Volume 12, Issue 42 Friday, October 7, 2011

PLUS:

Just Breathe

Yoga instructor shows 

Troopers how to relax

JTF Trooper chosen for 

All Navy Track & Field

the Need for Speed

Lie to Me

Award-winning liar

entertains GTMO
Cc

ommand

orner

The Wire | Page 2

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 1,200.

Command Corner |

JTF Guantanamo

Commander

Navy Rear Adm. David Woods

Command Master Chief

Command Master Chief Reynaldo Tiong

Office of Public Affairs Director

Navy Cmdr. Tamsen Reese: 9928

Deputy Director

Air Force Maj. Amy A. Oliver: 9927

Operations Officer

CW2 Scott Chapman: 3649

Senior Enlisted Leader

Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel: 3499

 

The Wire

Executive Editor:

Army Sgt. Meredith Vincent: 3651

Layout Assistant: 

Spc. Kelly Gary

Photojournalists:

Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sally Hendricks

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kilho Park

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jon Dasbach

Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class 

Marquis Whitehead

pFC. jUSTIN pIERCE

Contact us

Editor’s Desk: 3651

From the continental United States

Commercial: 011-53-99-3651

DSN: 660-3651

E-mail: thewire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

Online: www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

COVER: Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 3rd Class Jackie Wilson 

sprints down the track at Cooper Field, Tuesday evening. 

- photo illustration by Spc. Kelly Gary

It’s a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American comedy/drama film 

produced by Frank Capra and based on the short story “The Greatest 

Gift.” written by Phillip Van Doren Stern. The film stars James Stewart 

as George Bailey, a man whose thoughts of suicide on Christmas Eve 

brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody. 

Clarence shows George all the lives he has touched and the contribution 

he has made to his community.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Why is the general writing about 

a 65-year-old movie?” It’s simple: the life you live truly is a wonderful 

life. Real life is a better example than this movie; people touch our lives 

on many levels and we all make contributions in our relationships, work 

place and communities. The most important thing we do in life is about 

our relationships with people. Guantanamo Bay has impacted my life 

and I want to share some of my relationship experiences. It will become 

clear as mud why I wrote this article. 

I am very humbled to have met the people I mention in this article 

and it illustrates how our relationships are important to our every day 

living. I met a great person and his wonderfully gracious wife, learned 

about their three children, visited their house and learned about how 

passionate they are about their children and their schooling and careers. 

The husband has been a dedicated officer for three decades and is very 

passionate about the people he’s been in charge of and especially proud 

of unit/collective awards. 

I will always cherish the Christmas holiday caroling, going from 

neighborhood to neighborhood. In particular, I will remember a special 

visit to the Cuban nursing home, bringing joy to another human being 

not knowing it was for the last time. The next time we saw her was at 

her funeral. It goes to show you life is really fragile. I will always cherish 

our friendship. 

Now, there’s another great person - kind of from my home state - 

who loves Blue & Gold and may be called a Bengal tiger (growl) by any 

name and me being a proud Bulldog, can only say, “Bow-wow.” It’s all 

in fun! 

Then there’s the Trooper who raised siblings in the toughest of 

times in a family, just a teen who saw the military as the way for a better 

life. This Trooper’s story is one that I want told to my children so they 

can learn the characteristic of what selfless service really is. It’s about 

sacrifice, responsibility, caring and humility. 

I recently met a Trooper who has been to GTMO several times and 

matured from the beginning of their military career and learned from 

situations to become a great Trooper. I know they could tell a story that 

would help a lot of our Troopers see life in a different vein. Once again, 

this Trooper’s story is about selfless service, volunteerism, sacrifice and 

more. 

Most recently, I met another great individual with over three decades 

of service, a high flyer in his own right with a son who is looking for 

his wings also to “Aim High” for the future. His wife and family are 

precious to him, especially the two big dogs (smile). I could tell right off 

this officer has been in a lot of life’s battles and will do well here. I have 

learned a lot from him in a very short time and certainly wish him well. 

 see COMMAND, page 5
Trooper to Trooper featuring

Command Sgt. Maj.

Mark Porrett

“I will never leave a fallen comrade...”

This piece of the Army’s Warrior Ethos and Soldier’s Creed 

goes beyond the single-service mentality and extends to all others. 

The term “comrade” refers not just to those Troopers with whom 

we share our mission and experiences. They are the uniformed 

military, civilians, elected officials, joint and inter-agency partners. 

They stand beside us and support us in all we do.

Our comrades surround us on and off-duty, on and off the 

installation. It’s our duty to be there for each other, whether 

labeled as a “battle buddy,” “shipmate” or “wingman.” It is nonspecific to gender, service, affiliation, rank and position. All of us 

share the privilege and burden of being a comrade. 

On the battlefield, it’s easy to discern who is on your left, 

right, front and back. You know the command, control and 

communications structure. There is never a question of what 

you must do if your comrade falls. “Falling” can mean a lot more 

than stumbling in the dirt and dust. Falling can be closely related 

to failing. Failing to keep up professional qualifications, failing 

to follow procedures, failing to do what is expected can all have 

catastrophic results. It’s our comrades who keep us from falling 

and failing. 

Off the battlefield, the dangers are less evident, but just as 

important. This is where our comrades need to be vigilant in 

recognizing and mitigating risks. It’s the bad habits we dismiss as 

“playing hard.” Just as we keep each other safe on the battlefield, 

so to is our duty to keep each other safe off the battlefield. 

We rarely do anything by ourselves. I can’t think of any one 

activity that doesn’t have someone else in on the action. There 

always seems to be someone who can see when you are doing 

something wrong, right or questionable. Just as the fictional 

character Pinocchio has a figurative cricket as his conscience, we 

are surrounded by comrades who will be quick to let you know 

whether you are about to fall. It may not be welcome, but is 

necessary.

 So what does all this mean? I will never leave a fallen 

| Trooper to Trooper The Wire | Page 3

PSEC ALERT

PROTECT YOUR INFO!

What is social engineering?

Social engineering is the art of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential 

information, rather than by breaking in or using technical cracking techniques. While similar to a confidence 

trick or simple fraud, the term typically applies to trickery or deception for the purpose of information 

gathering, fraud or computer system access; in most cases the attacker never comes face-to-face with the 

victim. Social engineering using impersonation (e.g. to gain information over the phone, or to gate-crash) is 

known informally as blagging. In addition to criminal purposes, social engineering has also been employed by 

debt collectors, skip tracers, private investigators, bounty hunters and tabloid journalists. A study by Google 

researchers found that up to 90 percent of all domains involved in distributing fake antivirus software used 

social engineering techniques.

Senior Enlisted Leader, Joint Detention Group

comrade...on the battlefield, to their own demise or poor 

judgment. I challenge you to be the comrade who steps up and 

makes a stand to bring everyone home and keep them safe, no 

matter what the situation. Whether stopping a fight, being a 

designated driver, or grabbing a stranger about to do something 

stupid, it’s our duty to protect all our comrades before a situation 

becomes personally catastrophic. You rarely get second chances 

and most of the time you wish you did. We need you to have the 

courage to be the conscience of those you see falling.

 As you see “Honor Bound” on signs each day, don’t forget 

that it is the comrades you keep from falling that preserves that 

honor. You are honorable in taking care of them and seeing that 

they return home.
The News from the Bay | Wire | Page 4

News from the Bay Stories and reporting by Spc. Kelly Gary and

 Mass Communication Specialist 

1st Class Sally Hendricks 

MWR starts restricting 

age limit for bars, clubs 

CFC coordinators now 

available for pledges

MWR softball season 

returns to Guantanamo

Domestic violence 

awareness 5k run

Guantanamo Bay’s Morale, Welfare and 

Recreation and Fleet and Family Services 

,in conjunction with the Naval Hospital 

and Joint Stress Mitigation and Restoration 

Team, are hosting a 5K run, Saturday, at 8 

a.m.

October is National Domestic Violence 

Awareness Month, observed every year 

all over the United States. The DVAM 

supports the rights of all individuals to live 

in peace and dignity, said Carol Leaphart, 

Fleet and Family Services Domestic Abuse 

Victim Advocate.

She continued to explain this walk and 

run is designed to bring attention to the 

victimization of women and men as well as 

boys and girls and the pattern of violence 

that is transmitted to the next generation. 

“It’s time to end the silence on domestic 

violence,” said Leaphart. “We would like 

to invite everybody on GTMO to come 

out for this walk and run and make a 

difference.”

There is no registration required for this 

race. The first 100 participants will receive 

a free T-shirt.

For more information, call Leaphart at 

x4243. 

Camp America post 

office changes location

The Camp America post office will be 

changing locations, Saturday.

The office will now be located at building 

2514b1, approximately 75 yards west of the 

Trooper Chapel. 

A grand opening ceremony is scheduled 

Oct. 17 at 1:30 p.m. in the new post 

office. There will be three brief speeches 

by Logistics Specialist 1st Class Jerome 

Breaux, J1 Director Army Lt. Col. Pamela 

Shields and Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

Commander Rear Adm. David Woods.

After the speeches, there will be a tour 

of the facility, followed by Woods raising 

the Unites States Postal Service flag to 

officially declare the post office open. 

Refreshments will follow.

Oktoberfest brings 

entertainment, food

Pledges to the Combined Federal 

Campaign can be made during the campaign 

season, Sept. 1 through Dec. 15.

CFC is the world’s largest and most 

successful annual workplace charity 

campaign.

Pledges made by federal civilian, postal 

and military donors support eligible nonprofit organizations that provide health 

and human service benefits throughout the 

world. 

The CFC coordinators for Guantanamo 

Bay are Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Prince 

and Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas Fallon.

For more information, contact Prince or 

Fallon at x2504.

Guantanamo Bay’s Morale, Welfare and 

Recreation and Fleet and Family Service’s 

softball season resumes Oct. 11. A coach’s 

meeting is Oct. 6.

Registration ended Tuesday, so Alana 

Morrison, MWR sports coordinator, 

already handed up the season’s schedule. 

“Teams are open to anyone,” stated 

Morrison. “This season we will have open 

rec. so games will be played by men’s 

[softball] rules.” 

There are approximately eight weeks of 

games to be played. Teams and individual 

Effective Oct. 1, Morale, Welfare and 

Recreation clubs will be open to 21-years 

old and up only.

This includes the Tiki Bar, Rick’s 

Lounge, the Windjammer, Club Survivor 

and Pirate’s Cove. O’Kelly’s Pub will not 

allow minors under 21 after 9 p.m.

The exception will be on the first 

Saturday of each month, O’Kelly’s and the 

Windjammer will be open to 18 and up.

The MWR director may authorize special 

events, such as concerts and festivals open 

to all ages.,

For more information, contact MWR 

hospitality director Jim Estep at x2506.

player’s deadline passed but teams can 

accept new players with 24-hour prior 

notice.

“Softball is our most popular sport 

among active duty members,” said 

Morrison, adding she would like to see 

even more active duty participants. 

The league is open to 16-year-olds, 

although 16 to 18 year olds must submit a 

waiver to play on an adult team. Trophies 

will be given out to the top teams. 

For more information, call Morrison at 

x2113. 

Morale, Welfare and Recreation is having 

an Oktoberfest celebration, Saturday, from 

6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Tiki Bar. The 

Swinging Barvarians, a German band from 

central Florida, will be performing live for 

the event. 

“We are excited to bring a little taste 

of fall to GTMO despite the heat,” said 

Amiee Mac Donnell, MWR community 

activities director.

Food will be available for purchase, 

including bratwurst, sauerkraut, brown 

beer chicken, German potato salad and 

apple strudel. 

Customers will receive a free souvenir 

ceramic beer stein with their Oktoberfest 

beer purchase, one per customer, while 

supplies last. Choose from Sam Adam's 

Oktoberfest, Warsteiner's Oktoberfest or 

Dogfish Punkin Ale for $5 per pint.

In addition, the MWR is hosting a 

costume contest during the festival. All 

contestants will receive a free Oktoberfest 

T-shirt for participating. 

“All ages can look forward to great music 

and dancing, food and plenty of fun!” Mac 

Donnell said.

For more information, contact Mac 

Donnell at x4882.

For more information, contact Breaux 

at x2331. 
| News The Wire | Page 5

Boots on the Ground

What is your favorite song to work out to and why?

“My favorite song to workout to 

is “John” by Little Wand and Rick 

Ross. It amps me up.”

Staff Sgt.

Gilbert Rubio

“I like “Down and Out” by 

Tantric. It gets me motivated.”

Staff Sgt. 

Albert Coronado

Yeoman 

3rd Class Jade Fitzwater

“I just really love any kind of rock 

music. I like it all.”

“I love anything by 2 Unlimited. 

Their songs get my juices going. 

I love that fast techno beat.”

Hospital Corpsman 

2nd Class Fred Scott

Guantanamo Bay, Troopers prepare for flu season

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel

Spreading from September 

through January, the annual 

flu season is upon Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo once again. 

Combating the influenza bug 

are the Troopers of the Joint 

Medical Command’s Joint 

Trooper Clinic and a two-week 

strategy to immunize the entire 

task force.

“So far we’ve administered 

460 vaccinations,” said JTC noncommissioned officer in charge, 

Army Staff Sgt. Darol Burdge, 

Wednesday.

Citing the importance of 

a healthy workforce, Burdge 

explained the purpose behind the 

vaccinations.

“We don’t want Troopers 

getting sick needlessly,” he said. 

“When Troopers are healthy and 

fit, they’re able to complete the 

mission.”

Each year a new vaccine is 

generated using medical data 

compiled by the Center for 

Disease Control and vaccine 

manufacturers in an effort to 

produce the most effective shot 

possible.

“The goal here is to vaccinate 

everyone against the most 

common flu strains,” said 

Burdge.

During the two-week span, 

teams from the JTC will set up a 

total of six locations ranging from 

the 525th Military Police Battalion’s 

Headquarters Company 

classroom to the Trooper Chapel. 

Recognizing the round-the-clock 

nature of the guard force, Burdge 

said his Troopers have even set up 

different times to accommodate.

“We have a team available at 

1830 to 1930 and again from 

0530 to 0630 to make sure those 

working shifts can get their 

shots,” he said.

Burdge advised those who 

miss their appointed time should 

find an element that has yet to 

receive the shot to piggy back 

onto. Otherwise, the clinic will 

offer vaccinations beginning 

Oct. 17 at the JTC during regular 

sick call hours.

“This is actually one of 

the few immunizations people 

actually want to get,” said 

Burdge.

Finally, there’s a special woman I miss dearly 

everyday. I thank God for her caring and wise 

counsel. She’s constantly reminding me what 

my purpose is in life: “To make a difference.” I 

constantly tell her; “I’m trying to do what I’ve 

been charged to do in life, to make things a little 

better and to always treat all people with dignity 

and respect.”

Now, let’s ask ourselves several important 

questions: “How can we make a difference in 

someone’s life?”; “How do we make things 

a little better for those we come in contact 

with?” and finally, “How do we treat all people 

the way we want to be treated with dignity and 

respect?” These are all great questions. How 

will you answer them? I think we all want to 

be good parents, spouses, friends/confidants 

in our relationships. I think the human spirit 

in you wants to treat all people you come in 

contact with as you’d want to be treated, with 

dignity and respect.

The Joint Task Force Commander has really 

given us our charge in how he wants us to act in 

COMMAND cont. 

our environment. He has told us; “People are 

our most important asset! The mission requires 

both focus and determination. We are a team 

and we will succeed as a team. Distracters 

will prevent mission focus and effectiveness.” 

I think this guidance is very simple and spot 

on. Discrimination in any form, illegal drug 

use, alcohol abuse and anything else that 

are distracters are unwanted by all of us in 

our environment. It up to us to foster those 

personal relationships, learn what we need to 

know about each other so we can serve each 

other, have each other’s back, protect each other 

and be there when our (shipmate, battle buddy, 

wingman, Marine) needs us most, like what 

Clarence was to George in “It’s a Wonderful 

Life. We are all a part of this wonderful family 

and we all have our roles to be proud of; (e.g., 

mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and children). 

You don’t want your sister or brother to get in 

trouble so provide that guidance to prevent 

it. You want to nurture your children, help 

them learn and be productive citizens in our 

society. You want to provide guidance to those 

you’re in charge of and see them mature and 

grow into the best they can be so you can be 

proud of their accomplishments. We all have 

important jobs and we’re up to the task to make 

our environment the best it can be.

Finally, all of us can take a lesson from 

our movie. As Clarence saves George from 

his calamity, George’s brother Harry arrives 

at the house to help his brother and leads 

the townspeople in singing “Auld Lang Syne” 

in George’s honor. George finds a gift from 

Clarence, a copy of “The Adventures of Tom 

Sawyer” with the inscription:

“Dear George: Remember no man is a 

failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings! 

Love, Clarence”

It just goes to show, we can do all things if 

we truly are here to do what we are charged 

to do; help our fellow man whenever and 

wherever we’re needed. If we’re committed to 

always doing the right thing, we will always be 

winners in life. Honor Bound.
The Wire | Page 6age 8 News |

(above) Aviation Ordnanceman 

2nd Class Renee Hoyle, external 

escort assistant lead petty officer, 

reads a story her group of second 

and third graders concocted 

during Bil Lepp’s workshop at the 

Windjammer Ballroom, Sept. 30.

(right, top right opposite page) 

Storyteller Lepp illustrates his 

stories with animated gestures 

and expressions.

(opposite page, bottom right)

Lepp leads the adult group during 

the storytelling workshop.
|

NewsThe Wire | Page 7

Story and photos by Spc. Kelly Gary

see LEPP, pg. 19

LIAR

LIAR

Laughs filled the Windjammer 

Ballroom, Sept. 30, as professional 

storyteller Bil Lepp spun yarn 

after yarn – ranging from his 

manic father to his dog with the 

body of a German shepherd but 

legs of a basset hound – during 

his show sponsored by the 

Morale, Welfare and Recreation 

in collaboration with the Child 

Youth Program. 

Award-winning humorist, 

author and recording artist, 

Lepp is famous for his tall tales 

and “lies.” A five-time winner 

of the West Virginia Liars 

Contest, he has spent 21 years 

in the profession while visiting 

39 states. Storytelling may be 

as old as time but today the art 

is not widely understood. Lepp 

said when people hear he is a 

storyteller or a liar, many have 

misconceptions about what the 

two really mean and about what 

his stories entail.

“A lot of people think 

storytelling is for children,” said 

Lepp, “but I am not going to tell 

‘Little Red Riding Hood.’”

When Chris Dickson, 

school liaison officer and MWR 

volunteer, was searching for a 

guest to invite to the island he 

said he wanted someone who 

would appeal to everyone.

“When I was looking to bring 

down a speaker,” said Dickson, 

“I [wanted] someone who could 

bring something to GTMO for 

the whole family.”

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Lepp 

held a workshop for kids and 

adults to come together to use 

their imaginations. The children 
The Wire | Page 8 Feature |

see TRACK, pg. 19

Built for

SPEED

I

n the world of sports, training, 

dedication and natural talent are 

required to make it to the collegiate 

level or greater. For Sailor Jackie Wilson, 

talent has been there since day one, but 

it took the Navy to bring the rest to light. 

Wilson, an aviation maintenance 

administrationman 3rd class, comes from 

a family built for speed; his father ran as an 

officer for the military and his mother ran 

track at Hampton University. So it’s only fitting 

that his younger sister plans on becoming a 

sprinter for the Air Force and younger brother 

will soon transfer to the University of Central 

Florida for football.

“My dad still has a whole wall full of medals 

and awards from when he ran in school and 

for the military in Germany,” said Wilson. “I 

also have another cousin who’s playing college 

football for Florida University and he’s one of 

the fastest players in college football today.”

For Wilson, track and field has been 

a passion since middle school, but the 

fundamentals never seemed to match his 

raw talent. After seeing his speed during 

the Captain’s Cup, a competition of many 

different sports and relays among divisions a 

week prior to graduating from basic training, 

his command decided to give him that drive. 

“In high school I was naturally fast, so I ran 

with a lot of the top sprinters in the area,” said 

Wilson. “I didn’t take it serious until I got in 

the military and found out all the opportunities 

that were available.”

Upon graduating from basic training, 

Wilson was hard-pressed by one of 

his advanced school instructors to try 

out for the All Navy Track and Field 

team. Shortly after joining, he broke 

the record in the 100-meter sprint, 

mid-east area by running it in 

10.19 seconds. 

Wilson continued to train in 

the hopes of making the Armed 

Forces Track and Field team comprised of the 

best runners from all branches to compete in 

the track meets held all over the world. The 

majority of these contests are hosted by the 

International Council for Military Sports. 

“When you try out for the Armed Forces 

Track and Field Team, the coaches form Team 

A, and Team B,” Wilson explained. “If you 

make the Team A you automatically compete 

worldwide; the best times of the Team B will 

also make the trip.”

ICMS also hosts the Military World Games, 

which takes place every four years and is 

the equivalent to the Olympics for military 

personnel according to the organization’s 

official website.

“The Military World Games was held 

earlier this year in Brazil,” said Wilson. “By the 

time I found out I made the team, I was unable 

to attend because I had already committed to 

forward deploying to Guantanamo Bay.”

While stationed on Guantanamo Bay, 

Wilson continues to train and recently 

competed in a local track meet held on 

Jamaican Independence Day; he won the 100 

and placed second in the 200-meter sprint. 

Shortly after breaking the record for the 

mid-east region in the 100, Wilson’s command 

sent the results and his profile to the United 

States Naval Academy Team head coach 

Stephen Cooksey.

“Cooksey called and talked to me and was 

telling me all the opportunities of becoming an 

officer,” said Wilson. “I had never considered 

the Naval Academy until that time.”

Studying and taking SAT and ACT practice 

tests consistently, Wilson is making sure his 

classes are all relevant to his major. If accepted 

to the academy, he will pursue a career in 

political science and become a judge advocate 

general’s officer.

Throughout all the success and 

opportunities available to Wilson, he continues 

to train and remains grounded. He explained 

if a sprinter isn’t training without fail they’re 

leaving opportunity for other runners to pass 

them. 

“It takes two weeks to get in shape, and 

only a day or two to get out of shape,” said 

Wilson. “You have to be consistent, because 

in track and field, at any given meet someone 

could catch you on your worst day.”

Since being deployed, Wilson tries to keep a 

strict regiment when it comes to training. The 

most beneficial person to help him came from 

the most unlikely place – Wilson’s current 

trainer is O’Neal Jones, a Jamaican who works 

as a cashier in the galleys. 

“I work six days a week, so I don’t get to 

workout much,” said Jones. “So during my 

long run one day I saw Wilson training and 

asked if I could give him a few pointers.”

Jones ran track back in high school and 

was a strong runner in the 100 and 400-meter 

sprint. Wilson said it didn’t take much for him 

to realize that Jones was knowledgeable in the 

sport.

“I was training and O’Neal came to me and 

started talking to me about my block starts,” 

said Wilson. “He started saying a lot of things 

I heard from my other coaches in the states, so 

I knew he was someone I could listen to.”

Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 3rd 

Class Jackie Wilson trains Tuesday evening at 

Cooper Field. Wilson was chosen to be a part of 

the All Navy Track and Field Team this year.

- photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class 

Jon Dasbach

Story by Mass Communication Specialist 

3rd Class Marquis Whitehead
| Feature The Wire | Page 9
The Wire | Page 10 Page 8 Sports |

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers, Naval Station Sailors and community residents compete 

in MWR’s One-Mile Swim at Marine Hill pool, Saturday. The competition featured more than 20 

competitors swimming 17 laps each.

(top left) Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jay Haddock was one of the competitors in Saturday’s swimming race.

(top right) Anthony Roberts (right), MWR aquatics director, presents Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class 

Miguel Mejiacontreras with the men’s first place trophy for the one-mile swim.

Just Keep Swimm
|

SportsThe Wire | Page 11

Story and photos by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

ming!

This year’s event saw a 

better than average attendance 

and faster finishing times for 

the top athletes in each class, 

said Anthony Roberts, Morale, 

Welfare and Recreation aquatics 

director.

“We didn’t break the 

categories down into age groups,” 

explained Roberts. “We simply 

had a women’s and a men’s class 

with awards for the top three 

individuals in each class.”

Roberts noted the increase 

in the number of people who 

turned out to compete made it 

necessary to split the group in 

half.

“We had two heats because 

there weren’t enough lanes to 

accommodate all the swimmers 

at once,” he said. “Every 

contestant swam a mile which 

equals seventeen and a half laps 

in this 50-yard pool.”

First place winner in the men’s 

category was Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Miguel Mejiacontreras 

with a time of 27 minutes, 46 

seconds; in the women’s category 

was Dawn Reiff-Santicola with a 

time of 32:55.

Reiff-Santicola, a Guantanamo 

Bay resident, said her favorite part 

of the contest was the number 

of competitors.

“I was impressed with how 

many people came; I wanted to 

beat more boys,” laughed ReiffSanticola. “But the matchup was 

good.”

Reiff-Santicola admitted she 

didn’t want to compete at first, 

but a particularly loyal fan talked 

her into it by promising to act as 

her cheering squad.

“My husband was like ‘we’ll 

bring signs, you should go!’” 

she recalled.

This was not the first time 

either athlete competed in a 

pool.

“I raced competitively back 

in Honduras and I just got here 

on island,” said Mejiacontreras. 

“I have been swimming every 

other day and snorkeling for the 

past three weeks to train up for 

this.”

Mejiacontreras’ desire in 

attending the event was to 

inspire others to swim.

“It is one of the greatest 

sports and it’s good for people 

to get in shape,” he said. “I just 

want to help motivate people to 

swim because it is one of the 

events in the Navy PRT and you 

can swim if you are not able to 

run.”

Reiff-Santicola appreciated 

the event for a similar reason.

“They (MWR) have a lot of 

sponsored runs and 5Ks and I 

am glad they have swimming 

events for people who can’t run 

very fast or very well,” she said.

The next event will be the 

Swim across the Bay, scheduled 

to take place in mid-November. 

For more information, call 

x2205.

More than 20 

Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo 

Troopers, Naval Station 

Guantanamo Sailors, and base 

residents competed in a onemile swim, Saturday morning, 

at the Marine Hill pool.
Story and photos by Spc. Kelly Gary

The Wire | Page 12 Feature |

see YOGA, pg. 19

Down tempo music, orange citrus 

aromas and dimmed lights provide a perfect 

atmosphere to destress. Complete relaxation, 

however, is only at the beginning and end of 

Myah Mason’s yoga sessions. In between 

is a full-body workout that demands 

endurance, strength and agility. 

Here on Guantanamo Bay, Morale, 

Welfare and Recreation offers civilians, 

contractors and Troopers alike these 

classes. People from all different fitness 

levels and agendas are reaping the 

various benefits yoga provides. Mason 

is one of the trainers presenting the 

opportunity.

A Morale, Welfare and Recreation 

fitness instructor, Mason teaches 

a variety of classes from pilates to 

dynamic strength to stability ball 

workouts but says her main certification 

and true passion is yoga.

Yoga provides Troopers in the 

states as well as on Guantanamo 

Bay the opportunity to wind down 

while, at the same time, getting a solid 

workout. In addition, the exercise is 

used to strengthen and rehabilitate 

sport players as well as Troopers with 

disabilities of the body or mind.

Mason first found yoga when she 

was looking to tone and strengthen 

her body after accomplishing her first goal 

to lose weight. After shedding more than 80 

pounds, she felt it was time for the next step. 

While helping her keep in shape physically, 

yoga served as a form of solace during her 

husband’s two deployments. She says that 

as a wife on the home front it is one of 

the best stress relievers. After earning her 

certification three years ago, she is now on 

the other side of the studio and witnesses 

the transformations in her students.

“It is so encouraging to be able to play a 

role in people’s lives that is for the positive,” 

she exclaims. 

Mason’s class is non-purist, meaning it 

has nothing to do with religion – the yoga 

she teaches is all for health and fitness. While 

her main class is at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, she 

also teaches a class at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, 

providing a great opportunity for Troopers 

on night shifts to wind down. In addition, 

Mason teaches command physical training 

upon request. It is this factor that offers 

unlikely candidates with a new experience.

“People who have never stepped onto a 

yoga mat will walk up and say to me, ‘That 

was not what I expected, that was a great 

workout,’” she says.

Tranquil tunes, meditation and 

yoga blocks don’t sound like standard 

physical training components but low 

impact and strength training classes 

such as yoga are becoming increasingly 

popular among the general public and 

within the various services. Mason 

says she constantly finds people in the 

military with the misconception that 

yoga is simply stretching or that it is 

meant for “hippies.” 

“Many people think of yoga and 

think of chanting or Cirque du Soleil 

girls,” says Mason. “That or they don’t 

think they can even touch their toes.”

In reality, yoga can be an intense 

workout that promotes flexibility and 

agility.

Still, there is an emphasis on 

atmosphere. Mason bookends her 

classes with a clearing of the mind and 

a steady warm up or cool down.

Cryptologic Technician Interpreter 

3rd Class Meredith Mox, a regular 

attendee, says she particularly likes the 

way the class is conducted.

“I love Myah’s style of teaching,” admits 

Mox. “It’s ideally how I’ve always thought 

yoga should be.”

Each session begins by encompassing 

the class with the music and only a string 

of lights to emit a soft glow. She then offers 

each pupil a scented oil if wanted and has 

yoga

the power of
|

FeatureThe Wire | Page 13

Myah Mason stretches into a yoga pose during her Monday 

morning class at the Marine Hill gym. Mason is a Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo Bay spouse and has been teaching yoga 

on the base for approximately nine months. 
On The Deck

Inside the Jar

KEY WEST, Fla. – USS 

Spruance became the newest 

member of the Navy’s Pacific 

fleet after being placed in 

commission during a sunset 

ceremony at Naval Air Station 

Key West Saturday.

The new destroyer honors 

legendary Adm. Raymond 

Spruance, whose calm and 

decisive leadership at the Battle 

of Midway contributed to a 

pivotal American victory during 

World War II.

Vice Chief of Naval 

Operations Adm. Mark E. 

Ferguson III delivered the 

ceremony’s principal address. 

“We welcome the USS Spruance 

and her crew to the fleet,” said 

Ferguson. 

“Wherever she sails, this 

ship will honor Admiral 

Spruance’s legacy as the 

‘quiet warrior’ who displayed 

uncompromising integrity 

and a powerful intellect, while 

giving the nation victories 

at sea in time of war. “Ellen 

Spruance-Holscher, the ship’s 

sponsor and granddaughter of 

the ship’s namesake, gave the 

order to “man our ship and 

bring her to life” prompting 

the crew of 285 officers and 

enlisted personnel to run 

aboard and officially begin the 

ship’s life.

Simultaneously, the ship’s 

systems were activated. 

Movement of the ship’s CloseIn Weapons System (CIWS) 

gun, sounding of alarms, 

rotation of fire-control radars 

 USS Spruance commissioned as Navy’s newest destroyer

By David L. Hostetler

As Marines participating in 

Exercise Dawn Blitz continue 

to get their sea legs, Combat 

Logistics Regiment 17 military 

policemen got a feel for firing 

their weapons aboard USS 

Bonhomme Richard, Oct. 1. 

The differences may have 

been minor to an outside 

observer, but looking down the 

sights, the Marines could see 

their targets moving with the 

ship.

“It was an experience,” 

said Cpl. James L. Nelson, an 

MP with CLR-17. “It’s a little 

different than solid ground 

with the boat rocking on the 

waves.” 

The shooting was similar 

to growing their sea legs, 

Marine Military Police ‘shoot to kill’ aboard ship

something they have done 

recently, as this is the first 

time aboard ship for many of 

the Marines. Marines at every 

level used this chance at sea 

to refine what it takes to plan, 

embark and operate at sea, with 

the emphasis on a large-scale 

amphibious landing.

“It’s good training,” said 

Nelson. “I’m enjoying it so far 

because it’s different and it’s 

new.”

This was the MPs first 

opportunity to fire aboard 

Bonhomme Richard since they 

left San Diego, Sept. 28. 

“It was a good chance to 

throw rounds downrange,” said 

Gunnery Sgt. Dorian A. James, 

company gunnery sergeant, 

MP Company. “Shooting on 

ship is different than shooting 

on land.”

While the Marines shot their 

rifles on the starboard side of 

the ship, Sailors fired M16s 

portside. The leaders of MP 

Company had little trouble 

coordinating the shoot with 

their Navy counterparts who 

run the ship.

“We literally said ‘Hey, this 

is what we want to do,’” said 

James. “[The Navy] has been 

very supportive of our training 

needs.”

Story and photo by 

Cpl. Kenneth Jasik

The At Your Service | Wire | Page 14

and a prolonged whistle blast 

showed approximately 3,400 

guests in attendance that the 

ship was ready for service to 

the Navy and our country. 

Cmdr. Tate Westbrook, of 

Murfreesboro, Tenn., is the 

ship’s first commanding officer 

and spoke of the advanced 

weapons systems on Spruance 

and credited his Sailors with an 

outstanding effort preparing to 

operate them.

“Spruance’s crew has trained 

for years to sharpen their skills 

to employ those capabilities,” 

said Westbrook. “On board 

Spruance, through many long 

hours, they have sharpened 

their swords.”

Spruance, the 61st Arleigh 

Burke-class destroyer and the 

second Navy ship to bear the 

name, will be able to conduct 

a variety of operations, from 

peacetime presence and crisis 

management to sea control and 

power projection. Spruance will 

contain myriad offensive and 

defensive weapons designed 

to support maritime warfare 

and be capable of fighting air, 

surface and subsurface battles 

simultaneously. 

The 9,200-ton Spruance was 

built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, 

Maine. The ship is 509 feet in 

length, has a waterline beam of 

59 feet, and a navigational draft 

of 31 feet. Four gas turbine 

engines will power the ship to 

speeds in excess of 30 knots. 

Spruance will proceed to her 

initial homeport of San Diego 

Oct. 3 as the newest member 

of Destroyer Squadron 23. 

Pacific Ocean, XS-Military policemen with Combat Logistics Regiment 

17 fire their M9 pistols during a small-arms fire exercise aboard the USS 

Bonhomme, Saturday.
On the Wing

FORT LEE, Va. – Twenty-six motivated Soldiers began their pursuit of 

prestigious Army titles Monday as they completed the first challenges of 

the 2011 Best Warrior Competition.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Best Warrior is the Sergeant Major 

of the Army-sponsored event that culminates with two Soldiers being 

awarded the titles of either U.S. Army Non-commissioned Officer or 

Soldier of the Year. 

The 2011 candidates were welcomed to the competition and Fort Lee 

on Sunday during a special dinner that featured Army Sgt. Maj. of the 

Army Raymond F. Chandler III. At 5 a.m. Monday, they were standing 

on the infield of Williams Stadium with more than 1,000 advanced 

individual training students cheering them on from the stands as they 

prepared for the Army Physical Fitness Test.

Sgt. Guy Mellor, the NCO of the Year candidate representing the 

Army National Guard, would later describe that moment as a once-in-alifetime opportunity. 

To prepare for the physical demands of Best Warrior, Mellor, a 

cannon crewmember assigned to the 145th Field Artillery Battalion, Salt 

Lake City, said he maintained a steady workout regimen -- six hours a 

week and at least one hour each day -- with lots of running, pushups 

and sit-ups. 

“It takes a lot of dedication,” he said. “You have to set goals and meet 

those goals. You have to push yourself.”

The pushup, sit-up and two-mile run events begin. During the 10-

minute rest breaks between each event, the stadium vibrated with a 

cacophony of cadences, unit songs and loud cheers. 

“It’s overwhelming at times,” said Sgt. Douglas McBroom, the NCO 

of the Year candidate for the Army Materiel Command. “I’m so glad 

to be here. I’ve been training for an entire year to be here, and I’m just 

ecstatic.”

Assigned to the 690th Transportation Detachment at Fort Eustis, 

Va., McBroom said he received a lot of good advice on his way to Best 

Warrior. Fellow leaders and Soldiers encouraged him to stay motivated 

and to keep a positive attitude regardless of whether he did well or 

poorly at an event.

“It’s important to keep driving forward and focus on the next event,” 

said the native of Corpus Christie, Texas. “Just do what you know and 

hope you come out on top.”

While those words of encouragement were helpful, McBroom said 

something much more personal is pushing him to win.

“I get my biggest motivation from my mother and my grandmother,” 

Best warriors battle at Ft. Lee for top Army titles

Story and photo by Patrick Buffett

he said while pulling up the sleeve of his fitness uniform to reveal a black 

metal bracelet inscribed with two names: Michelle McBroom and Bessie 

Goode. “They’re currently battling breast cancer, but they’re doing OK, 

keeping strong and their strength give me strength. It keeps me moving 

forward.”

“Winning would mean so much to my Soldiers, my unit, my family 

and my community back home,” McBroom said. “But it’s my mom 

and my grandmother who are really pushing me forward to exceed all 

expectations. I’m just really glad to be here for them and to take all of 

this in while getting some of the best training in the world.”

With the APFT is now behind the competitors, the remainder of Best 

Warrior week includes events that will test their knowledge, endurance 

and technical expertise. On Monday, they completed a written test and 

essay, followed by a training session focused on the new Army Physical 

Readiness Test that will soon replace the current APFT. 

Other events in the week include a Soldier board where the 

competitors will face a panel of command sergeants major from several 

key organizations throughout the Army, an urban orienteering event 

where the candidates will demonstrate their knowledge of common 

warrior tasks, weapons qualification ranges, and field events where the 

Soldiers will face mock enemies in an urban environment.

Air Force leaders issue Energy Awareness message

From www.af.mil

In The Trenches

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 15

Staff Sgt. Raymond Santiago powers through the pushup 

event during the 2011 Best Warrior Army Physical Fitness 

Test Monday, at Williams Stadium, Fort Lee, Va.

energy awareness through education and 

action. The theme for Energy Awareness 

Month this year is "Power the Force - Fuel 

the Fight." 

 This theme seeks to highlight energy 

as a critical resource to capabilities and 

reminds us to focus on the impact our 

day-to-day energy decisions have on the 

mission. Energy awareness strengthens 

our capabilities and reinforces the pillars 

of the Air Force Energy Strategy: Reduce 

Demand, Increase Supply, and Change 

Culture.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Air 

Force Michael Donley and Air Force 

Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz sent 

the following message regarding energy 

awareness month to the Airmen of the 

U.S. Air Force and their families:

 Global Vigilance, Reach, and Power at 

home and abroad require vast amounts of 

energy - whether it is fuel for aircraft, gas 

for our vehicles, or electricity for space 

and cyberspace efforts. As the largest 

energy user in the federal government, 

the Air Force must find ways to reduce 

energy consumption, especially given the 

current economic environment. To ensure 

Airmen always have reliable, secure access 

to energy when and where the mission 

requires, we will pursue an energy posture 

that is resilient, robust, and ready to 

support global missions. 

 Improving our energy posture requires us 

to be smart about how energy is consumed 

in the air and on the ground. October is 

Energy Awareness Month and the Air 

Force remains committed to promoting 
The Wire | Page 16 At the Movies |

Movie Review

30 1 2 3 4 5 6

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

The Smurfs

(last showing)

(G) 8 p.m.

Fright Night

(R) 10 p.m.

Crazy, Stupid, 

Love

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Help

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Cowboys & Aliens

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

30 Minutes or Less

(R) 8 p.m.

Rise of the Planet 

of the Apes

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Final 

Destination 5

(R) 8 p.m.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

Dolphin Tale

(PG) 8 p.m.

The Help

(PG-13) 10 p.m. 

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

Army Sgt. Meredith Vincent

R

112 min.

Rise of the Planet of 

the Apes

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Fright Night

(R) 10 p.m.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Help

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Final Destination 5

(R) 8 p.m.

Dolphin Tale

(G) 8 p.m.

Cowboys & Aliens

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Change-Up

(R) 8 p.m.

30 Minutes or Less

(R) 8 p.m.

What happens when you add the 

screenwriters of “The Hangover” with the 

director from “Wedding Crashers,” toss in 

the drunk chick who barfs up piña colada 

all over Steve Carell in “40-Year-Old Virgin” 

and top it off with two of the most hilarious, 

snappy and overall humongously talented 

comedic actors working right now? 

You get a decent raunch-filled flick that 

could’ve been worse but had the potential to 

be much better. The story isn’t original, by 

any means: Two boyhood pals who couldn’t 

be more different -– Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) 

is a crude, irresponsible playboy with no filter 

on his very dirty mouth, while Dave (Jason 

Bateman) is the buttoned-up, polished lawyer 

with the perfect wife to match his perfect 

kids to match their perfect house – find 

themselves magically transferred into each 

other’s bodies after a night of consumption 

and peeing in a nearby outdoor fountain 

whilst simultaneously wishing for each 

other’s lives. Presto Freaky Friday!

Body switching comedies consistently 

rely on the same formula for wackiness: the 

freak out, the hilarity, the complications, then 

finally the Big Acceptance Moment. Without 

giving too much away, “The Change-Up most 

definitely stays within these boundaries, but, 

with the help of the filmmakers mentioned 

above, it amps up the gross factor to Farrelly 

brother-esque status. 

Honestly, the most enticing thing this 

movie has going for it are its stars. Yours truly 

probably would never have given a second 

look had it not been for the double billing of 

Bateman and Reynolds. And the beauty here 

is that you have each actor – both masters of 

the deadpan, biting retort, both known for 

their original delivery techniques – doing his 

best to imitate the other. And doing a heck 

of a job! 

Bravo to Reynolds for reigning his Van 

Wilder schtick in just enough to let the 

struggling, regretful Dave shine through, 

especially in scenes with Dave’s neglected 

wife, Leslie Mann. Reynolds gets the unique 

opportunity to play the straight man for 

once; playing Jason Batman opposite the 

man himself is no easy chore, but Reynolds 

pulls it off. 

The movie, however, belongs to Bateman. 

After years of playing “the best friend,” 

Bateman is finally getting his moment, 

and like a champ, he’s tearing it up. Watch 

as the usually-reserved, understated actor 

goes for broke in some of the movie’s most 

unforgettable scenes (My favorite in particular 

is at Dave’s daughter’s dance recital). As we 

watch Mitch morph from a soulless bad boy 

into a lovable guy-with-plans-and-stuff, so 

to are we watching Bateman transform from 

second banana to dynamic leading man. And 

I for one couldn’t be happier. 
| News you cann UUse The Wire | Page 17

Thousands of anti-Wall Street 

demonstrators, backed by organized 

labor, have massed in New York City’s 

financial district, in a protest against 

what they see as inequality in the U.S. 

economy.

Labor unions and community 

organizers joined the protest Wednesday 

to denounce unemployment, corporate 

money’s influence in politics, and the 

2008 bailouts to large Wall Street banks. 

In other parts of the United States, 

students at several colleges walked out 

of classes in solidarity.

Protesters say the United States is 

becoming a country ruled by a tiny 

financial elite, and that all but 1 percent 

of Americans are finding it difficult to 

find jobs or pay the rent.

The protest movement, known as 

“Occupy Wall Street,” began September 

17 with a few dozen demonstrators and 

have since spread to cities such as Los 

Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

In New York, more than 700 people 

were arrested last Saturday when they 

blocked traffic for several hours on 

the Brooklyn Bridge. Most were issued 

citations for disorderly conduct and 

released.

Unions, students join antiWall Street protest

Voice of America News Service

Apple Computer co-founder Steve 

Jobs has died at age 56 after a long 

illness. Tributes have been pouring in 

from around the world. Jobs was an 

entrepreneur and innovator who changed 

several industries. 

Apple chief executive Tim Cook 

called Jobs “an amazing human being, a 

visionary and a creative genius”. With 

his trademark black turtleneck shirt and 

jeans, Jobs was known a charismatic 

business leader and an innovator.

“We just try to build products we 

think are really wonderful and that people 

might want. And, sometimes we are right 

and sometimes we are wrong,” Jobs said.

Jobs had suffered from health 

problems since surgery for a rare form of 

pancreatic cancer in 2004. He underwent 

a liver transplant in 2009 but returned 

to work. He took a leave of absence 

last January, his third since his health 

problems started, but he announced in 

August he was stepping down as Apple’s 

chief executive. He stayed on as chairman 

of the board.

Apple co-founder 

Steve Jobs dies

Voice of America News Service

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says 

the international community has a “moral 

obligation” to prevent further bloodshed in 

Syria, a day after a European-drafted resolution 

aimed at curbing the violence failed at the U.N. 

Security Council.

A spokesman said Wednesday that Mr. Ban 

sees the violence as unacceptable and regrets 

that the Security Council has not come to an 

agreement on how to end it.

Russia and China vetoed a resolution draft 

written by France, Britain, Germany and 

Portugal Tuesday, sparking U.S. and European 

outrage. The measure contained possible 

references to sanctions against Syria if its 

leader pursues a crackdown on opposition 

protesters.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep 

Tayyip Erdogan said during a speech in 

South Africa Wednesday his government will 

impose its own sanctions on Syria, despite 

the resolution’s failure at the U.N. Security 

Council.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman 

Victoria Nuland said the vote does not change 

U.S. commitment to increase pressure on the 

Syrian government. She said countries will 

have to take responsibility for the decisions 

made Tuesday and any impact it may have on 

the ground in Syria.

UN chief: End Syrian bloodshed

Voice of America News Service French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé said 

France and others tried everything possible 

to propose a strong resolution that reflected 

everyone’s concerns about what he called the 

“massacring” of the Syrian people. He said 

Tuesday was a “sad day” for the Syrian people 

and the U.N. Security Council.

However, a senior aide to the Syrian 

president told the French news agency that 

Tuesday was a “historic day.” Bouthaina 

Shaaban told AFP in Damascus that Russia 

and China stood “with the Syrian people” and 

provided the time needed for the government 

to “enforce and enhance reforms.”

Syria has been using military force to crush 

almost seven months of opposition protests 

demanding an end to Syrian President Bashar 

al-Assad’s 11-year autocratic rule.

The United Nations says at least 2,700 

people have been killed in the crackdown 

against protesters and other dissidents.

Turkey has provided refuge for several 

Syrian dissidents. A Syrian colonel who found 

refuge there and heads the armed opposition 

force called the Free Syrian Army said a 

brutal crackdown last week in Rastan was an 

operation to capture him. 

Colonel Riad al-Asaad says he defected 

in July after refusing to follow Syrian 

government orders to shoot protesters. He 

says his opposition group now has more than 

10,000 defectors.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged members of the Security 

Council to take action to end the recent spate of bloodshed in 

Syria after a European led effort was vetoed by China and Russia 

Wednesday. – photo by AP
Mind, Body & Soul

Keeping your intensity:

A key factor to a great workout

GTMO Religious Services

Daily Catholic Mass

Tues. - 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 5:30 p.m.

Troopers Chapel

The Mind, Body & Soul | Wire | Page 18

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

LDS Service

Sunday 10 a.m.

Room A

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. & 5 p.m.

Room D

Liturgical Service

Sunday 10 a.m.

Room B

Church of the Sacred Well

Call x2323 for information

General Protestant

Sunday 11 a.m.

Main Chapel

United Jamaican

Fellowship

Sunday 11 a.m.

Sanctuary B

Gospel Service

Sunday 1 p.m.

Main Chapel

GTMO Bay Christian Fellowship

Sunday 6 p.m.

Main Chapel

Making it through a good 

workout always leaves me with 

a sense of accomplishment. I 

know by the end of it, physically, 

I’ve kicked my own tail, (generally 

noted by the sweat sloshing 

around in my shoes) mentally, I 

feel focused for the rest of the 

day; and emotionally, a hearty 

workout makes me feel good 

about myself. So what constitutes 

a good workout in my book? 

Intensity. For me, no better path 

exists than going full bore and 

getting the most out of every 

second of my time in the gym. 

Intensity keeps my motivation, 

heart rate and confidence high 

throughout my routines. 

Maintaining a high level of 

motivation isn’t always easy. 

Whether I’m sore, tired or 

maybe just not feeling up to the 

challenge, I always tell myself 

one thing: “You’ll feel better 

once you get going and you’ll 

feel great once you’re done.” 

For me, this mantra holds true 

time and time again. Intensity 

is a figurative form of inertia. 

Yes, I may start slow, but I keep 

active, jumping rope or doing 

any other form of light cardio 

between sets. The next thing I 

know, I find myself thinking, 

‘You can do a couple more reps, 

Pfc. Justin Pierce

see BODY, pg. 19

add another plate, run faster...’ 

and then I do. 

Pushing myself to be as 

active as possible in the gym also 

keeps my heart rate up during 

my workouts. This is especially 

beneficial, turning a simple lifting 

day into an interval-training day. 

Quite a few folks will say they 

spent an hour or even two hours 

lifting in the gym, but rarely does 

that translate into one or two 

hours of actual work. Instead of 

just sitting on a bench between 

sets, get up and be active. If you’re 

lifting for upper body, jump rope 

between sets. Your chest will 

still recoup and be ready for the 
| The Last Word The Wire | Page 19

BODY cont. 

LEPP cont. 

YOGA cont. 

next set. Furthermore, keeping 

active means your blood’s 

still pumping and your body’s 

staying warm and limber. I’ll 

often find that I’m MORE 

invigorated on my second and 

third sets just because I didn’t 

go into them cold. 

Physical benefits aside, 

bearing down on an intense 

workout also increases my 

confidence. High intensity 

keeps a steady flow of those 

feel good endorphins, keeping 

everything in a positive light. 

This confidence is where 

that little voice comes from 

– “Hey, you’ve got this, add 

more weight, knock out an 

extra set, concentrate on your 

movement,” and so on. Beyond 

just encouraging me throughout 

my gym time, this confidence 

reaffirms that I’ve gotten all I 

could out of myself. Lingering 

lifting regrets never follow me 

out of the gym. 

While it isn’t always easy 

to maintain a high level of 

intensity, it always pays off in 

the end. Know your limits and 

know to push them (safely of 

course) and you’ll find yourself 

enjoying the time you spend in 

the gym or on the track more 

and more. We train as we fight, 

so make your workout reflect 

it. 

Jones continues to push Wilson 

every week and monitors his 

progress on his day off. He 

admires that, though Wilson is a 

fast runner, he continues to listen 

and strives to improve. 

“He always comes to me on my 

off day or calls me excited, ready 

to show me what he’s improved 

on,” said Jones. “He’ll run a few 

100-meter sprints and I’ll still tell 

him where he can get better even 

though he is getting faster.”

Jones put Wilson on a strict 

regiment of dieting, running and 

weight training, followed by long 

runs to keep his endurance up. He 

enjoys the fact that Wilson takes 

in all the advice and criticism. 

“Wilson has a hard time 

TRACK cont. 

focusing sometimes,” said 

Jones. “So I get on him about 

it no matter how good he does, 

because once he can focus better, 

he’ll be even faster.”

Wilson is set to go to 

Annapolis soon for a recruit 

day where he will spend time 

with someone from the track 

team as well as learn more about 

becoming a midshipman. But 

when he returns, he will continue 

to train and remain focused. 

“It’s all about consistency, 

motivation and maintaining your 

focus,” said Wilson. “Because 

even though there may not be 

a track meet coming up, doesn’t 

mean you can’t get faster in the 

meantime.”

were divided into groups and 

with the help of volunteers, 

tasked with compiling a story of 

their own. Only fifteen minutes 

was given to create the story 

but by the end, the groups came 

up with elaborate tales of giant 

teacher-eating hot dogs and sleep 

walking banana rats.

Lepp said he has performed 

at a variety of locations ranging 

from elementary schools to 

nursing homes. He explained he 

has a set of stories and fine tunes 

them to cater to his different 

audiences. In the end, he just 

wants all in attendance to walk 

away entertained.

“I want everyone to have a 

good time, get a couple laughs 

and relieve some stress from the 

day,” said Lepp.

Following the workshop, Lepp 

performed for a general audience 

filled with Troopers, contractors 

and civilians. The aim was for 

each person to relax for an hour.

“It’s good to listen to a guy 

with a microphone tell some great 

stories,” said Dickson. “Everyone 

can use their imagination and 

laugh – it’s a good time everyone 

needs.”

Dickson explained MWR 

guests provide an opportunity 

for Troopers to have a temporary 

escape from the day-to-day 

routine and enjoy themselves.

“GTMO can be a challenging 

place to work,” said Dickson. 

“When someone comes down, 

be it a band or circus or story 

teller, it adds to the quality of 

life.”

everyone slowly work their way into the work 

out all-the-while focusing on breathing.

The base of yoga is breathing. Mason 

swears simply learning to master breathing 

itself will better a person’s fitness. Breath 

control, in conjunction with the strength and 

agility training, enhances all other forms of 

physical training, she says. 

“It improves PT,” explains Mason, 

“specifically for runners because it gives a 

fuller stride when they run and helps them 

recover afterwards.” 

Running is not the only area yoga can 

aide. For all the sports players on island, 

Mason says yoga will enhance performance 

no matter the activity. She vows it will help 

the runners run faster, basketball players 

jump higher and cyclists ride harder. She 

highly encourages scuba divers to consider 

attending as well.

“If you dive, it is a must,” she stresses. “It 

will help you save money on your air because 

you will be able to master your breathing, you 

will have the muscle memory for when you 

are diving and it will help with cramping.”

The Wednesday night class sign-in sheet 

is full of JTF sports enthusiasts and divers, 

a large number of them from the 525th 

Military Police Battalion.

Army Chaplain Capt. Garland Mason, 

525th MP Battalion chaplain and Myah’s 

husband, hears nothing but positive things 

from many Soldiers who attend.

“Based on people’s feedback, they love 

it,” he said.

Many Troopers here have long strenuous 

days in the camps and several of them carry 

over stress from previous deployments but 

the positive benefits of yoga were recognized 

long before Guantanamo Bay adopted 

the program. Nationwide yoga has been 

helping vets with and Post Traumatic Stress 

Disorder. It is a significant part of Walter 

Reed Army Medical Center’s effort to help 

servicemembers returning from Iraq and 

Afghanistan leave their wartime experiences 

behind; it also assists in rehabilitating 

amputees. While Troopers here don’t face the 

same dangers as in combat zones, the daily 

strain the guard force and JTF personnel 

endure calls for a catharsis.

“It is the very antithesis of the camps,” 

explains Chaplain Mason. “It is the opposite 

of what they have to do and see for 12 

hours.”

Chaplain Mason sees the class as an 

opportunity to be in a quiet place away from 

the uniform, drama and stress of everyday 

life. In his eyes, what someone does with 

their free time affects all other areas. A 

comprehensive take, he says, is vital to being 

physically, mentally and spiritually healthy.

“All areas of home, work and off-time 

affect each other,” he says. “So what you do 

on your off-time impacts how you perform 

at work and your family at home.”

For Mox, she says yoga helps her connect 

with herself on a new level and let go of 

tensions built up through the week.

“The class helps me find balance,” Mox 

describes. “It’s a healthy, alternative way for 

me to relax instead of using cigarettes or 

alcohol.”

Mason is glad she has already influenced 

others and is enjoying Guantanamo Bay thus 

far. She has great expectations for the rest 

of her time here and is hoping to be able 

to offer more yoga classes in the future and 

maybe create a DVD. 

“I am not sure what the future holds,” 

she says. “Maybe I will open a studio when I 

get back to the states, but for now I will give 

what I have to offer and hope everyone gives 

it a try.”
STAYING AFLOAT

United States Coast Guardsmen, attached to the Maritime Safety and Security 

Team 91110, form a human raft during water survival training at the Marine Hill 

pool, Tuesday. - photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

FENCELINE TREK

Army 1st Sgt. Brian Stuckey (left), first sergeant for the 193rd Military Police 

Company, runs the Leeward fenceline during the Marine Security Force Company 

half-marathon, Saturday. - photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

TUNING UP

Army Sgt. Vernon Harley, a power generator mechanic assigned to 525th Military 

Police Battalion, performs maintenance on a Light Medium Tactical Vehicle at 

525th MP Bn. motor pool, Thursday. - photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

TheJTF

IT’S A THREE!

Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Christopher Brooks takes a jump shot during an intramural basketball game between Omega Red and Team Shottaz at 

Denich Gym Sept 29th. - photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kilho Park