Day weekend.

Guantanamo Bay’s Campus Director Mike 

Matleny said he and his staff will be giving out 

free school supplies and answering education 

related questions for all military members 

stationed here. 

“It’s about honoring those who not only 

choose to go to college, but, those who serve 

their country and attend college at the same 

time,” said Matleny.

Columbia College has partnered with the 

military for decades to bring college education 

to members deployed and stationed abroad. 

They also accept military credits. 

“We understand being away from loved 

ones is challenging and at times members may 

feel alone,” said Matleny. “We want members 

stationed here weather on the NAVSTA or 

JTF side to feel connected to something. 

For more information stop by the NEX 

Thursday or call x75555.

GTMO Red Cross seeks

volunteers, support

The American Red Cross Guantanamo Bay 

is requesting volunteers to lend their support 

for upcoming events. A meeting is scheduled 

Saturday at Center Bargo building 1208 at 5 

p.m.

Sharon Coganow, Guantanamo Bay’s Red 

Cross Station Manager, will be discussing 

upcoming events along with dates and times 

members can sign up for.

 “Our first mission here is to do emergency 

communications with the military and their 

families in the event of emergencies,” said 

Coganow. “The second is to raise funds for 

various causes such as the Wounded Warrior 

program.”

In order to help the Red Cross raise money 

Coganow encourages Joint Task Force and 

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay members to 

come out and give back to the community.

“We are a small world here in GTMO,” said 

Coganow. “It’s nice to get together to show 

our support for the community.”

For more information contact Coganow at 

x2511 or x2512.

Safety campaign kicks

off at Windjammer

The News from the Bay | Wire | Page 4

Boots on the Ground

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

“I would give everyone 

health and peace – for the 

whole world actually!”

Army Staff Sgt.

Jason Himel

“Teleportation, because 

I would go home, see my 

family and come back 

without anyone knowing 

about it.”

Spc. 

Anya Genoval

Machinist Mate 1st Class 

Christopher Coleman

“I would change people’s 

bad attitudes.”

“To read minds and know 

what my wife and kids are 

thinking.”

Spc.

Migdalia Torres

The annual 101 Critical Safety Days of 

Summer Campaign kicks off Tuesday from 

8:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m at the Windjammer 

Club. 

The theme this year is “Live to Play, Play 

to Live” and is open to all Navy and Department of Defense personnel as well as family 

members.

 The campaign helps provide a reminder 

to all personnel to stop and think before they 

act. 

“Look out for yourself and others whether 

at work, home or while having some recreational fun,” said James Dillon, an employee at 

Guantanamo Bay’s Safety Office.

Topics such as sports, work and water safety 

will be addressed at the event. Dillon said there 

are some common mishaps here on Guantanamo Bay residents should be aware of.

“Keep yourself hydrated,” he said. “Know 

and follow the regulations or guidelines and 

when in doubt, ask or find a supervisor.” 

Dillon also noted the reason for most accidents is due to people taking short cuts. 

“They don’t take the time to do it right,” 

said Dillon. “They may feel or say that it is an 

inconvenience or hassle for them.”

For more information on the safety stand 

down, call x4655. 

trooper

Spc. Kelly Gary

Bullet Bio

Time in service: 2 years

Hobbies: working out, writing 

& reading

Pet peeves: people who aren’t 

willing to be team players

Next goal: to pass next CLEP 

test

Advice to junior Troopers: 

“Remember what you do is 

important, sometimes you 

just have to look at the bigger 

picture.”

Intelligence Specialist 3rd Class Erik 

Reyes was already set up for success when 

he enlisted in the Navy. With a mother 

who always inspired him and a grandfather 

who instilled in him a strong work 

ethic, he already had the backbone and 

determination needed for the military.

“My mom has always expected a lot of 

me and pushed me to do my best,” said 

Reyes. “I think that has carried on into my 

professional career.” 

This has proven to be a great foundation 

for the beginning of Reyes’s career. His 

leadership said he has proven to be a true 

asset.

“Petty Officer Reyes is a remarkably 

gifted Sailor,” said Intelligence Specialist 

1st Class Leon Persaud. “He quickly 

adapted to the required skill set and was 

able to grasp the key concepts of the work 

at hand in a very short time period.”

When the Warning and Fusion Cell 

experienced a manning shortage Reyes’s 

initiative and can-do attitude led to him 

being hand-selected to fill in the position 

of watch supervisor, a position usually 

filled by an E5. In that position, Reyes 

helped mentor and train three analysts to 

become more efficient at the job. 

As an assistant command fitness leader, 

Senior Chief Petty Officer Ben Williams 

said Reyes has taken it upon himself to 

get people into a good physical training 

regiment as well. Reyes leads PT on 

Tuesdays, motivating fellow Troopers 

to get and stay in shape. Recently he 

helped two of his peers meet body weight 

standards for the cycle. 

In addition to physical fitness, Reyes 

encourages others to pursue their education. 

Working on his own bachelor’s degree in 

political science, he pushes others to take 

advantage of the college level examination 

program tests.

“I advise my fellow peers to try to better 

their careers early on,” said Reyes.

Reyes dedicated countless off-duty 

hours developing training materials for 

Sailors in preparation for the Navy-wide 

advancement exam. 

While working on his colleagues’ 

training for the mission, physical readiness 

and career opportunities, he also helps 

build morale. He hosts multiple beach 

barbeques to promote good accord within 

the section.

“It is good to do something fun outside 

the office,” said Reyes. “It helps to build 

teamwork and unity.”

Reyes gives credit for his drive and 

success not only to his family but to his 

leadership and the Navy itself.

“The Navy has taught me that I can do 

anything if I put my mind to it,” he said. 

“The most rewarding part is definitely the 

“I can do it” attitude I have developed.”

Persaud believes Reyes will without 

a doubt make E5 at his next duty station 

PSEC ALERT

IF IN DOUBT, LEAVE IT OUT! THINK OPSEC!

Would you recognize critical information?

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

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

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

and operational plans, schedules and rosters, procedures, people and work related information. If you’re not 

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

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

| Trooper Focus The Wire | Page 5

and Williams agrees the young Sailor’s 

positive attitude and drive allows him to 

excel here on Guantanamo Bay and will 

continue to do so throughout his career.

“Reyes is a good Sailor with a bright 

future,” said Williams.

focus

Intelligence Specialist 

3rd Class Erik Reyes
Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Dwain Pemberton (above) and Master-At-Arms 1st Class John Lukosus 

accept awards for SouthCom’s Junior and Senior Enlisted Person of the Year, respectively, from U.S. 

Southern Command Commander Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser.

Troopers take SouthCom Enlisted Person of the Year honors

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel

Miami might be a short flight from 

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but for a handful 

of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers 

with eyes toward U.S. Southern Command’s 

Senior and Junior Enlisted Person of the 

Year award it might as well be a million miles 

away. That is, except for two Troopers who 

successfully navigated a series of boards, 

taking top honors along the way, and found 

themselves at an award ceremony in Miami, 

April 28.

Standing before Air Force General and 

SouthCom Commander Douglas Fraser, 

Master-at-Arms 1st Class John Lukosos and 

Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Dwain Pemberton, 

both with the Naval Expeditionary Guard 

Battalion, were recognized as the Senior and 

Junior Enlisted Person of the Year.

“I really didn’t know what to expect 

heading into this,” Lukosus said of the 

ceremony and selection process. “I really 

thought I was a long shot.”

On his way to the recognition, Lukosus 

said he spent nearly 75 hours studying and 

prepping. In addition, he said, working in 

the multi-service JTF Guantanamo helped 

him when it came time to be reviewed by 

SouthCom.

“Like the JTF, SouthCom is made up of 

all different branches,” Lukosus explained. 

“So having the experience of working in a 

joint environment really helped I feel.”

Pemberton attributed much of his success 

to advice given to him years ago by a salty 

senior chief.

“An MACS, who I’ve looked up to for 

years, once told me to never get comfortable 

with where you are,” Pemberton said. “When 

you get comfortable, you get complacent.”

In addition, Pemberton credited the work 

of his administration section with putting 

together his package.

“I was fortunate enough to have an 

outstanding package done for me by our 

administration department,” he said.

As part of the review process, a board 

of command master chiefs, chief master 

sergeants and sergeants major scrutinized 

previous duties, awards, physical fitness test 

scores, evaluations and other items in the 

package.

Both Sailors were overwhelmed when they 

realized the award ceremony would take place 

at the world renowned Doral Golf Resort and 

Spa and would include several congressmen.

“I initially thought it was going to just be 

a luncheon,” Pemberton said. “But it was an 

actual presentation to over 200 personnel that 

work in support of U.S. Southern Command, 

ranging from congressmen to Admirals.”

“I must have walked away from that 

ceremony with something like 20 different 

coins from the people who were there,” 

said Lukosus. “And we had an opportunity 

to speak with the SouthCom general and 

sergeant major – both of them were really 

down to earth and very nice.”

Presenting a bit of a speed bump to both 

Sailors was the lack of a dress uniform. As 

Pemberton explained, when assigned to JTF 

Guantanamo, the uniform is not part of 

the packing list. Both were able to get dress 

uniforms in time to include their official 

portrait in the package and wear during the 

ceremony.

Lukosus and Pemberton both agreed just 

getting the nod from their command was an 

achievement in its own right.

“I was honored my command thought 

that highly of me,” said Pemberton. “To be 

nominated and recognized for my efforts 

was reward itself.

For Troopers looking for advice from 

these two outstanding Sailors, Lukosus 

stressed going above and beyond the duty 

day.

“Get out there, be a part of your 

community in addition to doing your job 

well,” the proud first class petty officer 

said. “And always be a leader, in and out of 

work.”

The News | Wire | Page 6

The Battle of the Barge: Supplying the island

Story and photo by Mass Communication Specialist 

2nd Class Maddelin Angebrand

On Guantanamo Bay, when McDonald’s 

runs out of french fries and the Navy 

Exchange shelves are bare, any Trooper 

here will tell you, “It’s on the barge!” 

Although catchy and funny, this phrase 

is also true. Often, items are on a barge 

or plane that may have been delayed from 

leaving its home station.

When the barge does get here, the 

items still have to be unloaded, sorted 

and reloaded several times until - finally - 

McDonald’s is back in business.

The Army Logistics Unit attached 

to Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay is 

responsible for ensuring JTF has what 

it needs to complete the mission. This 

includes anything from toilet paper to 

video games requested by a detainee.

This unit works behind the scenes to 

get supplies to JTF sections as soon as 

possible.

“We can’t control the barge,” said Army 

Sgt. Daniel Kirk. “But we do our best to 

expedite our part of the job, which is the 

process of unloading, tracking and sorting 

all the JTF supplies.”

Kirk said items are off-loaded from 

the barge, hauled to a t-shed or temporary 

holding facility, then sorted and split for 

the Naval Station and JTF sides. 

“Once that initial sorting is done we 

will start receiving pallets,” said Kirk. 

“Anywhere from two to seven pallets in a 

day. It depends, some weeks the barge has 

to cancel so on the next delivery we will 

get double the load.”

Kirk is also in charge of ordering all 

expendable supplies for JTF. Items such 

as paper towels, toilet paper and some 

basic office supplies line the shelves of the 

warehouse where members pick up their 

orders. 

Expendable items can be picked up 

anytime on a need basis, but for special 

items unit leaders must first fill out a 

purchase request. This is where Army Sgt. 

Roy Vasel comes in.

“The biggest thing is making sure the 

camps get their stuff in a timely manner,” 

said Vasel. “When they don’t, it causes 

stress - there’s a lot of pressure to have 

their stuff. When the barge schedule 

changes or a plane doesn’t come in, we 

have to wait and that can raise the stress 

for them. We don’t want that.”

The only items Kirk and Vasel do not 

Army Sgt. Daniel Kirk operates a fork lift to haul a pallet loaded with 

bottled water into the J4 warehouse, May 11. The JTF Army logistics 

unit is responsible for all JTF supplies directly supporting the mission 

here on Guantanamo Bay.

handle are those valued at more than $300. 

These items are handled, tracked and 

ordered by the property book office, also 

located in the warehouse.

PBO works alongside Kirk and Vasel 

to ensure proper accountability for the 

most expensive products such as printers, 

monitors and computers.

“We are in control and responsible for 

more than 30 million dollars of equipment,” 

said Army Sgt. Quang Nguyen. “I want to 

ensure minimal loss to the government, 

that’s a big responsibility.” 

With that responsibility comes a 

dedication to their customers. One thing 

Troopers must understand is, although 

they are unable to control when items get 

to the island, the crew does their best to 

speed up the process when pallets arrive.

“Customers are our number one 

priority,” said Kirk with a chuckle. “But 

I do like to ask people, ‘You want that 

when?’ You gotta have a little fun with the 

customers too!”

| Mission The Wire | Page 7
Story by Mass Communication Specialist 

2nd Class Jason Tross

The Wire | Page 8 Feature |

Lateral Hazard 

Golf Course 

hosts GTMO Open 

Golf Tournament

Loretta Marino watches as her putt nears the hole during this 

weekend’s GTMO Open. Marino placed third in the women’s division. 

-photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bryan Dunn

Golfers from around Guantanamo 

Bay gathered just before morning 

colors at the Lateral Hazard Golf 

Course May 14 and 15 to compete in Naval 

Station Guantanamo Bay Morale Welfare 

and Recreation’s annual GTMO Open.

Twenty-five contestants played 

Saturday and Sunday for more than $1,300 

in Nike and Callaway prizes from the Navy 

Exchange. The players swung their best to 

win in men’s and women’s divisions. 

Jamal Youkhanna, better known as 

Baldy, won the overall men’s division under 

the unique Callaway handicap scoring 

system. Widely considered the 

| Feature The Wire | Page 9

Cornell Woodley, a civilian working at the Naval Hospital, gives some body English 

to his putt on the 7th hole of the GTMO Open on Saturday. Duffers invaded the links 

at the Lateral Hazard Golf Course on May 14th and 15th for the two-day tournament. 

- photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Bryan Dunn

Juan Perez, assigned to Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo, winces with his club after 

barely missing a putt on the 7th hole at 

the Lateral Hazard Golf Course, Saturday. - 

photo by Mass Communication Specialist 

2nd Class Jason Tross

resident GTMO golf expert, Baldy has 

placed top-three or won every GTMO 

Open since 2003. 

“He shot the best and still won,” said 

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay MWR 

Outdoor Recreation Director Cory Geiger. 

“In most handicap systems, the person 

who goes out and shoots the best is not 

usually the person who wins. So it was 

really refreshing to have the person who 

actually shot the best take first place.”

Baldy is a long-time golf enthusiast 

who doesn’t miss an opportunity for 

a round of golf anywhere – including 

Guantanamo Bay for nearly a decade. 

“I told myself I’m going to play my 

best,” he said. “Then I played just like I 

would any other course.” 

While Youkhanna dominated the men’s 

group, Christy Turturice worked her way 

up to take the overall women’s group. 

“I’m on duty this weekend so I was 

a little tired both days, but I really had a 

good time,” said Turturice, who has only 

played golf for three years. “I’m surprised 

I did this well. But I’m the champion 

now!”

The 2011 GTMO Open is the first 

Guantanamo Bay MWR golf tournament 

to use the Callaway System for scoring. 

Scoring systems like the Callaway use each 

individual player’s own handicap to level 

the close competition between players of 

differing abilities. 

The two-event Callaway scoring 

handicap system worked great this 

weekend,” said Geiger. “It brought 

everyone’s scores together and kept 

everyone in the running right into the 

second day, which is what you’re looking 

for in a tournament like this.”

 see GOLF, page 19
The Wire | Page 10 Feature | | Feature The Wire | Page 11

A hot mid-day 

sun reflects off 

the still water at 

Marine Hill pool 

and the crisp 

smell of chlorine 

fills the air. Eager 

to log in some 

laps, Aviation 

Electronics 

Technician 2nd

Class Anthony 

Ryan does a side 

flip into the 10- 

foot deep end.

taking

PLUNGE the

a Trooper rediscovers the water

Story and photos by MC2 Maddelin Angebrand

Slender yet muscular he 

twirls under the first row of 

lines separating the six swim 

lanes, rises and breaks the 

now rippling surface of the 

80-degree water. With one 

hand clenching the edge of 

the pool, he adjusts his pair 

of blue Speedo goggles. He is 

refreshed, motivated and ready 

to get to work. 

“You have to feel the water,” 

said Ryan. “It’s hard to 

describe, but it’s like music - 

you have to feel the rhythm.”

Today is Ryan’s day off. 

Tomorrow it’s back to 12- 

hour shifts three days in a row. 

Making the most of his free 

time, Ryan is logging laps for 

the Marine 50/50 challenge.

The challenge is sponsored 

by MWR and held at the Marine Hill pool. It requires participants to 

log 50 swim miles in 50 days in order to receive a free t-shirt.

“I’ve been a pool rat all my life,” Ryan said. “It (the pool) was the 

babysitter for my parents. They’d drop me off and I’d come back 

tanner and a lot more wore out.” 

Ryan had no professional training until high school, when he 

started out in the slowest lane of the pool and worked his way up 

from the bottom.

 “I swam like Tarzan with my head above water,” Ryan laughed. 

“Eventually, I picked it up and built endurance. My buddy once 

described me as ‘Anthony will kill himself to stay with the best even 

though he’s about to drown.’” 

Although it is challenging to maintain his competitive edge for 

swimming while working full-time in the Navy, being on Guantanamo 

Bay has given him a renewed motivation.

“I swim because I want to get back in shape,” he shared. “I have a 

whole year here and by the time I get back home, I want to be ready 

for the triathlon that happens every summer.”

Ryan’s tenacious drive to 

swim as a kid spiraled him into 

lifeguarding. Eventually, he 

became a qualified swim coach 

for young children. 

“The kids were awesome,” 

said Ryan. “They called me 

‘lifeguard Mr. Anthony.’”

The best part about swimming for Ryan is being able to share his 

passion with others, even though teaching a sport such as swimming 

may not be so easy.

“For somebody who doesn’t know how to swim I emphasize 

feeling the water,” said Ryan. “Meaning, if you feel like you are 

going slower you are. And, if you can turn your body in a way that 

makes you feel like you’re going faster, then you probably are. It’s all 

about the different pressures you feel as you are moving through the 

water.” 

Ryan has his share of pressures outside the pool, but is determined 

to stay motivated while on deployment.

“My job here requires long hours and can be demanding at times 

and certainly stressful,” said Ryan. “You have to be awake at 4 a.m. 

So, it becomes a cycle that can beat you down - if you let it.”

So far, Ryan has logged 10 miles for the 50/50 challenge. 

Determined to reach his goal, he said giving up is not an option. 

“I’m passionate about swimming,” he admits. “I love it, it’s fun and 

I encourage others to do the same by getting back to their passion 

and taking advantage of their time here in GTMO. What better place 

to focus on you?”
The At Your Service | Wire | Page 12

In The Trenches

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – 

Domination knows no gender. The sheer force 

of a shin kick or the devastating power behind 

double hammer fists whaling down upon a 

fallen opponent is enough to make any smart 

coach know when to throw in the towel. 

Pfc. Jennifer Jones, a Soldier with 2nd 

Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division is one of those 

competitors who doesn’t let gender stop her 

from remaining a force to be reckoned with. 

Jones became the first-ever female fighter 

in the history of combatives competitions on 

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., to advance 

to the final round of an event May 5, when 

she took top honors for her weight class 

during the second annual JBLM Combatives 

Tournament. 

Jones overcame all odds and brought home 

the Bantamweight class championship belt, but 

she’s not letting her victory erase the memory 

of what it took to get her to that point. 

“After I completed level-one combatives 

training, I continued to train for about 

four months,” Jones reflected. “Before the 

tournament I found out there were not many 

competitors in my weight class. So, I decided to 

come out here and give it a shot.”

“My game plan during my (final) fight was 

to conserve my energy,” she said. “It was going 

to be a long match.” 

“I think, in a way, females cause male 

competitors to get a little scared because they 

are not sure of what the female is going to do,” 

Jones added. “I feel females are more flexible 

and some are more aggressive during their 

matches. I don’t take what happens during my 

Spc. Jarrett Branch

5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

match personally. I’m just here to compete.”

Jones did more than just give the tournament 

a shot. Now, she has the opportunity to fight for 

the All-Army Combatives Team - something 

many competitors train for but few are given 

the opportunity to carry out. 

Still, Jones believes it’s not all about the 

competition or about choking out opponents. 

To her, it’s about learning the skills she 

might need to defend herself in any type of 

situation. 

“I feel it’s a good idea (learning combatives), 

because females need to learn self defense,” she 

said. “Combatives gives you the tools needed 

to prevent yourself from being attacked. That 

is why learning different types of takedowns 

has been my favorite aspect of the combatives 

program. If someone were to attack me I 

would be able to defend myself and bring them 

down to the ground.”

After the bout, Jones recapped the day’s 

events and assessed her performance during 

the championship match. By the size of the 

championship belt she sported around her 

waist it was hard not to doubt the cast-iron 

skills she demonstrated. 

“It feels awesome. I’m setting a trend, and 

now other females are going to be doing it 

(winning championships),” Jones added. “I 

wanted a knockout, but I didn’t get one. My 

opponent hit me a few good times and was a 

lot stronger than I thought he would be. When 

I started with my double hammer fist, I knew 

the match was going in my favor.” 

“There’s no reason a female Soldier cannot 

be able to hold her own in the ring,” she 

added. 

Soldiers like Jones are not only earning 

the respect of their peers when they prove 

themselves successful in combatives, they’re 

also showing future generations of Soldiers 

what it takes to be first-rate combatants. 

Female Soldier 

proves dominant 

in combatives

WIESBADEN, Germany - 

When Maj. Gen. George W. 

Casey Jr. passed command of 

the 1st Armored Division to 

Maj. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez in 

July 2001, it was on a brand new 

parade field on Wiesbaden Army 

Airfield, Germany, after the 

division’s relocation from Bad 

Kreuznach.

A decade later that field is 

long gone to make way for the 

incoming U.S. Army Europe 

Command and Battle Center, as 

1st Armored Division, or AD, 

1st Armored Division cases its colors before moving to Fort Bliss

Karl Weisel, USAG Wiesbaden moves on to Fort Bliss, Texas.

“I’m feeling both honored 

and melancholic to be speaking at 

this historic color casing today,” 

said Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, 

USAREUR’s senior leader and a 

former 1st AD commander. “Like 

others, I have so many memories 

associated with this division and 

this place and the 40 years of 

relations between the German 

people and our Soldiers wearing 

the Old Ironsides patch.”

German and American 

leaders gathered in a hangar on 

the airfield Friday, to mark the 

casing of the division’s colors 

in anticipation of the move to 

Texas.

The unit was the first U.S. 

Army armored division to see 

battle during World War II. 1st 

AD members have had a long 

relationship with the people 

of Europe. After fighting their 

way from Algeria into Italy, the 

division eventually settled in 

Schwabisch Gmuend after the 

war, pulling occupation duty.

After a period of inactivation 

starting in 1946 and being 

reactivated in Fort Hood, Texas, 

five years later, 1st AD was 

ordered to return to Germany in 

1971 to Ansbach. 

Moves to Bad Kreuznach in 

1992 and eventually Wiesbaden 

in 2001 were accompanied 

by decades of major support 

operations including service 

during Operations Deserts 

Shield and Storm in Kuwait, in 

the Balkans - leading the way 

across the Sava River into Bosnia 

in 1995, peacekeeping in Kosovo 

and three deployments to Iraq 

as part of Operations Iraqi 

Freedom and New Dawn.

Pfc. Jennifer Jones, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, takes the upper hand and 

delivers a match-ending arm bar in one of her Bantamweight class rounds during 

the second annual Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Combatives Tournament, 

held May 2-5, 2011, at Soldiers Field House. 

On The Deck

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 13

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – Naval Air 

Systems Command announced Tuesday 

that the test aircraft for the carrier variant 

of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have 

exceeded test and evaluation program goals 

so far this year.

According to the announcement, the 

F-35C test aircraft, ‘CF-1,’ currently at Naval 

Air Station Patuxent River has completed 

36 test flights as of May 11, nearly half the 

program’s goal for the year of 85. 

“CF-1’s been flying well, even with 

a number of planned and unplanned 

maintenance periods,” said U.S. Marine 

Corps Col. Roger Cordell, military site 

director. “It’s a great sign for the fleet that 

the aircraft is doing well so early in the test 

program.”

In April, CF-1 completed 13 flights, tying 

a record for the number of test flights for 

any aircraft at Naval Air Station Patuxent 

River. Additionally, the integrated test team 

has completed seven CF-1 test flights this 

month.

“The team has been doing a great job 

F-35C test aircraft completes 36

test flights, exceeds expectations

From F-35C Integrated Test Force, Naval Air Systems 

Command Public Affairs staying on top of maintenance requirements,” 

said Jim McClendon, Lockheed Martin site 

director vice president. “Just last week, 

CF-1 flew six flights in six days, which is a 

great accomplishment in any test program, 

let alone test and evaluation for a brand 

new aircraft.”

Coupled with this week’s arrival of the 

second carrier variant, CF-2, and arrival 

of CF-3 later this year, the F-35C test 

program is making rapid progress toward 

initial carrier suitability testing this year at 

Joint Base Lakehurst-McGuire-Dix in New 

Jersey.

First carrier suitability testing this 

summer is scheduled to include the 

first catapult launches, and the F-35C is 

scheduled to commence shipboard testing 

in 2013.

The F-35C is the carrier variant of the 

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, with larger wing 

control surfaces and reinforced landing gear 

to operate in the maritime environment. The 

F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation to 

evaluate flutter, loads and mission systems 

at NAS Patuxent River prior to eventual 

delivery to the fleet.

USNS John Ericsson 

rescues five lost at sea

Edward Baxter

Military Sealift Command Far East

USNS JOHN ERICSSON, At Sea 

– Civil service mariners aboard Military 

Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler 

USNS John Ericsson rescued five people 

lost at sea in a small boat near the Solomon 

Islands yesterday. 

While conducting routine operations 

in the Solomon Sea Tuesday, Ericsson 

received notification from the Maritime 

Rescue Coordination Centers in Australia 

and Papua New Guinea at about 11 p.m., to 

be on the lookout for a missing commercial 

vessel. 

At approximately 8 a.m. local time the 

following morning, Ordinary Seaman 

Tyrone Mouzon spotted a small commercial 

vessel with five individuals aboard waving 

frantically. Mouzon notified the watch 

officer, Third Mate Timothy Gervais, who 

alerted Ericsson’s civil service master Capt. 

Richard Kirk, who immediately ordered 

the ship to head toward the small craft and 

render assistance. 

“Visibility at the time was very limited by 

rain squalls, so it was very fortunate that the 

mate on watch spotted these commercial 

sailors,” said Kirk. 

Ericsson carefully inched close to the 

boat and the ship’s crew secured lines to 

the small craft. Safely secured alongside, 

Ericsson brought the commercial sailors 

on board where they received medical 

examinations as well as food and water. 

“The sailors were tired and dehydrated 

but they appeared to be in good condition,” 

said Kirk. 

According to Kirk, the five Solomon 

natives said they were transiting between 

the Solomons’ Nissian and Bougainville 

islands when they became disoriented by 

bad weather and heavy seas, spending two 

nights and three days lost more than 35 

miles out to sea. 

“They had no food and water remaining,” 

said Kirk. 

Ericsson’s crew was also able to salvage 

the small boat by placing a large net 

underneath the vessel, lifting it out of the 

water using the ship’s crane, and securing 

the boat to the side of the ship for transport. 

Ericsson then made the short transit to 

nearby Bougainville Island where the five 

commercial sailors, along with their vessel, 

were repatriated ashore. 

The U.S. Navy variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, conducts a test flight over 

the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Cmdr. Eric “Magic” Buus flew the F-35C for two hours, checking 

instruments that will measure structural loads on the airframe during flight maneuvers.
The Wire | Page 14 At Your Service |

Inside the Jar

The Warrior Games is an annual athletic 

competition that allows the Wounded Warrior 

Regiment’s wounded, ill and injured Marines 

to strengthen their mind, body and spirit.

Athletes from all branches of service have 

an opportunity to compete, fine tune their 

skills and build camaraderie. However, for 

Marine veteran Chuck Sketch it means much 

more than that. Chuck has the opportunity to 

share this experience with his fellow Marines 

and his father, Roger Sketch.

In February 1991, Chuck joined the United 

States Marine Corps because, “they are the 

best,” said Chuck. He was an 0311 infantryman during Operation Dessert Storm.

In 1997, Chuck received devastating news 

that would change his life forever. He was diagnosed with cancer and his sight was the first 

thing to go as a result of a brain tumor.

“I cried when I heard the news,” said Roger. “I remember Chuck placing his hand on my 

arm and he signaled for a pen.” On the piece 

of paper Chuck wrote, “‘I can handle this. 

However, you can do one thing for me; read 

the bible to me every day.’”

Several months later doctors informed the 

Sketch family that due to an infection, Chuck 

would have to lose his legs or his life.

Chuck believed that the recovery process 

was going to be difficult, but with the help 

of his family he would fight through this life 

Blind, bilateral amputee Marine competes in Warrior Games

Aquita Brown

Wounded Warrior Battalion East changing event.

“When you get disabled you think that you 

are worthless,” said Chuck. “You want things 

to go back to how they were. I don’t have any 

regrets and I honestly do not want things to 

change. I have more fun and more opportunities than I did before. I am doing more things 

than most of my friends that I served with 

have never done.”

Chuck is referring to several athletic programs in which he has competed. He has 

traveled across the world to compete and participate in the Wounded Warrior Regiment’s 

Warrior Athlete Reconditioning program, Ride 

to Recovery and the Warrior Games.

Last year, Chuck was selected as the team 

captain and torch bearer at the Warrior Games 

Opening Ceremony. This year, Chuck will 

compete in cycling, 50m and 10m freestyle, 

and 50m backstroke. Chuck’s ultimate goal at 

this year’s Games is to increase the awareness 

of the program to athletes within his selective 

category (blind and bilateral amputee) and just 

improve his athletic abilities overall.

“I love the Games. Being here just gets me 

fired up,” said Chuck on why he continues to 

participate. “I just wish that there were more 

service members here to participate in my category.”

Not afraid of the competition, Chuck continues to recruit for the Games.

“Chuck tells all of his friends about the 

Games and how they can get involved. He 

looks for more participants in his category 

so that he can have more competition,” said 

Roger. “This is the main event that he trains 

for year-round.”

Enthusiasm and good spirits is what keeps 

this Marine motivated.

“Chuck does not need any outside motivation,” said Roger. “He is the motivator. After the Games he has a high that goes on for 

months.”

Chuck wants all of his fellow wounded, 

ill and injured Marines to know that, “You 

are not limited to your wheelchair. There are 

programs out there. The Warrior Games is a 

fabulous opportunity to train with top notch 

coaches. You can become faster after just one 

or two weeks of training. My goal is to be faster than Ray Hennagir (teammate) next year,” 

said Chuck jokingly.

According to the U.S. Paralympic Committee, the Warrior Games are designed to 

elevate abilities through athletic competition 

for wounded, ill and injured service members 

by providing a focal event to empower the incorporation of athletics into Military Service 

Wounded Warrior Programs. The Warrior 

Games will be an annual event to celebrate 

the achievement and abilities of wounded, ill 

and injured service members, while building 

camaraderie and raising awareness for adaptive 

sports. This year’s Games will be held at the 

Olympic Training Center Colorado Springs, 

Colo., May 16-21.

Marine veteran and Wildomar, Calif., native Chuck Sketch participates in the All-Marine Warrior 

Games swim camp. The Marines Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment held the two week training 

camp to prepare the athletes for the second annual Games that will be held in Colorado Springs, 

Colo. at the Olympic Training Center May 16-21. -photo by Pat Cubel

On the Wing

 Air Force leaders announced that hiring 

controls were instituted May 12 to reduce 

projected growth of the civilian workforce.

 The Air Force-wide efforts to stem the 

civilian personnel growth are a result of 

Secretary of Defense Robert Gate’s efficiency 

initiatives to maintain civilian manning at 

fiscal 2010 levels.

 Hiring controls will allow Air Force officials 

to take a targeted approach to meet the 

mandated manning levels.

 Effective immediately, one person will be 

hired for every two new vacancies in areas 

affected by hiring controls. This doesn’t apply 

to current hiring actions where a selection has 

already been made. New vacancies, however, 

may only be filled at the 1:2 ratio.

 “As our nation and the Air Force face 

significant budgetary challenges, tools such 

as hiring controls help us manage hiring and 

posture ourselves for the future,” said Paige 

Hinkle-Bowles, the deputy director of force 

management policy.

 Hiring controls will enable a more focused 

approach to hiring, giving higher priority to 

strategic mission areas such as the nuclear 

enterprise, the acquisition workforce, and 

test and evaluation.

 “Civilian hiring controls will be used as 

a bridging mechanism as the Air Force 

develops strategic plans for the future to 

ensure civilian authorizations are in the 

right place to meet mission priorities,” said 

Lt. Gen. Darrell Jones, the deputy chief of 

staff of Air Force manpower, personnel and 

services.

 Air Force officials will continue to monitor 

and assess hiring controls throughout the 

summer and will provide additional hiring 

guidance and prioritization details as the 

overall plan develops.

 “The Air Force recognizes the invaluable 

contributions of our civilian workforce, but 

also recognizes the fiscal constraints under 

which all the services are operating. We will 

do our best to balance mission needs while 

taking care to minimize the effect on the 

civilian workforce,” General Jones said.

 For more information about hiring controls, 

individuals may contact their base civilian 

personnel office or visit the restricted-access 

Air Force personnel services website at 

https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil/app/home. 

 For information about other personnel 

issues, call the Total Force Service Center at 

800-525-0102. 

Hiring controls 

to reduce growth

of civilian force

A U.S. Marine HC-130 King refuels a 920th Rescue Wing HH-60G Pave 

Hawk to ensure it’s fueled up in case it must respond to an emergency 

prior to Space Shuttle Endeavor’s 25th launch into space May 16, 2011. 

- photo by Staff Sgt. Anna-Marie Wyant

Keeping Watch

 PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station hosted a 

celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 

first American in space here May 4.

 The event honored Alan B. Shepard Jr., 

who piloted the 15-minute, 23-second 

suborbital flight at 303 statute miles in the 

Freedom 7 spacecraft May 5, 1961.

 Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter and 

members of the Shepard family joined more 

than 150 Project Mercury workers, former 

astronauts, military and NASA leaders at the 

original launch pad on which the Freedom 7 

rocket stood.

 The success of the launch made Mr. 

Shepard the first American to travel into 

space.

 That achievement was made possible by 

the combined efforts of the U.S. military 

and NASA, said Lt. Gen. Susan Helms, 

the 14th Air Force commander and former 

astronaut.

 “The military has played an important part 

in our human space flight program from the 

beginning,” General Helms said. “Of the 

seven original astronauts, all had a military 

background.”

 Besides astronauts, the military helped 

drive the space program in other ways, the 

general said. First, the rocket was a product 

of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency that 

merged with NASA. Second, the Navy 

helped train Mr. Shepard and was responsible 

for recovering him when he splashed down. 

Third, Air Force was responsible for the 

operation of the range and the safety 

of millions of people as the rocket flew 

downrange. 

AF celebrates 50 years of US spaceflight, 

supports last launch of Shuttle Endeavor

 The Air Force continues to take part in all 

of NASA’s shuttle missions.

 Officials from the Continental U.S. North 

American Aerospace Defense Command 

Region and Air Forces Northern provided 

airspace control and shuttle support during 

the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour May 

16 at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 

 CONR officials enforced the Federal 

Aviation Administration’s temporary flight 

restriction area established around Kennedy 

Space Center. Pilots performed this 

Operation Noble Eagle mission using F-15E 

Strike Eagles.

 CONR also supported launch operations 

by deploying members of the Joint Based 

Expeditionary Connectivity Center team to 

Cape Canaveral. 

 The JBECC, assigned to the 601st Air 

& Space Operations Center at Tyndall Air 

Force Base, Fla., is a highly mobile, rapidly 

deployable communications system that 

networks multiple sensors and correlates 

their data into an improved air picture. 

 Members of the 114th Range Operations 

Squadron from Patrick AFB provide 

range safety and tracking support for shuttle 

launches occurring on the Eastern Range. 

 “There is a lot of coordination that has to 

occur before a shuttle can launch. Much of 

that coordination is among CONR, the joint 

task force, our air assets located at Patrick 

(AFB, Fla.), and range operations here at the 

Cape,” said Col. Scott Barberides, the JTFSTS commander. “Our involvement with 

NASA’s shuttle program truly is a total team 

effort.”

 

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 15
Coast to coast

The At Your Service | Wire | Page 16

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard 

Captain of the Port for Sector Lower 

Mississippi River has reopened the section 

of the river, Tuesday, which had been closed 

as a measure to prevent damage to flood 

protection structures.

After close coordination with all 

stakeholders, the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers and the Mayor of Vidalia, Coast 

Guard Captain of the Port for Sector Lower 

Mississippi River, Capt. Michael Gardiner, 

has reopened the river from mile marker 350 

to 365 with tight traffic control, allowing only 

one tow vessel at a time to transit the area to 

ensure the integrity of the flood protection 

structures in place.

“I’m very pleased with the cooperation of 

the involved stakeholders, especially the Mayor 

and local officials of Vidalia, the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, and representatives of 

the towing industry,” said Gardiner.

That section of the river was closed to 

river traffic, Sunday night, after reports of 

Coast Guard reopens portion of Mississippi River

sand erosion near flood protection structures 

were originally thought to have been caused 

by vessel wakes, but are now believed to have 

been caused by an underground pipe that runs 

underneath the structures.

“We have been able to allow to safely pass 

several test tows through the safety zone we 

have established in the Vidalia-Natchez area. 

We will continue to closely monitor transits 

through the area to ensure the safety of the 

communities, as well as the towing vessels and 

their crews,” said Gardiner.

This segment of waterway is likely to close 

again if the Natchez, Miss., gauge reaches 

62.5 feet due to concerns related to the height 

of water on the levees immediately south of 

the towns of Vidalia and Natchez.

Coast Guard Captains of the Port are 

continually reviewing the need for, and 

implementing, safety zones, river restrictions 

and marine safety information bulletins 

to ensure the safe navigation of maritime 

traffic.

Alaska Coast Guard crews search for missing Cook Inlet clam diggers

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Coast 

Guard rescue crews responding 

to a report of four missing clam 

diggers southwest of Kalgin 

Island in Cook Inlet discovered 

two men deceased more than 

1,700 yards from the beach at 

Polly Creek Tuesday.

The 17th District Command 

Center received a call at 3:46 

p.m. from the Pacific Alaska 

Shellfish plant manager who 

reported that a company owned 

20-foot aluminum skiff with five 

employees aboard went missing 

while transiting the area near 

Polly Creek where the men had 

been digging for clams.

An initial search conducted by 

Pacific Alaska Shellfish employees 

resulted in the discovery of one 

deceased male with four still 

unaccounted for.

A Coast Guard Air Station 

Kodiak-based MH-60 Jayhawk 

helicopter crew found two of 

the missing men at 6:05 p.m., 20 

minutes after arriving on scene, 

and marked the position with 

flares to help a surface vessel 

locate and recover the remains.

The Jayhawk crew and an HC130 Hercules aircraft crew, also 

from Kodiak, have conducted 

several searches of the area. 

The Jayhawk crew will continue 

searching after is refuels in Kenai, 

the Hercules crew has completed 

their searches and is returning to 

Kodiak.

U.S., Canada practice 

response with mock 

cruise ship grounding

BAR HARBOR, Maine – The United 

States and Canadian governments 

are partnering to practice readiness 

response during this year’s Canadian/

United States Atlantic 2011 exercise 

(CANUSLANT) in Bar Harbor May 18 

and 19.

CANUSLANT2011 is designed to 

establish a learning environment for 

players to exercise emergency response 

plans, policies, and procedures as they 

pertain to a grounded cruise ship that 

is significant enough to justify activation 

of a coordinated joint US/Canada 

response under the Atlantic Geographic 

Annex.

The CANUSLANT 2011 Exercise 

will evolve around the grounding of 

a large cruise ship in the vicinity of 

GRAND MANAN ISLAND near the 

U.S. Canadian Border with a simulated 

Mass Rescue Exercise occurring on 

May 18th within the Port area of Bar 

Harbor and the CANUSLANT Exercise 

occurring in the Atlantic Oceanside 

Hotel, Bar Harbor Maine.

The United States and Canada 

recognized the need for an international 

marine pollution contingency plan for 

their adjacent contiguous waters more 

than 30 years ago. The first such plan was 

the Joint Marine Pollution Contingency 

Plan for the Great Lakes, promulgated 

in 1974 under the Canada-United States 

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 

of 1972. 

Recommendations arising from 

CANUSLANT2011 will be included in 

the Atlantic Geographic Annex to the 

Joint Contingency Plan.

Mind, Body & Soul

If you were asked to participate 

in a gallop poll and had to answer 

the question: what would you like 

to have more of to make your 

life better? What would you 

say? During our current global 

economic crisis, I would not 

be surprised if the number one 

answer is money. Moving beyond 

finances, you may say, I need more 

emotional support from friends 

or family members. Or, perhaps, 

after thinking through the question 

a bit more you may answer, love. 

No matter how you answer the 

question, what immediately comes 

to mind is the need for more of 

something that would improve 

the quality of living. It seems we 

live in a world that is focused on 

having more. The more we have, the more we 

want. But, is there really anything wrong with 

wanting more, if it will improve our state of 

living? Does having more equate to happiness, 

peace, and fulfillment in life? Let’s hold off 

answering those questions until later. 

Instead of focusing on wanting more, 

I would like to think in terms of living in 

abundance. To live in abundance means going 

beyond the desire for more and moving into a 

place of secure living. Isn’t that what people 

really mean when they say, they want more of 

this or that? Wanting more leaves me with 

the sense that I will eventually run out, and I 

will need more to replenish what I lack. I am 

certainly familiar with wanting more. 

As a child growing up in New York City, 

I wanted more clothes to wear to school; 

playing sports in High School, I wanted more 

attention; as a struggling college student, I 

wanted more financial aid to cover the costs 

of tuition and living expenses; as an adult, I 

wanted more friends to care about me; and 

even now I constantly find myself wanting 

more time, as if I don’t have the same amount 

of time as everyone else, twenty-four hours per 

day. However, the desire for more seems to get 

old very quickly, and I find myself driven by 

wanting more without any level of satisfaction. 

So I decided to focus less on wanting more and 

turning my attention to living in abundance. 

My fascination with abundance emerged 

from reading several intriguing biblical stories 

about people who found themselves in dire 

situations but managed to move from wanting 

more to achieving abundance. In these stories, 

I realized there is a secret to living life to its 

fullest. I can either spend my time on wanting 

more or I can redirect my attention to focus 

on living in abundance. Abundance has 

nothing to do with where we are from, who 

our parents are, the schools or universities we 

attended, or the amount of degrees we earned. 

It has nothing to do with rank, privilege, socialeconomic status, religious persuasion, or any 

other social factors. 

Chaplain, Lt Col Marvin Williams, USAF

JTF-GTMO COMMAND CHAPLAIN

So, what is abundance? 

Abundance is the state of 

realizing life is not governed 

by what we have or don’t 

have. It is governed by the 

quality of our lives. Living 

in abundance is about the 

way we treat each other; 

how we make a difference 

where we work or live; 

and the level of influence 

we have in bringing about 

change in peoples lives. 

Living in abundance is 

adopting a lifestyle of 

change and transformation 

that empowers others to 

fulfill that sense of purpose 

in life. 

No, there’s nothing 

wrong with wanting more. 

But why settle for wanting 

more when we can have 

more than we will ever need? A key lesson 

in life teaches us that having more does not 

necessarily equate to success or fulfillment. 

Living in abundance guarantees success and 

fulfillment in everything we do. Does this 

mean we don’t fail? No, it means that we 

transform failure into triumph. 

Before closing, there are seven key 

ingredients I would like to share with you 

about living abundance. Build on these keys 

and find the means of not living for more but 

rather living in abundance. 

SEVEN KEYS FOR LIVING IN 

ABUNDANCE:

1. Maximize your potential

2. Be consistent in your daily practices

3. Tap into your talents and gifts4. 

Strengthen your capabilities

5. Know your limits—but don’t be inhibited 

by them

6. Develop a system of continual learning

7. Determine your sense of purpose and its 

impact on others

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

The key to wanting more?

Live in abundance
The Wire | Page 18 At the Movies |

Movie Review

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

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

Diary of a Wimpy 

Kid

(PG) 8 p.m.

The Lincoln Lawyer

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Mars Needs Moms

(PG) 8 p.m.

Rango

(PG) 8 p.m.

*last showing*

Paul

(R) 8 p.m.

Limitless

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Thor

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

Sucker Punch

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Fast Five

(PG-13) 10 p.m

fri. sat. sun. mon. tues. wed. thurs.

Thanks to Christopher Nolan’s 

2008 masterpiece “The Dark Knight,” 

superhero movies now have a slightly 

higher curve on which to be judged. Some 

manage to rise to the occasion, creating 

exciting new franchises and reviving 

careers long thought dead (“Iron Man”), 

while others, falling flat and lifeless, are 

discarded into a wasteland of superhero 

films that didn’t make the cut (either of 

the “Hulk” attempts.) What has become 

clear in the last decade or so of adapting 

comic books to the screen is you need 

two essential ingredients: an outstanding 

leading man to carry the weight of the 

franchise on his well-built shoulders, and 

a big dose of funny.

Thankfully, director Kenneth Branagh’s 

“Thor” manages to bring both. Aussie 

newcomer Chris Hemsworth plays the 

title character, a spoiled, egotistical god 

banished from his world by his father and 

sent to learn humility and compassion 

from the mortals down in New Mexico.

Casting a relative unknown as the God 

of Thunder was a huge gamble on the 

part of the filmmakers. Luckily, someone’s 

Spidey sense was working and Hemsworth 

does a fantastic job, imbuing the mighty 

Thor with equal parts boyish recklessness 

and genuine cluelessness. There are some 

deep, dark family matters mucking up his 

home, but Thor’s story is classic fish-outof-water as he must adjust from living - 

quite literally - like a god to understanding 

how to ask politely for a second cup of 

coffee.

Helping him in that journey is Natalie 

Portman, all adorable and plucky as 

research scientist Jane Foster who hits 

our hero – twice – with her cool-looking 

van-type thing. (The guy sitting behind me 

muttered, “That’s why women shouldn’t 

drive.” So wrong ... yet funny.) Don’t 

get me wrong, I adore Portman, but she 

was wrong for this role. A full-fledged, 

Oscar-winning movie star, Portman wields 

impressive power in Hollywood and is 

capable of headlining her own films – she 

should not be playing second banana to 

any macho man, no matter how impressive 

his bare torso is (and trust me, it is VERY 

impressive.) The supporting role doesn’t 

fit her anymore, and because of it she 

almost outshines Hemsworth, which is a 

bad idea. Nobody should be more super 

than your superhero. 

The second essential layer to any 

successful comic book adaptation is 

humor. Movie-goers are jaded creatures, 

Spc. Meredith Vincent

PG-13

114 min.

 see MOVIES page 19

The sound system at Camp Buckeley is currently down. The MWR is doing their best to resolve the 

issue and apologizes for any inconvenience. Please keep posted for any new developments. 

| The Last Word The Wire | Page 19

GOLF cont. 

MOVIE cont.

Many contestants planned 

around erratic work schedules 

and commitments. Gieger was 

more than pleased with this 

year’s GTMO Open turnout 

and what he could provide for 

each player. 

Contestants paid a 

$30 entrance fee for the 

tournament, Geiger said, 

making the GTMO Open the 

highest buy-in of any MWR 

event this year. Between $1,300 

worth of clubs for winners 

and more free gear for every 

player, Geiger puts that $30 to 

good use.

“The reason for that [entry 

fee] is so we can give away a 

lot of stuff,” said Geiger. “We 

try to make it where there’s 

an entry fee, you at least walk 

away with what you put into it 

– even if you don’t win.”

With nearly 20 years of 

history, GTMO Open planners 

and players alike feel this 

year’s tournament carries on a 

tradition of being an important 

fixture on the GTMO annual 

to-do list. 

“I think it’s very important 

to have golf here,” said Baldy. 

“Just like the gym or any other 

sports here, we need the golf. 

To me, golf is joy. It’s the 

most frustrating sport in the 

world. I encourage everyone 

to get out on the golf course 

and play.”

making us almost impervious to special 

effects. The fantastical world of Asgard, 

Thor’s home planet, is incredible – from 

the shimmering Rainbow Bridge to the 

red-eyed ice monsters, it’s nothing short 

of spectacular. However, when you’ve 

seen Middle Earth come alive and the 

White House explode, it’s easy to become 

underwhelmed by such extravagance. What 

keeps an audience hooked isn’t outlandish 

digital wizardry – it’s how engaged they 

are with the characters. And holy hilarious, 

Batman, do we have some winners here!

Aside from the two leads, there is a 

wealth of outstanding supporting players, 

first and foremost being Jane’s young 

assistant, played with dry, enviable wit by 

Kat Dennings. If you missed Dennings in 

“Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist,” here is 

your opportunity to fall madly in love with 

her. With only a few lines peppered here 

and there, she spices up any scene she’s in 

until you’re really just waiting to hear her 

next retort. Portman may be stunning, but 

Dennings will leave you with a sting - the 

good kind. 

Sir Anthony Hopkins shows up as 

Odin, Thor’s conflicted father, and does 

a solid job at being blustering and royal 

and all. There’s a Shakespearean undertow 

to all the family drama, and who better to 

bare that heavy burden than a man who’s 

been in no less than three Shakespeare 

movies? 

Driving all that twisted familial darkness 

is Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s overlooked 

brother, Loki. Another relative unknown, 

this guys oozes darkness. It’s pretty 

awesome.

“Thor” is really two movies in one – 

a bleak and emotional drama while on 

Asgard and a quirky, light-hearted boymeets-girl in New Mexico. Surprisingly, 

with Hemsworth binding them together, 

it works rather well. Easily a four banana 

rat film, I’m going to up it to four and a 

half for three very important reasons: 1) a 

wicked cool special guest with a bird’s eye 

view of Thor while he attempts to retrieve 

his big hammer, 2) stay after the closing 

credits. Just do it. And 3) I watched a 

movie about the God of Thunder while 

getting soaking wet in a rainstorm. Irony 

at it’s finest. 
JTF

The

SING A SONG

Singer/Songwriter Shauna Sweeney performs at the Bayview, 

Sunday, as part of the Morale Welfare and Recreation’s coffee series. 

– photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian Dunn.

ON A RUN, LITTLE RUN

Members of the 525th Military Battalion participate in a 

battalion run, Saturday as the command element leads the 

way. - photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joe 

Ebalo

SERVICE UP!

Tennis season gets underway with players of varying degree of ability taking to the 

courts, tuning up for the season. – photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd 

Class Joe Ebalo

GOTCHA!

As a parting gift to Master 

Sgt. Willie Oden, who 

thought he could escape 

the island without ever 

having been in The Wire, 

our staff would like to say, 

“Still winning!” Safe travels, 

Master Sgt., we will miss 

you. - photo by Spc. Meredith 

Vincent.