Storm’s a-brewin’

(with a chance of zombies) 

Inside:

Your no-kidding 

guide to hurricane 

preparedness

Volume 13, Issue 31 Friday, June 8, 2012

Zebras! Conch! 

Did we mention 

more zombies?
Marine Sgt. Maj. Scott Smith

Sergeant Major, JTF Guantanamo

I

n one word...Wow! I have been on deck 

for 22 days, and over this short period of 

time I have found myself completely overwhelmed by the performance of the men 

and women assigned to Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo. Having had a chance to get 

around and see the mission that you accomplish on a daily and nightly basis reminds me 

that we continue to have the premier military 

force on the globe. There is no other nation 

on earth that could even come close to replicating the mission that is undertaken by you 

here at Guantanamo Bay. I am truly proud to 

be your Sergeant Major!

As your JTF Senior Enlisted Leader, and 

being one of the newest members of this 

command, I find there is a cretin period of 

newness, at least in my case. I can only best 

equate it to the start of a new relationship, 

akin to “the first date.” Everything is new and 

exciting; there are butterflies in the stomach 

and you can’t wait to see each other...for me 

anyhow, as I am not always sure that you are 

that excited to see me. And so it goes, as we 

become more comfortable with one another 

however, some surprises will still occur – but 

don’t expect flowers or candy. 

It would normally be this point in the article where the (new) Senior Enlisted Leader 

would list his or her expectations of the unit. 

These could be the dos and don’ts, performance and conduct both on and off duty, 

and your ability to stay out of trouble and 

to not bring discredit to Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo or your service. We must work 

together as a joint team, and also realize that 

without the support of the Naval Station we 

would not be able to accomplish our mission. 

But I am not going to list my expectations, 

because I feel this is information that you 

already possess. I thought that I would take a 

crack at your expectations of me.

You expect me to be your voice to the 

Commander in all issues concerning operations and your quality of life. Mission 

accomplishment and Trooper welfare are the 

primary tenets of leadership; we get the job 

done and we take care of our number one 

resource: you. You expect me to reinforce 

the Commander’s intent and relay his policies 

as they are currently stated. You expect that 

the Senior Enlisted Leader leads from the 

front, sets the example both professionally 

and personally, maintains the standards, and 

encourages those of you in the command to 

go beyond the minimum requirements. You 

expect me to lead, train, mentor, educate, 

motivate and inspire; counsel in private and 

praise in public. Most importantly though, 

you expect me to be a good listener and 

observer which helps me to understand what 

it is like to be in your position (your piece of 

the JTF pie), so I am better able to ensure 

our mission is accomplished and people are 

taken care of. 

Every unit that I have ever served in 

has been a family, and JTF Guantanamo is 

no different. You treat people the way you 

expect to be treated. In this organization, we 

treat each other with firmness, fairness, dignity and compassion at all times. We do the 

right thing, even when no one is looking, so 

your expectations are identical to mine. As 

I learned a few years ago from a very sage 

Marine general officer: “when it is right, it’s 

right... when it is wrong, fix it.” My job, your 

job, and our job is to fix it when it is wrong. 

I truly look forward to this opportunity to work with and for you as your JTF 

Guantanamo Sergeant Major!

Cc

ommand

orner

Joint Task Force

Guantanamo Safe Humane Legal Transparent l l l

JTF Guantanamo

Commander

Rear Adm. David Woods

Deputy Commander

Brig. Gen. James Lettko

Sergeant Major

Sgt. Maj. Scott Smith

Office of Public Affairs Director

Navy Capt. Robert Durand: 9928

Deputy Director

Air Force Lt. Col. Laurel Tingley: 9927

Operations Officer

Army Maj. Jon Powers: 3649

Senior Enlisted Leader

Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant: 8141

The Wire

Command Information Officer

Army 1st. Lt. Amelia Thatcher

Editorial Staff

Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Spc. Ryan Hallock

Spc. Vanessa Davila

Pvt. Loren Cook

Photojournalists

Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Army Staff Sgt. Lewis Hilburn

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Joshua Hammond

Webmaster

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Keith Simmons

Contact us

Editor’s Desk: 3499

Commercial: 011-5399-3499

DSN: 660-3499

E-mail: thewire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

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

 The Wire | Page 2 Command Corner

Cover: A zombie apocalypse may be the stuff of Hollywood B-movies, but hurricane preparedness is no 

joke in the Caribbean. Find your guide and list of essential items on pages 10–11.

–satellite photo by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA.gov)

News from the Bay

News from the Bay The Wire | Page 3

INDEX

The Wire

June 8, 2012

Protect your conch

Sailors frocked

Bogdan assumes command

Prep for the zombie apocalypse

MBS: Wake up happy

Movie: Men in Black 3

The WIRE is the official news magazine of Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo. It is produced by the JTF Public Affairs Office to 

inform and educate the Troopers of JTF Guantanamo through 

news, features, command guidance, sports and entertainment. 

This DoD news magazine is an authorized publication for the 

members of the Department of Defense. Contents of The 

WIRE are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed 

by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or Joint 

Task Force Guantanamo. It is printed by Defense Logistics 

Agency Document Services with a circulation of 1,300.

5

7

8

10

13

14

Varsity Blues

Looking for softball stardom? MWR’s varsity 

softball team is looking for players just like you, 

and will be holding tryouts for the team June 16 

at 7 p.m. and June 17 at 9 a.m. Tryouts are open 

to active duty servicemembers 18 years of age 

and older.

If you are interested, get a registration form 

from Denich Gym, get it signed by your commanding officer, and return it no later than June 

14 at 7 p.m. Do not register for tryouts if you 

won’t be able to leave the island June 20-23 for 

the tournament in Key West.

For more information, call 2113.

Don’t mail lithium 

batteries

Customers may not mail or receive electronic 

devices containing lithium batteries, including 

equipment with non-removable batteries, to or 

from any APO, FPO, and DPO offices. Lithium 

remains useful, as always, for treating bipolar 

musicians.

For more information about shipping restrictions, call 2156.

Summer dance show

MWR Child and Youth Programs will 

present a summer dance show featuring performances by Caribbean Energy Dance and CYP 

dance clinic participants. The event is scheduled 

for June 15 at Denich Gym from 6 to 7 p.m. 

This is a free show for all ages!

For more information, call 55346.

North East Gate tour

Want to learn the history of the North East 

Gate and the United States Marines at Naval 

Station Guantanamo Bay? Meet at the Marine 

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

of every month for the North East Gate tour. 

For more information, call 2334.

You’ll have a ball!

The 237th Army Birthday Ball is scheduled for June 30 at the Windjammer Ballroom. 

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

The menu offers filet mignon with either 

shrimp skewers or vegetable lasagna.

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

and below.

This is a formal event, and the attire for 

civilians is formal evening wear or black tie. 

Military personnel should wear dress uniform.

For more information or to buy tickets, call 

Staff Sgt. Baker at 8586.

Father’s Day fun!

Navy Child and Youth Programs will be 

hosting paintball and a pool party on June 17. 

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

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

Windjammer Pool. Both of these events are free, 

and no registration is required.

For more information, call 2005.

Think before you act

The Coalition of Sailors against Destructive 

Actions is looking for new members! CSADD 

holds meetings every 1st and 3rd Thursday of 

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

For more information, contact RP2 Hosier 

at Sandra.Hosier@usnbgtmo.navy.mil.

Volunteer everywhere! 

Looking to help out your local community for volunteer hours, or just for the warm 

fuzzies? W.T. Sampson Elementary School is 

looking for volunteers to assist in their summer cleaning on June 16 from 8 a.m. to 12 

p.m. Volunteers are needed to help inventory 

old furniture and reorganize storage rooms. 

Come out and build up your volunteer hours. 

Please contact Master Sgt. Arier Santiago 

at arier.a.santiago@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil or 

call 8526 to register.

Help the Red Cross

The Red Cross is requesting volunteer 

instructors to lend support to the community. If 

you are a Red Cross-certified instructor, please 

call the station manager at 2511.

Let’s go bowling, dude!

Summer bowling season begins June 14. 

Four-person mixed teams can still join the fun 

by registering before Sunday afternoon. 

For more information, call 2188.

Join the softball team!
Every military branch has their own 

customs and courtesies, but there are 

some simple ones that every Trooper should 

know. For example: when I walk by a young 

Trooper and they give me the greeting of 

the day, or when I see them walking into the 

exchange and they pick up some trash on the 

ground, I smile inside because I know that 

they have a squared away noncommissioned 

officer who instills discipline and pride in 

them on a daily basis. 

I have lost count of how many Soldiers, 

Sailors, Airmen, and Marines I have initiated 

the greeting of the day to as they walk by 

me around Guantanamo Bay. I learned in 

basic training that when passing someone of 

a higher rank than you, you give the greeting of the day and they should respond back. 

I am not only addressing this issue to our 

lower ranks but also to our seniors. It would 

not hurt for our senior ranks to initiate the 

greeting of the day. I have told my Soldiers 

past and present that I would not ask them 

to do anything that I am not willing to do 

or have not done in the past. I regularly give 

the greeting of the day to anyone I walk by 

no matter if they are subordinate, peer, or senior. 

After my five minutes of 

lecturing, I point out that 

not only is this military 

courtesy, but it is also 

being polite. 

How many times does 

a piece of trash get walked by before being 

picked up and put in the proper disposal 

can? This is another simple custom (and 

common sense action) which often goes by 

the wayside. Again, it is something I learned 

in basic training, and I continue to train not 

only my Soldiers but my kids on it as well. 

These are just two simple customs and 

courtesies among many others. By applying 

just these two, we are not just keeping basic 

discipline among our Soldiers, but teaching 

them for future leadership. Young Troopers, 

if you want to prove yourself to your supervisors and seniors, go back to the basics and 

practice what you were trained to do. Young 

leaders, you need to take a few minutes out 

of your busy and hectic work schedule to 

train and teach our young Troopers customs 

and courtesies and the importance of practicing them.

PSEC ALERT

PROTECT YOUR INFO!

Keep your personal life personal

How many times have you seen someone online share places they have “checked 

into”? Social Media can be a great tool for staying connected with friends and family 

while you’re deployed, but there is a limit to what you should put online, especially 

when it comes to your personal life. Telling the online community your whereabouts at 

all times by “checking in” at places might not be the best idea. Especially if your smart 

phone does it automatically. Make sure you know what you’re sharing online and what 

the settings on your mobile devices are. Stay safe. Think before you post. Use OPSEC.

First Sgt. Chris Fick

First Sergeant, 189th MP company

 The Wire | Page 4 Trooper to Trooper

Trooper to Trooper

Practice Customs and Courtesies 

“I have told my Soldiers past and present that 

I would not ask them to do anything that I am 

not willing to do or have not done in the past.

”

The incredible, edible, musical, decorative Queen Conch.

It has been a while since we saw anyone 

coming out of the ocean with a conch in 

their catch bag. Good thing too, since Queen 

Conch are protected in Guantanamo Bay 

waters from March 1 through to May 31. 

With the season now reopened, some new 

divers on the island may be looking forward 

to bringing home their first gastropodean 

prize. We know we can eat them, display their 

shells and even make a horn recognized by 

the United States Coast Guard as an official 

naval signaling device. But how much do we 

really understand about this amazing animal? 

Conch live throughout the warm 

Caribbean Sea from depths of 1 to 70 feet, 

yet can descend as deep as 500 feet. They are 

common on sand flats and grass beds. Prime 

conch hunting grounds exist offshore from 

any GTMO beach as well as in the bay.

Every Caribbean island participates in 

some sort of blackout period to restore the 

conch shell population. They have to.

Because of the importance to local 

economies, the Convention on International 

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 

and Flora (CITES) lists Caribbean Queen 

Conch as “species that are not necessarily 

now threatened with extinction but that may 

become so unless trade is closely controlled,” 

according to Appendix II (www.cites.org). 

Contrary to rumor, our local blackout 

does not specifically coincide with conch 

mating season, since conch mate continuously throughout the summer and fall. In 

relation to other Caribbean islands’ regulations, Guantanamo is generous with its rule 

of three months “no-take” and a limit of one 

adult conch per diver per day.

Many of the countries which harvest 

conch rely on the income brought in from 

the export of conch. Those local governments have banned scuba as a means for 

collecting the Queen Conch to protect the 

commercial value of their conch fields and 

retail shell sales. Conch are an important food 

source to many of the locals and they have 

fished conch for generations. For instance, 

Taino Indians use the conch for tribal tools, 

musical instruments and many use the shells 

for decoration.

It is the variety and value of conch which 

have placed them in such danger. From 

coffee tables to cold conch salads all around 

GTMO, our attraction to conch is evident. 

But without care and good stewardship, we 

may find that measures like those in Key 

West are needed. In Florida, it is illegal and 

punishable by time in prison to take a conch 

from the ocean.

Simply said, GTMO loves its conch. It is 

up to each of us to protect this animal by 

strictly adhering to the rules and letting others know that you intend to do your part to 

keep our conch population healthy.

ONE ADULT (9” from fan to point) 

CONCH PER DIVER PER DAY!

– The Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) 

is a marine snail or gastropod (Latin for 

belly-foot).

– The heavy shell, formed by the buildup 

of calcium carbonate, is glossy pink, orange, 

or yellow on its interior and reaches its full 

size at around 3 years of age. Adults can be 

recognized by the flattened lip or “fan” that 

flares away from the shell. The shell continues to thicken throughout the conch’s life.

– Queen Conch are “right-handed.” 

Looking at the pointed crown, the spiral 

shell coils to the right.

– They can grow to 12 inches and 5 

pounds and reach sexual maturity in about 

3 to 5 years. 

– Queen Conch can live 40 years, but the 

normal life span is estimated at between 20 

and 30 years. 

– Conch may wander for miles foraging 

on algae, sea grasses, sand, and dead material. Tagging studies show that queen conch 

may travel up to 1 mile in a 2-month period 

and more than 700 yards in a week. 

– Queen Conch blood contains hemocyanin, a copper containing molecule. When 

the hemocyanin interacts with oxygen during the process of respiration, it turns blue, 

making queen conch “bluebloods.” 

– Egg cases are gelatinous tubes that can 

contain as many as 400,000 embryos. Tube 

strands of from 70 to 120 feet in length may 

be produced at a rate of five feet per hour. 

– Embryos emerge after 4 to 6 days 

as larval veligers, traveling great distances 

among sea currents for the first few weeks. 

They start their development after settling 

to the ocean floor. Few survive to adulthood, instead becoming food for many 

other ocean organisms. 

– Adult queen conch are eaten by loggerhead sea turtles, horse conch, and humans. 

–The edible meat comes from the single, 

long foot common to all snails. 

Facts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Background photo by Army Maj. Jon Powers

Conch Facts

Command Information The Wire | Page 5

Assist, protect, defend our conch!

By Army Maj. Jon Powers

Hi, I’m Gert the IA Buzzard. When I’m not out flying circles in the desert I’m making 

people aware of Information Assurance. I have been hearing all kinds of talk about a big 

IG Inspection coming up. One of the big inspection items is unattended CAC cards. You know, if 

the inspectors find an unattended CAC, your account gets disabled and you have to retake the 

IA training, not to mention your leadership might make you a tasty little morsel for me! So make 

sure every time you leave your workstation you take your CAC with you. Ok, I’ve got to go: I got 

a tip on a squished iguana I need to go check out.

WE MUST 

 PROTECT THIS CAC

re: information assurance
ery little is known of 

Bub the Zombie’s life. 

What we have instead 

are guesses based 

on behaviors he has 

exhibited during his 

unlife.

It is possible that 

Bub was an actor 

named Sherman Howard in life, but that is 

conjectural at best.

During the zombie apocalypse, Bub was 

captured by the Army and used in behavioral 

studies. A scientist named Dr. Matthew Logan 

was studying zombies in an (ultimately successful) attempt to condition their behavior. Logan 

had great success conditioning Bub, whom he 

named after his father.

Bub showed signs of human behavior—he 

recognized an Army officer and saluted him; 

he stripped down and reassembled a pistol; he 

leafed through a book, although he was unable 

to read it; he attempted to apologize after 

scaring someone; and he showed emotional 

responses while listening to music.

It is very likely Bub served in the military 

during his life, and he continued to serve in his 

unlife by calmly cooperating with Dr. Logan. 

Bub was directly responsible for many breakthroughs in Logan’s work.

Unfortunately, Logan was also a metaphor 

for man’s inhumanity to man, and could only 

achieve his breakthroughs in studying the 

inhuman by sacrificing his own humanity. As 

punishment for his ways, Logan was killed by 

those whom he was trying to save.

When Bub found Dr. Logan’s body, his 

reaction vindicated Logan’s work. Rather than 

feasting on the body, he cried over it instead 

(to the extent crying is possible for a zombie, 

anyway).

Bub then sought vengeance on the man 

who had killed his only friend. Bub found the 

killer as he was running away from a ravenous 

horde of mindless zombies, and shot him with 

a pistol, slowing him down enough that he was 

caught by the zombies. Bub then abstained 

from the ensuing feast; he had acted from a 

desire for revenge and not from hunger.

That was the last anyone ever saw of Bub. 

No one can say whence he wandered afterward. 

What we do know, from Bub’s example, is 

that even as humans became more savage during the zombie apocalypse, zombies became 

more human.

Trooper Focus

V

–the boss says

“Bub’s been responding so well that I let him live... But is he alive or dead? Well, that’s the question 

nowadays, isn’t it? Let’s just say I let him continue to exist.”

Hobbies: Listening to classical music, 

field stripping and reassembling firearms, 

vengeance

Time since death: Unknown

Advice to junior zombies: “Think! You 

may be a zombie, but you don’t have to be 

a mindless zombie!”

Bullet Bio

By Pvt. Loren Cook

What motivates you to rise from your grave and hunt the living?

Bub the Zombie

Zombies on the Ground

“BRAAAAAINS!

The living-impaired Yeoman 3rd Class

Jade Fitzwater

“BRAAAAAINS!”

The late Master-at-Arms 3rd Class 

Robert Schmidt

“I hate the living, with their pulses 

and their rap music and their 

reality TV. Also, BRAAAAAINS!”

The not-at-all-well Army Pvt.

Loren Cook

“BRAAAAAINS!’”

Area zombie

Zombie

Focus

 The Wire | Page 6

Recently the results for the Navy-wide advancement exam were released, and 

this week Joint Task Force Guantanamo and 

Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion (NEGB) 

Sailors were frocked, proving their success.

Unlike other branches of service, Navy 

enlisted personnel put on the rank and assume 

responsibilities beyond their actual pay grade. 

It’s considered an honor to be a part of the 

Navy’s longstanding tradition of frocking.

Those frocked at the ceremony included 

Seaman Brian Jeffries, who advanced to Petty 

Officer Third Class; Petty Officers Third 

Class Thoran Evans, Mark Fierro, Kenneth 

Maldonado, Jason Matias, Zachary Hackert, 

Matthew Downing, and Kevin Owens, who 

advanced to Petty Officer Second Class, and 

Petty Officer Second Class Patrick Craven, 

who advanced to Petty Officer First Class.

“I’m just very happy to be frocked,” said 

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Matias. “I would 

like to get paid (as E-5), but I’m very proud to 

wear my new rank,” he added.

Sailors’ pay grades catch up about 1-6 

months after frocking, depending on how well 

they do on the exam. The waiting time serves 

as a probationary period and even though one 

advances, if nonjudicial punishment comes 

into play, a Sailor could easily lose two pay 

grades.

“I’m not really too concerned about having to go through a probationary period,” 

said Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Fierro. “It 

makes it mean that much more to wait.”

Though these newly-frocked Sailors will 

not yet receive the monetary raise, they have 

assumed the title and increased responsibility 

in their selected advancement and continue to 

serve the Navy as leaders in their respective 

fields.

The advancement exam is administered 

every six months (March and September) and 

results come out about three months later.

Above: Sailors wait to be frocked during 

a frocking ceremony at the Bayview June 

6. Though they must wait for their pay 

grades to catch up, Sailors have long considered the additional responsibilities as 

“frockees” to be an honor. –photo by Mass 

Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

By Mass Communication Spc. 3rd Class

Brian Jeffries

Feature The Wire | Page 7

NEGB, JTF Troopers assume new titles, 

responsibilities at frocking ceremony

Super Troopers

Congratulations to the newly-frocked Troopers 

who recently received commander’s coins! 

ET1 Craven

IT2 Downing

PS2 Evans

MA2 Fierro

OS2 Hackert

MC3 Jeffries

AZ2 Matias

YN2 Owens
Story by Staff Sgt. Lewis Hilburn

Photos by Staff Sgt. Lewis Hilburn and 

Warrior Six

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Joshua Hammond

Signing Off

On Thursday, Troopers and civilians of Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

gathered for the change of command 

of the Joint Detention Group. Col. 

Donnie Thomas handed over his command to incoming commander Col. 

John Bogdan. 

They watched as Thomas passed 

the JDG guidon to Rear Adm. David 

Woods, commander of the JTF, who 

then handed it off to Bogdan, signifying the change of command. 

“(Thomas) has done a lot of great 

things here,” Woods said, describing 

him as his “go-to guy” when the admiral assumed command of the JTF 

nearly one year ago.

Woods lauded Thomas’ “steady, 

firm, confident, quiet leadership that 

we have all seen as his hallmark.” 

Those in attendance saw the passion that drove Thomas every day as 

he fought back tears during his farewell 

speech. Above all, he thanked his family who proudly served and supported 

him, the Troopers, and civilians, family members of the brigade, the community and the nation every day. “Your 

commitment and dedication is often 

unsung, but never unappreciated,” he 

said. 

“I have learned a lot during this assignment and have many takeaways. 

However, my single greatest takeaway 

is that I have served with heroes,” he 

said. “Heroes who post watch 24/7 

in the towers, maverick patrol, QRF 

(quick reaction force) and at our access 

control posts fully prepared for the unlikely.”

Thomas was also proud to serve 

with the people behind the scenes as 

well. He stated that the assistance of 

the service members and civilians in 

charge of finance, logistics, human resources, and medical helped his Troopers inside the camps maintain focus on 

the mission. 

This was vital according to him: 

“Every action in the camps is dissected 

or scrutinized intensely. One second 

too soon can be seen as causing a situation, while one second too late can be 

seen as failure to prevent a situation.” 

Thomas quoted former President Ronald Reagan: “‘Some people 

live an entire lifetime and wonder if 

they have ever made a difference in 

the world,’” he said. “The Troopers of 

JDG do not have that problem. You 

have made a difference in our nation 

and our world and I am proud to have 

served with you.”

During his first speech as JDG 

commander, Bogdan spoke with conviction. 

“I promise to strive for excellence 

in all that I do, and ask only the same 

in return,” he said, adding that he looks 

forward to working with his new shipmates and is confident that this will be 

a memorable experience. Top: Col. Donnie Thomas exits through the sideboys while departing command of 

the Joint Detention Group.

Bottom right: Rear Adm. David Woods, Col. John Bogdan, and Col. Donnie 

Thomas render salutes as the the colors pass by during the change of command 

ceremony June 7. 

Left: Sgt. Maj. Callie Lever hands the Joint Detention Group 

guidon to outgoing commander Col. Thomas during the change 

of command ceremony June 7.

 The Wire | Page 8 Feature Feature The Wire | Page 9
50

AMMO

100%

HEALTH

 15%

ARMOR

1 2 3

4 5 6

ARMS

Surviving Disasters: from zombies

to hurricanes

 JTF isready. 

INVENTORY

As zombies overran the Downtown Lyceum last week, many 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo residents fled to their rooms in the 

Cuzco Barracks or went back to the Tierra Kay housing area. To the 

Naval Station’s relief, the film “Zombieland” sedated the undead 

hordes and the crisis was over as night fell. 

In the film “Zombieland,” the protagonist Columbus creates a 

list of rules to follow in order to survive in the post apocalypse 

zombie infested world. However, many of the rules can be applied 

to real emergencies that residents of Guantanamo Bay face such 

as hurricanes. 

The Rules (abridged): 

# 7 “Travel Light”

 Columbus advises traveling light, carrying only the most essential supplies. When facing either a hoard of the undead or the wind 

and rain of hurricane, what you carry on you will be a major factor 

in your safety. 

In the event of a natural disaster, J3 has put together a packing 

list that every resident of Guantanamo Bay should have. 

# 12 “Paper Towels” 

When facing the undead, things can get pretty dirty and that’s 

why Columbus advises all survivors to bring along paper towels. In 

the case of natural disasters, Troopers need to be aware of personal 

hygiene and have the appropriate items available.

# 22 “When in doubt, know your way out”

As the minority in a zombie world, having a safe escape route 

can prove valuable when things go wrong. Escape routes can prove 

just as valuable in a natural disaster, but in addition to knowing 

where to go it’s important to know when to go. 

Fortunately, there’s already a system in place for Guantanamo 

Bay residents. J3 has designated certain areas as safety zones for 

Troopers to go when alerted by the siren system. 

There are five different siren wails that Troopers should be 

aware of. 

Pulse Wail – General alert to signal Troopers turn on channel 4 

for TV or tune the radio to FM 103.1 or FM 102.1 for additional 

information. This tone is intended as a non-emergency alert. 

Alternate Wail – Signals Troopers to take cover. Return to 

quarters and stay put until further notice. This tone is for a nonimmediate threat. 

Wail – Signals Troopers to take cover and that immediate threat 

is inbound. Return to nearest secure location and take cover. This 

alert will be used when immediate danger threatens such as a tornado or hurricane. 

Pulse Steady – Signals all Recover Disaster teams to report to 

duty. All non-essential personnel remain in Quarter. 

Steady – Signals all clear and to resume normal activities. 

# 29 “The Buddy System” 

Ever notice zombies don’t attack each other? Columbus notes 

that current thinking supports zombies have a herd instinct which 

prevents them from attacking each other. Troopers can use this 

thinking to help each other during emergencies or natural disasters. 

When facing an undead horde or the eye of hurricane, being 

prepared and following safety guidelines is the best way to ensure 

your safety. 

By Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Hurricane Packing List 

Rolls of toilet paper 

Flashlight with batteries 

Packs of baby wipes 

Trash bags 

First aid kit 

Personal hygiene supplies 

Pillow 

Blanket 

Towel 

Snacks/juices 

Books/magazine 

Playing cards 

Important documents 

Prescription medication 

Gortex gear

Extra clothing 

Quantity 

 2

 1

 1 

 5 

 1

 as needed

 1

 1

 Optional

 3 days

 1

 1

as needed

as needed

1

1

 The Wire | Page 10 Feature Feature The Wire | Page 11
 The Wire | Page 12 Service News

By Jennifer Hlad

Stars and Stripes

Servicemember’s letters from 

Vietnam to be returned to family 

THIS WE’ ll DEFEND

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

Vietnam opens sites to joint POW/MIA investigators

HANOI, Vietnam — On the day he died 

more than 40 years ago, Army Sgt. Steve 

Flaherty carried with him a stack of letters 

he’d written but not yet sent to loved ones 

back home. 

In one, addressed to his mother, he grimly 

detailed the brutal battle he was fighting just 

before his death.

“We couldn’t retrieve the bodies of our 

men or ruck sacks and when we brought air 

strikes, jets dropped napalm and explosives 

that destroyed everything that was there,” he 

wrote.

After he was killed on March 25, 1969, the 

letters were taken from him and used as propaganda by Vietnamese forces during the war. 

Now, Flaherty’s family will finally receive his 

last written words.

Vietnamese Minister of National Defense 

Gen. Phung Quang Thanh gave the letters — along with two other sets of letters 

that may have belonged to other American 

servicemembers — to Defense Secretary 

Leon Panetta on Monday. In return, Panetta 

presented the diary of a Vietnamese soldier, 

which had been taken after a firefight in 

March 1966 by an American Marine.

The historic exchange of documents at 

the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense 

underscores how the relationship between 

the two countries has progressed in the 17 

years since the normalization of diplomatic 

relations, said George Little, acting assistant 

secretary of defense for public affairs.

“It is a reflection of the priority the United 

States places on people-to-people ties with 

Vietnam,” Little said.

Flaherty, of Columbia, S.C., was serving 

with the 101st Airborne Division in northern 

South Vietnam when he was killed, according to background information provided by 

the Department of Defense. Panetta’s office 

will work with the U.S. Army casualty office 

to present the letters to Flaherty’s surviving 

family.

The horrific accounts of fighting in the 

unsent letters are different from anything he 

had ever sent home, his sister-in-law said.

 “We knew he was in a dangerous area, but 

in all his communications he always tried to be 

upbeat,” said Martha Gibbons, of Irmo, S.C.

The situation must have been terrible, 

because Steve, a star athlete who enlisted in 

the Army rather than try to pursue a professional baseball career, wouldn’t complain 

or shrink from a challenge, said his uncle, 

Kenneth L. Cannon, of Prosperity, S.C.

“He was quite a person, and his death devastated all of us,” said Cannon, 80, a Korean 

War veteran who served in the Navy.

In one unsent letter to someone named 

“Betty,” he wrote that he and his unit had 

“dragged more bodies of dead and wounded 

than I can ever want to forget” and that 

rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns 

tore his rucksack. In another letter to his 

mother, he wrote he was going to take R&R 

and didn’t care where, “so long as I get a rest, 

which I need so badly, soon.”

In another letter, to a “Mrs. Wyatt,” he 

wrote that his company and Alpha Company 

“lost a total of 50 men in fierce fight. Our platoon leader was killed and I was the temporary 

platoon leader until we got the replacement. 

Nothing seems to go well for us but we’ll take 

that ridge line.”

Flaherty, of mixed Japanese-American 

ancestry, was adopted from an orphanage 

in Japan in the 1950s, where he had been 

befriended by his eventual brother, Ronald 

Flaherty, who was serving in the Army there.

“Ron’s mother made him a deal. She would 

legally adopt him but Ron would be primarily 

responsible for him,” said Gibbons, who later 

married Ronald Flaherty and became something of an older sister to Steve.

The family doesn’t know who’ll take 

possession of the trove of letters now, but 

Cannon said he expects the family will soon 

gather to read them.

“It means a heck of a lot to have them,” he 

said. “I don’t know what he had on his mind 

when he wrote those, and I don’t know who 

they’re addressed to. But whether they’re to 

me or to any member of my family, I want 

to see them.”

HANOI, Vietnam – The Vietnamese government will open three areas to help resolve the 

fate of Americans missing in action from the 

Vietnam War, DOD officials said here today.

Following a meeting at the Defense 

Ministry, Vietnamese Defense Minister 

Phoung Quang Thanh announced his government would allow American personnel to 

examine three areas once off limits.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta 

thanked the Vietnamese leader for all the support Vietnam has provided over the years. The 

Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command’s 

Detachment 2 based in Hanoi has conducted 

107 field searches for Americans missing in 

Vietnam. The Vietnamese government has 

fully supported these efforts with personnel 

and information, said Ron Ward, a casualty 

resolution specialist with the detachment.

The three sites Vietnam opened to exploration are in the central part of the country. 

The first site is in Quang Binh province and 

involves the crash of an Air Force F-4C 

Phantom II jet in 1967 with two personnel 

aboard. Detachment specialists located the 

site in 2008, but now they will be allowed to 

examine it, Ward said.

The second site is in Kontum province and 

involves the loss of an Army private first class 

in January 1968 during the Tet Offensive.

The third site is in Quang Tri province 

and involves the loss of a Marine F-4J Wild 

Weasel aircraft. One of the crew of two 

punched out of the aircraft and was rescued.

Panetta said these efforts are important 

to troops serving today, because they know 

the military means that it will leave no man 

behind.

To date, the command has repatriated and 

identified 687 remains in Vietnam. A total of 

1,284 Americans remain missing. Of these, 

586 cases are in the category of “no further pursuit” – meaning there is conclusive 

evidence the individual perished but it not 

possible to recover remains.

By Spc. Ryan Hallock

Quit being a baby when you wake up 

When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the 

first thing you say to yourself?”

“What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. 

“What do you say, Piglet?”

“I say, I wonder what’s going to happen 

exciting today?” said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the 

same thing,” he said.

The Wake up

Contrary to its counterpart, “the fall 

asleep,” waking up each morning can be a 

daunting exercise; possibly the only exercise all day for some. Waking up in a sour 

mood like a baby who has been woken during the middle of the night is the setup 

for a bad day. Waking up this way is asking 

to be called a baby. You’re not a baby, are 

you?

Babies wake up crying and whining 

about everything that is wrong instead 

of appreciating everything that is great. 

Whether your alarm goes off at 5 a.m. 

for physical training or 7 a.m. for chow, 

another beautiful day awaits all those willing to consider it so. 

 Each day is more precious than the 

last. Each is another chance to make up for 

lost time, accomplish a goal, and be more 

grateful than you were yesterday. So if life 

is so great, why is it so tempting to be a 

grump in the morning? Many factors contribute to the botched wake up. Despising 

work, despising working out, being away 

from loved ones, or earning junior enlisted 

pay can all be attributed to waking up 

unmotivated. 

Despising work

You wake up and you hate work. There 

is no quitting in the military so forget about 

hating work. If you have exhausted all possibilities of improving your situation at 

work then think about the cushiness of 

your job. Think about all the opportunities the military offers, most notably 

college. Every day leaders are encouraging 

Troopers to pursue their education. If you 

have no love for your current occupation, learn a new one. Think about 

the sweet pay and benefits. Think 

about the beach. 

Despising working out

You wake up and hate working out. The military is working 

out so forget about being a fat body 

and embrace being a hard body. Physical 

training makes you sexy. Physical training 

adds years on to your life. Physical training gets you promotion points. Find ways 

around what you hate about it and embrace 

the suck. Think about breakfast cake.

Being away from loved ones

 Possibly the toughest challenge during 

a deployment is dealing with being separated from friends, family, and loved ones. 

Skype can never replicate or replace a big 

kiss, a little kiss, or a big hug. It can help 

though. If you have you a smart phone find 

some Apps like “Draw Something” and 

“Whatsapp” to connect with those who 

you miss the most. Think of our brothers 

in arms in Afghanistan and how their families feel during their deployment when you 

start to get down on this deployment.

People are different and their reasons 

for waking up grumpy are tailored to their 

lives. Waking up in a sour mood can determine the rest of your day. It can also be 

contagious, so if personal reasons don’t tip 

the scale to waking up fresh and positive, 

think of those around you and how your 

attitude can affect friends, family, and even 

people you don’t like. Be cool.

Waking up happy and ready to “seize 

the carp” is like having your cake and eating it too. It’s a cake wake up. Eating cake 

is euphoric and so is waking up, especially 

after getting the proper amount your body 

needs to function without much error. So 

wake up with a smile on your face, put on 

some music as you get ready for PT, and 

start the day like a champion!

“What day is it?” asked Pooh.

“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.

“My favorite day,” said Pooh.

Mind, Body & Spirit The Wire | Page 13

Mind, Body & Spirit

Only at GTMO by Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson
 The Wire | Page 14 Movie Review

After 16 years, we are still experiencing a particular Hollywood trend. 

I will call it “The Big-Budget Will Smith 

Fantasy-Summer-Movie.” Sorry for coming up with such a long name for this 

trend, but it sure seems to ring true, 

doesn’t it? Since 1996’s “Independence 

Day”, there have been many summers like 

what I just described. Back then, I did not 

realize Will Smith would have that kind of 

staying power. Here we are 15 years after 

the original “Men in Black” film hit multiplexes and Will Smith is still going strong.

The “Men in Black” film series is loosely 

based on an early ‘90s comic book series 

about a secret government organization 

which monitors supernatural phenomena, 

alien activities and safeguards against alien 

threats. These premises must have been 

in vogue in the early ‘90s, as at the same 

time there was a television series similar in 

structure that had the tagline “Trust No 

One” (that show also had a “foxy” redhead 

for additional sex appeal). For the “Men 

in Black” films, the supernatural angle has 

been dropped in favor of staying focused 

on alien matters only. 

“Men in Black 3” is an unlikely sequel. 

The other two “MiB” movies were selfcontained adventures and the interest of 

a third installment really wasn’t in demand. 

The good news is “Men in Black 3” is 

actually a decent continuation. 

The movie opens with the escape 

of the intergalactic criminal Boris the 

Animal (Jemaine Clement, “Dinner for 

Schmucks”) from his 40-year incarceration 

in the Lunar-Max Penitentiary. He is one 

volatile, mean and ugly hombre. He is also 

the last survivor of his conquering race 

of Boglodites that destroy worlds. He was 

put on ice in 1969 by Special Agent “K” 

(Tommy Lee Jones, “Captain America”) 

at Cape Canaveral during the Apollo 11 

launch. In the pursuit, Boris lost his left 

arm and swore revenge on Agent K at all 

costs. 

The plan Boris has is a fairly simple one: 

he will go back in time to the events that 

lead to his apprehension and kill Agent K. 

To do so would have a catastrophic effect 

on the future. In the original timeline, 

Agent K is also responsible for placing 

a special global shield on the tip of the 

Apollo 11 module that was activated in 

orbit to protect Earth from the imminent 

invasion of the Boglodites. Without Agent 

K to put the shield in place the world is in 

one heck of a predicament.

Boris the Animal has a run-in with 

Agents K and his partner Agent J (Will 

Smith, “I am Legend”) before time-traveling to the past. His parting words to K 

are “You are already dead. You just don’t 

know it yet.” How prophetic, as the timeline is changed the moment Boris goes 

back. The only person unaffected by the 

changes is Agent J. He is aware of the 

timeline changes. He did not change with it 

because he is believed to have been present 

at the events in 1969. Therefore, we have 

a time paradox, and it is now necessary for 

Agent J to venture to the past. 

“Men in Black 3” has fun with timetravel on several fronts, the best one 

involving meeting the younger Special 

Agent K in 1969. He’s played by Josh 

Brolin (“True Grit”) who was made to 

look like actor Tommy Lee Jones. That’s 

easy enough to do with a little make-up 

and combing his hair a certain way. Brolin 

stands out in the role by his posture, mannerisms and speech patterns. He is so 

uncannily like Tommy Lee Jones in his 

performance. Allegedly the film’s director Barry Sonnenfeld (who directed all the 

movies in this series) shed tears of relief 

during Brolin’s audition. Having Brolin 

cast is better than any of the over-thetop special effects that could have made 

Tommy Lee Jones look younger. 

An interesting addition to this picture 

is the alien Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg, 

“Hugo”). He is one of the most likeable 

and engaging characters I’ve seen in years 

in the movies. Griffin, like Boris, is the last 

of his race and living on Earth. He dresses 

like the video camera kid from “American 

By Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class 

Ty Bjornson

Men in Black 3

Movie Review

PG-13

106 min.

 see MOVIE page 15

Bulletin Board The Wire | Page 15

MOVIE from page 14

Beauty” (1999) and the youngsters from 

“South Park” (1999). He is able to envision 

the futures of various possible outcomes 

which he sees in his mind. He is humble and 

wise as he delights in the simple things, like 

the outcome of a baseball game that hasn’t 

happened yet. How he aids Agents K & J in 

their mission is one of the movie’s charms. 

Like its predecessors, “Men in Black 3” 

is special effects laden, mostly involving the 

various alien races that reside on Earth in 

hiding. They are creative in appearance and 

at times surprising in their individual functions. Take Boris the Animal for instance. 

He is symbiotic with parasitic creatures that 

live in his palm. Too weird. In keeping with 

the other films, this one is heavy with goo. 

Whether it is an alien being splattered or 

simply goo oozing out of them, the “MiB” 

movies love their goo. I’m not sure why these 

movies adhere to this prerequisite. No doubt 

there is some marketing “goo”-ru behind 

this. 

“Men in Black 3” is a fun popcorn movie. 

It is light and easy to get into. “The BigBudget Will Smith Fantasy-Summer-Movie” 

for 2012 is a gooey good time. By the film’s 

closure there is new light shed on the K and 

J dynamic. It’s unexpected and touching. A 

third movie in a series seldom has originality 

and heart. This one does.

GTMO Religious 

Services

NAVSTA 

Main Chapel

Daily Catholic Mass

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

Vigil Mass

Saturday 5 p.m. 

Mass

Sunday 9 a.m.

General Protestant

Sunday 11 a.m. 

Gospel Service

Sunday 1 p.m.

Christian Fellowship

Sunday 6 p.m. 

 Iglesia Ni Cristo

Sunday 5:30 a.m. 

Room A

Pentecostal Gospel

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

Room D

LDS Service

Sunday 10 a.m. 

Room A

Islamic Service

Friday 1 p.m. 

Room C

Intense Spiritual 

Fitness Power Lunch!

Study the Book of 

Romans with 

Chaplain Chouest

Thursdays 11-11:30 a.m.

JTF Command 

Chaplain’s Office

Protestant Worship

Sunday 9 a.m.

Bible Study

Wednesday 6 p.m.

JTF Trooper Chapel

For other services, contact the NAVSTA 

Chaplain’s Office at 2323.

For more information, contact the 

JTF Chaplain’s Office at 2305.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU 9

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

8 10 11 12 13 14

The Three 

Stooges (NEW)

(PG) 8 p.m.

Dark Shadows

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Snow White and 

the Huntsman 

(NEW)

 8 p.m. (PG-13)

Men in Black 3

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Snow White 

and the 

Huntsman 

(NEW)

8 p.m. (PG-13)

The Three 

Stooges (NEW)

(PG) 8 p.m.

American 

Reunion

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Lucky 

One

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Mirror Mirror

(last showing)

(PG) 8 p.m.

Wrath of the 

Titans 

(last showing) 

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Wrath of the 

Titans 

(last showing) 

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Mirror Mirror

(last showing)

(PG) 8 p.m.

Battleship

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Lucky 

One

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Hunger 

Games

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Dark Shadows

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley
The Guantanamo Bay community filled the Downtown Lyceum on Tuesday and Wednesday night to consider the “No Zebras, No Excuses” program, which educated everyone in attendance to “notice” and prevent sexual assaults and harassment. 

The 90-minute presentation featured skits including a Jeopardy-themed segment to bring the message to the audience in a 

thought-provoking and engaging show.

Between the skits performed by the ten recent college graduates, speakers were featured including Steve Thompson, director of sexual aggression services at Central Michigan University. 

After his first interaction with a victim, Thompson went from a 

career of coaching college football to devoting his professional 

life to working with victims of sexual assault.

The name “No Zebras, No Excuses” comes from how a 

herd of zebras will watch as one of their own is attacked and 

killed by a lion. This inaction is what the program looks to correct.

In one skit, this lack of action comes from friends, and portrays a male service member who drugs a girl’s drink as a friend 

watches. Later, a room full of friends, after seeing the girl’s condition, lets that same guy take her home where she is assaulted.

Sexual assault happens to one out of three female service 

members, a higher rate than the general population. Approximately 25 percent of American women will suffer some sort of 

sexual assault or harassment. 

This is not just an issue for women, as it will happen one out 

six male service members.

The program looks to instill what they call Bystander Intervention Philosophy 101 and in order to reduce incidence of 

sexual assault Troopers must do three things. First, notice the 

behavior, and then interpret what they are witnessing, followed 

by purposeful action.

The solution to preventing sexual assaults is black and white: 

don’t be a Zebra.

By Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven

no

more

zebras