Volume 12, Issue 44 Friday, October 21, 2011

PLUS:

A New General in Town

Meet JTF’s incoming 

deputy commander

A look inside the 

JTF detainee library

In the Library:

Birthday Bash

Navy celebrates in 

sophisticated style
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 2nd Class Kilho Park

Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

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: A Sailor works inside the Joint Task Force Guantanamo detainee library. More than 

25,000 books, movies and video games are available on request to the detainees. - photo by Mass 

Communication Specialist Kilho Park

 The theme of this article is about our personal and service’s values 

based system that is the bedrock of our being, our existence, the 

military we serve. If you have read the Command Corner articles over 

the past several weeks, the themes are quite clear. Just as a reminder, 

these themes are: 1) Mission (First) – people are our most important 

assets always. 2) Band of Brothers and Sisters – we need to take care 

of each other. 3) Standard Operating Procedures – being a transitional 

and rotational force we need to follow our processes and procedures’to 

ensure mission success, and finally, 4) distractors – we all need to help 

each other to get rid of the things that keep us fulfilling our objectives 

(e.g., no discrimination, no sexual harassment, no drugs). Look at the 

consequences of alcohol and don’t cut corners.

 Our parents, family members and other significant people in our 

lives instilled a set of morals and values in us, which have shaped our 

character, our lives. We need to do what is right is all the time or we 

will embarrass our team, our nation, our families and ourselves.

As compassionate people, we are taught it is admirable to protect 

the poor, weak and disadvantaged. It is our responsibility, duty and 

honor to protect the freedoms we enjoy in our democratic system 

of government. We all took this calling to defend our nation freely 

without hesitation. We all understand in doing so we may have to lay 

down our lives for our families, friends and the great people of this 

nation.

We serve this great nation not for personal gain, but to honor our 

Founding Fathers and their ideas of keeping this nation secure and its 

people free. Even when the conditions surrounding our lives are at 

their very worst, we will give our very best in life.

We must do our best to be great parents, spouses and confidants in 

our respective families and personal relationships. We treat everyone 

with dignity and respect. Whenever we are called to serve, we will 

always be there.

I am but a mere human being, mortal in all sense of the word, but 

strong in my resolve and belief to serve. I am truly committed to my 

family, friends and country. I believe in and respect all people, races, 

religion and their existence on this earth. It is my duty to protect these 

freedoms granted by the Constitution, regardless of other’s beliefs. 

I am grateful for all servicemembers for their selfless service, 

devotion to duty and commitment. I am particularly grateful, to your 

families and friends, who allow you to serve. For truly their service 

to you (and all of us) is selfless. They’ve allowed you to miss all those

important life events – birthdays, birth of children, anniversaries, 

graduations and deaths of special people in your lives. 

I want to say thank you to my family, to your family and all our 

friends and the people of this great nation for allowing me to serve 

you. I will continue to be a humble servant, selfless, yet vigilant and 

committed to you and the freedoms we enjoy, forever! My reasons for 

serving may not be the same as yours, but each of us should be able to 

explain (at least to ourselves) our motivation for our way of life and the 

profession we have chosen. 

May God bless this command and may God bless the United States 

of America. Take care and “GEAUX TIGERS #1!” Bulldog 67 out.

Trooper to Trooper featuring

Master Sgt.

Gregg Ramsdell

Often I hear the horror stories of the Veterans Administration and the 

health care system. Since the inception of Public Law 110-81, National 

Defense Authorization Act of 2008, things have become better. I am 

not going to lie to you – there are many things that need to be enhanced 

but when it comes to health care, the VA is constantly improving. Any 

servicemember discharged from military service with a general discharge 

and above is eligible for medical care. With the current conflicts, many 

servicemembers come back and utilize their education benefits without 

knowing they can sign up for medical care. This can save you money. 

You as a veteran can use the VA as a primary care provider if you need 

to. Many do, especially retired veterans. 

 The VA offers numerous services: medical care, mental health, 

pregnancy services, trauma care, dental and non-combat services. Even 

Reserve force members including National Guard are eligible for services. 

There are a few minor caveats that must be followed:

1: Must have been discharged with nothing less than a general 

discharge.

2: To obtain Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 

Freedom status, apply within five years of your discharge. 

3: Present either DD 214, pay statement verifying service in hostile 

environment or combat medals with certificate.

 Unfortunately, these services are only for the veteran and not the 

families, although when it comes to counseling for the families, they 

are eligible as well. If various medical services are not available at your 

medical center, the VA will contract out to an appropriate specialist with 

no cost to the veteran. 

Not only is the VA helpful with medical and dental care, they can also 

assist you in employment, housing and filing for disability claims. This 

can be a challenging system so sitting together with a representative of a 

national support agency to assist you in completing your disability claim 

would be wise.

Sometimes it is hard to put your ego in check and apply for disability, 

but the longer you wait, the longer it will take and the more reasons 

adjudicators will have to deny your claim. One very important statement 

to put on any medical application with the VA, or any claim, is that you 

are an OIF/OEF veteran. We are given priority over all. 

| Trooper to Trooper The Wire | Page 3

PSEC ALERT

PROTECT YOUR INFO!

The Color Purple

Ever wonder why a purple dragon is associated with OPSEC? In Vietnam we discovered that there was 

overwhelming evidence that a relatively unsophisticated adversary had foreknowledge of our intentions. 

Counterintelligence couldn’t find any indications or information that we had spies, or that classified 

information was leaked in anyway. This is when the “Purple Dragon” team was formed. They conducted 

OPSEC surveys in South Vietnam throughout the conflict and made very interesting findings. Some of their 

conclusions found that our operations were very predictable to the enemy, and that no secret can be kept 

forever. Because of the success of the Purple Dragon team President Ronald Reagan in 1988 issued National 

Security Decision Directive 298, formally establishing OPSEC as a national policy.

J2 Operations Non-commissioned Officer in Charge

I was an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs for 16 

years and am a registered nurse and claims adjudicator. I have seen first 

hand the complications the VA can produce to servicemembers and their 

families. My objective, no matter if I am in uniform or not, is to provide 

as much information to assist others as I can. I worked for three general 

officers and assisted them in their claims after they were denied. I am 

fortunate enough to have spent some time with my old boss, who is the 

new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the transition program 

that has been instituted between the Armed Forces and Department of 

Veterans Affairs. I would be more than happy to sit down with anyone 

to assist them with any questions they may have, or guide them through 

the preliminary steps if they plan on leaving the service.
The News from the Bay | Wire | Page 4

News from the Bay: Halloween edition

Stories and reporting 

by Spc. Kelly Gary 

NEX and MWR sand 

volleyball tournament

NEX celebrates 10th 

customer appreciation

Reef Raiders host 

underwater carving

Carving evil pumpkins 

at Marine Hill and TK

Guantanamo Bay Liberty is hosting an evil 

pumpkin carving contest Sunday at 4 p.m. 

at both Marine Hill and Tierra Kay Liberty 

centers. 

The event is open to unaccompanied active 

duty servicemembers only. There will be 20 

pumpkins provided and it is first come, first 

serve. 

The top three pumpkins will be judged by 

applause and the carvers will recieve an Ipod 

dock for first place, a $25 giftcard for the Navy 

Exchange for second place and a Camelback 

for third place. 

For more information, contact Jill Lynch at 

x2010.

CYP hosts Pumpkin 

Patch at Youth Center

The Navy Youth and Child Program is 

hosting a Pumpkin Patch event at the Youth 

Center this Saturday and Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. 

to 11 a.m. The event is open to all ages and the 

entire Guantanamo Bay community. 

Free crafts, snacks and hayrides will be 

provided. Kenisha Stewart, librarian from the 

naval station library, will conduct story time at 

9:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Karen Simon, CYP director, said everyone 

can leave with a free pumpkin.

“We did this last year for the first time in 

GTMO and everyone seemed to really enjoy 

it,” said Simon. “This way we bring a little bit 

of home to GTMO.”

For more information, contact Simon at 

x2005. 

Joint Trooper Clinic 

now open evenings

The Navy Exchange and Morale, Welfare 

and Recreation are hosting the 10th Annual 

Customer Appreciation Weekend Oct. 28 

through Oct. 30.

“The Customer Appreciation event started 10 years ago,” said Mark Good, NEX 

store manager. “It has evolved from a shoe 

clinic and sale into a full-blown weekend extravaganza.”

There will be a stunt bike and skateboard 

demo at the Cooper Field skate park at 4 p.m. 

Oct. 28. Following the skate demo, live music 

will be performed by John Taglieri at the Tiki 

Bar at 9 p.m.

A 5K race is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. 

in front of the NEX, Oct. 29. After the race, 

the NEX opens at 9 a.m. for a large sale. At 

10 a.m. there will be an autograph session in 

the NEX atrium with Vans athletes. In the 

afternoon at 2 p.m., an autograph session is 

scheduled with the chefs from Diners, Drivein and Dives, followed by a Humvee pull at 

5 p.m. 

The sales will continue through Oct. 30. 

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., lunch will be served 

with food provided by Diner, Drive-ins and 

Dives chefs.

There will be more than $12,000 worth 

of gift cards and prizes given away over the 

weekend and three grand prizes valued at 

$2,500 each.

For more information, contact Good at 

x74358.

Halloween costume 

party at O’Kelly’s pub

Morale, Welfare and Recreation, in 

conjunction with the Navy Exchange’s 

Customer Appreciation Weekend, are hosting 

a Halloween party at O’Kelly’s pub, Oct. 29. 

John Taglieri will perform at 7 p.m. 

followed by Blessid Union of Souls at 9 p.m. 

At approximately 10:30 p.m., prizes will be 

given out to the best individual and couple 

costumes.

For more information, contact Aimee Mac 

Donnell at x4882.

Guantanamo Bay Liberty is hosting a zombie paintball tournament, Oct. 29, at 5:30 p.m. 

at the paintball range.

The event is free but is open to unaccompanied active duty servicemembers only. 

Sign up in advance at Deer Point liberty 

center.

For more information, contact Jill Lynch 

at x2010.

As part of the Navy Exchange and Morale, 

Welfare and Recreation weekend, a sand 

volleyball tournament is scheduled Oct. 29 to 

Oct. 31.

A coaches’ meeting will be held Oct. 27 at 

5:30 p.m. at Denich Gym. 

The tournament will be open recreation and 

four-on-four but the roster cannot exceed six. It 

will be a double elimination tournament.

“Patrons should come out to this tournament 

to play in the last sand volleyball tournament of 

the year,” said Alana Morrison, MWR sports 

coordinator. “Let’s see who has got what it takes 

to serve it up into 2012!”

For more information, contact Morrison at 

x2113.

Reef Raiders Dive Club is hosting the 

3rd Annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving 

Contest, Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 

Windmill Beach. 

All divers and snorkelers are welcome. 

All participants are asked to arrive between 

9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. with his or her own 

equipment. Pumpkins will be available at 

the beach for $5 if the participant does 

not bring their own. Judging will be at 11 

a.m., followed by a Boy Scouts of America 

cookout. Participants are encouraged to 

bring a side dish or dessert or their own 

meat or veggies to be cooked if preferred. 

All donations will go to Boy Scout Troop 

435.

Sign up is at Ocean Enterprises Dive 

Shop or through underwaterpumpkin@

gmail.com. Registration ends Tuesday at 6 

p.m.

For more information, contact Chris 

Hileman at x9831.

Beginning Tuesday, the Joint Trooper 

Clinic will be open Tuesday and Thursday 

evenings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Doors will be open to accomodate 

servicemembers working shift hours but are 

for sick call issues only. Ongoing and chronic 

medical conditions will still need to schedule 

regular appointments with a provider.

For more information, contact the JTC 

at x3395.

Liberty hosts zombie 

paintball tournament

trooper

Bullet Bio

Time in service: 11 years

Hobbies: golfing and fishing

Pet peeves: people who 

flake and sycophants 

Next goal: seperating from 

the Navy and transitioning 

into the civilian sector

Advice to junior Troopers: 

“Be patient and look at the 

big picture.”

| News The Wire | Page 5

Information Systems Technician 2nd 

Class Cesar Guzman must credit his 

grandfather for where he is today. At 19 

years old, Guzman was working a decent 

paying civilian job with up to 6o hours a 

week. That, however, was not good enough 

for his grandpa. 

“One weekend I took off to visit 

home,” remembered Guzman. “And my 

grandfather – my Pop – asked me, ‘Hey, 

what are you doing? You’re not working 

today?’ And I said, ‘No, it’s Saturday.’ And 

he looked at me and said, ‘You should get a 

real job.’ He’d always told me I should pay 

my dues.”

Pop himself is retired from the Army, 

and his words had their desired effect. His 

grandson called the Navy recruiter and 11 

years later, is now an essential part of J2’s 

logistics team. 

Guzman, a J2 supply officer, went 

without a designator for four years until 

finally settling into the communications 

field. However, here on Guantanamo Bay, 

he is working out of his element.

“I kind of got nominated for this job,” he 

acknowledged, “even though I didn’t know 

it at first.”

Army Master Sgt. Gregg Ramsdell, J2 

operations non-commissioned officer in 

charge, said Guzman took on his new role 

and never looked back.

“When I first came on board, J2 was 

looking at some serious challenges in regards 

to the logistics side of the house,” said 

Ramsdell. “Petty Officer Guzman, with no 

training, sat with me and we made a game 

plan. Logistics can be a challenging and 

sometimes overwhelming dilemma. But 

without a blink of an eye, he set out to ‘right 

the ship,’ as the Navy would say, and hasn’t 

stopped since.”

Guzman said he’s learned and seen a lot 

during his time in the Navy. After traveling 

to almost every foreign country on the other 

side of the pond and participating in at 

least three humanitarian missions, he is now 

grateful for his Pop’s prodding.

“He’d be proud of me if I was sweeping see FOCUS , pg. 19

Sgt. Meredith Vincent

focus

 Information Systems 

Technician 2nd Class 

Cesar Guzman

the floor, he’s so patriotic,” Guzman 

chuckled. “He’s definitely my role model – I 

want to be like him when I grow up.”

That strong sense of family is part of 

Boots on the Ground

What is your favorite scary movie?

“‘Saw’ – it is terrifying.”

Master Sgt.

Angelia Weldon

“‘The Grudge’ because unlike 

other horror movies, the 

monster can’t be killed.”

Builder 2nd Class

Nicholas Fox

Hospital Corpsman 

Catherine Richardson

“‘Strangers’ – it freaked me out.” “The new ‘Halloween’ movie 

because it is so much gorier 

and real than the first.”

Hospital Corpsman

3rd Class

Dominique Cannon
New Camp America post office officially opens

Story and photo by 

Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel

Just in time for the upcoming holiday 

season, Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

Troopers celebrated the grand opening of 

the new JTF Post Office, Monday, during a 

ribbon cutting ceremony.

The News| Wire | Page 6

Army Lt. Col. and J1 Director, Pamela 

Shields explained while the new facility 

does not offer increased capabilities to the 

customer, it does provide a morale boost 

for both the Troopers receiving mail and 

those working the facility.

“This new building goes a long way to 

improving the overall customer experience,” 

Shields said. “It actually looks like a post 

office you would find back in the states.”

In addition to the upgraded building, 

the new facility features a loading dock, 

making it easier for postal clerks to load 

and unload mail. As Logistics Specialist 1st 

Class Jerome Breaux explained, this was 

just one of several amenities of the new 

building.

“It’s really nice to be working in an air 

conditioned facility where the roof doesn’t 

leak every time it rains,” Breaux said.

Orderlies picking up the mail on any 

given day would regularly find Breaux or 

other members of his staff debloused and 

still sweating profusely in the old wooden 

sea hut.

Situated just some 100 yards or so from 

the old facility, it’s possible to see the plastic 

bags and tarps covering the old building as 

JTF commander, Navy Rear Adm. David 

Woods, took to the podium during the 

ceremony.

“This new facility would not have 

happened had it not been for the hard work 

and joint effort of the dedicated Troopers 

who saw this through,” the admiral 

commended.

Woods said in the short time he’s been 

JTF commander, he’s already seen the 

importance of mail and the moral booster 

it is for his Troopers.

During her remarks, Shields noted 

during her tenure – which began in midJune – the post office processed more than 

425,000 pounds of Trooper-bound mail.

Following the ceremony, a reception 

was held and guests were encouraged to 

visit the new facility.

Located just west of the Trooper Chapel, 

the JTF Post Office is open Monday 

through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 

on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

 see TEN-MILER, page 7

525th Troopers travel to DC for Army Ten-Miler competition

Story by Spc. Kelly Gary

The stone likeness of 

Abraham Lincoln sits in the 

shade of his memorial as 

thousands of Troopers and 

civilians jog past, sweating and 

tired under the morning sun. 

The pack passes the second-mile 

marker right before the Vietnam 

Veterans Memorial but they still 

have eight more to go. Some run 

for time, others for the personal 

challenge and still some run for 

their team, the Army and the 

nation. 

Rewind three months and up, 

down and around the contours 

of Guantanamo Bay, a group 

of Soldiers invest their time and 

sweat into training for an event 

which will take them through ten 

miles of downtown Washington 

D.C., accompanied by runners 

from across the country. For 

them the race has less to do with 

the clock and more to do with 

being part of a historical event 

and running with their fellow 

Soldiers.

Approximately 30 thousand 

runners competed in the 27th 

Annual Army Ten-Miler Oct. 

9 in Washington, D.C. Seven 

of those Soldiers were from 

Guantanamo Bay’s 525th Military 

Police Battalion.

Produced by the U.S. Army 

Military District of Washington, 

the Army Ten-Miler promotes 

the Army, builds esprit de corps, 

supports fitness goals and 

enhances community relations. 

All proceeds support Army 

Morale, Welfare and Recreation.

“It’s important for Soldiers to 

participate in such events,” said 

Sgt. Tracey Jackson, retention 

non-commissioned officer for 

the 525th MP Battalion, “to build 

one’s confidence and to challenge 

themselves in arenas they might 

deem to be unattainable.”

Made up of Jackson, 2nd Lt. 

Tomas Carbo, Sgt. Derek Smith, 

Sgt. Shawn Chapple, Spc. William 

Chapple, Pfc. Chad Morris and 

Spc. Vincent Delaney, the team 

trained for nearly three months 

preparing for the race with five 

competing and two alternates. 

Delaney, assistant training NCO 

Logistics Specialist 1st Class Jerome Breaux assists Joint 

Task Force Guantanamo Commander, Rear Adm. David 

Woods in raising the U.S. Postal Service flag, Monday, during 

a ceremony officially opening the new facility.

Story and photo by 

Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Ladies soccer championships settle season-long rivalry

GTMO United faced off 

against the Soccer Bombers for 

the Women’s Soccer League 

Championship, Thursday, at 

Cooper Field and Sports Complex. 

In the end, the contest wasn’t 

even close as GTMO United shut 

out their competition, 5-0.

With only three teams in the 

league, the matchup brought the 

familiarity of previous encounters 

and the opportunity to make up 

for games lost.

“We have a close rivalry with 

the Soccer Bombers,” said Karen 

Simon, a forward for GTMO 

United.

Rhonda McGee, a forward 

for GTMO United, said the two 

teams flip-flopped victories all 

season long but everyone put 

their game faces on for the last 

matchup of the season.

“We have been going back 

and forth with this team,” said 

McGee. “The last time we played 

them, we lost 3-2, but tonight 

everyone was motivated because 

it was the championship and we 

all came here to win.”

Several key ingredients made 

it possible for GTMO United to 

take the grudge match, retaining 

their championship title.

“Our forwards came through 

and scored for us while our 

defense held strong,” said Simon. 

“We just kept sending it [the ball] 

up and the speed brought us the 

goals ... that’s really our ace-inthe hole.”

Teamwork played an 

important element in the success, 

said Simon.

“We have a core group of 

players who consistently come 

out,” she said. “This has enabled 

us to better anticipate how each 

person plays.”

Simon said the team played as 

a unit and covered the field well.

“We did a lot of passing and 

looked for support when we 

needed it.”

Overcoming the hot, humid 

climate as well as the speed and 

endurance needed for the game is 

a familiar challenge, said Simon.

“We were fortunate enough 

to have substitutes and the relief 

they gave us enabled us to have 

fresh players waiting on the 

bench,” she said.

The other women’s team 

split to form two new teams this 

season, explained Simon. This 

left all three groups shorthanded 

from time to time, making 

substitutes a scarcity.

“When the season started, we 

had three teams and 11 players 

on each,” said Manley Mclean, 

GTMO United’s coach. “I’d like 

to see more ladies come out and 

play because it’s great exercise 

and a good way to meet new 

people and make new friends.”

Mclean said Guantanamo Bay 

is the perfect place to learn to play 

soccer because of all the support 

MWR provides.

“If people are shy about 

getting into a sport, now is the 

time to try it because it doesn’t 

get any better than this,” he said.

Simon summed up the entire 

experience by saying the game 

had heated moments, but at the 

end of the night everyone walks 

off the field as friends. 

| Sports The Wire | Page 7

TEN-MILER cont. 

Karen Simon, a forward for GTMO United, tries 

to slow Garona Belch’s advance during the lady 

soccer championships, Monday at Cooper Field. 

for the 193rd Military Police Company, 

said he was surprised at how much of a 

difference the training made.

“Training on hills around base really 

helped,” he said. “On Fridays we would 

all train together and we would Indian run 

for about eight miles. It takes a lot from 

you trying to keep an eight mile pace, then 

sprinting.”

The race starts and finishes at the Pentagon, 

passing by D.C. landmarks including the 

Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument 

and the Capitol Building. In addition to 

meeting new people and competing, Delaney 

said he was excited to see D.C. for the first 

time, although he was simply trying to get 

around people for the first half of the race.

“For the first six miles it was like an 

obstacle course,” he said. “I almost gave 

up when I looked at the sign and it said six 

miles.”

Among the competitors he was 

surrounded by, Delaney took special note 

of Warrior Transition Command athletes 

who were competing in visually impaired, 

blind, amputee, push rim and hand cycle 

categories.

“It was inspiring,” he said. “As we passed, 

we applauded them and toward the end of 

the race, they did the same for us.”

The wounded warriors were motivating 

but Delaney said it was encouraging to see all 

of the Soldiers taking part in the challenge.

“We are in a time of war and with the 

mission we have here, it is good to see fellow 

Soldiers doing positive things,” said Delaney. 

“Watching your battle buddy out there 

competing – he is competing for you, me, his 

team, his squad, his platoon, his company, 

his battalion for that matter. He is out there 

competing for everybody.”

Out of the tens of thousands of 

competitors, the team placed in the top 15 

percentile. Jackson agreed events such as 

the ATM are momentous for a team but 

also for the individual. 

“The most rewarding part of the whole 

experience was realizing I had become a part 

of a historical event in the United States 

Armed Forces,” she said.

Delaney and Jackson both said even 

though they may be with different 

commands, they want to compete in next 

year’s race. Delaney encourages anyone 

interested in the race to start training and 

commit. 

“[I] didn’t think it was possible – 10 miles 

and the place we came in,” he said with pride. 

“I think with proper training it’s possible for 

the next group to place even higher.”
Feature |

a

Dayat the Library

The Wire | Page 8

Feature |

|

Feature

The Wire

| Page 9

see LIBRARY, pg. 19

Shelves lined with Agatha Christie novels, Star Wars DVDS or the latest Madden 

for PlayStation 3 are items typically found in most state-side libraries. These, as 

well as 25,000 other articles including newspapers and magazines, are part of 

any library’s collection. But in the case of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, a large 

portion of those items are in Arabic or Pashto, among 16 other languages.

Around JTF Guantanamo, there are a vast assortment of military, civilians and contractors 

who play an integral part in the success of the mission. One element sometimes overlooked 

is the detainee library. Yet since 2004, the library has steadily built a considerable offering. 

“Some people look and ask why we give them, (the detainees) so much,” said Zak, 

JTF cultural advisor. “They have to realize how much we are doing for the guard force by 

keeping that detainee busy.”

Army 1st Lt. Jerome Hunt, detainee programs officer in charge, said by supplying 

detainees with these selections, the JTF is presenting them with something to occupy their 

time, which in turn makes the guard force’s job easier.

“We are here to support the camps,” Hunt said. “We provide mental stimulation for the 

detainees.”

Even though Hunt’s military staff said they enjoy their jobs, working in a library was not 

what came to mind when they initially deployed. Most of these Troopers have correctional 

and law enforcement backgrounds with three Soldiers trained as military police and two 

Sailors – a fire technician and an operations specialist. Working in the detainee camps 

seemed a likely possibility. Hunt was unsure when he received his assignment.

 “At first it was a shock,” he said. “I am in civilian law enforcement back home. They 

Story by Spc. Kelly Gary

Photos by Spc. Kelly Gary, Army Sgt Mathieu Perry and 

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kilho Park
The Wire | Page 10 Page 8 News | | News The Wire | Page 11

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel

(clockwise from right) Dressed in their finest, 

servicemembers and residents of Naval Station 

Guantanamo Bay celebrated the birth of 

the U.S. Navy, Saturday, at the Windjammer 

Ballroom. - photo by Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel

Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Mindy 

Ballman salutes during the presentation of the 

table for Sailors lost in battle.

- photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Navy Cmdr. Bruce Deschere (left) and 

Hospitalman Whitney Smith, the oldest and 

youngest Sailors in the room, cut the birthday 

cake at the Navy ‘s 236th Birthday celebration, 

Saturday. - photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Sailors with the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay 

Hospital Color Guard present the colors. - photo 

by Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel

Happy Birthday Navy!

ooking immaculate in 

dress uniforms, gowns and 

tuxedos, servicemembers 

and residents from around Naval Station and 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo celebrated the 

236th birthday of the United States Navy, 

Saturday at the Windjammer Ballroom.

The theme of this year’s celebrations 

was “U.S. Navy: Sail with pride, worldwide.” 

Talking to that, guest speaker Vice Adm. 

Michael Vitale noted some of the many 

locations Sailors were currently underway 

around the globe. 

“Around the globe, our Sailors are out 

there doing their part for the Global War 

on Terror,” Vitale, commander, Navy 

Installations Command told the assembled 

crowd.

“You are the product of many brilliant and 

dedicated men and women whose decisions 

created the greatest navy in the world,” he 

said. “Our history is chock-full of amazing 

people whose mark is written in permanent 

ink.”

Prior to Vitale’s remarks, as is tradition, 

a table was set in remembrance. Boatswains 

Mate 2nd Class and Navy Ball committee 

member Chris Pullon said it was an honor 

to be part of the POW/MIA remembrance 

ceremony.

“It’s good that we know and remember 

our heritage,” Pullon said. “And that we 

never forget those who are no longer with 

us.”

Pullon said bringing the ball together 

took months of planning and the efforts of 

many.

“This really took teamwork,” he said, 

“lots of hard work and the efforts of all the 

commands and the community on the base.”

Pullon added he was very pleased the ball 

sold out.

As the social hour wore down and dinner 

was served, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay 

Command Master Chief J.D. McKinney led 

the room in a reciting of the Sailors Creed 

and gave a brief history on the tradition of 

raising a toast. McKinney explained in days 

of old, Sailors would receive their daily 

medications in some form of grog and raise 

their glasses in a toast.

“As you can imagine, coming up with a 

toast every night of the week made for some 

fairly interesting cheers, leading perhaps to 

the most famous toast of all time,” the master 

chief began, “To our wives and mistresses.”

The crowd enthusiastically finished the 

toast – “May they never meet!” and laughter 

filled the room.

And so, around the room the toasts went 

– “To the Marine Corps, to the Army ...” 

and on they continued until Naval Station 

Guantanamo Bay Commander, Capt. Kirk 

Hibert gave the final toast – “To the Navy!”

L
Story and photo by 

Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel

The Wire | Page 12

Feature |

see GENERAL, pg. 19

Meet the

General New

ust a few weeks on the ground and 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo’s 

incoming new deputy commander 

is impressed with what he sees.

“The professionalism of this task 

force, especially from the younger 

Troopers, is just impressive,” said 

Army Brig. Gen. James Lettko. “From the 

gate guards, to those in the camps, the 

perimeter security personnel - everyone has 

been extremely professional.”

Lettko said while he’s been impressed 

with everyone in the JTF, he couldn’t help 

but think about those Troopers under 25 

years of age.

“They all volunteered after 9/11 

– whatever their motivation, they all 

volunteered.” 

A member of the New York Army 

National Guard, Lettko served as the Chief 

of Staff for the New York Adjutant General 

prior to assuming his duties with the task 

force. He said when he learned he was 

coming to Guantanamo Bay, he immediately 

began studying for the position.

“I started corresponding with General 

Nichols (outgoing JTF deputy commander, 

Army Brig. Gen. Samuel Nichols) and 

visited SouthCom several times to help 

shape my expectations,” Lettko said.

The opportunity to serve in a joint 

environment intrigued the general. J

|

FeatureThe Wire | Page 13
On The Deck

Inside the Jar

WASHINGTON – The top 

doctor for the U.S. Navy and 

Marine Corps announced the 

delivery of two mobile Magnetic 

Resonance Imaging systems to 

Afghanistan Oct. 4-7. 

Navy Surgeon General Vice 

Adm. Adam M. Robinson Jr. 

said that the delivery marked the 

end of an unprecedented medical 

equipment procurement initiative 

to deliver a first-ever MRI 

capability to a combat theater. 

The first mobile MRI 

system arrived on a mega-cargo 

Antonov AN 124 Russian aircraft 

Oct 4. Weighing more than 

70,000 pounds, the MRI and its

accompanying supplies were 

unloaded using a prime mover, 

two flatbeds, and a forklift to 

travel to its final destination at the 

Role 3 hospital at Camp Bastion. 

A second MRI was delivered to 

the Role 3 hospital in Kandahar 

Oct 7, and progress continues on 

both systems for final installation, 

prepping and testing. 

“Fielding MRIs into active 

combat theaters is unprecedented 

as both logistics and clinical 

procedures had to be created,” 

said Robinson. “The fact that 

our team was able to design, 

acquire and deliver this new 

capability to the battlefield in less 

than 12 months is a testament to 

the commitment and creativity 

Afghanistan theater receives state-of-the-art MRI Systems

Last Marines leave Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn 

The At Your Service | Wire | Page 14

of the joint medical and logistics 

teams.”

Throughout the procurement 

process, BUMED worked closely 

with Army and Air Force Medical 

Departments to address every 

element involved in fielding this 

battlefield MRI capability which 

included resolving engineering, 

logistical and technical issues 

while also working the challenges 

of transportation, personnel, 

training, shielding and sustainment 

requirements simultaneously. 

Headquartered at Fort Detrick, 

Md., NMLC is the center of 

logistics expertise for Navy 

Medicine and designs, executes 

and administers state-of-the-art 

solutions to meet customer’s 

medical material and healthcare 

needs. 

According to NMLC 

commanding officer Capt. James 

B., Poindexter III, the Navy worked 

closely with its sister services to 

field this unique MRI capability 

for U.S. and coalition forces in 

Afghanistan as part of the overall 

comprehensive approach to 

diagnosing and treating concussive 

injuries. 

“This was a complex and 

extraordinary acquisition issue 

and our team worked hard to 

field this equipment as soon as 

possible while ensuring it would 

do the job we intended it to do,” 

said Poindexter. “Taking care of 

our men and women in uniform 

close to the battlefield is our top 

priority.” 

1st Lt. Mark Lowett, Marine Corps Martial 

Arts instructor assigned to Iraqi Marine 

Training Team Three, performs a preliminary 

visual inspection of the vehicles prior to 

their departure from Umm Qasr to Camp 

Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14.

Story and photo by

 Cpl. Lucas Vega

UMM QSAR, Iraq — The last 

12 United States Marines safely 

departed Umm Qasr, Iraq to 

Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 14, 

ending the branchs’ presence in 

Iraq which began March 2003 

in support of Operation Iraqi 

Freedom.

Now Operation New Dawn, 

the 13 members of Iraqi Marine 

Training Team Three, 1st Marine 

Expeditionary Force, arrived in 

Iraq mid-May with the mission of 

training the Iraqi Marine Corps

and Navy. IqMTT-03 also included 

a United States Navy corpsman.

During the team’s five-month 

tour, they trained the Iraqi Marines 

and sailors in vehicle borne search 

and seizure, entry control point/

vehicle control point procedures, 

leadership development, 

Marine Corps Martial Arts, Key 

Leadership engagements and 

communications.

Prior to the team’s departure, 

the Marine Corps did not have any 

units left in Iraq, only this small 

training team.

“This is officially the end of 

our mission here in Iraq,” said 

Col. Eric Thomas, the Marine 

Forces Central Command Marine 

Coordination Element- Kuwait 

officer in charge, as he addressed 

the Marines during an informal 

ceremony held at the forward 

operating base. “You should all 

be proud to be a part of this day 

in Marine Corps history.”

Major operations in Iraq 

for the Marine Corps ended in 

January 2010. 

“The beginning is just as 

important as the end,” said Maj. 

Monte Powell, commander, 

IqMTT-03. “It’s definitely a 

historic event to be a part of...to 

be the last Marine team here and 

understanding the sacrifice of 

those before us.”

Powell was in charge of the 

last Marine operation in Iraq. He 

described the footprint engraved 

not only on the nation of Iraq, 

but the skills and knowledge 

forever embedded in the Iraqi 

Marines and sailors.

“The Marine Corps relationship 

with the Iraqi Marines will be an 

everlasting bond, “Powell shared 

in a media release from Third 

Army public affairs. “The Marine 

Corps warrior ethos and spirit is 

cemented with the Iraqi Marines

and they will continue to improve 

and defend the country of Iraq 

against all enemies both foreign 

and domestic.”

The Marine Corps Martial Arts 

Instructor for the Iraqi Marine 

and sailor training engagement 

was 1st Lt. Mark Lowett, an air 

support control officer from 

Marine Air Support Squadron 

Two. 

Lowett explained that a large 

majority of the Iraqi Marines did 

not have the opportunity to receive 

hands on martial arts instruction. 

However, Lowett and his team of 

training advisers were forwarded 

the chance to demonstrate a wide 

variety of martial arts techniques 

for about 100-150 Iraqi Marines 

during the 5-month tour.

“It’s important to make a 

statement to the Iraqi Marines and 

the country that we as Marines are 

leaving a positive image that they 

will never forget,” said Lowett.

The U.S. Marines trained 

Iraqi military and security forces, 

ensuring that once the U.S. 

military presence in Iraq ends, the 

nation is capable of conducting 

independent counterinsurgency 

operations, as well as being 

tactically, operationally, and 

logistically proficient.

From Navy Bureau of Medicine and 

Surgery Public Affairs

On the Wing

WASHINGTON – Legislation being considered by both houses of 

Congress could provide the Army Reserve broader authority to call up 

troops for homeland security and also allow the force to deploy units for 

operations lasting 120 days or less.

Chief of the Army Reserve Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz said last week 

that the legislation would grant authority to call up as many as 60,000 

Reservists per year from all services, for unnamed contingencies, both 

inside and outside the country. He spoke to reporters about the proposed 

expansion of Title 10 authority following a seminar Oct. 11 at the 

Association of the 2011 U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition.

“For homeland use, current law says you can only use your Title 10 

Reserve in the homeland in instances of weapons of mass destruction,” 

Stultz said, adding that the Army Reserve isn’t trying to insert itself or 

replace the National Guard. 

“There should be a logical progression, just like there is now, where 

local civil authorities respond, then the governor calls up the National 

Guard – and in 90 percent of the cases that’s all that’s needed – but in 

that other 10 percent where the state needs federal help, we’d be available 

with a lot of needed expertise,” Stultz said.

Stultz said the National Governors Association and the National 

Guard Association felt there were no issues of infringement and they 

support the Title 10 change as well.

Additionally, the Army Reserve has sought the Title 10 change to 

allow it to support operations that are usually 90-to-120-day deployments 

and would give each Reserve force commander the authority to send one 

unit for the entire duration rather than have two or three units cover 

down in that same period of time.

The general also said he was looking at creating an operational reserve 

of about 25,000 Soldiers of which 5,000 could be pulled up trained and 

ready when the country needed them. This would keep the rotational 

cycle ideal at one year out, four years back.

Legislation could expand role in homeland security

Story by J.D. Leipold

Stultz noted as budgets shrink and the force becomes smaller that 

Soldier standards will be more closely looked at, and he, like the chief 

of staff of the Army, is concerned with the possibility of automatic 

budget cuts that would kick in if there’s no agreement on the $1.5 trillion 

in federal savings by the Congressional deficit reduction committee.

“If sequestration kicks in, we don’t want to end up doing what we’ve 

done in the past where we focus on how to get people off the rolls, not 

which people off the rolls,” he said. “We don’t want to incentivize the 

wrong people to leave the service.”

“We need to upgrade the standards, and if you can’t get there, you 

can’t stay in,” Stultz said. “We have people in our formations who we 

should have already eliminated, but for lack of a clerk or motor pool 

sergeant we kept them. Let’s process these people out so we can make 

room for those we want to keep.” 

Air Force building and changing for future operations

By Mitch Gettle

In The Trenches

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 15

Samoa-based U.S. Army Reservists of Bravo and Charlie Company, 100th 

Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment, 9th Mission Support Command, brush 

up on their combat skills during weapons qualification., June 30, 2010.

establish new baselines for many functions 

across the Air Force.

The Air Force will also focus on 

providing the essential services members 

need and taking more advantage of local 

communities and the valuable services 

they provide for Airmen and their families. 

For example, some services commonly 

available on installations, but are either not 

financially viable or not often used, may be 

consolidated or closed in order to redirect 

resources to other places where Airman 

and family needs are greater, he said. 

“These are challenging times, but we 

have a unique opportunity to shape the 

future of America’s Air Force, and we are 

committed to doing everything possible 

to balance fiscal responsibility with our 

investments in our people and the nation’s 

defense,” said Schwartz. “I have no doubt 

our Airmen will rise to the challenges 

before us.”

 WASHINGTON – Changes are coming to 

the Air Force and officials are working with 

the Department of Defense to prioritize 

current and future resources as part of a 

national priority to reduce spending. 

In the spring of 2010 the Defense 

Department began a comprehensive effort 

to increase efficiencies, reduce overhead 

costs and eliminate redundant functions in 

order to improve the effectiveness of the 

DOD enterprise. 

This effort focused on reprioritizing 

how DOD can use resources to more 

effectively support and sustain the total 

force and most importantly the warfighter. 

According to the Secretary of the Air 

Force, Michael Donley, the Air Force is 

following that guidance. 

“We have been examining the full 

spectrum of operations – from base-level 

to headquarters – to develop efficiency 

initiatives that streamline and right-size the 

organization and redirect resources where 

we need them most to forge a leaner, moreeffective Air Force,” said Donley. 

Some of the consolidation and shaping 

includes organizational changes at the 

Major Command and installation level.

“Air Force organizations and installations 

of the future may not operate the same 

tomorrow as they do today,” said said Chief 

of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton 

Schwartz. “In fact, we are considering 

a restructure of AFMC – our largest 

employer of civilians – to standardize 

processes, streamline decision making and 

align missions for more effective operations. 

The new structure will focus on reducing 

overhead costs and redundant layers of 

management while largely protecting the 

command’s rank and file workforce.”

According to Schwartz, the Air Force will 
The Wire | Page 16 At the Movies |

Movie Review

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

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

Footloose

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Apollo 18

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

30 Minutes or 

Less

(last showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

Columbiana

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Final Destination 5

(last showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

The Debt

(R) 8 p.m.

The Help

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

A Dolphin Tale 

(last showing)

(PG) 8 p.m.

Shark Night

(PG-13) 10 p.m. 

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

Army Sgt. Meredith Vincent

R

90 min.

Footloose

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Apollo 18

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

The Debt

(R) 8 p.m.

Shark Night

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Final Destination 5

(last showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

Our Idiot Brother

(R) 8 p.m.

30 Minutes or Less

(last showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

The Help

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Conan the 

Barbarian

(R) 8 p.m.

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and 

say Paul Rudd is one of the most likable 

actors working today. I defy anyone to 

NOT like Paul Rudd. After proving himself 

with the bro crowd in comedy classics like 

“Anchorman” and “40-Year-Old Virgin,” 

he was soon elevated to leading man status 

in “I Love You, Man” and “Role Models” 

and has since become the master of the 

cameo in credited and uncredited roles 

alike. Ladies love him, dudes love him and 

despite producing about two or three stink 

bomb movies a year, audiences continue 

to be charmed by the affable and relatable 

Rudd.

So it’s certainly no surprise he’s cast as 

Ned, a lovable, slightly naive organic farmer 

who’s so trusting and kind that he sells 

marijuana to a uniformed cop who’s having 

a bad day. Oops. 

After a brief stint in jail, Ned returns to 

find his girlfriend shacked up with another 

guy and his dog, Willie Nelson, gone. 

Jobless, homeless and dumped, he turns to 

his siblings for support. 

If only those siblings were the supportive 

type. Unfortunately, Ned is surrounded by 

ambitious, superficial, scheming sisters, each 

of them given equal weight and each of 

them played by three fantastic actresses who 

don’t shy away from the harsh material. 

There’s Emily Mortimer as Liz, a 

squeaky clean housewife and doting mother 

who refuses to acknowledge her husband 

(Steve Coogan) is a cheating creep. There’s 

Elizabeth Banks as Miranda, a cut throat 

journalist void of empathy or compassion, 

who doesn’t have a problem cheating her 

way to the top. And then there’s the adorable 

Zooey Deschanel (another actor universally 

beloved, it seems) as lesbian Natalie, who’s 

in love with her equally adorable girlfriend 

(Rashida Jones) but can’t shake an annoying 

impulse to cheat on her, nonetheless. 

Ned crashes at each of their homes while 

he attempts to put his life back together. 

Trouble is, Ned is so sweet-natured that he 

hasn’t learned to lie, even the necessary ones 

we tell each other just to get through the day, 

and soon his truth nuggets start to implode 

on his sisters’ carefully crafted lives. Chaos 

ensues, harsh things are said and lessons on 

family and love are eventually and tenderly 

learned. 

“Our Idiot Brother” is not going to 

change the world, by any means. However, 

Rudd, in all his grinning, innocent slacker 

glory, is a pleasure to watch. You’re bound 

to know someone just like him – daffy and 

clueless yet still wholesome and genuine. 

I certainly do. And the whole time while 

watching Ned quite accidently set his 

family’s tidy lives ablaze, I kept shaking my 

head, thinking, “I know that person!”

As for the sisters, I’m so glad I have 

brothers, cause them chicks be crazy!

| News you can Use The Wire | Page 17

Visiting U.S. Secretary of State 

Hillary Clinton is expected to discuss 

peace talks and the security transition 

in Afghanistan when she meets Afghan 

President Hamid Karzai and other 

officials on Thursday.

Clinton arrived in Kabul late 

Wednesday on an unannounced visit. 

U.S. officials say that during talks 

Thursday, the secretary will press for 

a binding strategic agreement between 

Afghanistan and the U.S. that will govern 

relations after 2015 when American 

troops are scheduled to return home. 

Clinton also will preview plans for 

upcoming conferences on the future 

of Afghanistan to be held in Istanbul 

in November and Bonn, Germany in 

December.

She also is expected to discuss ties 

between Afghanistan and neighboring 

Pakistan. Both U.S. and Afghan officials 

have accused Pakistan of supporting 

insurgent groups in Afghanistan, a 

charge Islamabad denies.

The Afghan government’s peace 

talks with the Taliban have stalled since 

last month’s killing of former President 

Burhanuddin Rabbani, who had led 

President Karzai’s outreach to the 

insurgents as head of the High Peace 

Council. 

Clinton in Afghanistan for 

talks on ending war

Voice of America News Service

One wild animal remains unaccounted 

for in the central U.S. state of Ohio, after 

tigers, bears, wolves and other animals 

were set free from a privately owned 

exotic animal farm.

Sheriff Matt Lutz told reporters 

Wednesday that deputies killed 48 of the 

animals, including 18 rare Bengal tigers. 

Six animals were captured and taken to 

the nearby Columbus Zoo. Only one 

monkey remains missing.

The animals were set free Tuesday, 

when the owner of the farm opened 

their cages before apparently committing 

suicide. Deputies with high-powered 

rifles searched the surrounding area to 

track down the roaming, dangerous wild 

animals.

The former director of the Columbus 

Zoo, Jack Hanna, said the scene was like 

something from “Noah’s Ark.” Hanna 

defended officials’ decision to shoot 

and kill the animals. Sheriff Lutz said 

the shoot-to-kill order was necessary for 

public safety.

US Deputies kill 48 

roaming animals in Ohio

Voice of America News Service

Former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, 

69, has been killed in an assault by provisional 

government forces on his coastal hometown 

of Sirte.

The prime minister of Libya’s National 

Transitional Council, Mahmoud Jibril, 

confirmed Gadhafi’s death on Thursday at a 

news conference in Tripoli. He also said it is 

time for Libyans to build a new, united Libya, 

now that Gadhafi is dead. 

The United States says it received 

confirmation of the former leader’s death 

from Libyan officials.

Footage broadcast on global television 

networks showed a wounded and bleeding 

Gadhafi being carried by NTC forces who 

found him hiding in a sewage pipe on the 

outskirts of Sirte. Libyan officials said Gadhafi 

died of gunshot wounds shortly after NTC 

forces captured him, but it was not clear when 

he was shot or by whom.

The capture of Sirte comes near two 

months after forces loyal to the NTC took 

control of the capital Tripoli, forcing leader 

Gadhafi and his family to flee. His son 

Muatassim is believed to have been among 

Former Libyan leader Gadhafi killed 

Voice of America News Service those fighting in Sirte, where NTC fighters 

conducted a house to house search of the last 

areas of resistance.

The declaration of victory in Sirte is 

expected to set in motion a series of political 

moves leading to elections, a new government 

and a new constitution - a massive undertaking 

country that has had 40 years of arbitrary, 

one-man rule.

Fighting still continues in southern areas of 

the country, the vast desert regions bordering 

Niger, Algeria and Chad. But control of 

Gadhafi’s hometown provides a geographic 

as well as symbolic victory, uniting the main 

population corridor along the coast from east 

to west.

Libya scholar Ziad Akl of the Ahram 

Center in Cairo says Gadhafi forces are in a 

struggle for survival.

“The forces that are pro-Gadhafi, first 

of all, they are not politically organized, they 

are not strategically outlined, and they are 

not fighting actually to gain ground,” said 

Akl. “They are simply trying to defend the 

positions they have and stop the revolution 

from moving on and this is a time- constrained 

battle.”

Conflicting reports surfaced Thursday that deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is dead or has been captured. – photo by AP
Mind, Body & Soul

Are You Burning Up?

Signs of burnout & ways to help

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

Everyone at some point in their life 

will experience stress. This is an inevitable 

feature of the human condition. Moodiness, 

irritability, agitation, nausea, negativity and 

excessive worry are all the well-known and 

recognizable signs of being placed under 

stress. What many do not understand, 

however, is that stress isn’t always negative.

Oftentimes, stress can be positive by 

providing us the opportunity to adapt to 

new challenges, driving us to achieve our 

goals and rewarding us with a deeper sense 

of accomplishment. An optimal amount 

of stress can also provide the necessary 

foundations to undertake future stressors. 

As much as physical exercise can increase 

our strength, dexterity and flexibility, so too 

can stress be employed to harden our mental 

and physical capacity to carry out even the 

most demanding of challenges.

The military affords servicemembers 

across the globe various unique and stressful 

experiences not often found in the civilian 

world. Whether it is a permanent change of 

station or a deployment, servicemembers are 

constantly expected to adapt and overcome 

whatever may be presented to them. Given 

the competitive environment of the military, 

personal ambitions to excel or a yearning to 

prove oneself, many servicemembers willingly 

place themselves in overly demanding 

positions and take on work that pushes the 

limit of their physical and mental capabilities. 

Although increasing our responsibilities and 

workload can indeed be beneficial to our

Hospitalcorpsman 3rd Class Dominique Cannon, 

Joint Stress Mitigation and Restoration Team

see MIND, pg. 19

careers, placing an extraordinary amount 

of labor onto ourselves puts us at risk for 

burnout.

Burnout is a psychological phenomenon 

that occurs in individuals who are assigned 

(sometimes voluntarily) responsibilities 

and stressful workloads that negatively 

impact the individual’s mental health. First 

extensively researched in the 1970s, burnout 

is sometimes confused as being exclusive to 

those who work in the medical field; however, 

burnout can easily occur in anyone who lacks 

effective skills in dealing with rigorous and 

challenging circumstances but continuously 

accepts increasingly more demanding 

assignments. Consistently scrambling to 

meet deadlines, juggling numerous tasks 

at once and working long hours to meet 

organizational needs can take a serious 

toll on a person and lead to chronic health 

problems, both physically and mentally. The 

symptoms of burnout are identical to that of 

chronic exposure to stress: anxiety, excessive 

concern, insomnia, aggressiveness, loss of 

| The Last Word The Wire | Page 19

LIBRARY cont. 

GENERAL cont. 

MIND cont. 

what makes Guzman, also the father of twin 

boys and a baby girl, an exceptional Sailor, said 

Ramsdell.

“He doesn’t ask for anything in return,” 

Ramsdell said. “(He’s) a true family man with 

great values and his ability to think on his feet, 

change direction in a moment’s notice and 

willingness to actually learn and take what he 

has learned for action is a rare trait.”

With less than a year left, Guzman does not 

plan on staying in the military. He wants to find 

a job closely related to his communications 

background and see where it takes him. As 

his last official deployment, his time in Cuba 

concentration, isolation, etc. In its extreme 

form, burnout can even impact physical 

health as well, to include high blood 

pressure, acne, body aches and pains, rapid 

heart beat, headaches and constipation.

Deployed servicemembers can easily 

succumb to the effects of a burnout. Long 

hours, separation from family and friends, 

lack of peer support, living standards 

and difficulties with leadership can all 

contribute to becoming overwhelmed 

on a deployment. However, burnout can 

be managed, if not outright avoided, by 

recognizing the signs of chronic stress 

and properly controlling reactions to it. 

By effectively managing our resources, 

identifying our capabilities and limitations, 

building a strong support system, and 

delegating when possible, we can avoid a 

burnout while deployed. Easier said than 

done? The daunting task of controlling 

stress may seem impossible while deployed, 

but resources are available to assist anyone 

who may need it.

We here at the Joint Stress Mitigation and 

Restoration Team offer diverse and flexible 

resources to assist any servicemember with 

adapting to the deployed environment. 

Focusing on prevention through outreach 

and education, we seek to reduce the 

pressure of deployment in GTMO. We 

can come to you during our daily rounds 

or feel free to just walk into the clinic. 

Confidential and completely voluntary 

in most cases, our clinic is open Monday 

through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with 

no appointment necessary. Whether you 

need information on managing your stress 

or if you just want to try out our two 

massage chairs, we are here for you. 

For more information, call the JSMART 

Clinic at x2321.

For immediate needs, call the JSMART 

24-hour line at x3566.

FOCUS cont. 

will be remembered fondly, he said. He’s made 

many new friends here, but admits he will 

remember the experience probably more than 

the people. 

“I’ll miss the times, more than the 

relationships,” he said. “When you look back 

and reflect on moments you’d have with people 

you’ve hung out with, sometimes those are 

more meaningful than the actual friendships.”

Ramsdell knows it will be hard to say 

goodbye.

“(He’s) my right hand man ... my bulldog,” 

he said. “It will be a sad day in my operation 

when he rotates.”

me I was going to be running the library 

and I asked, ‘Are you sure you got the right 

person?’”

Even though it was a surprise, Hunt said 

he treats the mission with the same ardor as 

he would any other. 

“I have the same motivation and the 

same dedication [to this mission] as if I was 

back in Iraq leading troops down range,” he 

said. 

Army Staff Sgt. William Peace, a 

detainee programs librarian, said after four 

deployments he came to the island without 

expectations. 

“I try to approach a deployment with an 

open mind,” said Peace. “You never know 

what you are going to do until you get there 

and you start doing it.”

The librarians’ day entails preparing, 

delivering, returning and once again 

preparing items for the camps. In addition, 

the team does all the paperwork surrounding 

the items and classes as well as all the various 

processes that go along with detainee 

requests.

The important role the detainee library 

and its staff play improves the quality of 

life for the detainees and the guard force. 

In addition to the items, classes such as 

English, computer and art are provided 

for the detainees. Zak said the number of 

incidents involving assaults upon the guard 

force has steadily decreased as the library, 

and then the classes, were implemented. 

Fireman Technician 2nd Class Jorge 

Carpio was a camp guard himself for 

two months before he began working in 

the library. He said he saw the impact the 

librarians had from the other side of fence.

“When the librarians show up, it makes 

the detainees happy,” said Carpio. “They 

then have less time to focus on the guard 

force.”

All three men agree they want to see 

the library continue to grow in terms of 

materials and classes. Despite the different 

backgrounds and job titles of the Troopers, 

civilians and contractors of the library, they 

all work together to support the mission. 

It’s one team, one fight, said Hunt. 

“In the case of the mission here,” he 

said, “I think our ability as [Troopers] to 

assess, adapt and overcome has helped us 

to be able to do our job.” 

“I spent ten months in Iraq and two 

months in Kuwait operating in something 

like the JTF,” he said. “So being able to 

come and serve in a truly joint environment 

is an exciting opportunity.” 

Lettko said it was important for 

Troopers to know one of his key focuses 

during his tenure will be getting the proper 

tools into the hands of junior leaders.

“If they’re not successful, we’re not 

successful,” said Lettko. “I’ve always 

focused on getting the right tools to my 

junior leaders – the tools they need.”

One caveat, the general explained, if he 

doesn’t know about the problems, he can’t 

help fix them.

“Many times, even the chain of 

command doesn’t utilize all the tools 

available to them,” he said. “So issues 

like quality of life, housing, morale 

issues should all go through the chain of 

command who should use all the tools 

available to them.”

For the last several years, the general has 

called Albany – site of the New York Army 

National Guard’s headquarters home - but 

he spent the bulk of his time (17 years) in 

Buffalo and admits to being a Bills fan.

Looking into his crystal ball, Lettko said, 

in his view, the biggest challenge before the 

task force is equalizing the proper work vs. 

play balance.

“This is a no-fail mission and if 

Troopers take their liberties to excess, they 

won’t have their head in the game,” he said. 

“We’re only as good as the weakest link, so 

we have to make sure there is that proper 

balance.”

Lettko knows one of his own recreational 

activities will be taking to the waters of 

Guantanamo Bay. Already a certified diver, 

Lettko said he is looking forward to getting 

in the water and sampling some of what 

the Caribbean has to offer.

“I’ve got about 30 or so dives in and 

eager to dive out here,” he said.

But, at the end of the day, Lettko said 

above all else, his focus is the mission.
PAINTING THE TOWN

Sailors from the Chief Petty Officer’s and the First Class Petty Officer’s 

Association combined forces as part of CPO 365 to help prepare the Tierra Kay 

basketball court, Oct. 14. - photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

SNAKE EYES

Army Sgt. Ardicio Galvao (left) monitors Pfc. Kerstin Mundy (middle) and Toledo 

Zoo herpetologist Peter Tolson, Ph.D., inserting a radio transmitter into a male 

Cuban boa, at the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay veterinary treatment facility, 

October 13. - photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

TUNING IN

Navy Lt. Danyell Brenner (left) and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jesse Yeager 

bring awareness about domestic violence to the air waves at Radio GTMO on 

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, October 14. - photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

TheJTF

GETTING SOME AIR

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Dan Collumb, a medic attached to the Naval Hospital at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, catches some 

air while performing a trick at the Liberty Morale, Welfare and Recreation skate park skills competition, October 14. - photo by Army Sgt. 

Mathieu Perry