Volume 13, Issue 15 Friday, February 17, 2012

Lighting

up the 

night

with Polynesian 

dance in the 

Caribbean

GTMO’s Taco Tuesday Wednesday

Valentine’s Day survivors
 The Wire | Page 2 Command Corner |

JTF Guantanamo

Commander

Rear Adm. David Woods

Deputy Commander

Brig. Gen. James Lettko

Command Master Chief

Cmd. Master Chief Reynaldo Tiong

Office of Public Affairs Director

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

Editor: Army 1st. Lt. Amelia Thatcher

Assistant Editor: Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

Photojournalists

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Keith Simmons

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Kilho Park

Army Sgt. Landis Andrews

Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Jon Dasbach

Mass Communication Spc. 3rd Class Marquis Whitehead

Contact us

Editor’s Desk: 3651

Commercial: 011-5399-3651

DSN: 660-3651

E-mail: thewire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

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

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.

What is the forecast? 

I’m not talking about the weather, 

which is nice right now as “Guantanamo 

Jay” the banana rat saw his shadow Feb. 

2 and forecasted “six more weeks of 

Caribbean winter!” The forecast whichI 

am referring to is the forecast for the 

future of the U.S. military, our services 

and the Department of Defense. This 

forecast is not difficult if you understand, 

recognize and interpret the information 

that is available to all of us.

First, President 

Barack Obama, 

Secretary of Defense 

Leon Panetta and 

Chairman of the 

Joint Chiefs of Staff, 

General Martin 

Dempsey announced 

last month a new 

Defense Strategy 

titled: “Sustaining U.S. 

Global Leadership: 

Priorities for 21st 

Century Defense,” 

which will direct the course of our 

military in the future. Here is the link so 

you can read it for yourself: 

www.defense.gov/news/Defense_

Strategic_Guidance.pdf 

The new strategy recognizes the 

strategic pivot point our nation is 

reaching as we have transitioned control 

of Iraq to the Iraqi government and 

we execute the plan for the drawdown 

of our troops in Afghanistan. It 

also acknowledges the economic 

environment of the nation and the need 

for a strategy-driven defense budget. It 

is truly designed to bind the demand 

and expectations then balance against 

supply and resources. So if you want to 

know the defense forecast on what our 

military will be designed to accomplish, 

read this strategy.

Second, last week the Department 

of Defense budget was submitted. 

This budget is the first installment of 

what we need to resource the defense 

strategy. You will see a lot of press 

trying to interpret the budget for you. 

In many cases the reporting will be too 

narrow in scope or will compare the 

budget request with the current budget. 

Again, the key to an accurate forecast is 

to understand that our budget is driven 

by the new strategy and is a paradigm 

shift.

So this is pretty lofty stuff and 

you probably want to know, “What 

is the connection to me as a Trooper, 

government civilian or 

contractor at Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo?” 

The connection 

is that it provides 

the roadmap to the 

future. There will be 

significant changes to 

the size of our force. 

Some skill sets will be 

in less demand while 

others will increase 

in demand. Force 

reductions will be 

executed using a number of tools. In 

the Navy’s case, as we have seen, they 

take the form of Early Release Boards, 

Selected Early Retirement Boards, 

Continuation Boards and/or PerformTo-Serve reviews. In the case of the 

Army they will be limiting reenlistments 

as part of their plan to shape the force. 

Other services will be using similar 

measures. 

Bottom line: your ability to control 

your destiny out in the future will be 

based on strong performance and 

preparation. The Active Component, 

Reserve Component, National Guard 

and Civil Service will be looking to retain 

top performers. Even if you decide not 

to stay in the service your performance 

and preparation while you are in the 

service will go a long way toward setting 

you a part from the competition. Take 

the opportunity each day to put forth 

your best effort and make your future 

happen! Honor Bound! 

The new military 

strategy recognizes 

the pivot point 

our nation is 

reaching, and 

acknowledges the 

nation’s economic 

environment.

Rear Adm. David Woods

Commander, JTF Guantanamo

Cover: Fire dancer “Chief” Kahui of a Polynesian dance troupe fired things up Feb. 11 for U.S. Naval 

Station Guantanamo Bay families and Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers. Kahui is a native of 

Maui, just one of the many enchanting islands of the Polynesian Triangle.

–photo by Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Cc

ommand

orner

| News from the Bay The Wire | Page 3

News from the Bay

UFC Fighters Keith Jardine and Matt 

Brown will visit Guantanamo Bay tomorrow. 

Their first stop is at Camp America at Kittery 

Cafe at 4:30 p.m., then a visit to the Camp 

America Liberty Center, and then O’Kelly’s 

Irish Pub at 7 p.m. for autographs and a 

meet-and-greet. 

The two fighters will also demonstrate 

their grappling moves at Denich Gym Sunday at 6 p.m.

For more information, call 2010.

Service members, veterans, and military 

spouses will have the opportunity to meet 

and interact, the convenience of their home, 

with recruiters and hiring managers from 

dozens of military employers. The career fair 

will be at Feb. 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You must register to reserve your space at 

www.veteranscareerfair.com. 

The Navy Legal Services Office is ready 

to help Guantanamo residences through tax 

season. The naval station location will be 

open 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mon-Fri., and the 

JTF Trooper One Stop office 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Mon.-Fri. Appointments are now available.

For more information, call 4692.

Grab some friends and some sunscreen 

for this holiday weekend’s Blizzard Sand 

Volleyball tournament! 

For more information, call 2113.

The Black Heritage Organization will put 

on the Black & White Gala on Feb. 25 at the 

Windjammer. The event honors AfricanAmerican Women’s history and culture. The 

dress code is semi-formal, but military attire 

is acceptable. Tickets are $30 and will be 

available at the NEX atrium from 9 a.m. to 

12 p.m. for the next two weekends.

Are you looking for a chance to take the 

lead on your command’s physical training? 

Enroll in the Command Fitness Leader 

Certification Course. Register online by 

March 9 at the following address:

www.navyfitness.org/fitness/cfl_information 

The course runs from March 26 to March 

30. For more information, call 2157.

Golf cart rentals will be half price every Wednesday in the month of February. 

$5 covers one person and $7.50 covers two 

people. Boat rentals will be 25 percent off 

every Monday-Thursday this month. Prices 

vary based on the boat. For more information, call 2345.

The U.S. Naval Hospital galley will be 

closed Monday, Feb. 20 in observation of 

George Washington’s birthday.

Specialty care providers will be available 

for appointments at U.S. Naval Hospital 

Guantanamo in the upcoming months:

GI – March 

ENT – March/April

Audiology – April

Dermatology – April 

Podiatry – April 

Urology – April 

For a referral, schedule an appointment 

with Primary Care Clinic at 72110.

Share your thoughts, words and feelings 

with the Guantanamo Bay community. The 

MWR Community Library is holding a 

Valentine’s Day poetry contest. The library 

will accept submissions until Feb. 21. A prize 

will be awarded for the winners of each 

group: 2nd-6th grade, 7th-12th grade and 

adults. The winners will also be published in 

the Guantanamo Bay Gazette. 

For more information, call 4700.

The Marine Corps Security Force 

Company will sponsor a performance by the 

Bart Walker Band at the Marine Hill Parade 

Deck Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. 

If you can’t make it on Saturday, the band 

will also play Feb. 26 at O’Kelly’s Irish Pub 

at 5 p.m. 

For more infomation, call 2114.

Maybe you won’t become a shark, but you 

can improve your pool skills at any Liberty 

Center on Monday nights in preparation for 

the pool tournament Feb. 27. Liberty MWR 

is also looking for volunteers to teach people 

the techniques and strategy of pool. Get volunteer hours for playing a game you like. To 

schedule a practice session, or to volunteer 

your time, call 2010.

The Tricare office has temporarily 

relocated to building H-11, behind the 

hospital barracks complex.

INDEX

The Wire

February 17, 2012

Budget trims Navy, USMC

FFSC guide to finances

This Week in GTMO History

Surviving Valentine’s Day

I say aloha, you say it louder!

Taco taco taco taco

Linterest peaks for NBA

Movie review: Extremely Loud

Bart Walker Band to 

play Marine Hill

5

7

8

9

10

13

16

18

Command Fitness 

Leader cert course

NLSO tax assistance 

Hospital galley closure

UFC at GTMO! Black & White Gala

Discount recreation 

in February Pool tourney practice

Virtual career fair

Library poetry contest

Tricare office relocated

Sand volleyball 

tournament

Specialty care at USNH

Special thanks to Julie Latrell for last 

week’s Treasures and Trivia photo!
 Be aware of geotagging!

What is geotagging?

A new function of many computing devices-including smart 

phones, some digital cameras, and even portable game 

systems (in some cases)-is the ability to track your location 

to near-GPS precision. While this feature is for “location 

services,” which can be fun or useful, they also present a risk.

In particular, many devices add location data to photos by 

default. Called “Geotagging,” the data becomes part of the 

image file and goes wherever the image goes. By uploading or 

sending such images to the Internet, you may have provided 

an adversary with critical information.

Consider:

1. Public sharing sites like Flickr or Google Maps are public. 

An adversary can search by location to see who takes photos 

there and research the users who took the photos.

2. Even profiles that are set to “private” could compromise 

photos if the privacy controls are not set or used properly. The 

hosting service itself could sell or lose your data as well.

3. Pictures taken at sensitive locations can lead adversaries 

directly to supply depots, command centers, or our troops.

PSEC SPECIAL ALERT: Hot Tips from the Interage

PROTECT YOUR INFO!

 The Wire | Page 4 Trooper to Trooper |

Trooper to Trooper

Master Sgt. Julio Espinet

Commissions liaison office NCOIC

loyalty is inspired by trust

Akin to the four cardinal points, north 

to south and east to west, loyalty is a part 

of our principles and way of life. On and 

off duty, it is an image of who we really 

are; because, no matter the situation, we 

best perceive loyalty from within ourselves. 

Put yourself in a leader’s position and 

ask, “What inspires Troopers to be loyal?” Once the academic answers are sifted 

through, there remains a single theme which 

forms the answer to that question – trust. 

If a senior leader can inspire trust, he will 

also inspire loyalty. Without trust, he may 

be able momentarily to compel compliance 

with his orders, but this compliance will not 

be the same as loyalty. Loyalty is not compelled; it is inspired and earned. Where loyalty exists, commitment, respect and obedience to orders are characterized by a special 

kind of superior-subordinate relationship. 

Loyalty is sometimes misunderstood 

or worse, misused, not only in the military but also in the civilian world. Loyalty to the service, to your unit, superiors and finally to yourself is a key part of 

our learning process. On the other hand, 

loyalty to subordinates and peers is absolutely essential and part of the equation. 

By nature, it is a process to give and 

gain trust. The realization of trust is only 

obtained if integrity is evident in the demonstration of one’s loyalty. A Trooper may 

obey you if he is afraid of you, but his obedience is a weak and fleeting thing. Remove 

the immediate grounds of his fear and you 

have removed his sole reason for obeying. If 

that same Trooper is loyal to you, his obedience will have been ensured in a much more 

lasting way, for the attitude of loyalty is a 

stronger stimulus than the attitude of fear.

Our actions speak louder than words 

and they demonstrate our true character. 

We should not ask others for things that 

we ourselves are unwilling to do. Live and 

act in a similar manner, and you will discourage those naysayers from ever thinking that you can be drawn into their web 

of deceit and their cowardly, illegitimate 

evocation of your loyalty for foul ends. 

Lead by example and do what’s right even 

when it appears no one sees you. Because 

there’s always someone watching – the real 

you. Loyalty can be inspired, in a manner that 

the military goal of discipline can be achieved 

along with the social goal of having individuals who are reflective, morally-aware individuals. This conception of loyalty is one of loyalty inspired by trust, where that trust resides 

in the moral integrity of senior leaders. “My 

loyalty is my honor”– my loyalty resides in a 

person of integrity, to whom I give my trust.

4. If many photos are available from the same user or a 

collection of related users (several people in the same military 

unit, for example), the adversary may be able to determine 

patterns of your activities.

What to do:

1. Be Aware. 

Now that you know about this capability, think twice before 

taking and sending photos. You can test to see if you have 

geotagging capability by taking a photo and checking 

properties in Windows® Vista, or higher. Some photo editors 

as several custom programs allow for the viewing and 

manipulation of location data as well.

2. Evaluate the Need. 

Do you have a specific point or purpose to tagging photos? If 

not, it’s far simpler to disable the feature instead of trying to 

remember to “clean the photos later.” Instructions for doing so 

can be easily found by searching for the model of your phone 

with the keywords “disable” or “geotag.”

Think before you upload!

ncy OPSEC Support Staff (IOSS)

| Command Information The Wire | Page 5

Budget would keep 

Navy, Marine Corps

‘expeditionary’

WASHINGTON – The Navy 

and Marine Corps will be leaner 

and smaller, but still rapidly deployable under the fiscal 2013 

budget request President Barack 

Obama sent to Congress today, 

the Navy’s budget chief said.

Rear Adm. Joseph P. Mulloy, 

the Navy’s deputy assistant secretary for budget, told Pentagon 

reporters today the sea service, 

which also administers the Marine Corps’ budget, will trim 

spending by $58.1 billion by the 

end of fiscal 2017. The Navy’s 

proposed fiscal 2013 budget is 

down $9.5 billion from fiscal 

2012.

“We think all of our investments here are aligned to the 

strategic priorities and goals as 

set out by the president,” the admiral said.

As required by the Budget 

Control Act, the Defense Department budget request includes 

$487 billion in spending cuts for 

fiscal years 2013 to 2017.

The budget request sets Navy 

active and reserve end strength 

for fiscal 2013 at 385,200 -- 1.7 

percent less than fiscal 2012. In 

fiscal 2017, the end strength will 

be 376,600, a 3.9 percent reduction from fiscal 2012.

Marine Corps active and reserve end strength in fiscal 2013 

is 236,900 under the proposal 

-- 2 percent less than fiscal 2012. 

In fiscal 2017 the end strength 

will be 221,700, an 8.3 percent 

reduction from fiscal 2012.

“The Navy has come down 

almost 6,000 people over the last 

10 years,” the admiral noted. Marine Corps end-state reductions, 

like the Army’s, are in line with 

planned troop reductions in Afghanistan, he added.

Mulloy noted sailors and Marines will lose “not a dollar” under the budget request, though 

pay increases will slow after 

2014.

In force structure changes 

through fiscal 2017, the Navy 

will eliminate seven cruisers and 

two dock landing ships. Next fiscal year, the service is slated to 

add seven and drop 11 from its 

list of combat-capable ships.

The Navy will gain a nuclear 

attack submarine, a transport 

dock, a dry-cargo ammunition 

ship, a littoral combat ship, two 

joint high-speed vessels and one 

mobile landing platform. The 

service will retire one aircraft 

carrier, six frigates and four 

cruisers.

Mulloy noted Navy officials 

don’t expect the fleet size to 

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

 see BUDGET page 6

Congratulations to Rear Adm. David Woods on the 

announcement of his next assignment as Commander, Strike 

Force Training Pacific, San Diego, Calif.

His selection by the Navy to command Strike Force 

Training Pacific is consistent with the career progression of 

Navy Flag Officers who possess Woods’ scope of knowledge, 

judgment, maturity, training and experience. His selection 

for this position of responsibility in the Navy is a reflection 

of the high degree of confidence the Navy has placed in him 

as a senior military leader and distinguished naval officer.

“Adm. Woods has done a superb job leading the men and 

women under his charge and commanding a mission that 

contributes daily to our shared security,” said Gen. Douglas 

Fraser, Commander, U.S. Southern Command. “I could not 

be more pleased with the job he has done in a very complex 

and high visibility position.” 

Woods’ replacement has not been named yet and no 

change of command date has been set; however, once his relief is identified the timeline will be worked in order to offer 

appropriate continuity and overlap between the Commander and Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force.

JTF Guantanamo 

commander to take 

helm of Strike Force 

Training Pacific 

within year
Deployments can be exciting 

as well as stressful. The more 

prepared you are, the less stress 

you will likely experience. Deployments provide an opportunity to reevaluate and update 

important documents such as 

power of attorneys, next of kin 

designations, wills, DEERS enrollment and ID cards, and update beneficiary information for 

SGLI and TSP.

Determine how best to pay 

bills while on deployment. Allotments, automatic debits from 

checking/savings accounts can 

be easily setup. If married, communicate with your spouse about 

these arrangements.

Establish a written spending plan that takes into account 

money for both (if married) 

while on deployment. Contact 

a Family Assistance Center for 

help in setting up your spending plan. Developing a realistic 

and flexible spending plan prior 

to deployment will help increase 

your spending power by as much 

as 10 percent. A good plan can 

help minimize or eliminate financial stress and can help prepare you for any unexpected 

events. Incorporate allowances 

and incentive pays such as family separation, imminent danger 

pay, or reenlistment bonuses into 

your spending plan too.

There are a number of ways 

for you to help manage your finances while deployed, but the 

primary thing to understand 

is different pays will start and 

stop when going on or returning 

from deployment, so check your 

MyPay account often. Many service members have had to repay 

money they weren’t entitled to 

and for most it came at an inconvenient time. Consider the 

following in preparation for deployment: allotments (good for 

installment loans such as mortgage and car payments), split 

pay (if married, money needs 

to move to the top of the communication agenda – how much 

does the stay behind spouse need 

to take care of the day-to-day living expenses and debts and how 

much you need while deployed, 

etc.) and online banking.

Do your own financial “preventative maintenance” by being proactive. Contact your financial institutions to let them 

know you’re deployed, so they 

don’t mistakenly turn off your 

credit card when a charge posts 

from somewhere not in the 

United States. Alert your credit 

card companies or freeze extra 

cards. For more information, 

see the Federal Trade Commission’s website at: www.ftc.gov or 

anyone of the three major credit 

report agencies: Trans Union, 

Equifax or Experian.

As part of a financial plan for 

deployment, consider the following on how to handle credit. 

First, obtain a free credit report. 

Congress mandated that we, the 

consumer be given access to a 

free credit report annually from 

those three major credit reporting agencies. Second, review your 

report for any discrepancies; report any error(s) directly to the 

agency that has it listed. Credit 

is a wonderful and useful tool if 

managed correctly. Financial issues and particularly credit misuse is the number one reason for 

security clearance revocation. 

By doing so, you’ll help yourself and your family by eliminating money stress and starting the 

process of becoming a “Millionaire on Military Pay.”

I would be his supervisor,” 

Espinet said. “He provided 

help to everybody.”

Popo is on six month 

individual augmentee orders 

and is currently stationed at 

Naval Air Station Jacksonville, 

Fla. 

“His job here is a change 

from his specialty and from 

his job in Jacksonville, but he 

grasped it quickly and has been 

doing an outstanding job,” said 

Espinet. 

As for what Popo does when 

he has a chance to break away 

from his busy work schedule, 

he likes to snorkel, jog and take 

care of his family. 

For Valentine’s Day, Popo 

says he bought his wife an iPad 

2. She is also active duty Navy, 

and is currently stationed on 

the USS Enterprise. 

“We really don’t get to see 

each other that much so, I try 

to spoil her a little bit. That’s all 

I can really do,” said Popo.

| News The Wire | Page 7

change much over time, though 

the number of ships will drop 

slightly for a few years.

“We’re forecasting that in 

2017 we’ll have the same number of ships that we have now,” 

he said.

“We have 37 ships under 

construction ... and nine more 

ships to award this year,” the 

admiral added.

The Marine Corps will eliminate an infantry regiment headquarters, five infantry battalions 

(four active and one reserve), an 

artillery battalion, four tactical 

air squadrons (three active and 

one reserve), and a combat logistics battalion.

Mulloy acknowledged the 

budget request call for delaying several Navy and Marine 

Corps programs and postponing some purchases. Operations 

and maintenance are essential, 

he said, and too-deep force 

cuts carry unacceptable risk, so 

“where do you take the cuts?”

Navy planners and leaders 

looked at long-term programs 

as the best source of cost reduction, he said, adding “The 

real driver here was, ‘What do 

we need to have?’”

The proposal delays for two 

years the planned “SSBN-X” 

ballistic missile submarine program, which will develop a replacement for the Ohio-class 

submarines.

The Ohio-class subs will 

begin to reach the end of their 

service life in 2027, according to 

Navy officials. A two-year delay 

in developing the multibilliondollar replacement, which will 

form part of the nation’s nuclear triad, represents an “acceptable risk,” officials said.

The Navy also proposes reducing procurement of joint 

high-speed vessels from 18 

ships to 10, and a scheduled 

MV-22 Osprey purchase by 24 

aircraft through 2017.

The Navy will also slow buys 

of two joint strike fighter variants, deferring until after 2017 

purchase of 69 of the aircraft. 

The service will terminate its 

Medium-Range Maritime Unmanned Aerial System, as Navy 

officials said other unmanned 

systems show demonstrated capability.

Spending for Navy and Marine Corps green energy initiatives will remain fairly steady, 

Mulloy said, calling them a key 

component for the department 

for “tremendous tactical reasons.”

For Marines on the ground 

and ships and planes afloat, 

minimizing fuel transport and 

fueling operations means reducing risk, he noted.

“Everything you can do to 

[reduce] energy use and drive 

the same tactical output ... is 

important,” the admiral said.

The Navy and Marine 

Corps’ emphasis on renewable 

energy ensures more “safety for 

personnel and efficiency for our 

forces,” Mulloy added.

The budget proposal will 

mean “a leaner, smaller force, 

but we’re still rapidly deployable and expeditionary, and 

we’re manned and led with the 

highest quality of individuals,” 

By Walter Barrett

Fleet and Family Services Center 

BUDGET cont. 

 The Wire | Page 6 Trooper Focus |

trooper focus

Bullet Bio

Time in service: 8 years

Hobbies: Taking care of his family

The boss says: “I’m proud to have him. He’s 

like a son.”

Advice to junior Troopers: “What you put into 

the military is what you are going to get back.”

By Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Jon Dasbach

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 

(Handling) 2nd Class Sheldan Popo 

works in Camp Justice as the housing 

and billeting noncommissioned 

officer. Originally the housing and 

billeting NCO were held by two 

different people, but now Popo has 

both responsibilities and performs 

with professionalism and dedication 

to succeed. 

As part of his job, he takes care 

of all the housing arrangements for 

the Office of Military Commissions 

personnel when they come to 

Guantanamo Bay not only for 

commissions, but other official 

visits as well. Depending on the 

nature of the visit, the housing 

varies from tents in Camp Justice 

to rooms in the combined bachelor 

quarters.

“Any and everything that has 

to do with billeting and housing 

is my responsibility,” said Popo. 

“Anything that needs to be done, I 

make it happen.”

 Popo makes sure that whatever 

type of room is needed, all the 

arrangements are prepared and 

taken care of prior to arrival, as 

well as inspects the rooms to make 

sure they up to standard. 

If the visitors have any problems, 

or if anything needs to be fixed with 

the rooms during the visit, Popo 

is the first to be contacted and he 

makes sure the problem is 

solved. 

 “He does everything 

down there,” said Master 

Sgt. Julio Espinet, Popo’s 

leading supervisor. “We 

work every day, even 

the weekends. I would 

like people to know, the 

housing, the billeting, all 

the stuff that he takes 

care of. We don’t just work during 

commissions, we work all the 

time.”

Part of Popo’s job is to be 

available for visitors 24 hours a 

day. He has to be knowledgeable 

about what to do with any problem 

or situation and how to fix it fast 

and efficiently. From visitors being 

locked out to the air conditioning 

going out, he is the one who is in 

charge of getting it fixed. 

The help that he provides is not 

only recognized by his supervisor, 

but by the visitors who have been 

here and seen firsthand what a great 

job Popo is doing. 

Espinet and Popo actually met 

prior to being stationed together 

here in Guantanamo. 

“He helped me in Jacksonville, 

and he didn’t even know at that 

time he would be coming here and

Did you send or receive anything on Valentine’s Day?

“I’m getting a special 

delivery. My girlfriend is 

coming down next week!” 

Fire Control Technician 

2nd Class Jorge Carpio

“I sent my wife a Facebook 

message, so I’m spending 

Valentine’s Day with the 

iguanas and banana rats.”

Hospitalman 3rd Class

Leotis Dixon

“I plan on sending a card 

to my wife and kids to say I 

miss them.”

Sgt.

David Sutton

BOOTS ON THE GROUND

“I sent a bouquet of flowers 

to my mom.”

Spc. 

Corey Davidson

 see FOCUS next page

FOCUS cont. A Fleet & Family

guide to staying 

ahead of deployment 

finances

MONEY MATTERS
Feature | The Wire | Page 8

U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is the oldest U.S. military 

base on foreign soil, and this week we celebrate its 109th anniversary. On Feb. 23, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed 

the original lease agreement with Cuba for Guantanamo Bay. 

This was the first lease between the United States of America and 

Cuba for use or this bay as a U.S. Naval Station. 

President Roosevelt had been the Assistant Secretary of the 

Navy in 1898 when the USS Maine blew up in Havana harbor. He 

was instrumental in preparing the Navy for the upcoming Spanish-American War. After resigning from the Department of Navy 

when war was declared, he became a U.S. Army colonel and led 

the infamous “Rough Riders” in the Battle of San Juan Hill, on the 

outskirts of Santiago de Cuba, and was nominated for the Medal 

of Honor for his bravery that day. After he was elected president 

in 1901, his administration’s negotiations with the new government of Cuba established this bay as a U.S. naval station.

The 1903 agreement reads in part: 

“To enable the United States to maintain the independence 

of Cuba, and to protect the people thereof, a well as for its own 

defense, the Cuban Government will sell or lease to the United 

States the lands necessary for coaling or naval stations, at certain specified points, to be agreed upon with the President of the 

United States.”

Above: do the hills overlooking the encampment at Deer Point 

look familiar?

This week in Guantanamo Bay History

–courtesy Sgt. 1st Class Michael Shimer

That’s the bad guy! >

Fast boat teams assigned to the United States Coast Guard 

Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) San Diego 

applied their tactics training in Guantanamo Bay Feb 12. 

The Opposing Forces (OPFOR) boat (far right) simulated a 

breached 500 yard security zone of a high valued asset and 

the Reaction and Screen vessels go in and determine the 

OPFOR’s intent. MSST San Diego provides 24-hour security 

to both the Joint Task Force and Naval Station. 

–photo by Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Kilho Park

High 

speed

training

| Feature The Wire | Page 9

When Troopers are 

deployed they miss many holidays with their family 

and friends. Support is widespread during major holidays 

like Christmas and Thanksgiving but holidays like Valentine’s 

Day can be lonelier. 

For Troopers in a relationship or recently out of one, Valentine’s Day can be a very difficult holiday. Fortunately, for Troops 

deployed to Guantanamo Bay there are organizations that offer 

help during those difficult times. 

The Joint Stress Mitigation and Restoration Team, or JSMART, 

offers Troopers an informal atmosphere to talk about their problems and deal with their issues before they become a chance to 

affect mission readiness. 

“For some service members this is maybe the first time 

they’ve been away from their spouse or significant other,” said 

Hospitalman 3rd Class Dominique Cannon of JSMART. 

“We try to talk to these service members and let them know 

that missing a holiday is not the end of the world.” 

The Chaplains’ Office is another asset in a service 

member’s arsenal for dealing with the stress of being separated from a loved one. The Chaplains 

made a special effort to wish Joint Task Force 

Troopers a Happy Valentine’s Day.

They also offer different ways to 

strengthen a relationship while 

Troopers are 

separated from a loved one. 

“One of the things we offer to Troopers is the 

‘United Through Reading’ program,” said Air Force 

Chaplain Lt Col. Alan Chouest. “Troopers can make an appointment and sign out a video camera and record a message 

to loved ones.” 

The Chaplains’ Office also offers individual counseling for service members who wish to talk about their relationship or the pain 

of being separated from loved ones. 

“Anytime someone wants to come in and talk about their relationship we are more than happy to do so,” said Chaplain Navy 

Capt. Bradley Thom. “All four of the Joint Task Force chaplains 

are married, and we’re people who are seasoned at military deployments. We know what it’s like to be apart and what it’s like to be 

reunited.” 

Chaplain Thom also explained that communication is important during a deployment. For those seeking to improve their 

communication with their loved ones Thom suggested the 

book “The Five Languages of Love.”

“We all hear messages differently and we relate to different 

things,” said Thom. “We hear words differently and interpret actions differently. It’s important to understand this.” 

During a deployment away from a spouse or significant other, holidays like Valentine’s Day can emphasize 

the difficulty of being separated. However, remember 

this too shall pass.

“For those of you in a relationship continue to 

work on the things that fuel it, whether its letters, 

e-mails, instant messaging or video chatting,” 

said Thom.

Every holiday counts for 

those away from home

By Army Sgt. Saul Rosa
 The Wire |

Page 10

Feature | | 

Feature The Wire|Page 11

Alooooooha 

 Guantanamo!

Hula dancers graced U.S. Naval 

Station Guantanamo Bay Feb. 11, 

bringing the motions of the South 

Pacific to the Caribbean. The performers 

were right at home in the tropical Cuban 

climate, with one reptilian exception.

“If it were not for the iguanas, it 

would be just like Hawaii,” Maui native 

and emcee Nathan Pokipala said.

Tiki torches flickered in the windy 

evening as Naval Station families and 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers 

first partook in a traditional pig roast, 

complete with Hawaiian rice, fruit, 

and pineapple upside down cake with 

coconut beverages.

“We might have a second seating 

next year, because of the popularity,” 

said Amiee MacDonnell, Morale Welfare 

& Recreation community activities 

director. “It happens every year; the 

tickets go really fast.” 

MacDonnell added that new to this 

year’s program were 50 youth tickets, all 

of which also sold out quickly, and predinner luau games including beanbag 

toss, limbo, hula hoops, and coconut 

bowling.

Dr. Cardoo made his third visit to 

Guantanamo Bay, with his magic bag 

and bone headdresses in tow.

“It’s magic I do, mostly,” the faux 

witch doctor said through his thick 

grass wig and mask of face paint. “It’s 

a great chance to come to the forbidden 

island.”

Dr. Cardoo has traveled to military 

posts including Eglin Air Force Base, 

Panama City, Jacksonville, Fla, and 

Mobile, Ala.

“Would you believe it, there’s a Tiki 

Bar in Iowa!” he added, mid-photo op 

with a straw hat-bedecked group of 

Troopers.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jade Fitzwater 

adjusted the orange flowers in her hair 

and awaited the show with some friends.

“It’s something different to do,” she 

said. “We’re mingling with everyone else 

in the community at one of the more 

unique events.”

As the sun set and the pig roast 

stocks dwindled, the musicians took 

their places. Their instruments included 

the toete drum, made of rare milo 

wood; a taller drum called a faatete, 

beaten with drumsticks and traditionally 

stretched with sharksin; a guitar, and a 

ukulele. But the first sound of the dance 

came from the sea.

“At every traditional Polynesian 

luau, the blowing of the conch shell 

symbolizes the beginning of the dance,” 

Pokipala intoned across the Tiki Bar 

patio. “Chief ” Kahui, the lone male 

dancer, signaled the others of the 

Polynesian troupe to begin.

Clad in colorful outfits which they 

changed between dances, Leilani, Elena, 

Mahea swayed and hula’d to the beat of 

the toete drum. Each far-flung island 

of the “Polynesian Triangle” has its 

own style, and the dancers’ moves and 

 see LUAU next page 

By Army 1st Lt. Amelia Thatcher
 The Wire | Page 12 Feature |

Left: Nathan Pokipala and Brown, from Tonga, performed their Polynesian dance 

troupe’s popular luau. 

Bottom: Leilani, Elena, and Mahea dance a traditional Tahitian hula for the audience. 

–photos by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ty Bjornson 

clothing reflected its mood: a 

Tahitian version of the hula in red 

and yellow cloth skirts; bright blue 

headdresses and long strands of seed 

pearls transported the crowd to New 

Zealand; and white crepe with the 

familiar coconut shell bra reminisced 

of Hawaii.

“The hands tell the whole story 

from the islands of Tahiti,” Pokipala 

said as the female dancers weaved 

across the stage. “But in Hawaii, the 

men were first taught to hula, years 

before the women.”

Pokipala also billed the Samoas, 

both American and the sovereign 

Western Samoa, as the most funloving of the islands.

“Chief ” Kahui finished the initial 

dance routine in a blaze of fire, leaping 

and juggling a flaming staff. A dancer 

since the age of seven, this is his third 

trip to Guantanamo Bay. Previous 

military stops include shows at Camp 

Pendleton and Nellis Air Force Base.

“The hottest fire dancer around!” 

Pokipala crowed. 

After a short break, children of 

Naval Station-based families then 

received a lesson in hula. More than 

a dozen kiddos, one decked out in 

a long grass skirt and a long flowercrowned wig, followed along with the 

dancers as they demonstrated some 

simple moves.

The lesson for Guantanamo adults, 

including Joint Task Force Trooper 

Lt. Erin Graham, included a many of 

the dances from the show. It was also 

an uncommon sendoff for Marine 

Corps Security Forces Company 1st 

Sgt. Richard Anderson and his wife 

April, who took the stage last.

But it won’t be the last visit for the 

Polynesian troupe, which has been to 

more than 100 countries but have yet 

to tire of traveling and spreading the 

love of their song.

 “Where have we not been?” 

Pokipala laughed. “The MWR treats 

us well here, and of course we’d come 

back.”

LUAU cont. TACO TACO TACO

TACO TACO TACO

TACO TACO TACO

TACO TACO TACO

TACO TACO TACO

TACO TACO TACO 

TACO TACO TACO 

TACO TACO TACO 

TACO | Feature TACO TACO The Wire | Page 13

How does it work?

Are you curious about how things happen at Guantanamo Bay? 

Contact The Wire with your questions, and we will try to find out!

Use the comment boxes or email thewire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

Whether they eat in a galley, chow hall, 

or dining facility, many service members 

worldwide look forward to a favorite weekly 

tradition, Taco Tuesday. However, Troopers 

deployed to Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

Bay get to experience Taco Wednesday 

instead. 

“I’m from the Southwest,” said 

Hospitalman 2nd Class Amber Craig. “I’m 

a Mexican food fiend, so I enjoy the taco 

bar, but I guess they never heard of Taco 

Tuesday here.” 

Like many things in the military, to 

understand the way something works you 

have to look at the whole system. 

Every galley, from Joint Task Force to 

the Naval Station side of Guantanamo Bay, 

is run under the same chain of command. 

Therefore, no matter which galley you go to 

the menu will be the same. 

Master Chief Petty Officer Patrick 

Campbell, the assistant food service officer, 

explained that the Navy galleys use a 21-day 

menu. Meals are selected based on nutrition 

and popularity. The three-week structure 

allows the Navy chefs to determine if a meal 

will be used again, based on a formula using 

the amount of food distributed and the 

leftovers Troopers discard. 

“It’s our goal to provide the troops 

at Guantanamo Bay the healthiest meals 

possible,” said Campbell. “But we don’t limit 

the options available to only healthy food; 

sometimes Troopers just want a burger.” 

In addition to the 21-day menu the galleys 

at Guantanamo Bay also offer a specialty bar 

Monday through Friday every week. 

“We wanted to offer our Troopers more 

options, in addition to our daily menu,” 

said Campbell. “These specialty bars are 

something that troops can look forward to 

every week.” 

The specialty bar for Wednesday happens 

to be the Taco Bar, while on Tuesday it’s the 

soup bar. 

“When I was back in the states, we 

had Taco Tuesday,” said Campbell. “Taco 

Wednesday was here before me and it was 

popular, so I didn’t want to change it.” 

So why does Guantanamo Bay have 

Taco Wednesday? Well, it seems that like 

Guantanamo Jay, things are a little different 

here on the island and our twist on Taco 

Tuesday is now a Guantanamo Bay tradition.

By Army Sgt. Saul Rosa 

Taco fiend Hospitalman 2nd Class Amber Craig builds a burrito, or soft shelled taco, at Seaside Galley. 

–photo by Army Sgt. Saul Rosa

The mystery 

of Taco Wednesday
Wood fuel 

innovation saves 

Fort Stewart 

money, reduces 

consumption

on the g ro u n d

FORT STEWART, Ga. – Cost-effective, energy-reduction strategies are what the home 

of the Third Infantry Division is all about. 

And one directorate at Fort Stewart is doing 

just that – saving money and reducing energy 

one wood chip at a time.

The Directorate of Public Works Forestry Branch and Central Energy Plant, or 

CEP, works in conjunction towards the Chip 

and Haul Program, which recycles otherwise 

unusable lumber debris and converting the 

debris into a sustainable resource.

“We’re really involved in the Chip and 

Haul process from the very beginning,” said 

Jeff Mangun, chief of the Forestry Branch 

for DPW. “What we do is conduct commercial timber sales. We’re able to go out 

with our technicians and our foresters and 

select harvest the trees we want removed. 

After that is done, our forestry crews follow 

in after the loggers are completed. We go to 

these sites where they’ve hauled the logs and 

bring our equipment to the piles of debris 

that are left. We chip the [wood], blow it in 

the back of the chip vans, which are just big 

semi-trailers, and haul the chips to the Central Energy Plant here on post.”

The resulting energy produces steam for 

the CEP and chilled water and hot water for 

approximately 25 to 30 percent of the installation. Facilities that receive energy produced 

from the CEP include Winn Army Community Hospital, buildings in the 200 block and 

buildings in the 500 through 800 blocks. 

“We’re probably going to save about a 

million dollars a year,” said Robert Baumgardt, director of DPW. “I’m really proud 

of that. The Chip and Haul has never been 

done here at Fort Stewart before. We looked 

at the resources. We knew that we needed 

wood fuel to run our Central Energy Plant. 

We knew we had a lot of slash out in the 

woods. We kind of combined the two ideas 

and said maybe we can do something and 

save some money.” 

By Elvia Kelly

Fort Stewart Public Affairs

 The Wire | Page 14 At Your Service |

I n the f i g ht

Cobra Gold 2012: Royal 

Thai Marines educate 

U.S., ROK forces in jun- gle survival techniques

RECON CAMP, Kingdom of Thailand 

– Royal Thai Reconnaissance Marines instructed their U.S. and South Korean brothers how to survive in an isolated jungle environment.

In the 31st iteration of exercise Cobra 

Gold 2012, a multi-lateral training event 

where numerous countries in the Asia-Pacific region work together in a multitude of 

exercises, the jungle survival portion placed 

the Royal Thai Marines in the role of instructor while Company B., Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 31st 

Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Republic 

of Korea Marines were the pupils.

“The Thais are showing us a lot of tools 

as well as resources available to us in the 

jungle that we will be able to exploit to survive in that environment,” said 1st Lt. Zachary Duncan, platoon commander for first 

platoon, B. Co., BLT 1/4, 31st MEU. “This 

class is the first step in a succession of training we’ll be going through, the end result 

being that our eyes will be open to see the 

jungle environment as plentiful as it is.”

With hundreds of U.S., Thai and S. Korean Marines in a semi-circle around a presentation area, Sub-Lt. Pranom Yodrug, a 

Thai reconnaissance Marine, with the aid of 

a translator, outlined the wide variety of edible foliage and fruits there are to be found 

in the Thai wilderness and how to properly 

prepare each item. Following this, bamboo 

shoots fashioned into makeshift trays were 

passed around with cooked insects, further 

exemplifying the fact that there is more to 

eat in the jungle than fruit.

While the U.S. Marine Corps has various 

locations around multiple bases suitable for 

jungle survival training, it is not something 

every Marine will have the opportunity to 

benefit from. S. Korea is even at less of an 

advantage with the country being a coldweather region, but the humidity and wildlife in the jungle setting is something every 

Thai Marine is familiar with.

“We’re originally stationed on Marine 

Corps Base Camp Pendleton, which doesn’t 

have any jungles to train in,” said Lance 

Cpl. Aaron Lende, squad automatic weapon 

gunner with Co. B., BLT 1/4, 31st MEU. 

“The heavy humidity alone can cause rapid 

dehydration, so being here and having the 

Thais teach us these skills, which we may 

one day use, is valuable.”

The second part of the day’s instruction 

was on various traps and crude instruments 

to be made and utilized in the capturing of 

larger food opportunities. Examples were 

shown for catching fish and snaring lizards 

or other small animals.

The main attraction of the class, however, was the techniques of killing and field 

stripping chickens and cobras. Procedures 

for the quick capture and humane killing 

of both were demonstrated to the Marines, 

and volunteers from all sides practiced their 

hands at their newly-learned survival techniques.

“It may not be pretty, but in a situation 

where you must survive off the land, it is 

either you or the chicken,” said Yodrug. 

“That is why we are teaching the other Marines these skills, because they do not have 

the proper environments to regularly train 

in jungle survival. When we all combine 

forces again, everyone will know how to live 

in the jungle.”

As the survival instruction concluded, 

the U.S. and ROK Marines showed their 

appreciation to their Thai counterparts and 

asked for stories of jungle warfare. While 

current U.S. conflicts do not require jungle 

training, the skill set increases the tactical 

readiness of Marines.

“If I was in a jungle environment and 

some kind of resupply was lost, I would 

be able to live off the land until I was able 

to be resupplied,” said Lance Cpl. Joshua 

Johnson, a rifleman with Co. B., BLT 1/4, 

31st MEU. “It might be unlikely, but it adds 

to our overall preparedness.”

Cobra Gold 2012 demonstrates the resolve of the U.S. and participating nations 

to increase interoperability and promote 

security and peace throughout the AsiaPacific region.

The 31st MEU is the only continuously 

forward-deployed MEU and remains the 

nation’s force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific region.

By Cpl. Jonathan G. Wright

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit

 see WOOD next page

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. – By 

the time Merryl Tengesdal graduated from 

the Navy’s flight aviation program in 1994, 

the early female aviation pioneers like Bessie Coleman, Janet Bragg, Willa Brown and 

Mae Jemison had pretty much broken the 

barriers for race and gender.

But after the Bronx native switched to 

the Air Force a decade later, she helped 

rewrite the aviation and Air Force history 

books by becoming the first African-American to fly the U-2 reconnaissance plane.

Inspired as a young girl by the Star Trek 

movies of the 1970s and ‘80s, Tengesdal 

went on to excel in math and science in 

high school and took that interest into college where she earned a bachelor’s degree 

in electrical engineering from the University 

of New Haven, Conn.

After graduating from college, Tengesdal 

traveled to San Diego to the Navy’s flight 

aviation program. She would spend the next 

10 years as a helicopter pilot flying the SH60B Sea Hawk on missions in the Middle 

East, South America and throughout the 

Caribbean.

In 2004 Tengesdal switched to the Air 

Force where she made a dramatic change 

from helicopters to flying at altitudes of as 

much as 70,000 feet for hours at a time flying the U-2 reconnaissance plane. 

“I was one of five women in my class 

and the only female that graduated,” said 

Tengesdal. “I just stayed focused as I went 

through the training process.”

Tengesdal said the U-2 is one of the 

more difficult aircraft to fly. 

“When you land, you actually have to 

stall the aircraft at two feet because of the 

wings.” Tengesdal said that some of her 

best moments as a U-2 pilot have come 

during Operations Enduring Freedom and 

Iraqi Freedom, along with Joint Task Force 

– Horn of Africa where she was able to 

provide troops on the ground with information obtained from her flights.

Tengesdal is a senior pilot with more 

than 3,200 flying hours, with more than 

330 of those in combat. She is currently a 

lieutenant colonel assigned to Peterson Air 

Force Base, Colo.

c oast to c oast

By 11th Coast Guard District Public Affairs

O n T he w in g

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 15

Coast Guard CPO receives 

special operations award 

for counter-piracy mission

WASHINGTON – A Coast Guard chief 

petty officer was honored Tuesday for his 

superior service while deployed in support 

of overseas combat operations.

Chief Petty Officer Lee Conroy, a maritime enforcement specialist, assigned to Maritime Safety and Security Team San Diego, 

was presented the 2011 National Defense 

Industrial Association Special Operations/

Low Intensity Conflict Award for his actions 

in support of the counter-piracy mission in 

the Gulf of Aden.

This award honors one member from 

each of the five armed services who has distinguished him or herself while supporting 

special operations, low-intensity conflicts or 

irregular warfare.

“I am honored to be recognized alongside our DOD brethren,” said Chief Petty 

Officer Lee Conroy. “But the true recognition belongs to my shipmates at MSST San 

Diego. Without their dedication and sacrifice 

I wouldn’t be receiving this award.”

Chief Conroy was sighted for his leadership, superior judgment and operational 

knowledge. He successfully led an eightperson advanced interdiction team during 

a 120-day overseas deployment to Central 

Command for operations Enduring Freedom and Riptide. As part of the anti-piracy 

Task Force 151Chief Conroy instructed 

training sessions with 80 Navy Vessel Board, 

Search and Seizure team members in Close 

Quarters Combat and mission planning in 

anticipation of joint boardings. Chief Conroy’s professionalism and leadership resulted 

in the removal of 18 pirates from the Gulf 

of Aden during four joint Coast Guard and 

Navy counter-piracy boardings.

“We are extremely proud of Chief Conroy,” said Coast Guard Capt. Jeffrey Novotny, Deputy Commander of the Coast 

Guard’s Deployable Operations Group. “His 

accomplishments epitomize the capability 

and adaptability our deployable specialized 

forces bring to operational commanders at 

home and abroad.”

Conroy and his fellow honorees were 

presented the award Tuesday evening before 

a crowd of nearly 600 special operations 

soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and their 

families. The banquet featured a number of 

distinguished guests, including Adm. James 

A. Winnefeld, Jr., USN, Vice Chairman, Joint 

Chiefs of Staff, who delivered the keynote 

address.

WOOD cont. 

Once the wood chips arrive to the CEP, 

it is collected and utilized as a renewable, 

sustainable energy resource.

“We receive the chips from the DPW 

Forestry [Branch],” said Randy Parks, Quality Assurance evaluator for the CEP. “[The 

chips] come in on tractor trailer trucks. We 

weigh them, check the moisture contents 

of the wood and dump the trucks in the 

truck dumper. Thereafter, it goes up a conveyer system and out onto the stock out 

yard. From there, we move it with front end 

loaders. We feed wood into a hopper that 

brings it up to the boiler.” 

And, the “smoke” that can be seen coming from the plant is not smoke after all. It 

is the steam that the CEP produces, which 

is strictly produced for the plant.

“Using wood that we get from Fort 

Stewart is a lot cleaner,” Mangun said. “It 

burns cleaner. There are fewer problems at 

the energy plant. The scrubber system stays 

cleaner. There’s less maintenance involved. 

The sediment ponds stay cleaner. So, it’s just 

good all around. The wood chips are high 

quality, so they’re more energy efficient.”

In terms of future money-saving innovations, Baumgardt said that they are primarily trying to save money and energy – 

even if it’s just the small things.

“We’re going down the path of trying to 

save money,” he said. “As we go down this 

path, it’s really a path of discovery. You’ll 

see some initiatives that we have going on 

like maybe putting exterior window blinds 

in buildings that keep the heat outside of 

the room outside, so we can cool the buildings a little bit easier. We’re working on 

some other ideas. So, we have some things 

that we are working on. It’ll take a little bit 

of time to implement, but it’s coming down 

the pike.”

Star Trek fan 

becomes first 

female AfricanAmerican U-2 

recon pilot

By Armed Forces News Service
 The Wire | Page 16 Student of the Game |

Lintelligent design

A Lingend in the making?

S T UD ENT O F THE G AME

If, for some reason, you haven’t heard of 

the Asian sensation sweeping the National 

Basketball Association, let me introduce 

you to Lin Shūháo, better known as Jeremy 

Lin. This undrafted, second year player has 

led the New York Knicks to five straight 

wins without superstar teammates Carmelo 

Anthony and Amar’e Stoudamire. He 

capped off his sixth consecutive win with a 

game-winning three point shot.

In Lin’s first career start, he scored 28 

points and dished out eight assists, numbers 

not seen since Hall of Fame point guard 

Isiah Thomas’ first start in 1981. Lin set 

scoring records by racking up 89, 109 and 

136 points in his first three, four and five 

starts respectively, becoming the first player 

to do that since the NBA merged with the 

American Basketball Association. He is the 

first player in NBA history to have 20 points 

and seven assists in each of his first five 

career starts.

Lin was born in Los Angeles, Calif. to 

a Taiwanese father and a Chinese mother, 

making him the first American-born person 

of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in 

the league. Since it is Black History month 

and the media are prisoners of the moment, 

Michael Luo, a New York Times reporter, 

describes Lin’s success as a “Jackie Robinson 

moment.”

Linsanity is a great story: he’s great for the 

league (who will capitalize on the Chinese 

market after losing Yao Ming to retirement), 

he’s great for the Knicks (who finally have 

the point guard that can run coach Mike 

D’Antoni’s fast paced offense) and he’s great 

for Nike (who had the business sense to sign 

Lin before he played his first NBA game), 

but let’s not confuse two racial firsts with 

comparable stories.

Jackie Robinson was drafted into the U.S. 

Army, completed Officer Candidate School 

and was court-martialed for not moving to 

the back of an unsegregated Army bus. Lin 

went undrafted by the NBA.

Robinson was badgered, belittled 

and racially insulted by the owner of the 

Brooklyn Dodgers and that was just to see if 

he had the intestinal fortitude to handle the 

pressures of integrating the MLB. Lin didn’t 

get an athletic scholarship offered to him 

by his dream college, Stanford, and pundits 

called it racial profiling. Lin had to settle for 

an economics degree from Harvard.

Robinson received death threats in the 

mail and heard fans threaten his life as well as 

that of his family every time he took the field 

in his first season. Lin’s fanfare has made his 

shirt the top seller on NBA.com, increased 

Knicks’ online store traffic by 3,000 percent 

and spiked Madison Square Garden’s public 

stock value 70 percent, putting it at a 52-

week high, according to the business section 

of the ABC news website.

Robinson’s presence caused people to 

denounce the Brooklyn Dodgers, boycott 

games and lose faith in the sport of baseball. 

Linsanity has the press box stuffed to the 

brim with American, Canadian, Chinese and 

Taiwanese media and has set season highs in 

attendance with the feeling of new life for 

the New York Knicks.

I’m not downplaying the efforts and 

accomplishments of what could be the 

missing link to the Knicks’ playoff run, but 

I think Linsanity is more along the lines of 

Tebowmania. A kid that no one believed 

in has become the beacon of hope for his 

underperforming team. 

This 23-year-old has a lot of learning 

and a lot of basketball in his future, so let’s 

concentrate on the present and future before 

we put him in the pages of our history books. 

Now is the perfect time to celebrate the steps 

our society continually takes toward racial 

equality. But, let’s not overstate anything. I, 

too, have been declared legally Linsane, but 

I’m not crazy enough to think Jeremy Lin is 

our generation’s Jackie Robinson.

By Army Sgt. Landis Andrews

Linsert more Lin puns here. So the far the Linternet has rounded up a (well-Lintentioned) Lintany of Linsane, 

Lincessant, Lincredible, Linconceivable, and just plain Linane comments about this Harvard graduate’s Linnate 

abilities and Linderella story. Linning! –NBA photo

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

Mind, Body & Spirit

by Petty Officer 3rd Class

Erin Phillips

NEGB

| Mind, Body & Spirit The Wire | Page 17

Before I arrived in Guantanamo Bay, there 

were stories. What to expect was unknown, 

and what was here was never expected. 

There were warnings about Guantanamo Bay 

activist groups, the immense stress caused 

by working around the detention camps, and 

how significant the impacts of a place such 

as this may cause. Still I was not prepared for 

the stress and frustration I would encounter 

and unfortunately the ways to overcome it 

can be all too easily overlooked.

Deployments can cause much stress that 

seems to creep up and pounce when least 

expected. A detention operations deployment 

creates and increases stress unique to its 

nature that can be extremely difficult to deal 

with. However if we can control how we 

feel about this experience we can benefit as 

described in Psalm 37:8, “Do not fret– it only 

causes harm.” 

Many of the Navy guards such as myself 

are out of their typical job fields or are new 

to the military, and have limited experience 

in detention operations. In the beginning, the 

long days began to blend together. I quickly 

found myself beginning to slip into a shell 

of myself, never smiling, focusing on the 

negative, and finding little enjoyment and 

satisfaction in my life. Every day life became 

exponentially more complicated, increased by 

the debates that surround Guantanamo Bay 

and the detainees housed here. 

Any small complaint regarding the work 

of a guard has the potential to become a large 

issue, therefore we must use extra precaution 

when dealing with anyone who may spread 

rumors about what our job entails. Sometimes 

it feels as if the work fails to yield visible 

results. Negative events, regardless of their 

size, compound and magnify to the point 

of affecting our abilities to deal with stress. 

Before you know it, the situation becomes 

overwhelming and a feeling of hopelessness 

reigns. 

Although we will come out on top, while 

dealing with so much stress and discontent 

it is easy to become frustrated and angered 

when faced with deployment and then added 

outside contributors. Hearing fellow citizens 

back in the States denigrate our hard work 

and sacrifices quickly becomes disheartening. 

In many instances, it was not a choice to 

work here. Frustration continues to build 

when forced to deal with normal stress that 

comes with the military and being deployed, 

working detention operations, and added to 

this, the backlash of misinformed people 

who contribute to the outside negative views. 

But then I remember Romans 5:5, and that 

we can find “glory in tribulations, knowing 

that tribulation produces perseverance; 

and perseverance, character; and character, 

hope.” 

I believe that there is a greater purpose, 

and our work here has reason. I believe that 

this experience will not only affect the good 

of the United States of America and the ones 

we love, but also help us personally. It will 

help us grow and learn as people and shape 

us into the best human beings we can be. I 

am able to grow and learn from the words of 

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace 

I give to you; not as the world gives do I give 

you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither 

let it be afraid.” 

The consequences of the work here may 

not be directly seen, but there is a reason for 

everything and God has a greater purpose. 

If this job were not being done and being 

done well, imagine what could be done; what 

terrible acts could be committed. It may not 

be what we see, but what we don’t see. 

People say a place is what you make it. 

I say the opposite. Guantanamo Bay has 

changed me significantly. It has helped me 

grow as a person and overcome challenges. 

My religion has helped me become a stronger 

person and has helped me survive through 

the time spent in the camp as a guard. I was 

able to reach out and break beyond the walls 

of despair and see the good. Although there 

are many forces that are working against 

us, we are the good in Guantanamo Bay.

Sleep soundly knowing that our country 

and families are safe because of our dedication 

and continuing hard work. We make a 

difference every day and nothing can change 

that or take that away from us. Regardless of 

your faith group, I Corinthians 16:13 speaks 

beyond religious boundaries: “watch, stand 

fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” for your 

country, for your family, and for yourself. 

Reflections 

of a guard

Roses are red,

Water is blue,

I’m just bananas 

for you!
 The Wire | Page 18 Movie Review |

Like last week’s “Hugo,” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” 

tells the story of an adolescent who loses his father to a horrible 

tragedy and then seeks a special message from him to cope with the 

loss. Coincidentally, both films are contenders for the Best Picture 

Oscar on Sunday, Feb. 26. 

The protagonist of “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” is Oskar 

(Thomas Horn), a high functioning child who lacks social graces. 

At one point, Oskar mentions that it’s possible he may even have 

Asperger’s syndrome. This makes sense, given his erratic behavior 

and intellectual amplitude. 

Oskar’s father Tom (Tom Hanks, “Larry Crowne”) knew Oskar 

to be a very bright lad. Through flashbacks, we see Tom regularly 

engaging Oskar in activities that stirred his mind and kept him 

thinking. Their relationship was very idealistic and portrayed as a 

little corny: if only everyone had a father like Thomas Schell, the 

world would be a better place. 

Unfortunately, the world isn’t a better place. We learn that Tom 

Schell was one of more than 3,000 victims who perished at the World 

Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. His body was never recovered. At 

his funeral, an empty coffin is buried, much to the dissatisfaction of 

his young son.

Oskar has great difficulty coping with his father’s death. His 

mother Linda (Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”) is beyond grief 

over losing her husband and dealing with the self-imposed social 

isolation of Oskar. She worries about Oskar deeply. Oskar tells her 

he wishes she was the one to die on 9/11 instead of his father. He 

engages in self injury, pinching himself all over his body to deal with 

his calamity. 

One year later Oskar is able to set foot in his father’s bedroom 

again. When he does, he is looking to find a connection to his father. 

That’s when Oskar discovers the mysterious key in an envelope 

labeled “Black.” What is this key? What does it mean? Why was it in 

his father’s possession?

Convinced the key must have a significant meaning, and a possible 

message from his late father, Oskar is on a quest to discover what 

the key opens. He meets the film’s most interesting character who is 

known simply as “The Renter” (Max von Sydow, “Shutter Island”). 

He’s an elderly gentleman who lives with Oskar’s grandmother (Zoe 

Caldwell) in secret. He hasn’t spoken a word since experiencing the 

Holocaust firsthand. Here is a man who hasn’t been able to cope 

much with the world around him, similar to Oskar. He’s seen his fair 

share of unhappiness, though he does find compassion for Oskar 

and aids him to find out what the key is for.

It’s nice to see the friendship develop between the two. “The 

Renter” helps bring the fearful Oskar out of his “shell.” It’s a unique 

dynamic the two share as they bond. As their time together continues, 

we discover the secret Oskar has kept since the final moments of his 

father’s life and who “The Renter” really is.

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” is a rather strange film. 

The subject matter is the most serious of its kind: dealing with the 

emotional toll on those who are the survivors of the victims of Sept. 

11. At the same time, the film gets a little whimsical in its quest to 

make sense of loss. The key, the elderly mute fellow and a tambourine 

are bizarre elements in a story of a young boy dealing with, adapting 

and ultimately coming to the terms of events in life beyond our 

control. Not that I would normally mind whimsy in movies about 

youth and discovery, but this is a story that uses Sept. 11 as a major 

plot device. After I finished watching this picture, I talked with one 

moviegoer who felt it is still too soon for a film to be this breezy with 

Sept. 11 as a backdrop. Maybe she’s right. Many might consider the 

horrible events of that fateful day too inappropriate to be used as a 

springboard for this kind of film. 

This feature is based on the book of the same name by Jonathan 

Safran Foer. The critics of that book echoed many of the same 

concerns I had with the film version. Harry Siegel of the New York 

Press titled his review “Extremely Cloying & Incredibly False: Why 

the author of ‘Everything Is Illuminated’ is a fraud and a hack,” 

believing Foer was exploiting Sept. 11 for his personal financial gain. 

Anis Shivani with The Huffington Post went as so far to add Foer to 

the list “The 15 Most Overrated Contemporary American Writers.” 

Movie Review PG-13

129 min.

By Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

 see REVIEW next page

Review continued

In contrast, The Spectator felt “the 

book is a heartbreaker: tragic, funny 

and intensely moving.”

The book was adapted into the 

screenplay by Eric Roth, who also 

scripted “Forrest Gump” and “The 

Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” 

Like “Extremely Loud,” those are 

films about unique characters in 

unique circumstances. One can 

assume this kind of movie might 

be Roth’s screenwriting “calling.” 

Behind the camera directing is 

Stephen Daldry, who brought us the 

acclaimed postHolocaust drama “The Reader.” 

Daldry has a penchant for real life 

events being the catalysts for the 

characters in his films to grow and 

develop over time. You would think 

with these two talents as the driving 

forces behind “Extremely Loud” 

you would have a thoughtful and 

intriguing picture. 

What do you get from “Extremely 

Loud” when it’s over? There’s no 

denying the first rate acting. Max von 

Sydow even received an Academy 

Award nomination for Best 

Supporting Actor for his role. That’s 

saying something about a character 

who says nothing. The pacing is 

reasonable and the conclusion is 

what it is. You have a decent picture, 

but not much else. Perhaps the 

whimsy doesn’t mix well with the 

most horrible national tragedy from 

the last decade. 

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly 

Close” is a likeable and watchable 

film with some great moments. It just 

doesn’t resonate with you afterwards. 

You are left asking yourself, what 

was this about and why? After some 

thought, I suspect it’s about coping 

with dramatic change and growing 

beyond comfort zones. But shouldn’t 

a film framed within the aftermath 

of Sept. 11 be something more? One 

would think.

| Bulletin Board The Wire | Page 19

GTMO Religious Services

JTF Trooper 

Chapel

Daily Catholic

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

 Mass

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. 

Ash Wednesday worship Feb. 22 Main Chapel

12 p.m. – Ecumenical 5:30 p.m. – Holy Mass worship

7 p.m. – Protestant worship with Communion Each service will include 

imposition of ashes.

For other services,

contact the NAVSTA 

Chaplain’s Office at 2323.

Protestant Worship

Sunday 9 a.m.

Bible Study

Wednesday 6 p.m.

For more information, 

contact the JTF Chaplain’s 

Office at 2305.

NAVSTA 

Main Chapel

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU 18

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

17 19 20 21 22 23

Journey 2: Inner 

Core (NEW)

(PG) 7 p.m.

War Horse

(PG-13) 9 p.m.

We Bought a 

Zoo

(PG) 7 p.m.

Safe House 

(NEW)

(R) 9 p.m.

Hugo

(PG) 8 p.m.

Safe House 

(NEW)

(R) 10 p.m.

Journey 2: Inner 

Core (NEW)

(PG) 8 p.m.

War Horse

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Alvin and the 

Chipmunks

(G) 7 p.m.

Mission: 

Impossible

(PG-13) 9 p.m.

Extremely Loud 

and Incredibly 

Close

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

New Year’s Eve 

(last showing)

(PG-13) 7 p.m.

The Sitter (last 

showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

The Sitter (last 

showing)

(R) 7 p.m.

New Year’s Eve 

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Extremely Loud 

and Incredibly 

Close

(PG-13) 7 p.m.

Adventures of 

Tintin

(PG) 7 p.m.

We Bought a 

Zoo

(PG) 8 p.m.

Mission: 

Impossible

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley
Background: We’re gonna need a bigger boat. High Speed Vessel Swift 2 pulled into Guantanamo Bay Feb. 14 to receive 

supplies in support of Operation Handclasp. –photo illustration by Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Kilho Park

Cupid

going...

going... gone!

–photos of the 525th Military 

Police Battalion’s Pig Bowl Feb. 

11 by Mass Communication Spc. 

1st Class Ty Bjornson

’