Friday, November 4, 2011

Even the pumpkins dive

A Very GTMO Halloween:

Inside

Zombie paintball

‘Contagion’

Volume 13, Issue 1
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. Michelle Coghill: 9927

Operations Officer

Army Maj. Jon Powers: 3649

Senior Enlisted Leader

Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant: 3649

 

The Wire

Executive Editor:

Army 1Lt. Amelia Thatcher: 3499

Layout Assistant: 

Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Photojournalists:

Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel

Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kilho Park

Army Sgt. Joshua Andrews

Army Sgt. Meredith Vincent

Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Spc. Kelly Gary

Contact us

Editor’s Desk: 3499

From the continental United States

Commercial: 011-53-99-3651

DSN: 660-3499

E-mail: thewire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

Online: www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

COVER: Underwater pumpkin carving puts a definitively Guantanamo spin on a spooky 

holiday tradition. -photo by Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel

We are approaching a very significant event in our Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo mission as we host the highest profile Military 

Commissions since President Barack Obama took office: the 

arraignment hearing on Wednesday for suspected USS Cole bombing 

mastermind Abd al Rahim al Nashiri. 

Gen. Douglas M. Fraser, Commander, U.S. Southern Command 

visited earlier this week and reviewed firsthand the in-depth 

preparation personnel from across the command have invested in 

making this event go off without a hitch. 

- The Commission Liaison Office Element provided a bird’s eye 

overview of the security enhancements and Camp Justice improvements 

that our USAF BEEF team and JTF Engineers have instituted. 

- He experienced the fast boat expertise and waterside security 

of the USCG Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) and their 

Expeditionary Legal Center internal security mission. 

- The JDG briefed the planning and execution of both external 

security force provided by the 107th in concert with Naval Station 

Guantanamo Security Force. He also detailed the guard force and 

escort preparation and plan for detainee handling. 

- The J2 detailed the threat intelligence and OPSEC planning in 

the operating area which was developed by all of our intelligence 

professionals across the Naval Station and JTF. 

- The J3 presented the operational plan and operational order 

which details the specifics of all mission elements. 

- The Public Affairs Office showcased the new Media Operation 

Center which is the culmination of months of hard work and effort 

by a myriad of JTF personnel. The PAO also detailed the media plan 

including a virtual tour of Camp Justice to shape expectations for the 

event and support. 

- The J6 discussed the efforts and back-up plans to ensure 

connectivity and network support for commissions. 

- Office of Military Commissions (OMC) concluded the briefing 

by detailing the courtroom arraignment procedures.

Gen. Fraser asked several questions which were adeptly handled by 

our team of subject matter experts (SMEs). He was truly impressed by 

the coordination and planning effort presented. I believe he departed 

with a confirmed sense of the entire team’s professionalism. The 

fact that he dedicated this time in his very busy four star Combatant 

Commander schedule punctuates the importance of this and future 

high profile Military Commissions events. Well done to all!

Now it is time to execute and get the appropriate return on our 

significant planning investment. We are doing the final training events 

today and this weekend so we achieve highest state of readiness 

possible. I am excited to showcase our ability to fully support the 

professional conduct of Military Commissions focusing the nation 

and the world on the events in the courtroom. Of course, we will 

do all of this while simultaneously and flawlessly executing all of our 

other mission requirements. Honor Bound! 

Rear Admiral David Woods

JTF Guantanamo Commander

photo by Mass Communication Specialist Kilho Park

Gen. Douglas M. Fraser (left) and Rear Adm. David Woods.
Trooper to Trooper

featuring

Senior Chief Petty Officer

Michael Pike

| Trooper to Trooper The Wire | Page 3

Senior Enlisted Leader, JTF-GTMO-JMG

OPSEC and Military Commissions

The military commissions are a time of increased focus on Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Naval Station 

Guantanamo Bay, and all our personnel and base residents. The military commissions are very important 

and have required much preparation and planning. While the commissions are in session, many visitors will 

be on island taking part in the commission proceedings. We must remember OPSEC in these times and use 

the “need to know” principle. Don’t talk about work outside the workplace or in unsecured areas. Protect 

sensitive information. Keep everyone safe and our operations secure. USE OPSEC! 

PSEC ALERT

PROTECT YOUR INFO!

The Joint Task Force Guantanamo mission presents some 

unique challenges for those assigned here in support of detainee 

operations. Many of us are individual augmentees or have deployed 

multiple times, and it is important to remember that not every deployed environment is exactly the same. 

As most of us know, any deployment typically involves limited 

resources, a lack of basic comforts, and separation for long periods 

of time from family and friends. 

At Guantanamo Bay, however, we actually have many of what I 

consider basic comforts. The average Soldier, Sailor or Airman has 

decent berthing and the Navy Exchange is walking distance away. 

There are swimming pools available and a bowling alley. There are 

three gyms available and many exercise classes throughout the daytime 

and evening hours. Team sports are ongoing throughout the year.

For those who don’t have a vehicle available, there is a reliable 

transportation system to get around on base, which I have used 

many times. 

Despite all of these benefits, for me taking care of my Sailors is 

the primary focus.

Reaching out is easy and takes very little time, when you compare it to the effect it can have for someone. Just saying hello and 

waving to a Trooper as they hurry past reaps great reward. Making 

eye contact and asking how they are doing, as you go through a 

security check point goes a long way. You never know what news 

from home that person has recently received, good or bad. We all 

have people back home whom we care about. 

Taking time to talk with junior personnel and joining them at 

breakfast or lunch sends a positive message that you care.

Personally, I am constantly interacting with my people, and not 

always work related. Sometimes a senior leader needs to reach out 

to his or her Troopers and touch base on things other than work 

details.

We tend to focus on the junior Troopers, and often overlook 

those who have several deployments under their belts. Taking the 

view that these Troopers can handle yet another deployment because they’ve done it before is not always correct.

We need to remember to give as much attention to these Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen.

The simple fact that they have more experience can bring up 

issues that are unique to their situations. There can be a cumulative 

effect at work on family and friends. 

There are many things that we can do to help the people we work 

with. Recognition for outstanding effort and work completed can 

be as simple as praising them in the work space for all to here, to 

more formal recognition, morning quarters, Trooper of the BUB, 

Trooper of the Quarter. 

Bottom Line! We need to remain aware at all times of how our 

fellow Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen are doing. Keep an eye on your 

buddy and keep in mind what it must be like for him or her, whether they’re brand new or well seasoned. 
It’s baseball! It’s basketball! It’s a cross between the two sports, and a very fun alternative. The game starts at 2 p.m. on the Tierra 

Kay basketball court. Teams of three or four 

can sign up the same day. Two rounds will likely 

be played. Each game lasts nine innings or 45 

minutes. There will be prizes!

Bring your own fishing pole (or borrow 

one) and your own extra food and beverages 

for this weekend’s fishing trip. Liberty provides 

the boats, captains, bait, snacks, and soda. The 

boats leave the marina at 6:30 a.m. and will return around 1 p.m.

News from the Bay |

News from the Bay

Saturday: BASEketball 

tournament at TK

By Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Saturday: Fishing trip

Go take a hike up the John Paul Jones Hill 

at Denich Gym on Nov. 8 at 6 a..m. Come for 

the fun of hiking and get the opportunity to 

meet new people and make some new fitness 

buddies. If you’re new to the island, the view 

from top of JPJ is awesome, so if you haven't 

hiked it yet, you can now go with friends.

Think you’re a real Call of Duty Trooper? 

Prove it at the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 

Tourney at Tierra Kay Liberty on Nov. 11 at 

7 p.m.

The setup will depend on how many put 

their skills to the test. Prizes will be offered to 

the top three winners!!

Did you enjoy day fishing or do you want 

to try something new? Then come down to 

the Marina for Night Fishing on Nov. 12 at 

6 p.m. The rules are the same for day fishing 

except the group returns around midnight. 

For lovers of Ultimate Frisbee or those 

who just want to have some fun, MWR is holding The Glow Disk Lateral Hazard on Nov. 17 

at 6:30 p.m. at the Lateral Hazard Disc Golf 

course. Glow discs are provided and everybody plays best hole. The top three scores win 

prizes. 

Want to have fun without alcohol? Try root 

beer pong. The concept is the same as beer 

pong just without the nasty side affects the 

next day. There will also be regular games of 

ping pong. The games will be held at Tierra 

Kay basketball court. There will be prizes for 

best scores.

A paintball tourney will be held on the at 

the paintball range on the 19th at 9 a.m.. The 

game will be a warm-up for the Turkey shoot 

out. 

Nov. 20: Paintball 

turkey shoot-out 

It may not be real hunting but it’s just as fun. 

The MWR is holding the Turkey Shoot-out on 

Nov. 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. Play Capture the Turkey and other fun paintball games.

Winners will receive gift certificates. 

 Visit us online at 

www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil/wirearchives.html

The competition starts at 8 p.m. at the 

Windjammer. Come and cheer for your favorite as 22 Troopers face off for the title of Mr. 

or Ms. GTMO. Judging categories will be based 

on age. 

There will also be door prizes handed out to 

those who attend. The grand prize is a picnic 

package including picnic basket, blanket, water 

bottles, and foldout chairs. 

A weight lifting competition will be held 

at Denich Gym at 8 p.m. There will be three 

different events that the lifters must compete 

in; squats, benchpress, and deadlift. The 20 

competitors will be divided into light, mid, and 

heavey catagories. This is the first time all three 

events will be held at once and every competitor must compete in every event. Prizes will be 

awarded to first and second place. 

Nov. 11: Call of Duty 

tourney

Nov. 17: Glow Disk 

Lateral Hazard

Nov. 18: Ping pong 

and root beer

Saturday: Ms. and Mr. 

GTMO competition

Saturday: Weight 

lifting competition

Nov. 12 Night fishing 

at the Marina

Nov. 8: Hiking up JPJ

Nov. 8: Paintball 

tourney and warm-up
| News The Wire | Page 5

By Army 1st. Lt. Amelia Thatcher

Boots on the Ground

Which would win in a race, a banana rat or an iguana?

“The iguana. Have you seen 

the way that thing runs?”

Airman 1st Class

Mario Lopez Casas

“An iguana. I’ve seen them 

jump, I’ve seen them run from 

cars and they’re really fast. 

I’ve never seen a banana rat 

run.”

Aviation Electrician Mate 

2nd Class

Dustin Hill

“A banana rat, because 

iguanas are more 

opportunity eaters whereas 

banana rats are more picky, 

so the banana rat will have 

more fight.”

Construction Mechanic

 2nd Class

John Mauck

“An iguana, but it’s just a 

guesstimation.”

Army Sgt. 1st Class

George Watkis

Bullet Bio

Time in service: 4 years

Hobbies: year-round diving, 

karaoke, volunteerism

The boss says: “He’s a 

character and our can-do guy.”

Advice to junior Troopers: 

“Stay away from alcohol and be 

smart. You don’t have to drink 

to have fun, and I haven’t had 

any bad days!”

While not on watch with the Maritime 

Safety and Security Team, Coast Guard Machinery Technician 3rd Class Michael Griffith scours Guantanamo Bay for things to 

do to keep him occupied.

“I can’t sit still,” the Massachusetts native grinned. 

In just six months on island, Griffith has 

completed commercial driver’s license training, earned his lifeguard certification, dives 

regularly with his own gear from home, and 

always volunteers to be a designated driver.

“He’s highly motivated, and a character,” 

his boss, Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ty Farrell said. “He’s a prime example 

of not having a drink and having fun. It is 

possible on this island.”

That’s not to say the mission doesn’t 

come first.

“We needed a CDL driver, and Griffith 

wanted it right away,” Farrell said. “He has 

a positive attitude and always volunteers for 

every little thing.”

“I love fixing things,” Griffith added, pointing at the trucks in the Coastie mechanic bays.

In his two years with the MSST and four 

years with the Coast Guard, Griffith has experienced nearly all of the types of missions 

associated with them.

“I’ve done migrant ops, drug interdiction, 

presidential security and significant national 

events,” Griffith said. “You’d think 

eight hours waiting around on a boat 

would get boring, but I make it fun.”

Griffith, who recently earned 

an associate’s degree in fire science, 

hopes to be EMT qualified soon after 

he leaves Guantanamo.

“I’m the son of a firefighter,” he 

said. “That’s why I joined the military.”

photo by Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

trooper focus

Petty Officer 3rd Class

 Michael Griffith
The Wire | Page 6 Sports|

The sounds of moaning and 

slow shambling could be heard at 

the Guantanamo paintball range 

Saturday as Morale, Recreation 

and Welfare Liberty held a zombie 

paintball tournament. 

MWR Liberty program manager 

Jill Lynch was responsible for this 

undead infestation and helped set 

up the event. 

“[The tournament] brings out 

those who enjoy zombie paintball or 

paintball,” said Lynch. “It just adds 

that other outlet for them to come 

out and do something different 

or fun, especially for Halloween 

weekend.” 

The rules for this battle for 

humanity were simple. If a zombie, 

marked by an orange bandana, shot a 

human in a vital area that human was 

then infected and became one of the 

walking dead. For the zombies, only 

a head shot could take them out of 

the game. The game ended when all 

the zombies were eliminated or if all 

the humans became infected. 

Seaman Louis Delk fought for 

both sides during the tournament, 

starting out as a human and 

eventually falling victim to the 

undead horde. 

“It’s pretty tiring, it’s like an 

adrenaline rush, so you get tired 

really fast because your heart is 

just pounding,” said Delk. “You 

see everyone else shooting and 

sometimes you don’t see what they 

see, so it’s kind of scary.” 

Once he became one of the 

infected, the logistics specialist’s 

mentality changed. 

“I was just shooting at every 

human who passed,” Delk said. ”I 

waited them out for a second ... for 

them to get a little closer and then I 

tore them up.” 

Although survival was the ultimate 

tournament prize, MWR Liberty 

also hid two $50 Navy Exchange gift 

cards for either zombie or human to 

find as a surprise challenge. 

“I think once they got out there, 

they forgot about the gift certificates 

because they’re trying not to get 

shot,” said Lynch. “They just came 

out for the joy of the game.”

Lynch explained the idea for 

zombie paintball came from a 

conversation about paintballing with 

a Coast Guardsman stationed on the 

island. MWR Liberty encourages 

Troopers to suggest events or 

activities they would like to do. 

 “We at the Liberty program want 

to hear what active duty members 

would like to do because we’re here 

and we’re all about them,” said 

Lynch.

In the end, the zombies lurched 

their way to victory. Fortunately 

for humanity, this outbreak was 

confined to the paintball range and 

lasted only a few brutal hours. 

By Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

photo by Army Sgt. Joshua Andrews

Hospital Corpsman Seaman Laney Smith takes cover from the zombie infestation 

at the paintball range during the zombie paintball tournament.

Troopers and zombies face off at 

paintball ranges
| News The Wire | Page 7

The Navy Exchange and 

Morale, Welfare and Recreation 

hosted the 10th annual NEX and 

MWR customer appreciation 

this past Friday, Saturday and 

Sunday. The event included 

a variety of entertainment, 

competition and food with a 

multitude of prizes. From the 

Vans skateboard and BMX 

show to the “Diners, Driveins and Dives” banquet, the 

Guantanamo Bay community 

was offered an assortment 

of experiences! MWR and 

the NEX representatives 

explained the weekend is their 

way of expressing appreciation 

and support to all military 

personnel, civilians and 

contractors on base. NEX 

store manager, Mark Good, 

measured the weekend against 

all others.

“I think it is the biggest 

event the base has every year,” 

said Good. “It is comparable to, 

if not bigger than, Christmas.”

The first NEX appreciation 

weekend was conceived on 

Guantanamo Bay, said Good. 

Navy Exchanges throughout 

the world followed suit but it 

began here on the island. All 

of the events offered a little 

something for everyone, no 

matter their interest. 

The weekend kicked off 

with a skateboard and BMX 

display from eight Vanssponsored athletes Friday at 

the MWR skate park. Kids 

and adults of all ages brought 

their own boards and bikes to 

ride around with the athletes, 

who performed an assortment 

of advanced kicks, grabs and 

big air tricks. Omar Hassan, a 

Vans skateboarder, said this is 

his third visit to Guantanamo 

Bay.

“It’s always great to have 

the opportunity to come down 

and perform,” said Hassan. 

“It is our way of showing our 

support.”

Saturday’s events began 

with a 5K run starting at the 

NEX atrium. Good said 300 

T-shirts ordered as giveaways 

were quickly depleted. First 

place for the 18-to-29-year-old 

females was Seaman Rhonda 

McGee; Lance Corporal Tyler 

Truesdale took first for the 

males. In addition to best times, 

best costume also received a 

prize. Sandy Wilson beat Petty 

Officer 2nd Class Art Ramirez 

as Boba Fett with her Alice 

in Wonderland outfit. All the 

winners were awarded prizes 

compliments of New Balance.

Before the NEX doors 

opened at 9 a.m., a line of 

eager shoppers stretched from 

the front door to nearly halfway 

around the building. The sales 

have grown exponentially over 

the past ten years; in fact, Good 

said the savings and deals when 

he came to the island in 2007 

were significantly less than this 

year.

The NEX best thing

By Spc. Kelly Gary

BMX The 5K run

Opening the doors

photo by Spc. Kelly Gary 

Van’s “Off the Wall” BMX athlete Alistar Whitton performs at 

the skate park for the Navy Exchange’s 10th annual customer 

appreciation weekend. 
The Wire | Page 8 Feature |

“When I first arrived, savings were 

around $600, 000,” he said. “This year they 

were $820,000.”

In addition to all the savings, $12,000 

worth of prizes were awarded throughout 

the three days. They came in the form of 

electronics and gift cards as well as various 

other goods. Army Sgt. Chad Hawkins won 

the $2,000 gift card grand prize.

The Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Chief 

Petty Officers Association provided 

barbeque, popcorn, baked goods and T-shirts 

for everyone in the NEX atrium. In the early 

afternoon, Vans athletes and “Diners, Driveins and Dives” chefs signed autographs. 

The evening’s festivities started with teams 

competing in a Humvee pull. 

“There were 15 or 16 teams last year,” 

said Good. “We had 34 for this weekend’s 

event.”

Winners of the competition walked away 

with iPads, second place won iPhones and 

third place received iPods.

As the sun set, the community donned 

their costumes and ventured to O’Kelly’s 

Pub. John Taglieri performed from the 

Windjammer patio with a mixture of old, 

new and original tunes. Taglieri said he was 

honored to be invited to play. 

“The reason I have this career is because 

I have the freedom to be in a bar with people 

on a Saturday night who are safe because of 

the military,” Taglieri said.

Taglieri has been working for MWR for 

two years, traveling around the world to play 

for servicemembers.

“I respect the troops more than I can 

express,” he said. “I will do anything to 

support with my music to give a little back 

O’Kelly’s Pub, Nightlife 

for all that they have done for me.”

Blessid Union of Souls followed Taglieri, 

performing such singles as “I Believe” and 

“Let Me Be the One.”

“People thank us for coming down here 

but we thank you guys for being here,” said 

lead singer Elliot Sloan. “We just wanted to 

come down and help people let loose and 

relieve some stress.”

After Blessid Union of Souls played their 

last set, contestants for the costume contest 

took the stage. The individual round had 

contenders from Reservoir Dogs to Raggedy 

Ann. The final round came down to Petty 

Officer 1st Class William Kahill dressed as 

Gumby and a clever conception of a “one 

night stand” costume complete with a lamp 

shade and romance novel. With the loudest 

applause deciding who would take first, 

Army Maj. Elizabeth Golden as the ‘one 

night stand’ won. Up next was the couples 

competition, in which Spc. Amanda Russell 

and her dog Beacon, dressed as a cowgirl and 

horse, battled three girls resembling a post 

attack “Jaws” scene. After another cheering 

match, Russell and her pup came out on 

top. 

photos by Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossell 

and Spc. Kelly Gary 

From bottom left: Rear Adm. David Woods, 

JTF-GTMO Commander, competes in the 

5K run. Blessid Union of Souls at O’Kelly’s 

Pub. John Taglieri on stage at O’Kelly’s 

Pub. Petty Officer 1st Class William Kahill 

accepts defeat from Army Maj. Elizabeth 

Golden. Michael Hardin serves Troopers 

his famous sliders.

Costume Contest
| Feature The Wire | Page 9

Sunday morning brought another day of 

sales as well as a Dance Kinect dance-off 

in the NEX atrium. This provided a unique 

competition, breaking it up by breaking it 

down. 

Navy College professor Melissa Vochell 

took third place in the 13-and-up category. 

“It was fun,” she said. “You are not relying 

on luck, you are relying on skill.”

The afternoon was filled with an array of 

signature dishes from three chefs from Food 

Network’s “Diners Drive-ins and Dives” at 

the Bayview Club. Michael Hardin, owner 

of Hodads in San Diego, Ca., cooked up 

his famous burgers, slider-style. “Stretch” 

of Grinders, one of Kansas City’s hotspots, 

served his renowned ribs and wings and 

Sarah Simington with the Blue Moon Café 

in Baltimore dished out her baked macaroni 

and cheese and assorted salads.

“We thank you guys for your service and 

you guys thank us,” said Hardin. “It turns 

into a big ol’ thank fest!”

Overall, both MWR and NEX 

representatives believed the weekend was a 

success. 

“It has been a phenomenal collaborative 

effort of all partners involved to work together 

to put on something of this magnitude for 

the community,” said Mac Donnell. “A lot of 

behind-the-scenes work helped to make sure 

everything ran smoothly.”

Dance-off and Sunday lunch
Feature | 

Think Halloween, images of 

goblins running around seeking tricks 

or treats along with spiders, witches 

and other creatures invariably come 

to mind. Also, inextricably linked to 

Halloween is the tradition of carving 

a gourd. Leave it to members of Naval 

Station Guantanamo Bay to put a twist 

on the fall event. Carving knives in 

hand, seven divers weighted down their 

choice pumpkins, waded into the ocean 

from Windmill Beach and commenced 

carving, 20 feet underwater.

“We wanted to do this to give divers 

of the community a chance to get 

together, have fun and raise money for 

the boy scouts,” said Chris Hileman, 

president of Reef Raiders Dive Club. 

“We’ve done this before off and on 

but this is the third straight year we’ve 

held this event.”

Members of Reef Raiders 

sponsored the event with members 

of Boy Scout Troop 435. Following 

the carving contest, the troop hosted a 

barbecue designed to help raise money 

to pay annual charter renewal dues. An 

Eagle Scout, Hileman is working with 

other Eagle Scouts in the Guantanamo 

Bay community to reinvigorate the 

program.

“It seemed a good fit to bring the 

two events together,” Hileman said.

One of the diving carvers, who 

preferred to not give her name, said the 

most challenging aspects of working 

with the very buoyant pumpkins was 

using the proper amount of weight.

“We went ahead and hollowed them 

out on the shore and weighted them 

down with dive weights before we took 

them down,” she said.

The carver said she and her dive 

buddies “otter-ed” them out to the dive 

spot, making it much easier to carry the 

pumpkins.

“You flip around on your back 

and carry the pumpkin on your upper 

body ... it kind of makes you look like 

an otter,” she said, laughing with her 

partners.

Visibility became worse and worse 

adding to the already difficult task of 

controlling one’s pumpkin as more 

and more divers entered the dive site,. 

For first place winner Elena Granina, 

the challenges were no matter as she 

intently focused on the task at hand.

Her efforts paid off: Granina’s 

masterpiece was the overwhelming 

crowd favorite.

While not as many participants 

were on hand as last year, Hileman 

said, given the circumstances, he was 

pleased with the turn out.

“We were going up against the 

first day of the NEX’s customer 

appreciation, so I think that had an 

impact on how many people showed 

up,” he said. “But still, overall I’d say it 

was a good event and fun for everyone 

who came out.” 

The Wire | Page 10

By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel

Pumpkins of the deep
| Feature The Wire | Page 11

photo by Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Cossel 

Elena Granina carves her award-winning pumpkin during the 

underwater carving contest. The contest attracted seven hardcore 

divers but could only boast one winner.
Feature |

photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

From bottom left: A scene from the haunted house. Michael Myers makes an ap-

pearance. 1st Sgt. Brian Stuckey,193rd Military Police Company fills the role of 

Hannibal Lecter. GTMO residents enjoy being frightened by the Haunted House. 

Haunted house raises scares, 

senior trip money

Soldiers assigned to the 525th 

Military Police Battalion, Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo played a large 

role in the W.T. Sampson High School 

graduating class’s annual Halloween 

Haunted House.

The traditional event gave Soldiers 

the opportunity to gain experiences 

outside their work environment and 

provided the needed manpower to 

facilitate a familiar seasonal activity. 

“With the exception of one 

NAVSTA Sailor and a civilian 

contractor, all the volunteers were 

Soldiers assigned to 525th Military 

Police Battalion,” said 1st Sgt. Brian 

Stuckey, senior enlisted leader with 

the 193rd Military Police Company.

With only nine seniors and 

struggling with limited resources due 

to the island’s isolation, the school 

welcomed the additional help, said 

Stuckey.

“This event wouldn’t have 

been possible without the help of 

volunteers,” said Stuckey. “If people 

would sit down and look around at all 

the activities on island, you won’t find 

one without volunteers.”

By Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Senior class president, Leah 

Williams, said the crew of 25 to 30 

volunteers spent three to four weeks 

preparing the haunted house for this 

year’s showcase.

“It’s been hard because we had 

so much work to do at first,” said 

Williams. “I wanted everything to be 

at 100 percent and it took us nearly 

a month to clean up trash, move the 

plastic around and change the rooms 

around.”

The process of improving from 

last year’s haunted house proved to be 

an easy, fluid process, Stuckey said.

“It was great working with this 

group of young adults,” he said. “We 

met with them and discussed themes, 

logistics and had a great exchange of 

ideas. We asked them how we could 

help, they told us what they needed us 

to do and we made it happen.”

Preparing the haunted house was 

no small task due to chores left behind 

from previous years.

“There was a considerable amount 

of work that had to be done this 

time,” said Stuckey. “We had to do 

a lot of cleaning up after last year’s 

event and the routes and routines had 

to be changed up.”

 see HAUNTED on page 19

The Wire | 

Page 12
| Feature The Wire | Page 13

what iseid?

Halloween and Thanksgiving aren’t the only 

fall holidays being celebrated at Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo. Sundown on November 6 begins 

the Islamic holiday of Eid ul Adha, which traditionally marks the hajj.

The hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, is obligatory 

of all Muslim men and women who are mentally, 

physically, and financially fit to make the journey 

at least once in their lifetime. Muslims from all 

walks of life and every corner of the globe assemble there to commemorate the divine rituals 

observed by the Prophet Abraham and his son 

Ishmael.

This is the same Abraham in the Christian 

Bible, as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are 

all Abrahamic religions. Peace is the dominant 

theme of the pilgrimage, which also serves 

to remind those assembled that they will all 

be equal before God, or Allah, on the day of 

judgment.

Those who do make the hajj should also 

visit the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed at 

Madena, but it is not required to complete 

the hajj. Several million people travel to 

Mecca each year during this holiday season, 

marking one of the single largest annual 

religious gatherings in the world.

Here at Guantanamo Bay, the Muslim 

servicemembers’ community will begin 

the day with the Eid prayer at 9 a.m. at the 

main chapel sanctuary and then gather for 

a feast meal.

special to the wire

by zak, strategic cultural consultant
The At Your Service | Wire | Page 14

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — U.S. 

European Command officials sent two 

C-130J Super Hercules loaded with cots, 

blankets, sleeping bags and hygiene kits to 

north eastern Turkey, Oct. 29 to aid victims 

of a recent earthquake there.

The C-130Js from the 86th Airlift Wing 

departed Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to 

deliver the supplies to the Van region of 

Turkey, that was affected by a 7.2-magnitude 

earthquake Oct. 23. More than 500 people 

were killed and about 2,300 people are 

injured. 

“The earthquake in Van really hit a couple 

of areas hard, but it is great to be able to 

help our friends,” said Laird Treiber, of the 

U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. “Turkey is 

a long standing ally, and they have helped us 

out in the past, so it feels good to be able to 

help them.”

The flights were the first of several 

planned. In total, EUCOM officials plan to 

deliver approximately 1,700 blankets, 2,600 

cots, 275 sleeping bags, and 350 tents and 

heating units. 

“We are always ready,” said Lt. Col. Patrick 

Driscoll, from the 37th Airlift Squadron and 

an aircraft commander. “This humanitarian 

aid mission is a great example of the strong 

partnership that exists between our two 

nations.”

Venomous toads threaten Camp Kinser, Okinawa

OKINAWA, Japan — About 570 cane toads 

have been captured at the Marine Corps base 

since August, signaling a population boom 

since the invasive amphibian was first spotted 

on the U.S. Army’s Torii Station about a year 

ago, according to the Marine Corps and the 

Japan Ministry of Environment.

When threatened, the cane toad secretes 

a milky toxin that has been known to kill 

pets and be painful — though rarely fatal 

— for humans. The large brown toads also 

decimate indigenous animals and insects and 

have proven extremely difficult to eradicate 

in other areas where it has been introduced, 

including Australia and Hawaii.

“They are great threat to the island’s 

ecosystem,” said Shintaro Abe, deputy chief 

of the wildlife division in the Naha Nature 

Conservation Office of the Ministry of 

Environment. “We must stop the spread at 

any cost.”

Cane toads are easy to identify because 

they are light to dark brown and larger than 

other species of toads and frogs, about 4 to 

6 inches long, Abe said.

They can be harmful to small children 

and pets, especially dogs, could die if they 

eat the toads or even grass that has touched 

the toxin, he said.

The appearance on Camp Kinser has 

Marine Corps Installations Pacific and 

Japanese environmental teams scrambling 

to eliminate the current generation of toads 

before they mature and begin breeding next 

spring.

Each toad can lay from 10,000 to 30,000 

eggs during breeding and mature toads are 

rapacious eaters that devour anything that 

can fit into their mouths, including insects, 

snails and crabs, according to the ministry.

The Marine Corps said Tuesday it is 

“collecting and destroying this invasive 

species” at Kinser and “inspecting potential 

breeding areas in hopes of minimizing 

population growth.”

The service said it first informed the 

Japanese government that it had discovered 

the toad in August.

So far, the spread of the cane toad on 

the base remains a mystery, according to the 

Marine Corps consolidated public affairs 

office on Camp Foster.

“It has not yet been determined how the 

invasive species arrived on the island or on 

Camp Kinser,” the Marine Corps said in a 

statement Tuesday. “Records have not been 

found of this species of toad on any other 

Marine Corps installation.”

The ministry said the one toad found last 

year on Torii Station is considered an isolated 

incident, and the Army has confirmed there 

have been no other reported sightings since 

then.

Meanwhile, Kadena Air Base said Tuesday 

it has not found any of the toads there.

In recent years, the cane toad has infested 

the remote southern Okinawan island of 

Ishigaki after being introduced to protect 

sugar cane from insects.

The population of up to 50,000 toads 

on Ishigaki has alarmed the Ministry of 

Environment and triggered fears that the 

pests could threaten endangered species 

on nearby islands such as the Iriomote wild 

cat.

In th e f i g ht

Airmen deliver aid to Turkish earthquake victims

By Travis J. Tritten and Chiyomi Sumida

Stars and Stripes

By Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson

U.S. Forces in Europe Public Affairs

MIAMI — The crew of the Coast Guard 

Cutter Confidence, a 210-foot medium 

endurance cutter homeported in Port 

Canaveral, Fla., offloaded 2,300 pounds of 

marijuana and 886 pounds of cocaine at 

Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla., Tuesday.

The contraband was interdicted during two 

separate cases since Oct. 14.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter 

Gallatin, a 378-foot high endurance cutter 

homeported in Charleston, S.C., spotted a 

30-foot go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea 

Wednesday. A Gallatin boatcrew interdicted 

the vessel with 2,300 pounds of marijuana 

onboard and transferred the contraband to 

the cutter Confidence.

A Coast Guard Law Enforcement 

Detachment (LEDET) from Tactical Law 

Enforcement Team South in Opa Locka, Fla., 

patrolling aboard the USS Carr boarded a 

160-foot Bolivian-flagged freighter northeast 

of Panama Oct. 14. Upon inspecting the 

vessel, the LEDET discovered 886 pounds 

of cocaine. The contraband was later 

transferred to the cutter Confidence.

C o ast t o c o ast

USCG captures 

drug caches

By 7th District Coast Guard Public Affairs

United States Coast Guard

On the Wing

photo by Stars and Stripes

Cane toads, while not particularly poisonous to humans, pose an environmental 

hazard to the island surrounding Marine 

Corps installation Camp Kinser.
| At Your Service The Wire | Page 15

WILBRAHAM, Mass. — Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick mobilized the 

Massachusetts National Guard late Saturday evening in the largest 

single-state response to a rare October snowstorm that dumped nearly 

two feet of snow in areas of central and western Massachusetts.

About 392 Guard members are on duty in Massachusetts after 

the storm, with about 40 on duty in Connecticut and a dozen in New 

Hampshire, according to National Guard Bureau officials.

In Massachusetts, the Guard is assisting the Massachusetts 

Emergency Management Agency in general relief efforts across the 

commonwealth. 

Soldiers and Airmen were called to state active duty to provide 

support to civil authorities in response to the winter storm conditions 

in order to save lives, prevent further injury and protect critical 

infrastructure.

The Massachusetts National Guard is providing disaster response 

to the citizens of the commonwealth in the aftermath of the October 

snowstorm. Priority will be to communities in the higher elevations 

of Berkshire, Franklin Hampshire, and Worcester counties. The 

Guard also is closely monitoring coastal communities in anticipation 

of high tidal surge. 

“Massachusetts National Guard Soldiers and Airmen stand ready 

to assist the citizens of the commonwealth. I know the dedicated 

men and women of the Massachusetts National Guard are eager to 

put their training and skills to good use,” said Army Maj. Gen. Joseph 

C. Carter, adjutant general. 

The Massachusetts National Guard’s Task Force Patriot is 

providing command and control of Soldiers, Airmen and equipment 

from the 51st Troop Command, 151st Regional Support Group, 

126th Brigade Support Battalion, 211th Military Police Battalion, 

101st Engineer Battalion, 65th Public Affairs Operations Center, 

104th Fighter Wing, 102nd Intelligence Wing and the 267th Combat 

Communications Squadron.

Guard mobilizes after severe October snowstorm

on the ground

By Army Lt. Col. James Sahady

Massachusetts National Guard

Navy researchers fire 1,000th shot on lab railgun

ARLINGTON, Va. — Scientists at the Naval 

Research Laboratory (NRL) hit a materials 

research milestone in the Office of Naval 

Research’s (ONR) Electromagnetic Railgun 

program when they fired a laboratory-scale 

system for the 1,000th time Oct. 31. 

“A significant amount of development 

has been coming out of NRL to support 

the program,” said Roger Ellis, ONR’s 

Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) program 

officer. “It’s a key piece of making railgun 

successful.” 

The EMRG is a long-range weapon that 

launches projectiles using electricity instead 

of chemical propellants. Under development 

by the Department of the Navy for use 

aboard ships, the system will provide Sailors 

with multi-mission capability, allowing them 

to conduct precise naval surface fire support, 

or land strikes; cruise missile and ballistic 

missile efense; and surface warfare to deter 

enemy vessels. 

“The weapon does all its damage because 

of its speed,” said Dr. Roger McGinnis, 

program executive for ONR’s Naval Air 

Warfare and Weapons Department, which 

oversees EMRG. 

“EMRG will provide the Department of 

Defense with an advantage in future conflicts 

by giving troops the ability to fire weapons 

inexpensively against targets,” McGinnis said. 

As part of the EMRG development 

program, ONR and NRL co-funded scientists 

at NRL to build and operate a 6-meter 

long, 50 mm diameter railgun as a subscale 

experimental lab at the Materials Testing 

Facility. After improving the gun’s sliding 

armature and rails, the lab has fired an average 

of 300 shots per year since 2008.

A railgun launches projectiles by generating 

magnetic fields created by high electrical 

currents that accelerate a sliding metal 

conductor, or armature, between two rails. 

“The 1,000th shot is testing new ideas of 

how the armature interacts with the rails,” 

said Dr. Robert Meger, head of NRL’s 

charged particle physics branch, which 

conducts about 30 experiments annually 

on the railgun. Following each test firing, 

researchers dismantle the gun to examine all 

the components. They slice up the rails for 

further analysis under a microscope to reveal 

surface damage. 

During the course of firing all 1,000 

shots, NRL scientists have experimented 

with a variety of materials and geometries 

to determine which ones can withstand the 

metal-melting temperatures and pressures 

of shooting a 1.5-megajoule energy weapon. 

One megajoule of energy is equivalent to a 

1-ton car traveling at 100 miles per hour. 

Since 2005, scientists have been working to 

increase the railgun’s barrel life, muzzle energy 

and size. Ultimately, their work will help to 

produce a 64-megajoule railgun with a range 

of about 220 nautical miles. 

“You really have to look at the course of 

our understanding from the first day they shot 

to the 1,000th shot today, and how much our 

understanding of the rail life has dramatically 

increased, and how much science we have 

applied,” Ellis said. 

By Grace Jean

Office of Naval Research

photo by Staff Sgt. Jerry Saslav

Army National Guard Spc. Seth Tuper, a combat engineer, 379th 

Engineer Company, 101st Engineer Battalion, Massachusetts Army 

National Guard, directs traffic around a tree that had fallen on 

Springfield Street in Wilbraham, Mass.

O n T h e De c k
The Wire | Page 16 At the Movies |

Movie Review PG-13

106 min.

“Contagion” is pretty much everything 

you would expect from a film of its premise. 

When I first looked at the theatrical poster 

for “Contagion,” I was reminded of the 

disaster movie posters of the 1970s. Those 

posters didn’t really tell you much of anything 

beyond the theme of tonight’s disaster and 

they boasted a laundry list of big-name 

stars inside their own picture boxes. Many 

of those films were over-hyped B-grade 

attempts to capitalize on previous disaster 

films. “Contagion” somewhat follows suit, 

but with few original twists in terms of style 

and execution.

The film opens with Beth Emhoff 

(Gwyneth Paltrow), a Minnesota-based 

marketing director, returning home after a 

business trip to Hong Kong. Before leaving 

Hong Kong, she was exposed to a lethal 

new virus. During a layover in Chicago, Beth 

cheats on her husband Mitch (Matt Damon), 

and unleashes the deadly virus there. 

In just days, the airlines unwittingly 

transport the fatal virus around the world. 

In the following weeks, people are dying by 

the millions. Some of the problems that crop 

up from the outbreak include funeral homes 

refusing to perform services for these victims 

(fearing exposure to the virus), running out 

of body bags (though more might be coming 

in from Canada) and people are being buried 

in mass graves. 

Government agencies, scientists and 

pharmaceutical companies work to isolate 

the virus and develop a vaccine for it. Even 

if they are successful, the time necessary 

for mass production and distribution of the 

vaccine would take several months to years. 

The film chronicles the epidemic from 

various perspectives from many characters, 

with no one person as the main character. 

These people range from average folks 

like victim-widower Mitch and his teenage 

daughter to the people tracking the threat like 

Dr. Cheever (Lawrence Fishburne) with the 

Centers of Disease Control and Prevention

Director Steven Soderbergh overall 

succeeds in making a realistic take on public 

health and scientific response to a pandemic. 

Soderbergh addresses several situations 

including mass panic, borderline anarchy, 

corporate and personal agendas, ethics (in 

spades), government conspiracies (as alleged 

by the popular blogger Alan Krumwiede, 

played by Jude Law) and the quest for a 

resolution to crisis. 

For a film with such an ensemble cast 

of top-name players, you can’t help to want 

them to do a little more than comment on 

the new pandemic, wonder how to stop it 

and how to survive it. The viewer doesn’t get 

to know the characters as people at all. They 

simply exist to take the audience from Point 

A to Point B and nothing more. Take the 

case of the Matt Damon character: Both his 

wife and step son die within hours of each 

other during the plague’s initial outbreak. For 

a double-whammy loss, Damon sure seems 

somewhat devoid of any emotion about 

losing half his family in one grand sweep. 

All he wants to do is be released from his 

 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU 5

Downtown

Lyceum*

Camp 

Bulkeley

*Starting next week, movies at Downtown Lyceum will be at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Call 4880 for more information.

4 6 7 8 9 10

I Don’t Know 

How She Does It

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Drive

(R) 10 p.m.

Puss in Boots

(PG) 8 p.m.

Don’t Be Afraid 

of the Dark

(R) 10 p.m.

Columbiana 

(last showing)

(PG) 8 p.m.

Don’t Be Afraid 

of the Dark

(R) 10 p.m.

I Don’t Know 

How She Does It

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Drive

(R) 10 p.m.

Columbiana 

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Footloose

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Our Idiot 

Brother 

(last showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

Warrior

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Footloose

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Our Idiot 

Brother 

(last showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

Warrior

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

No movie: 

Caroline Rhea 

performs

9-10 p.m.

Contagion

(R) 8 p.m.

The Debt

(R) 8 p.m.

By Mass Communication Specialist 

1st Class Ty Bjornson

 see MOVIES page19

contagion
| News you can Use The Wire | Page 17

WASHINGTON — Researchers studying 

troops’ respiratory problems released 

findings Monday that suggested poor air 

quality in Iraq and Afghanistan may be a 

bigger threat to servicemembers’ long-term 

health than exposure to toxic smoke from 

burn pits. But they caution that their work 

still leaves many questions unanswered.

The report, requested by the 

Department of Veterans Affairs and 

conducted by the Institute of Medicine, 

found that particulate matter in the air 

around the infamous Joint Base Balad burn 

pit at the height of the Iraq War included 

dangerous particulate matter that could 

cause long-term respiratory illnesses.

But the researchers said that likely came 

from background sources – “windblown 

dust combined with elemental carbon and 

metals that arise from transportation and 

industrial activities” – and not the burn 

pit’s toxic smoke. With that factored in, 

the study found no additional threat from 

the plastic, metal and other waste being 

burned in the waste fires.

However, study authors were quick to 

point out that those conclusions aren’t 

meant to prove that working and living 

around burn pits was safe. Researchers 

complained that air-quality monitoring 

data supplied by the Defense Department 

was limited in usefulness, and only gave a 

partial picture of what chemicals troops 

may have been exposed to.

The authors recommend a followup study of the health records of troops 

stationed at Balad, both before and after 

the burn pit was phased out in 2009, to 

better determine what long-term risks they 

face.

Earlier this month, a study in the Journal 

of Occupational and Environmental 

Medicine suggested that defense and VA 

researchers begin using the term “Iraq/

Afghanistan War Lung Injury” for the 

high rates of respiratory illnesses among 

returning troops. But that research also 

didn’t isolate whether the problem was 

from the frequent use of burn pits or other 

environmental problems in the war zone.

Burn pit study 

inconclusive on 

health effects, 

however, their 

usage still not 

proven safe

PORT-AU-PRINCE, 

Haiti — Nearly two years after 

a 7.0 earthquake hit its capital 

city, Port-au-Prince, Haiti 

is rebuilding. Slowly. Forty 

percent of the international 

aid money that poured into 

the island has still not been 

distributed because of the 

disorganization within the 

government that followed the 

quake. Now, a government 

under musician-turnedPresident Michel Martelly 

and newly-confirmed Prime 

Minister Garry Conille is 

grappling with the task. 

Haiti’s president lives in 

the elite suburb of Peguyville, 

where some walls are painted 

in the pink and white colors 

of his campaign. The 

wealthy neighborhood shares 

its sidewalks with the poor, 

left homeless after the 2010 

earthquake.

Just down the road is 

Port-au-Prince. The quake’s 

impact - evident here too. 

The rubble. The foundations. 

The open drains. Nearly 

everything waits for repair. 

The Haitian Presidential 

Palace shows just how much 

rebuilding needs to be done. 

It looks the same as it did 

nearly two years ago. And, 

directly across from the 

Palace is a tent city. 

After the earthquake, 

more than a million Haitians 

moved to public parks, set up 

a tarp and called it home. Six 

hundred thousand still live 

in these tent cities. Why? 

It’s a question for Haiti’s 

President.

“How do you lure 

businesses here when the 

first thing they see when they 

come out of the airport is a 

tent city, the first thing they 

see at the presidential palace 

is a tent city?” VOA asks.

“That’s not all that Haiti’s 

about,” notes Martelly. “Once 

you leave Port-au-Prince, 

you see a lot of things. You 

see beauty, you see wealth, 

you see a rich country with 

humongous possibilities.”

To show off those 

possibilities, President 

Martelly flew some builders 

north of Port-au-Prince - 

to find land for 3,000 new 

houses. But it’s been a slow 

process since the quake 

shattered Haiti’s infrastructure 

and destroyed 17 of 18 

government ministries. 

“But up until now 21 

months after the earthquake 

we find the people’s living 

situation has not changed 

at all,” noted Ghemps 

Desauguste who is with a 

group demanding land and 

houses now.

The Martelly 

administration says it takes 

time.

“We are trying to identify 

homes first for these people, 

so they walk out of a tent and 

go into a home,” Martelly 

explained.

There are new, prefabricated houses for sale 

in Haiti. But even at a price 

of only $5,000, builder Jean 

Mark Louishomme says tent 

city residents cannot afford 

them.

“They can’t, they can’t,” he 

emphasized. “But the NGOs 

or government can buy this 

and build them for them.”

That’s not the 

government’s plan, though. 

President Martelly invited 

VOA to join his presidential 

motorcade into the central 

plateau of the country, where 

the government will build 

affordable housing. He 

says it’s a major step toward 

Haitian independence, and 

away from foreign loans.

“We will change this 

country. I’m determined. 

The people of Haiti want a 

better life,” Martelly said.

The president admits there 

is much to be done. It’s a 

country where in 35 seconds, 

in a 30 square kilometer area 

- 300,000 people died.

Haiti rebuilds slowly 

under new government, 

prime minister

By Leo Shane

Stars and Stripes

By Carolyn Presutti

Voice of America News Service

photo from Voice of America

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille took office last 

month as tent city resident continue to struggle.
Whichever phrase you prefer, say “thank 

you” often and do so with a sincere heart. In 

doing so you will be blessed to be a blessing.

Mind, Body & Soul

A time of thanks, kindness, and appreciation:

and many ways to express it

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

November is a month of gratitude. That 

is not to say we aren’t grateful the rest of the 

year but with Turkey Day approaching we 

are reminded to be especially thankful for a 

host of people or things from the past year. 

Various faith traditions teach us to be thankful. 

For instance, from Judeo-Christian writings 

we may read, “I will give thanks to you Lord, 

with my whole heart; I will tell you of your 

marvelous works.” This is a great opportunity 

to take time to reflect on the blessings and 

growth you’ve known in the past months. 

On a more specific note, how do you 

express your appreciation for that which you 

have received from others? I’m old-school 

when it comes to receiving a service or 

kindness from another. I say “thank you” in 

return. It is not only polite but also expected 

that one responds with an expression of 

sincere appreciation. Simply said, it is the right 

thing to do for them and for me.

How about you? Perhaps the military 

has provided you travel opportunities. On 

foreign soil you may have learned various 

phrases from the host people. In particular 

you may have learned to say “thank you” in 

their language even though it might be a tad 

clumsy rolling off your tongue. Making an 

effort to use another’s language usually brings 

a smile through which they know you are truly 

making an effort to express appreciation for 

their service or kindness. The following are 

a few examples of saying “thank you” taken 

from a blog written by Rick Bravera. You may 

have encountered some of these on your own 

travels. Match the language with the phrase 

for “thank you very much.”

By Navy Cpt. Bradley Thom

JTF-GTMO Chaplain

German

Filipino/

Tagalog

French

Hawaiian

Arabic

Italian

Japanese

Spanish

“Mahalo nui loa”

“Merci beaucoup”

“Domo arigato”

“Grazie mille”

“Muchas gracias”

“Shukran gazillan”

“Danke shoen”

“Salamat”
| The Last Word The Wire | Page 19

quarantine and go home to his daughter. 

With the world is such upheaval, I noticed 

no one in “Contagion” sheds one tear over 

this international viral crisis, nor do they tell 

anyone “I love you” during this trying time. 

Visually, “Contagion” is a relatively dark, 

grim and colorless film to look at. This 

provides the atmosphere of a constant sense 

of dread throughout. Cliff Martinez’s music 

score, tonal in its approach, is appropriately 

foreboding without any grand themes. It 

serves as an ample narrative to underscore the 

seriousness of the global dilemma at hand. 

“Contagion” is well-made, yet it comes 

across as a strangely bland film. Despite its 

craft, it feels remorseless and devoid of any 

personality. The acting is top-notch, yet the 

characters feel underdeveloped. The slower 

pacing and a lack of a satisfying climax will 

likely draw complaints by some viewers. 

Maybe those items aren’t necessary in a film 

like this, but I couldn’t help but want a little 

more by the time all was said and done. 

MOVIES cont. 

He said the hard work was worth it 

because the community showed a lot of 

support for the seniors.

“The community’s response was 

amazing,” said Stuckey. “We received help 

in the form of parents as chaperones and 

parking guides to providing a cookout and 

feeding the crew. There was even a 10-yearold who got into character as a zombie.”

Stuckey said the best part of the 

experience was the respect given to the 

seniors by the community.

“It was just good, clean fun and we didn’t 

have to deal with any jerks,” said Stuckey. 

“Some people simply wanted to support 

the senior class and they just showed up 

and donated money without ever going 

into the haunted house. It was great to see 

members of the community giving these 

17 and 18-year-olds the respect of being 

adults.”

The previous two years averaged about 

$1,200 during the fundraiser, Williams 

said.

“This year our goal was $2,000 for the 

senior class trip,” she said. “We almost 

reached that during the first week and we 

finished at around $3,000.”

Getting your unit to Guantanamo: 

Is it the journey or the destination?

The last word

Whatever you heard or read about what 

your job might be before getting here, 

whatever you knew or thought you knew 

about your particular job as you stepped off 

the ferry, it was all speculation. Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo is like no other work 

environment you will ever encounter. Each 

of us needs to change in some way to meld 

to our professional environment as quickly 

as possible in order to be the most effective 

troop we can be. 

A key element of JTF-GTMO change 

is the handoff of responsibility between 

departing and arriving units. Considering all 

personnel work a “no fail mission,” a sloppy 

or half-hearted handoff could create a lot 

of problems for both elements that ripple 

throughout the camp, even the station.

As the incoming unit to a small shop, 

each of my Soldiers worked closely with the 

person whom we are replacing, as much as 

we could, for a full week and were shown 

and/or guided through the various steps 

necessary to be brought aboard to do our 

jobs. All of the questions we prepared to 

ask were answered, and many answers were 

handed to us before we knew we needed to 

or were going to ask. Yet one day on our 

own, when something that wasn’t brought up 

by either unit is learned by chance or happy 

accident, someone in our group (including 

me) will mutter “that would have been nice 

to know.”

Therefore, from the day your unit gets 

boots on the ground, take note of all these 

things which “would have been nice to 

know.” The unit behind you will certainly 

be able to use this information to their 

advantage and improve the mission which 

we are all responsible for, before, during, and 

after its undertaking.

Each handoff for everyone at JTFGTMO will not be exactly the same as the 

one they went through. The key contacts 

you start with will change more than once 

before the new group arrives so prepare 

to instruct the newbies on the need to stay 

fluid in relationship building. Indeed, as 

commissions move forward SOPs, policies, 

and even some office locations and collateral 

duties will change even if you are in midprocess of your own handoff. What was 

solid information yesterday is not always 

correct information today and becomes a 

“that would have been nice to know.”

So what do we do in a case like that? 

Do we gripe and moan about what we 

weren’t told or do we pack it in our sack 

of knowledge and move on? We do one 

better; we make a change. Take the time to 

list the questions you wish you had known 

to ask and be prepared to answer them for 

the group that comes in behind you. Rest 

assured, when your change comes in the 

next rotation, because of the high tempo of 

operations, the group behind you will still 

mutter at some point “that would have been 

nice to know.”

Semper Gumby!

By Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant

HAUNTED cont. 
SUNDAY LUNCH

Sarah Simington serves Troopers at the NEX’s 10th Annual Customer 

Appreciation’s Sunday lunch. 

MAD HATTERS

Halloween partygoers show off their costumes and creativity during the 

concert and contest at O’Kelly’s Pub.

OFF THE WALL

Van’s Off the Wall BMX athlete Alistar Whitton chills out after performing at the 

skate park. 

TheJTF

PULLING TOGETHER

Marines from the Marine Corps Security Force Company pull a Humvee during the NEX’s 10th Annual Customer Appreciation’s Humvee 

Pull Competition.