Capt. W. Andrew Docherty

Chief of Staff, JTF Guantanamo

Taking care of our people is one of our top priorities. Whether it’s making 

sure everyone has shelter during destructive 

weather or preventing destructive behavior, 

there are actions we can take to help ensure 

our team members stay safe.

Destructive Weather

Today marks the start of hurricane season, so Joint Task Force Guantanamo needs 

to be ready to respond on short notice if a 

destructive weather system 

develops and heads our way. 

We’re currently at Condition 

of Readiness (COR) V – 

meaning readiness for the 

arrival of weather with winds 

exceeding 59 mph within 96 

hours (COR IV is 72 hours 

prior, COR III is 48 hours 

prior, etc). Larger and stronger storms will also require 

us to correspondingly take more significant 

steps to increase safety for our personnel and 

reduce damage to our facilities. Anyone who’s 

been through a hurricane knows that even a 

Category 1 or 2 storm, with winds of up to 

110 mph, will be an incredibly destructive 

force against the expeditionary construction 

of many of JTF’s housing units, office buildings, and storage facilities. We need to be 

ready because of that vulnerability.

 If a destructive storm approaches, each 

of us will be assigned preparation-related 

tasks in accordance with our Destructive 

Weather Plan – until 24 hours prior to the 

storm (COR II), when all roads will be 

closed and all personnel will be required to 

remain in their pre-assigned shelter locations. 

Before the storm, commands and directorates will be issued shelter assignments, and 

the mayor/warden system will be used to 

ensure we maintain 100% personnel accountability throughout the event. Once you’re 

at your assigned shelter location, it will be 

essential that you remain in place; all hands 

are reminded to build your fly-away hurricane basket now, with extra clothes, hygiene 

items, prescription medication, snacks, etc. to 

last up to three days. J4 will ensure all shelter locations are stocked with water, Meals 

Ready to Eat, and cots.

Destructive Behavior

Despite efforts to educate, 

train, lead, and mentor, JTF is 

still faced with the very real 

and very destructive threat 

of sexual assault. In the past 

few months alone we’ve had 

All Hands briefings by Rear 

Adm. David Woods, “Sex 

Signals” training, newcomers’ briefs, many hours of unit-level training, 

and engaged leadership at all levels. Anything 

other than zero assaults is unsatisfactory. We 

can – and we will – get better at protecting 

Troopers – our most important asset – and 

punishing those who perpetrate this criminal 

behavior.

Next week (June 5 to 6) we will hold 

two very important sexual assault prevention training sessions called “No Zebras/

No Excuses” at the Downtown Lyceum. 

Among other topics, this training will provide an understanding of bystander behavior 

and what they can do as individuals to reduce 

incidents of sexual assault. This training is 

mandatory for all personnel not on watch. 

All of us have a role in preventing sexual 

assault and there are no valid excuses for 

missing this training.

Cc

ommand

orner

Joint Task Force

Guantanamo Safe Humane Legal Transparent l l l

JTF Guantanamo

Commander

Rear Adm. David Woods

Deputy Commander

Brig. Gen. James Lettko

Sergeant Major

Sgt. Maj. Scott Smith

Office of Public Affairs Director

Navy Capt. Robert Durand: 9928

Deputy Director

Air Force Lt. Col. Laurel Tingley: 9927

Operations Officer

Army Maj. Jon Powers: 3649

Senior Enlisted Leader

Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant: 8141

The Wire

Command Information Officer

Army 1st. Lt. Amelia Thatcher

Editorial Staff

Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Spc. Ryan Hallock

Spc. Vanessa Davila

Pvt. Loren Cook

Photojournalists

Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Army Staff Sgt. Lewis Hilburn

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Kilho Park

Webmaster

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Keith Simmons

Contact us

Editor’s Desk: 3499

Commercial: 011-5399-3499

DSN: 660-3499

E-mail: thewire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

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

 The Wire | Page 2 Command Corner

Cover: The Guantanamo Bay community hosted Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba (SUDS) May 24-29, 

opening local waters to seven wounded warriors seeking dive certification. Accompanied by stateside and 

local instructors, the visiting divers use scuba as therapy for their combat injuries. –photo by Chris Hileman

Taking care of our 

people is one of our 

top priorities, and 

there are actions 

we can take to help 

ensure our team 

members stay safe.

News from the Bay

News from the Bay The Wire | Page 3

INDEX

The Wire

June 1, 2012

Don’t be an anti-Dentite

Honoring the fallen

S*U*D*S*

Carmen Deedy visits Cubans

MBS: Chaplain services

Movie: Battleship

The WIRE is the official news magazine of Joint Task Force 

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

inform and educate the Troopers of JTF Guantanamo through 

news, features, command guidance, sports and entertainment. 

This DoD news magazine is an authorized publication for the 

members of the Department of Defense. Contents of The 

WIRE are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed 

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

Task Force Guantanamo. It is printed by Defense Logistics 

Agency Document Services with a circulation of 1,300.

5

7

8

10

12

14

Leeward bicycle ride

Do you love to ride your bicycle? Eager 

to see some parts of the base you don’t normally get to see? Looking for a bit of exercise 

on a Saturday morning? Go on a pleasant 

cycling ride from Marine Observation Post 

20 to Marine Observation Post 03! Meet at 

Marine Hill White House tomorrow at 7 a.m. 

Transportation to Leeward is provided. 

For more information, call Staff Sgt. 

Tucker at 2643.

Talent show

The Burns and Roe Leaders League is hosting “Kabayan Nights,” a talent show featuring 

singing contests, live bands, good food and more.

The talent show is scheduled for June 2, from 

8 p.m. to 12 a.m. at Mabuhay Garden. For more 

information, call 90548.

Guantanamanian Idol!

Do you long for the roar of a cheering 

crowd? Got an interesting talent? Show it off 

at “GTMO’s got Talent!” You can even show it 

off to Simon, Randy and Paula... impersonators, 

anyway.

Auditions are scheduled for June 2 from 

5-9 p.m. at the teen center, next to Marblehead 

Lanes. Semifinals and finals are scheduled for 6-8 

p.m. June 3 at the Downtown Lyceum. Jovany 

Javier, a semifinalist from Season 10 of American 

Idol, will hold a meet-and-greet at the auditions 

and host the semifinal and finals, in addition to 

performing.

So start on the road to GTMO stardom and 

sign up! This free event is open to all ages and 

acts! For more information, call 77230.

Health fair

The U.S. Naval Hospital will hold a Summer 

Public Health Fair in the NEX Atrium. The fair 

is scheduled for June 3 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The fair will provide information on health and 

safety issues.

Varsity Blues

Looking for softball stardom? MWR’s varsity 

softball team is looking for players just like you, 

and will be holding tryouts for the team June 16 

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

to active duty servicemembers 18 years of age 

and older.

If you are interested, get a registration form 

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

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

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

the tournament in Key West.

For more information, call 2113.

Track meet

MWR will hold a track meet June 9 at 7 p.m. 

Registration is free and open to everyone 13 and 

up. The first 25 to register receive a free T-shirt. 

Register by June 6 at Denich Gym.

For more information, call 2113.

Night golf

Don’t enjoy golfing during a nice, sunny 

day? The Yatera Golf Association is sponsoring a night of glow-in-the-dark golf June 

16. 

Sign up at the NEX Breezeway June 2 and 

3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $25. 

Cart and glow-in-the-dark golf balls are 

included.

Don’t mail lithium 

batteries

Customers may not mail or receive electronic devices containing lithium batteries, 

including equipment with non-removable 

batteries, to or from any APO, FPO, and 

DPO offices.

For more information, call 2156.

Let’s go bowling, dude

T he summer bowling league at 

Marblehead Lanes will have a meeting June 

4 at 6 p.m. to organize the Monday Night 

Mixed Fun League. Teams consist of four 

bowlers. Individual bowlers are invited to fill 

out teams. For more information, call 2188.

Relax!

Learn to do as Frankie Goes to Hollywood 

did before you, and relax. The Fleet and Family 

Support Center is holding a stress management class June 5 from 2-4 p.m at the FFSC 

building. For more information, call 4153.

Join a bowling team!
Trooper to Trooper

Encouragement in the Workforce

The definition of “encourage” is to give support, confidence or hope. We can 

all remember a time when we were encouraged more than we were talked down to. 

When we apply this definition to situations 

at work, we increase morale, give Troopers 

a vote of trust and confidence, foster more 

cooperation, and we spur one another on 

toward good deeds. At the same time, an 

encouraging word motivates Troopers 

with courage, confidence, and hope. I have 

heard the saying “one word of encouragement in times of failure is worth more than 

one hour of praise after success.” What 

Troopers need more than anything is a person to come alongside them in those times 

of failure or mistake and encourage them 

for their efforts. This will keep their selfconfidence intact, even though they may 

have failed. When they know there is someone who truly cares in their corner to urge 

them on , they will strive to do their best in 

all situations.

At some time we have all acted strong 

or tough to mask our negative emotions 

and reactions from a mistake or slip-up we 

have made. This is when we need to help 

our Troopers persevere. Whether it is a high 

five with a “good job!” or just a smile with 

a handshake, they will believe that they can 

achieve great things. Seize the opportunity 

given and make the most of the moment by 

boosting and lifting that Trooper back up. 

This does wonders for their self-confidence 

in any future situations they’ll encounter.

Here are a few ways to be an “encourager” on duty. Recognize Troopers who, 

after making a mistake, improve their efforts. 

Reassure those Troopers after a setback or 

failure with a simple pat on the back or a 

“that’s not the first time that has happened.” 

Be a positive influence all the time. Accept 

Troopers as they are. Encourage them and 

let them know you notice their efforts. Last 

and maybe most complimentary, if you see 

someone doing an excellent job, send a note 

of commendation to their supervisor making them aware of the hard work you have 

witnessed from their Trooper.

Once you have put these techniques into 

practice, offering encouragement will be 

more natural. The encourager receives the 

benefit, as well as the encouraged, of seeing the value in making others feel good. 

The more you practice the better you will 

get, and more than likely it will spark a positive environment. Sooner rather than later 

you will be comfortable offering encouragement and will find other avenues to help 

one another succeed.

PSEC ALERT

PROTECT YOUR INFO!

Keep work at the workplace

Do you have a notebook in your pocket that has information about work? Things like watch rotations, 

important phone numbers or people to notify in the event of an emergency? How about a copy of our 

standard operating procedures? This information is important to know and studying it can help you to 

remember. This information is sensitive so it’s better to read at work and commit it to memory rather 

than write it down or take a copy with you. The less information you take from the workplace, the less 

likely it could end up in a trash can, dumpster or be disclosed to people without the need to know. Use 

OPSEC and keep sensitive work documents at the workplace.

Senior Master Sgt. Robert Aebersold

BEEF Senior Enlisted Leader

 The Wire | Page 4 Trooper to Trooper

By Sgt. 1st Class Kryn P. Westhoven

Command Information The Wire | Page 5

Open wide and say wow!

GTMO dentist’s career takes second

chance on active duty

Many words can describe the first impression of Cmdr. Bruce Green, Navy 

Dental Corps. Calming would be one of 

them. Calm is a word not generally associated 

with dentistry; anxiety might come to mind 

first.

It is anxiety that breeds fear as you lie on 

your back staring at the ceiling of the Joint 

Trooper Clinic. A masked man with a bright 

light on his forehead approaches with tools 

most would think should not be in a mouth.

Dr. Green knows of this psychological 

anguish from his youth. It formed the foundation of how he practices dentistry. You 

could say the tooth pain he experienced as a 

child has allowed the JTC to gain an excellent 

dentist.

 “I knew there had to be a different way 

of doing this [dentistry], and I have spent my 

entire career trying to find a little bit of a different way,” said Green. “I think it has to do 

with my own personal mindset, to treat patients as I would like to be treated.”

Green graduated Louisiana State University in 1988 and entered private practice in 

New Orleans, a city he has called home since 

he was six years old. He wanted to join the 

military coming out of LSU, but family issues 

prevented him from fulfilling his dream of 

serving on active duty. So he opted for parttime blue and joined the Air Force Reserve.

Drilling at the Naval Air Station Joint 

Reserve Base in New Orleans for 11 years 

is where Green got his first taste of Navy 

dental services. After years of lamenting not 

having served full-time, Green’s wife told him 

if he was serious about working as a full-time 

Navy dentist then he should sell his practice 

and join active duty.

In 1999 Green sold the comforts of a successful dental office and began working as a 

contract dentist for the naval support activity. 

“Probably the greatest risk in life is never 

having taken one,” commented Green on his 

move towards his dream of serving full-time 

in uniform. 

Since he was already drilling with them, 

Green asked the Air Force about entering active duty. He would be met with disappointment as he was told he was “too old” to join. 

He shared that disappointment with his Navy 

boss, who told him to give the Navy a try. 

Within an hour a recruiter was at his desk.

 “This was the absolute last minute I could 

do this,” said Green. “If I missed this opportunity, I would never have it again.”

So in 2001, at age 46, Green made the 

jump into active duty. 

“I don’t look at the Navy as a second 

choice; that is not the case,” said Green. “I 

wanted to serve; I really wanted to serve.”

This began a new career that has included 

three years in Okinawa, Japan, whereupon he 

deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Marine Corps 

Logistics Group. 

“I always had the deepest admiration for 

the Marine Corps and I got to live that part 

of my dream,” he said.

Green was back in New Orleans as the 

dental department head at Naval Air Station 

in Meridian, Mississippi when he got the call 

from the director of dental services at Pensacola Naval Hospital. The Navy dentist attached to the JTF had broken an arm, and 

Green headed to Guantanamo Bay in December 2010 to finish the three months left 

on his assignment.

Once he returned, Green told his supervisor that JTF was a “really necessary mission” 

and several months later that same director 

recalled that conversation. Green was back 

on a rotator in September 2011 for a ninemonth deployment.

“A lot of my mission is caring for patients 

that have some minor dental problem crop 

up during their stay,” said Green, who believes dental care is a quality of life concern. 

“People need to be reassured that their dental 

health is not deteriorating.”

Green sees exams, fluoride treatments 

and dental cleanings as very important. He 

is proud that with a limited staff at the Joint 

Trooper Clinic dental office they can offer 

those preventive services.

Green’s chair-side manner shines when he 

provides a play-by-play description of what 

he observes during the examination. 

“I just felt like even I in the past had been 

guilty of not educating my patients, not explaining to my patients in terminology that 

everybody will understand,” said Green.

“Explain while working and answer a 

question later” is Green’s motto. 

“Patients are more at ease and are more 

motivated,” said Green, adding they understand why to use certain oral hygiene techniques, especially flossing.

 “People fear the unknown,” said Green, 

who believes the discussion is an important 

element. “Yes, they may still be a little fearful, 

but not so much.”

Green is proud of his tour as leaves the 

island tomorrow. 

“I kind of get misty-eyed,” he said as he 

spoke about people he worked with and the 

privilege to provide health care services to 

Troopers serving here.“I feel like one of the 

luckiest men on the planet... I wake up every 

day knowing that for me, I have the best job 

in the world.”

And that job is getting better for Green 

as his next assignment is dental department 

chief aboard the U.S.S. Eisenhower. Being 

underway is another experience on his to-do 

list.

“If you do what you love for a living, you 

will never work a day in your life and that is 

me,” Green said. “I am living that. I live that 

life daily; I really do.”

Super 

Troopers

Congratulations to the 

Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo Troopers 

who recently received 

commander’s coins! 

SSG Nickles 

LS1 Winegar 

LS2 Refalo
By Pvt. Loren Cook

Feature The Wire | Page 7

Carrying the fallen

Honoring the fallen for Memorial Day takes many forms: placing flowers on graves, attending services in the 

cemetery, lowering the national flag to 

half-mast until noon, and so on.

Here at Guantanamo Bay, MWR 

observed Memorial Day in typical GTMO 

fashion by holding a 10k race. In recognition of Memorial Day, parts of the course 

were lined with flags honoring Marines, 

Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, and Coast 

Guardsmen who have died in support of 

Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation 

Enduring Freedom.

Army Sgt. Major Callie Leaver, command sergeant major of the Joint 

Detention Group, went a step further in 

observation of Memorial Day. She and 

four other Georgia National Guardsmen 

pinned cards to themselves, honoring 

their fallen comrades.

Each card had a picture and a short 

biography of the Soldier being honored.

“I saw it being done at the 9/11 run 

last year, and I thought it was a good 

idea. Since we’re here in support of 

Operation Enduring Freedom, we decided 

to carry cards honoring those from the 

Georgia National Guard who have died in 

Afghanistan,” Leaver said.

Although the cards were light, those 

who wore them bore the heavy burden 

of remembering those who had made the 

ultimate sacrifice.

Army Sgt. Larissa Pillay, an intelligence 

analyst with the 170th Military Police 

Company, was eager to honor the fallen 

during her run and carried two cards; one 

pinned in front and one in back.

“I was excited to be able to honor 

somebody that gave their lives for all of 

us,” said Pillay. “It’s important that we 

don’t forget about those who gave their 

lives.”

Leaver also carried two cards. One honored a Soldier who wasn’t in the Georgia 

National Guard, but whom she knew.

“Spc. Ryan King was a family friend,” 

Leaver said. “His parents went to church 

with me, and I knew him before he ever 

joined the military.”

King, a native of Dallas, Ga., was 

killed in a firefight in Kunar Province, 

Afghanistan, in 2009. He was 22 years old.

“Ryan’s mother called me immediately 

after the casualty officer told her,” Leaver 

said. “I was at least able to stand by her 

and hold her hand during the rough 

times.”

For Leaver, the dead being honored 

at Memorial Day are much more than 

American flags next to old gravestones. 

They are men and women who had lives 

and families.

“If Ryan were alive today, he would 

have run in a race like this. He was a great 

young man,” said Leaver. “He always 

wanted to be a Soldier, and he died doing 

what he wanted.”

So while Memorial Day is a great day 

for seeing family and friends, having barbecues, and enjoying a three-day-weekend, 

that is not its purpose.

“It’s not just a day for barbecues. I 

think everyone should take at least a 

moment on Memorial Day to think about 

those who sacrificed so much, and sometimes everything, to give you the freedom 

you enjoy,” Pillay said.

“It’s great to be able to enjoy some 

quality time with your family and eat 

some good food, but it’s very important 

to remember the meaning of Memorial 

Day,” Leaver said. “This is the time to 

remember those who have fought for our 

freedom, and the family and friends who 

were left behind.”

Georgia National Guardsmen honor 

fallen comrades in Memorial Day 10K

Left: Sgt. 1st Class Undrey Bostic, Army 1st 

Lt. Luis Mendez, Army Sgt. Major Callie 

Leaver, Army Sgt. Larissa Pillay, and Sgt. 

1st Class Joshua Conwell pose with cards 

honoring fallen comrades from the Georgia 

National Guard. –photo by Pvt. Loren Cook

“Staff Sgt. Anderson is a great Trooper because he never gives up and keeps striving to get 

the job done.”

taff Sgt. Anthony 

Anderson has lived 

in the same small 

Missouri town his 

entire life. He is the 

third g eneration 

owner of the salvage 

yard his grandfather 

opened about 60 years ago. There is nothing wrong with being a simple man and 

Anderson doesn’t seem to have an issue 

with being perceived that way but behind 

the relaxed, soft-spoken man is a smart 

businessman.

 “There’s a lot involved in the business. 

You’ve got to know a whole lot of stuff, not 

just only the different types of metals you 

have to ship out,” Anderson said. “People; 

you’ve got to know people.”

The businessman has been with the 

Missouri Air National Guard since 2010 but 

before that he was with the Army National 

Guard for almost 10 years. He has been on 

several deployments and he says the hardest thing about it all has been being away 

from his family. Anderson is a through-andthrough family man. Everything he does 

always ties back to his family somehow; 

including his business.

“I like being able to plow my own route. 

The harder you work the better you’re going 

to be off. You’re relying on yourself and 

not anybody else. I worked in a factory for 

two years...I can be more family oriented 

and take time off when I want [now],” said 

Anderson about going from working for 

someone to being his own boss.

Anderson left his wife with the task of 

running the business while he is here at 

Guantanamo. He said she is doing a great 

job.

“She didn’t know anything about the metals and stuff, but she graduated from college 

with a business degree,” said Anderson about 

his wife. “She’s handled it pretty well. She’s 

taken it far and beyond what I’ve done.”

Anderson plans to do his 20 years with 

the military and he also plans to stay in business. Will the salvage yard be inherited by the 

next generation? It’s up to the family man’s 

children. Anderson said he won’t pressure 

them to take over; it will be their decision.

Trooper Focus

Hobbies: Duck hunting, drag racing, 

spending time with family

Time in service: 11 years

Advice to junior Troopers: “Keep up on 

your CDCs (Career Development Courses). 

It will help you advance in whatever job 

field you’re in.”

Bullet Bio

By Spc. Vanessa Davila

If you could make a movie, what would it be about?

Staff Sgt. Anthony Anderson

Boots on the Ground

“An action movie like 

‘The Expendables.”

Pvt. 1st Class

Yenixa Rivas

“I’d make a superhero movie.”

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class

Vanessa Perez

“A sci-fi flick where the Army 

fights some sort of space 

creature.”

Pvt. 1st Class

Caleb Velez

“I’d make ‘The Real World: 

GTMO.’”

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class

Mariah Brown

–the boss says

S

Trooper

Focus

 The Wire | Page 6
Cpl. Eric Bard: “I’ve been waiting for this 

moment for a very long time. I’m a little 

nervous right now, but I think it’s more my 

excitement than anything.” 

Me: “Eric, it’s gonna change everything 

you know about diving. It’s not the pool, that’s 

for sure. It’s gonna blow your mind. Have fun, 

brother.” 

Eric: “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Bard self checks his buoyancy control 

device (BCD) as a determined Marine would 

check his body armor and weapons before 

leaving the wire, dons his swim mask, takes 

a few heaping breaths of air from his regulator, gets some final words of encouragement 

from an instructor and gives his prosthetic 

swim leg one final tug for good measure. 

Big plunge... he’s in the drink. He floats 

to the bubbly surface in the azure waters of 

Phillips Dive Park, turns around and touches 

his head with his hand, signaling that he’s 

good to go, and then swims to the team of 

divers waiting for him. 

With that, the Soldiers Undertaking 

Disabled Scuba (SUDS) 2012 tour officially 

got underway in Guantanamo Bay.

The SUDS team arrived on May 24 and 

were greeted by the GTMO community with 

a welcome dinner at the Bayview Officer’s 

landing. The five day trip had a purpose for 

seven wounded warriors. The dives started 

Friday morning and didn’t end until Monday 

afternoon. Each day had two scheduled dives 

at certain dive areas in GTMO: Phillips Dive 

Park (twice), Blue Beach and Cable Beach. 

For the wounded warriors it was the 

opportunity to get open water dive certified, 

for a few it was a chance to get their advanced 

open water certification, and for one it was 

for his rescue diver certification. But for all it 

was a chance to forget about what ails them. 

In diving terms: to decompress. 

Water is the great equalizer...

Depending on their injuries, swimming, 

let alone diving, is a very difficult process to 

manage for these wounded warriors and their 

instructors. 

“We learned as we went along, each person is different,” said Pat Duffy, one of the 

SUDS instructors who flew down with the 

team. “It’s about buoyancy and trim, being 

able to move through the water and the basics 

of swimming that is easy for you and me.”

But once the students adapted to the 

water and got a better handle on the basics of 

scuba: the challenge of being in a zero-gravity 

environment, they embraced and used it for 

more than just breathing underwater.

“These are people who want to move 

through their injury and get on with the rest 

of their lives,” said Duffy. “The move from 

a fundamental to a therapeutic aspect gives 

them a sport to participate in and the confidence that they take with them for the rest of 

their lives.”

For some SUDS members, being in the 

water is like a second home.

Staff Sgt. Brett Graveline, who suffered spinal and neck injuries in a controlled 

Chinook crash in Iraq in 2009, grew up 

around the water. 

“I love the water, it’s relaxing,” he said. “To 

sit there and float, it’s very peaceful and no 

one is down there to bother you.”

 Graveline, who recently found out that he 

has severe and degenerative nerve damage in 

his spine, was finally cleared by his doctor and 

just started scuba diving last month. 

“When I was underwater, I never thought 

about my problems at all,” he said.

Sgt 1st Class Jeremiah Gursuch, who lost 

his leg in 2011 when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, spent 

his summers at his grandparent’s lake as a 

child, so he’s always up for a dive.

“Being underwater for an extended period 

of time, it’s a dream come true,” said Gursuch.

While appreciative of his ability to dive, he 

also has other reasons for diving.

“It helps me keep calm, meditate, relax,” 

said Gursuch. “Plus it’s a physical sport itself. 

It helps me get back into shape, back into 

life.”

Genesis...

SUDS was started in 2007 at Walter Reed 

National Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. 

by John Thompson, its founder and current 

president.

“I went to go see my wife who was working at Walter Reed for lunch one 

day, and I met all these men and 

women suffering through all 

these injuries. It was a gut check 

for me,” said Thompson. 

So Thompson, a former 

Army National Guardsman 

and scuba instructor, decided 

to become a volunteer at the American Red 

Cross at Walter Reed. “They asked me what 

my background was and I told them I was a 

dive instructor, so they put me in the aquatic 

therapy pool,” he said.

After being in the pool with the wounded 

warriors, Thompson started thinking about 

how to incorporate scuba into the rehabilitation regimen. After speaking with the chief 

physical therapist (who happened to be a certified diver), she agreed to give Thompson’s 

idea a shot and SUDS was formed.

A community is like a ship; everyone 

ought to be prepared to take the helm....

From the moment the SUDS team 

touched down on the flight line to the final 

night of their going away dinner and certification awards party, the GTMO community 

came out in droves to provide assistance and 

show their support.

“The outpouring of support we see is 

amazing as is the generosity in donations, 

time, food, and many other ways,” said Chris 

Hileman, board member of Reef Raiders 

Dive Club (GTMO’s dive chapter). “It’s the 

community that helps make these visits possible and the great success that each one is.”

Aside from the hundreds (too many to 

put an official number on) who put in their 

personal time, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, 

U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, the 

GTMO Boy Scouts, the Chief Petty Officer’s 

Goat Locker, the Red Cross, Reef Raiders, 

Ocean Enterprises, Guantanamo Bay Spouses 

Club, Island Mechanical Construction and the 

Maytag Aircraft Corporation all had a hand in 

making this trip a success.

“We don’t get this type of support anywhere else we go,” said Thompson. “This is 

our eighth trip down here. It’s the signature 

trip and the one everyone wants to go on 

because we get the most support.”

So why don’t we go, somewhere only we 

know...

Eight dives in four days, with all the local 

and civic support needed, and in the end the 

SUDS team were a tired bunch but still had 

smiles from ear to ear. So congratulations to: 

CPT David McRaney, USA – Rescue 

Diver Certified 

SGT Preston Kaplan, USA – Advanced 

Open Water Certifications and training in 

underwater photography and diver propulsion vehicles

CPL Charles Stringer, USMC – Advanced 

Open Water Certifications and training in 

underwater photography and diver propulsion vehicles 

SFC Jeremiah Gursuch, USA – Open 

Water Diver Certification

SSG Rubin Gomez, USA – Open Water 

Diver Certification

SSG Bret Graveline, ANG – Open Water 

Diver Certification

CPL Eric Bard, USMC – Open Water 

Diver Certification

This Memorial Day weekend took on a 

whole new level of meaning of why we honor 

those who sacrifice their lives and limbs for 

our nation’s way of life. There is a saying in 

the Navy when someone does something 

well and / or above and beyond the call of 

duty (and this applies to our SUDS brethren and staff along with the entire GTMO 

community):

Bravo Zulu. Job well done.

By Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class 

Kilho Park 

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

SUDS Diving

Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba

Sgt. Preston Kaplan dives at Guantanamo Bay.

–photo by Chris Hileman 

“Diving gives me peace.”

 – Sgt. Preston Kaplan

Left: Volunteers assist Cpl. Eric Bard after his dive at 

Blue Beach.

Top: Team SUDS at Blue Beach.

Right: Open water students prepare to descend on 

their first dive at Phillips Dive Park.

–photos by Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class 

Kilho Park
L

ast week, 51-year-old Cuban-born writer and storyteller Carmen 

Deedy set foot on Cuban soil for the first time since the tender age 

of three when she fled Cuba alongside her parents. It was a momentous occasion for the naval station. It’s not often that award winning 

writers grace Guantanamo Bay. Deedy visited the high school, middle 

school and elementary school the day before the curtain went up on 

her one night only, one woman show. She entertained the students 

with her stories of growing up Cuban in Decatur, Ga. 

The full weight of Deedy’s meaningful trip was realized the afternoon before her show on her visit to the Cuban Community Center 

where the last remaining Cuban residents of Guantanamo Bay anxiously awaited her arrival. 

“When I got here, I had a few people ask me ‘how do you feel?’ 

and I thought ‘do not ask me, I don’t want to talk about it! I don’t 

know; if I knew I’d tell myself; how can I tell you!’” said Deedy. “This 

afternoon when I was with those old people: that was when I felt like 

I was home.”

If the Cuban residents had any doubt about how Cuban Deedy 

could still be she quickly squashed any doubts through a retelling of 

her favorite stories about growing up with her mom. She had the 

residents in stitches within minutes and I soon realized why – her 

Cuban mother is similar to my Colombian mother, and better yet, 

similar to all our mothers.

“Good storytelling really is not about culture; it’s about experience. 

Culture is a very specific way to categorize a person,” said Deedy. 

“But experience is universal. If I have a Cuban mother who embarrasses the fool out of me when I am in public and I am eight years 

old, you could be from Peoria and go ‘oh my God that’s my mother!’”

Halfway into Deedy’s visit with the Cuban residents, the laughter 

subsided and melancholy dominated the room for a while. 

Through tears, Deedy told the residents, “El aire libre tiene olor 

diferente,” to which many of the residents cried and nodded in 

gratitude for her understand of their plight. Translated, the words 

mean”free air has a different scent.” 

Afterward, she became the audience when each resident recounted 

his or her story to the master storyteller. More tears were shed but 

they were more sweet than bitter. Many of the residents hadn’t spoken to other Cubans, besides themselves, who understood their 

predicament.

Before they said goodbye to one another, one of the residents 

dared Deedy to recite Cuba’s national anthem, sure that the longtime 

Americanized writer didn’t know it. Deedy met the Cuban woman’s 

challenge and began to sing. The residents couldn’t help but join in 

and soon they were all singing, some in tears once again.

Deedy performed to an almost-packed crowd of 228 on Friday 

night and received a standing ovation. I saw her at the Soggy Bottom 

Regatta the following day, taking in what final things she could of her 

native land before her plane took off. 

“I want to come back,” Deedy said “I want to work with those 

high school kids... I want to teach those kids to tell stories because 

one of the things that I feel like they have to deal with - I know 

because I was a refugee - is a sense of displacement - of every where 

is home and nowhere is home. All of that carries with it a tremendous 

burden of story.”

 “When someone says, well what’s freedom, 

 it’s a philosophical discussion 

 which is fine to have 

 in places where one can have those discussions 

 without fear of repercussion. 

 My answer to that is, 

 you know what, 

 everyone has a different definition of freedom, 

 but I can tell you what freedom isn’t. 

 I can go down a list of things that freedom isn’t 

 and I can tell you right now

 that what’s on the other side of that fence isn’t.”

Feature The Wire | Page 11

By Spc. Vanessa Davila

C

A

R

M

E

N

D

E

E

D

Y

RETURNS

TO CUBA

–photos by Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

 The Wire | Page 10 Feature
 

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama 

and First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday welcomed the Navy’s first contingent of women 

submariners to the White House as part of a 

busy Memorial Day schedule.

The 24 young women visited the White 

House, along with Defense Secretary Leon E. 

Panetta, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, and Navy 

Adm. Mark Ferguson, vice chief of naval 

operations, as part of a “Joining Forces” initiative. The first lady and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of 

Vice President Joe Biden, started the Joining 

Forces campaign last year to rally Americans 

to honor, recognize and serve military families.

As part of the meeting, the first lady 

accepted Mabus’ invitation to serve as the 

sponsor of the future USS Illinois (SSN 786), 

a Virginia-class submarine -- the Navy’s newest class of attack submarine -- being built in 

Groton, Connecticut and Newport News, 

Virginia. Illinois is expected to join the fleet 

in late 2015.

In sponsoring USS Illinois, Obama joins a 

tradition of first lady sponsorships of Navy 

submarines. First Lady Laura Bush is USS 

Texas’ (SSN 775) sponsor and christened it 

in 2004; First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is 

USS Columbia’s (SSN 771) sponsor and christened it in 1994.

“As sponsor, the first lady will establish a 

special link to Illinois, her sailors, and their 

families that extends throughout the life of 

the submarine,” a White House press release 

says.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as 

sponsor of the USS Illinois,” the first lady 

said yesterday. “I’m always inspired by the 

service and sacrifice of the men and women 

of the Navy, as well as the families who support them. This submarine is a tribute to the 

strength, courage, and determination that our 

Navy families exhibit every day.”

“Naval tradition holds that a sponsor’s 

spirit and presence guide the ship and her 

crew throughout the life of the ship,” Mabus 

said. “Illinois and her crew are blessed to have 

such a wonderful sponsor and I am grateful 

Mrs. Obama accepted my invitation to serve 

as sponsor for this submarine.”

The first lady also serves as the sponsor 

for the recently commissioned Coast Guard 

Cutter Stratton, based in Alameda, Calif. The 

ship is named after Captain Dorothy Stratton, 

the director of the Coast Guard Women’s 

Reserve during World War II where she 

oversaw 10,000 enlisted women and 1,000 

commissioned officers.

In 2009, Mabus announced that for the 

first time in U.S. Navy history, women would 

be assigned to the operational submarine 

force.

The 24 women who met with the president 

and first lady were accepted into the Navy’s 

nuclear submarine program after completing 

intensive training. They are serving on ballistic 

and guided missile submarines throughout the 

Navy.

KEY WEST, Fla. – The interdiction of a 

drug-trafficking speedboat carrying almost 

5,000 pounds of cocaine with a street value 

of more than $363 million played out like a 

motion-picture thriller.

The action followed a carefully choreographed script, from the moment U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection pilots spotted the speedboat El Kike on May 6 from 

their P-3 Orion aircraft. They passed the mission to USS Nicholas, a guided-missile frigate 

patrolling the region with an embarked U.S. 

Coast Guard law enforcement team. Nicholas 

dispatched a helicopter to track the speedboat, 

while maneuvering into position to intercept.

El Kike’s crew, recognizing their plight, 

jettisoned half of their cargo, then adjusted 

course and hit the throttle toward Colombia.

Nicholas followed, while calling on the 

USS McClusky, an Oliver Hazard Perryclass frigate, and the Colombian navy ship 

ARC 20 de Julio operating nearby for assistance. McClusky launched a helicopter to 

maintain surveillance, diverting El Kike it 

into Colombian territorial waters, where the 

Colombian navy intercepted it.

“With the help of some friends, we accomplished what we set out to do: disrupt the 

drug trade,” said Navy Cdr. Stephen Fuller, 

Nicholas’ commanding officer. “Interdictions 

are challenging, but with the help of 

McClusky, [U.S.] Customs and the Colombian 

navy, we executed a successful operation.”

It was latest in a recent string of operational successes for the Joint Interagency Task 

Force South and its regional partners since 

they kicked off an aggressive counterdrug 

effort earlier this year.

Last year alone, JIATF South facilitated the 

interdiction of 117 metric tons of cocaine, 

Michel reported. 

“We are the most efficient cocaine removal 

organization that I am aware of, by far,” 

Michel said. “The taxpayer gets a huge bang 

for the buck down here, through the interdiction of cocaine, the protection of our 

neighbors, the stability of the hemisphere and 

the protection of our citizens on the street.”

 The Wire | Page 12 Service News

By Lisa Daniel

American Forces Press Service

Obamas host female submariners

on th e D E C K

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

JIATF reports success in aggressive counterdrug effort

By Navy Capt. Bradley Thom, 

JTF Command Chaplain

By Army 1st Lt. Amelia Thatcher

How to get spiritually fit

What shape are you in? How ‘fit’ are you? One of the most common 

objectives Troopers have when arriving in 

Guantanamo Bay is to get ‘fit.’ “I’m going 

to get in shape.” Or, “I want to be fit as 

a fiddle when I leave GTMO.” That is a 

pretty admirable goal, but let’s slice it and 

dice it.

In 2010 the Chairman of the Joint 

Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, signed 

the CJCS Instruction on Total Force 

Fitness. In it, eight areas of Soldier Fitness 

are identified. They are social, environmental, medical, spiritual, psychological, 

behavioral, nutritional and physical. To be 

“in shape” and balanced one might consider all of these forms of fitness. For the 

purpose of this column the focus will be 

only on spiritual fitness.

How does one assess spiritual fitness? A 

couple of different readings might help us. 

For instance there is one reading that says, 

“He leads me beside still waters” depicting 

a serene and peaceful place in life. In that 

case someone would be spiritually fit and 

doing well. Another ancient reading suggests the opposite, “Out of the depths I 

cry to you.” That writer is calling out from 

a rather dark station in life. Like those writers we all have our times of joy, elation and 

peace. Going in the opposite direction, 

we can also encounter periods when we 

experience a significant amount of pain 

and anguish which in some instances may 

lead to despair and possibly anger. Rather 

than being “spiritually fit,” that person is 

depleted and drained. Signs of that might 

be a lack of purpose, immoral behavior and 

disrespect of beliefs.

Chaplains cannot prescribe ibuprofen 

and tell their client life will be better tomorrow. Rather, chaplains and their enlisted 

associates are equipped to listen. They do 

so with complete confidentiality. You can 

talk with one of our uniformed professionals by visiting them or calling their office. 

By making the appointment to see a chaplain you’re taking a step toward spiritual 

health. Following the appointment, you 

will be in a significantly improved station 

in life. While you may not find a religious 

experience among the host of services 

offered, discussing your particular situation with a chaplain will be helpful. So 

while you’re in GTMO give consideration 

to getting fit this year, not just physically 

but spiritually as well. Get acquainted with 

one of your JTF chaplains and allow them 

to guide you in your quest to get fit: spiritually fit.

Chaplain services are available to all Troopers and members of the military, 

regardless of religious affiliation. However, as 

a young nonreligious Soldier I often felt left 

out from having this as a useful resource. It 

appeared to me that those of us who did not 

ascribe to any particular faith had fewer options 

should we ever have to seek counseling.

A few years prior to commissioning as an 

officer, I enlisted as a military police Soldier. 

This was at a time where the “surges” into Iraq 

were ramping up and our military occupational 

specialty was in high demand. In fact, Training 

and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) had to 

stand up an additional MP training battalion at 

Fort Leonard Wood to meet the need for MPs. 

While all of us new recruits were well treated 

and well taken care of, sometimes it seemed 

like the few hours of weekly religious services 

and “personal reflection time” weren’t viewed 

as a priority. Even as I left the Military Police 

Corps for the officer “dark side” and public 

affairs, I still asked myself: would I ever be able 

to get the guidance I needed without the pressure of a particular religious angle?

The answer is an emphatic yes. Chaplains 

dispense spiritual advice, which doesn’t necessarily have to be religious. I soon learned 

I didn’t have to worry about discrimination 

against my abstention from a structured belief 

system, and could still discuss the intricacies 

of life without feeling like a conversion class 

was imminent. 

I have found each and every one of Joint 

Task Force Guantanamo’s chaplains to be 

personable, receptive, tolerant, and open to 

discussion of all things, spiritual and temporal. They are an invaluable asset to the JTF. 

Every command across the military should 

be so lucky as to have a spiritual support staff 

so willing and able to assist service members 

from all faiths – or lack thereof.

Mind, Body & Spirit The Wire | Page 13

Mind, Body & Spirit

Only at GTMO by Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Keith Simmons

What if you’re no rel pref?
 The Wire | Page 14 Movie Review

I

t never ceases to amaze me how 

Hollywood studios attempt to turn anything into a movie. This includes theme park 

attractions, toys, video games and board 

games. In the case of “Battleship,” it is the 

latter. Can a board game be successfully 

adapted into a full-length feature? A better 

question: when it comes to Hollywood taking your hard-earned dollar, does it really 

matter if the movie is good or not? I ask this 

rhetorically.

“Battleship,” budgeted at over $200 

million, has all the elements of a summer 

blockbuster movie. Many films like this can 

also tank and sink film studios. The recent 

box-office bomb “John Carter” fiscally hurt 

its studio, Disney, and resulted in the resignation of their studio head. I only bring this up 

to show you what “Battleship” is up against, 

and I’m not talking about aliens with missiles. 

The characters of “Battleship,” like the 

film’s premise, are also set up like pieces on a 

board game grid. The movie opens with the 

gifted slacker Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch, 

“John Carter”) trying to impress the attractive Samantha Shane (Brooklyn Decker, 

“What to Expect When You’re Expecting”). 

She is the daughter of Admiral Shane (Liam 

Neeson, “The Dark Knight Rises”), the commander of the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet and 

the boss of Alex’s brother Stone (Alexander 

Skarsgard, “True Blood”). In a last ditch 

effort to become productive, Alex is persuaded by his brother to join the U.S. Navy. 

Fast forward a few years and Alex 

(referred to as “Hopper”) is the tactical officer onboard the destroyer USS John Paul 

Jones. He is still something of an embarrassment to Stone, who is now the commanding 

officer of the USS Sampson. While in preparation for the international joint fleet exercise 

RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific), Hopper finds 

himself in hot water with Admiral Shane, 

and Hopper’s future in the Navy is in doubt. 

Lo and behold, alien spacecrafts crash 

land in the Pacific Ocean, smack dab in the 

middle of the RIMPAC exercise! They are 

belligerent, with the intention of conquering Earth. The alien spacecraft generates a 

dome-like force field keeping outside interference away. Trapped inside the force field 

are a handful of ships from the RIMPAC 

exercise. They take action against the alien 

threat. 

Hopper’s group decides to use weather 

buoys to track the underwater movements 

of the aliens with a grid. Hmmm, this tactic 

reminds me of a particular board game. 

There are things in “Battleship” that do 

not make sense. I fail to understand why a 

raft with about three Navy personnel, under 

the protection of the gun-toting Gunner’s 

Mate 2nd Class Raikes (Rhianna), would 

speed over to an alien craft the size of 20 aircraft carriers to “assess” things. That’s like a 

mosquito visiting a heavily armed rhinoceros. 

Why anyone would leave the ship to do this 

and what they thought they could achieve 

is beyond me. What did I miss here? Also 

confusing me was why the alien ships land 

in the Pacific Ocean during RIMPAC. Why 

didn’t they land in Washington D.C. or at 

the Kremlin or somewhere like that? It must 

have something to do with the satellite dishes 

in Hawaii that can broadcast into deep space. 

Oh. Well then, never mind...

Apart from likable characters and the 

main action, “Battleship” actually has a 

few nice sub-plots. The best one involves 

Samantha and the amputee Army Lt. Col. 

Canales (Gregory D. Gadson). He has 

mechanical legs and he is reluctant to learn 

how to use them. Samantha coerces him into 

a nature hike in rural Oahu when the alien 

invasion takes place. How he rises to the 

challenge of having to take on a reconnaissance mission to obtain information about 

the aliens and how he overcomes the adversity of his new handicap is nice to watch. 

The original “Battleship” board game did 

not have aliens floating around the Pacific. 

It was a watered-down naval strategy game. 

My hunch is that for the film version, aliens 

became the bad guys for two reasons. Reason 

one: Aliens sell movie tickets. In the wake of 

the financial successes of the “Transformers” 

movies, making the baddies resemble and 

mimic the ones from “Transformers” guarantees teenage filmgoers will have a built in 

interest in “Battleship.” Reason two: It might 

not be politically correct to portray a given 

nation or other groups engaging in an allout battle with the Pacific Fleet with the goal 

of world conquest. I should point out that 

“Battleship” could have been a period piece 

set during World War II, which would have 

 see MOVIE page 15

By Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class 

Ty Bjornson

Movie Review

PG-13

131 min.

Bulletin Board The Wire | Page 15

MOVIE from page 14 s

been more naval and true to the board game. 

Oh wait, that might not generate the kind of 

ticket sales from the teens unless there are 

aliens on the screen. I guess I can rule out 

a post-GTMO career in movie marketing. 

There is a nifty tie-in to WWII during the 

last third of the movie which is definitely a 

crowd pleaser. 

Director Peter Berg (“Friday Night 

Lights”) deserves credit for taking this material and making it as fun as possible for a 

screen adaptation. Still, the movie is nothing more than bubblegum. It is also funny 

to note that the leading man in this film is 

named Taylor Kitsch. The word “Kitsch” is 

a derogatory German word meaning tawdry, 

vulgarized, or pretentious art, literature, etc, 

usually with popular or sentimental appeal. I 

think it’s ironic that Mr. Kitsch is the lead in 

both “Battleship” and “John Carter.” I’ll just 

leave it at that. 

“Battleship” is only somewhat satisfying. 

I think the script and the editing needed one 

more polish. Though it is a light and breezy 

film, the clichés and formulas in it have been 

done better in other films. That and there are 

better “kitsches” out there.

GTMO Religious 

Services

NAVSTA 

Main Chapel

Daily Catholic Mass

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

Vigil Mass

Saturday 5 p.m. 

Mass

Sunday 9 a.m.

General Protestant

Sunday 11 a.m. 

Gospel Service

Sunday 1 p.m.

Christian Fellowship

Sunday 6 p.m. 

 Iglesia Ni Cristo

Sunday 5:30 a.m. 

Room A

Pentecostal Gospel

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

Room D

LDS Service

Sunday 10 a.m. 

Room A

Islamic Service

Friday 1 p.m. 

Room C

Intense Spiritual 

Fitness Power Lunch!

Study the Book of 

Romans with 

Chaplain Chouest

Thursdays 11-11:30 a.m.

JTF Command 

Chaplain’s Office

Protestant Worship

Sunday 9 a.m.

Bible Study

Wednesday 6 p.m.

JTF Trooper 

Chapel

For other services, contact the NAVSTA 

Chaplain’s Office at 2323.

For more information, contact the 

JTF Chaplain’s Office at 2305.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU 2

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

1 3 4 5 6 7

Men in Black 

III (NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Cabin in the 

Woods (NEW)

(R) 10 p.m.

No Movie: 

Stage prep 

for GTMO’s 

Got Talent 

Semifinals and 

Finals

Lockout 

(NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Men in Black 

III (NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

No Movies: 

Enjoy GTMO’s 

Got Talent!

Cabin in the 

Woods (NEW)

(R) 8 p.m.

No Movie: Stage 

prep for “No 

Zebras, No 

Excuses” sexual 

assault awareness 

training

21 Jump Street

(last showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

No Movie: 

“No Zebras, 

No Excuses” 

sexual assault 

awareness 

training

John Carter 

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

No Movie: 

“No Zebras, 

No Excuses” 

sexual assault 

awareness 

training

Lockout 

(NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Battleship

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

American 

Reunion

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley
Navy Capt. Kirk R. Hibbert, commanding 

officer of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and 

Cmdr. William Rabchenia, executive officer 

of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay honor the 

fallen during a Memorial Day Ceremony held 

at Cuzco Wells Cemetery. 

–photo by Army Sgt. Saul Rosa