Volume 12, Issue 06 Friday, January 28, 2011

The Tiki Bar heats up

 Dancers, fire, guitars, Oh my!

Plane mystery 

case closed

Seth Rogen tackles 

“The Green Hornet”

Soldiers from the 525th Military Police Battalion load 

an “injured” comrade into a tactical vehicle during a 

training session at Bulkeley Field, Jan. 27. — photo by Mass 

Communication Specialist 1st Class David P. Coleman

Joint Task Force Trooper Army Staff Sgt. Jamayo Moody 

keeps in shape during his off time by lifting weights at 

Denich Gym. 

— photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Skrzyniarz

Construction Mechanic Third Class Christopher Covas, 

removes metal roofing from the demolished Club Survivor 

bar at Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Jan. 22. Covas is 

assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 28, from 

Shreveport, La., deployed to Guantanamo Bay in support of 

general improvement, engineering, construction and project 

management. — photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Around the

JTF

Capt. Craig Haynes pins Lt. Cdr. Jeff Laubaugh with the 

Information Dominance Warfare Specialist device at the 

Northeast Gate entrance to Cuba, Jan. 20. — photo by Mass 

Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Miller
The Wire | Page 2 Trooper to Trooper |

Trooper to Trooper

featuring

The WIRE is the official news magazine of Joint Task Force 

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

inform and educate the Troopers of JTF Guantanamo through 

news, features, command guidance, sports and entertainment. 

The WIRE seeks to provide maximum disclosure with minimum 

delay with regard to security, accuracy, propriety and policy. 

This DoD news magazine is an authorized publication for the 

members of the Department of Defense. Contents of The WIRE 

are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. 

Government, the Department of Defense, or Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo. It is printed by the DLA Document Services with 

a circulation of 1,000.

JTF Guantanamo

Commander

Navy Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harbeson

Command Master Chief

Navy Master Chief Petty Officer

Scott A. Fleming

Office of Public Affairs Director

Navy Cmdr. Tamsen Reese: 9928

Deputy Director

Air Force Lt. Col. Don Langley: 9927

Operations Officer

CW2 Raymond Chapman: 3649

Supervisor

Air Force Master Sgt. Andrew Leonhard: 3649

 

The Wire

Executive Editor

Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel: 3499

Assistant Editor

Spc. Meredith Vincent: 3651

Photojournalists:

Petty Officer 1st Class David P. Coleman

Petty Officer 2nd Class Elisha Dawkins

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jordan Miller

Petty Officer 2nd ClassWesley Kreiss

Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Spc. Justin Pierce

Army Private 1st Class Amanda Russell

Contact us

Editor’s Desk: 3499

From the continental United States

Commercial: 011-53-99-3499

DSN: 660-3499

E-mail: thewire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

Online: www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

525th Military Police Battalion 

Army Command Sgt. Maj.

Daniel Borrero

COVER: Residents of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay were treated to a Polynesian style luau, Saturday at the Tiki Bar. –photo by 

Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

Back Cover: Company B, 1/296th Infantry Regiment, 525th Military Police Battalion Sgt. Axel Cardona was the top finisher in the 

battalion’s 15-mile ruck march, Sunday, with a time of 2:08. The march served as a time trial to determine which Soldiers from the 

battalion would be sent to White Sands, N.M. as representatives in the 22nd Bataan Memorial Death March. – photo by Army Staff 

Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

When you look up Army Core Values, you will find selfless service. 

Army doctrine defines selfless service as follows: placing Army 

priorities before your own. You consider the welfare of the nation, 

your mission and your fellow Soldiers and subordinates before your 

personal safety or preferences. Selfless service means a willingness 

to sacrifice for the country, the Army and your unit. This does not 

mean you forget about the needs of your family or yourself. Selfless 

service prevents a narrow, ambitious focus on careerism for gain or 

glory. This value guides you in giving credit where credit is due and 

sharing your success.

One of my mentors, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Ed Dahl, 

wrote a perfect example of selfless service in his “Take Charge 

Speech.” For some background, this speech was written for a 

Warrior Leadership Course graduation as young, junior Army 

noncommissioned officers were getting ready to “take 

charge” within their respective units after completing this 

key and very critical course. 

Dahl wrote, “ Even though we comprise less than 

one percent of the U.S. population, we exist to fight 

the nation’s wars and win. As an Army, we are in 

the position most able to make that happen. It takes 

Soldiers’ boots on the ground to make that happen. 

As NCOs, we underpin everything that is done to 

complete that mission. Be the key player in everything 

your unit does and don’t be cast aside as a non-player!

Sergeants, while it’s important you graduated from 

the Warrior Leaders’ Course, it’s even more important 

that you now assume the role of NCO leader in your 

unit. It’s vital to execute your pre-combat checks to 

standard, your pre-combat inspections every time 

and your troop-leading procedures as if someone’s life 

depends on it — because it will. It means later nights, 

 see TROOPER, pg. 15. 

| news you can use The Wire | Page 3

Pirates off the coast of Somalia 

are using bigger vessels to extend their 

criminal reach in a move that could 

prompt U.S. Navy forces in the region 

to intensify techniques for pursuing the 

lawbreakers, the top naval officer in the 

region said Wednesday.

Navy Vice Adm. Mark I. Fox, 

commander of U.S. Naval Forces 

Central Command and the U.S. 5th Fleet, 

told a group of defense reporters in 

Washington, D.C. that pirates have begun 

commandeering large merchant ships and 

use them as “mother ships” to put smaller 

boats into operation far from the coast 

and beyond the reach of the international 

forces arrayed against them.

“This is the first time we’ve seen 

persistent and increased use of mother 

ships -- up to eight ‘pirate action groups’ 

as we refer to them, disbursed throughout 

the region,” Fox said, calling this 

development a “game changer.”

Such groups may include one or two 

mother ships that travel with a range of 

dhows, skiffs and other small craft to 

attack and hijack international commercial 

vessels.

Fox said the number of pirate hostages 

rose from 250 to about 770 between 

September and January. In response to this 

and to the pirates’ evolving capabilities, 

“we’re in a constant process of assessing 

the way we do our business here.”

Piracy Challenges Maritime 

Security Off Somalia

Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

US Court Sentences Guantanamo Detainee to Life in Prison 

Voice of America News Service

The first Guantanamo detainee to be tried 

in a U.S. civilian court was sentenced Tuesday 

for his role in the 1998 bombings of U.S. 

embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. 

Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a 36-year-old 

Tanzanian, declined to speak before New York 

federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan sentenced him 

to life in prison and ordered him to pay $33 

million in restitution. 

In a written statement, U.S. attorney general 

Eric Holder applauded the sentence, saying it 

showed “the strength of the American justice 

system in holding terrorists accountable for 

their actions.” 

A jury had convicted Ghailani in November 

on one count of conspiracy while acquitting 

him on more than 280 other counts stemming 

from the truck bombings at the U.S. embassies 

in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. 224 people 

died, and thousands more were injured in the 

attacks. 

Ghailani’s lawyer, Peter Quijano, had urged 

the judge not to levy a life sentence, but to 

reduce his sentence because of what he called 

torture of Ghailani by U.S. interrogators, and 

because Ghailani had provided the U.S. with 

valuable, even life-saving intelligence. But Judge 

Kaplan was unswayed, and said that whatever 

Ghailani had suffered “at the hands of the 

CIA or our government” paled in comparison 

to the suffering his actions had caused. He 

said Ghailani could pursue remedies for 

mistreatment separately. 

Eleven victims and survivors of the 

bombings, many of them from Africa, spoke 

at the sentencing hearing. 

Sue Bartley told of the loss of both her 

husband, Julian, a U.S. diplomat, and their son 

Jay, a college student, in the Kenya bombing. 

Howard Kavaler, whose wife Prabhi died 

in the Kenya attack, said he suffered from 

post-traumatic stress disorder, and hopes 

that Ghailani knows that the “world regards 

him as a cowardly infidel.” Susan Hirsch, an 

American, spoke about losing her husband, 

a Kenyan Muslim whose life, she said, was 

guided by Islamic ideals of faith, charity and 

kindness. 

Elizabeth Maloba, whose husband was 

killed, said, “My heart still cries when I think 

of the lifeless bodies.” She said that widows 

in Kenyan society lacked standing that they 

could not regain, and told of another woman 

widowed by the bombing who committed 

suicide in 2006, leaving behind two small 

children. 

James Ndeda, a worker at the Nairobi 

embassy, said Ghailani should be sentenced 

one year for each of those killed, and noted that 

if someone dies in jail in Kenya, “His grave is 

chained until the end of the sentence.” He said 

that Ghailani will have an easier life in prison in 

the U.S. than “some of us” in Kenya. “You can 

see he is healthier than us,” he said, looking at 

the back of the defendant, who never turned 

around to face the victims as they spoke. 

Ghailani’s lawyers maintain that he was never 

a full-fledged member of Al Qaeda, but a naïve 

young man who was tricked into buying a truck 

and explosives used in the Tanzania bombing. 

A recently unsealed court filing included letters 

from his former military lawyers describing 

Ghailani a “calm, gentle, kind person,” who 

is not a jihadist or anti-western, and which say 

that he “wells up in tears any time he thinks 

about or talks about those who were injured or 

killed in the embassy bombings.” 

Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian held at the U.S. naval base in Cuba since 2006 accused of 

involvement in the bombing of U.S. embassies in Africa, is depicted in this courtroom sketch of his 

arraignment, in New York, June 9, 2009. Standing next to Ghailani is Assistant U.S. Attorney David 

Raskin, the prosecutor for the case. - Reuters photo by Christine Cornell

Defense attorney Peter Quijano told 

reporters outside the court in lower Manhattan 

that he was disappointed but not surprised by 

the sentence.

“Notwithstanding the fact that a jury found 

Ahmed Ghailani not guilty on all but one of 284 

counts, including all of the conspiracy counts 

to bomb the embassies and all the conspiracy 

and substantive counts to commit intentional 

murder,” he said, “for the purposes of federal 

sentencing, on a single count of destroying 

buildings owned by the United States, a count 

which does not carry a mandatory life sentence 

- all those other verdicts are rendered essentially 

irrelevant.” 

Quijano said Ghailani feels regret but not 

remorse. “He feels great sadness for the reality 

that he engaged in some conduct that helped 

lead to this,” Quijano said, “but he has been 

consistent all along that he did not know he 

was engaged in those aspects of conduct 

which led to these bombings.” 

Ghailani was captured in Pakistan in 2004, 

held in CIA custody for two years, and then 

transferred to the U.S. prison at Guantanamo 

Bay, Cuba, from 2006 to 2009. His acquittal 

on all but one count in November has caused 

the Obama administration to shift its plans for 

terrorism trials back to military tribunals rather 

than civilian courts.
The Wire | Page 4 News from the Bay | 

News from the Bay

Who will be GTMO’s

“Biggest Loser?”

Joint Task Force Guantanamo now has 

the Oklahoma Air National Guard as its new 

“BEEF” on base.

The 161st Civil Engineering Squadron 

assumed command of the 474th 

Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron 

Jan. 21st.

Within the Air Force are groups of civil 

engineers referred to as Prime Base Engineer 

Force teams — or more commonly “Prime 

BEEF.”

Lt. Col. Martin Keiner, commander for 

the incoming unit, said the primary mission 

of Guantanamo’s BEEF is the maintenance 

and upkeep of Camp Justice. However, as 

scheduling permits, other JTF missions may 

also be tackled.

Keiner said the Oklahoma Air Guard 

brought 38 engineers of various disciplines. 

Their specialities range from plumping and 

electrical, all the way to entomology.

Also serving with the Oklahoma airmen 

are Air Guard members from Florida, 

Kansas, Tennessee, Texas, New York and 

Oregon.

The members of the 161st will serve a 

six-month tour. 

GTMO welcomes fresh 

BEEF from Oklahoma

Army Private 1st Class Amanda Russell

Tax-filing assistance

available at NLSO

Cardona nabs top spot 

in Bataan march trials 

Spc. Meredith Vincent 

A 12-week biggest loser competition 

sponsored by the Morale Welfare and 

Recreation Fitness group gets underway 

Monday with weigh-ins at Denich Gym.

MWR Fitness Coordinator Tanya 

Henigman explained weigh-ins will continue 

through Feb. 4, at which point the contest 

begins in earnest.

“Teams have to be comprised of four 

people and the winners will be determined 

by the highest percentage of weight loss 

at the end of the contest,” Henigman said, 

noting there will be two winners, one team 

and one individual, when everything comes 

to a finale April 26. Each of the winners will 

receive prizes for their hard work in addition 

to meeting their fitness goals.

During the season, competitors can take 

part in regular nutrition seminars as well as 

exercises sessions every Friday night.

“The nutrition seminars really are for 

those competing but we certainly wouldn’t 

turn away anyone who joined us for Friday 

exercises,” said Henigman.

Participants are encouraged to take 

advantage of a personal trainer session 

available to them. 

“People can chose to go with any workout 

they want,” explained Henigman adding a 

personal trainer would be available to anyone 

looking for a customized routine

Making leeway for the come-and-go nature 

of servicemembers, Henigman said the 

judges will work with anyone who must leave 

Guantanamo Bay before the contest ends.

“This really is just a fun thing to be a part 

of, to make a fitness goal and to be around 

those who can help motivate you to reach 

those goals,” Henigman said.

Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

The Naval Legal Services Office is 

offering assistance in tax preparation by 

appointment only beginning Jan. 31. 

Naval Station and Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo servicemembers should be 

aware being deployed here does not qualify 

them for an extension, said Lt. Courtney 

Gorden-Tennant, officer in charge of 

NLSO.

“Unfortunately, this is a common 

misperception and you do not qualify,” 

explained Gorden-Tennant. “You still must 

abide by the same timeline as everyone else.”

Gorden-Tennant advised individuals 

bring their current year’s W-2, 1099 and 

information from other income, as well as 

information for all deductions and credits, last 

year’s tax return and social security cards. 

Tax assistance is geared toward mainly 

active-duty, junior enlisted with simple 

tax returns who may be doing their taxes 

for the first time. Activated reservists and 

Department of Defense civilians with simple 

tax returns may also be eligible, but GordenTennant said other personnel should consider 

contacting a paid preparer. 

“If you are not retired military or you 

have a complex tax return, we strongly 

recommend you go elsewhere,” she said. 

“A tax professional is likely to know how 

to minimize your tax liability for the more 

complicated circumstances.”

The legal office continually battles rumors 

about tax-filing information. One of the most 

common is that servicemembers deployed 

here should file their taxes in Florida.

“You should pick a state where you have 

visited and have some contacts,” explains 

Gorden-Tennant. “Keep in mind, if you 

file in a state such as Florida and have no 

contacts there whatsoever, you risk being 

audited.”

For the naval station side, NLSO 

(building 760) will be open 9 a.m. to 8p.m. 

Monday through Thursday and on Friday 9 

a.m. to 5 p.m. On the Joint Task Force side, 

the Trooper One-Stop Shop across from 

headquarters will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Monday through Friday. These hours are for 

appointment only.

To make an appointment, call x4692 for 

the NAVSTA side, and x8117 for JTF.

Sgt. Axel Cardona, a member of 

Company B, 1/296th Infantry Regiment, 

525th Military Police Battalion finished the 

15-mile Bataan Memorial Death March time 

trial in 2:58 Sunday, beating the previous top 

spot of 3:03.

“It’s really not a surprise that Cardona did 

so well,” said Company B’s 1st Sgt., Melvin 

Torres. “He’s been practicing for a long time 

and really wanted to do well.”

On two consecutive Sunday mornings, 

(Jan. 16 and Jan. 23) groups of Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo Troopers rucked the 15-

mile march. The top six finishers will make 

up the 525th MP Battalion’s six-member 

team and will go on to White Sands, N.M. to 

compete in the 26.2-mile Bataan Memorial 

Death March, March 27.

Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

| News The Wire | Page 5

Members of the 525th Military Police 

Battalion completed the Critical Incident 

Peer Support training course, Jan.21.

CIPS is peer-based training which prepares 

MP personnel to respond to catastrophic 

incidents. Soldiers learn how to deal with 

cumulative chronic stress associated with 

working in tactical and garrison environments, 

including correctional facilities, said Donna 

Ferguson, the course manager and CIPS 

branch chief.

“We’ve been going over a lot of different 

ways to personally deal with stress and how 

to help peers deal with it as well,” said Spc. 

Matthew Haws with the 189th MP Company

Haws, an internment resettlement 

specialist, explained this is not the 

stereotypical suicide prevention seminar.

“This wasn’t the traditional death by 

PowerPoint class,” he said. “We studied the 

brain and the ways each of the different 

areas is affected by stress and we were 

taught a variety of methods to ... prevent 

chemical imbalances that can actually make 

you physically sick.”

In suicide prevention training, military 

members are taught to check on their battle 

buddy if they show signs of depression, 

Hays added. The issues discussed go deeper 

and deal with the individual’s subconscious

In order to address these underlying issues, 

one must find the root of the problem, Haws 

said.

“This is a prevention type of action rather 

than a reaction to a major incident, such as 

suicide,” explained Haws. “This class isn’t 

about fixing the end result; it is about looking 

for the cause of stress or a major incident and 

how to fix it.”

Haws said in order to help others, people 

have to look inward and mend any personal 

issues they might have.

Another student in the class, Spc. Ashley 

Street with the 193rd MP Company said, 

people can predict reactions to different 

scenarios by looking at their own behaviors.

“You have to focus on who you are and 

know yourself in order to identify how you are 

going to act in a specific situation,” said Spc. 

Ashley Street with the 193rd MP Company.

Self-knowledge allows a person to be 

more available to his or her peers, explained 

Street.

“This isn’t necessarily about dispensing 

advice or telling people what to do,” said 

Street. “It’s all about learning to be a better 

person.”

Haws said a factor for success is investment 

into the personal lives of coworkers.

“The key is to build trust and relationships 

with coworkers in order to show people that 

you care,” said Haws. “This is important 

because people need to know you can be 

trusted when they need help.”

When friends understand this, they realize 

they won’t be judged for whatever is going on 

in their lives, said Haws.

“You have to present yourself to people 

as someone they can talk to when they are 

feeling low,” said Haws. “They will talk to you 

and not worry about stigmas or have trust 

issues.”

The most important thing is to be invested 

in the person’s life before a critical incident 

happens, he said.

“This isn’t a class that can be summed up in 

a few words,” said Street. “I think it is something 

that every Soldier should take because it 

is so imperative to both the Army and the 

individuals.”

Agreeing with Street, Haws said “I honestly 

believe this class will be an asset to the Military 

Police Corps and to every MP company.”

CIPS training an investment into Soldiers’ lives

Story by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

The Joint Medical Group at 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

provides prevention and treatment 

of eye diseases to detainees with 

additional support from Naval 

Hospital Guantanamo Bay.

“The optometry unit’s mission 

is primary and acute care for a 

detainee’s eye,” said department 

head of optometry Lt. Cmdr. 

Peter Gunther at the naval station 

hospital. “We offer routine eye 

exams at the detainee hospital, 

supply new prescription glasses 

and treat ocular problems they 

may have.”

The ophthalmology team 

consists of one optometrist 

and two opticians. Weekly, the 

team goes out to screen and 

treat detainees as necessary. 

Hospitalman Joshua Ehrardt is a 

member of the team, serving as 

an optician.

“My job is important because 

I feel that if we are not here 

they won’t be able to see,” said 

JTF optometry: More than meets the eye

Story and photo by Mass Communication Specialist 

2nd Class Elisha Dawkins

Ehrhardt, adding opticians 

conduct exams and help make 

glasses.

Detainees who request 

treatments for eye problems 

receive care in a timely manner. 

“Whether they need corrective 

glasses, have problems seeing 

or if their vision becomes 

uncomfortable, we can go over 

and see them,” Gunther said. 

“We treat common eye issues 

related to diabetes, glaucoma 

and any injury received before 

they arrived here, like shrapnel 

remnants in the eye.”

Gunther said his most 

common cases involve red eyes 

or injuries received during soccer.

Every week Gunther speaks 

with the division medical officer to 

set up consultation appointments 

at the JMG for detainees. He 

reviews medical and ocular 

history to determine equipment 

needed typically provided by the 

naval hospital.

The hospital supplies several 

pieces of equipment to the 

medical section of Camp 6 

detention facility including a 

microscope, lens and an auto 

refractor, which measures the 

cornea and helps determine the 

prescription. 

“The biggest thing we’ve 

done here for detainees is two 

years ago we installed a lab that 

contains lenses and frames to 

create glasses,” said Gunther. “If 

needed, we can produce the eye 

glasses the same day and bring it 

out to them.”

The optometry team at Joint 

Medical Group does whatever it 

takes to maintain healthy vision 

for all detainees.

“I believe being able to see is 

essential to living comfortably 

and having a good quality of 

life,” concluded Ehrhardt.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Peter Gunther, a Joint Medical Group medical officer, 

examines a detainee during a routine eye care visit, Oct. 27.
The Wire | Page 6 Features |

Like many who fall under the strong 

magic of Guantanamo Bay scuba diving, 

Chris Hileman had heard the rumors of a 

plane submerged somewhere in the water. 

A master diver, Hileman volunteered to 

help on a deep dive class when he learned 

the wreckage was the ultimate destination. 

From that fateful dive, a mystery worthy of 

Sherlock Holmes began to unfold – how did 

this piece of aviation history end up on the 

bottom of Guantanamo Bay?

“When you have a bit of the history and 

context of something, you’re more likely 

to treat it with respect and take care of it,” 

Hileman, the current president of the Reef 

Raiders Dive Club, said explaining his reasons 

for digging further into the story.

On one of the five dives to the crash site, 

Hileman took several photos of the plane, 

a Grumman S2F lovingly referred to by its 

pilots as a Stoof, from as many angles as 

he could. The depth of the dive, between 

127 and 130 feet, meant the six divers had 

approximately five minutes worth of air 

to get what they could and get back to the 

surface.

“One of the reasons the plane is in such 

good shape is because it is such a deep dive,” 

Hileman explained, noting the depth of the 

wreckage kept many divers away. 

Divers must be deep-dive certified before 

going beyond the 60-foot depth. 

After posting the photos in July to a website 

dedicated to the aircraft, Hileman heard 

nothing for months. Then in December, 

Hileman was contacted by the Stoof ’s Pilot 

Association. The SPA posted the images on 

their website and in January Hileman received 

a narrative from retired Navy Captain John 

Tarn detailing one very bad day at the helm 

of a Stoof. As luck would have it, not only 

was Tarn able to solve the S2F mystery he 

was able to give intimate details — Tarn was 

one of the pilots involved in the crash.

“We were on a cruise aboard the USS Lake 

Champlain in April 1959,” Tarn began. “This 

particular flight took place on the 28th.” 

The S2F had flown ashore the previous day, 

landing at an airfield that today is the location 

of one of Joint Task Force Guantanamo’s 

detention facilities. Tarn, a lieutenant junior grade 

at the time, was flying with Lt. Al Chandler. The 

two were tasked with getting some flying time 

to prepare for carrier qualification. Along with 

the crew, the pilots began a three-hour flight 

with lead pilot time split between Chandler and 

Tarn. During Chandler’s time behind the stick, 

a pilot in a different plane was photographing 

the event.

“At the completion of the camera shoot, 

we headed back to base to change seats for my 

turn,” Tarn said.

Near the 1,100 foot mark the plane suddenly 

got very, very quiet as both engines quit.

“Chandler set up a glide to the west with a 

right hand turn into the wind,” Tarn said. “He 

made a textbook water landing with six-foot 

waves as a runway.”

what lies Beneath

Story by Army Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

| Features The Wire | Page 7

Tarn’s hatch came forward on touchdown 

and for the first few seconds his vision was 

completely clouded by escaping air bubbles.

“I couldn’t see the pilot next to me,” said 

Tarn.

Evacuating the aircraft onto the wing, 

Tarn noticed the two crewmen bobbing in the 

ocean and Chandler in a one-man lifeboat. 

“We were midway between our airfield and 

Leeward Point,” Tarn said, adding the rescue 

helicopter and crash boat could be seen 

making their way toward them. When the 

rescue helicopter arrived, those in the water 

indicated the crew should be picked up first.

“This turned out to be the hairiest part of 

the flight,” said Tarn.

The helicopter hooked up one of the 

crewmen, got the Sailor nearly 20 feet in the 

air when the hook came undone, plunging 

the man back into the water. This happened 

not once, but twice. On the third attempt, the 

beleaguered Sailor waved the aircrew off. The 

helicopter crew then picked up the second 

crewmen without incident.

“By this time, the crash boat was circling 

us,” Tarn said, but another wrinkle of 

complication would quickly emerge.

“The crash boat was circling through our 

parachute lines. When the first class coxen 

managed to get us all onboard, the parachute 

lines were wrapped all around the propeller,” 

he described.

In an effort to free the lines from the 

propeller, the coxen gave a seaman a machete 

and instructed him to cut the lines away from 

the propeller.

“The seaman wound up and missed, slicing 

the leg of the coxen,” Tarn said.

As the seaman navigated the boat back to 

shore, the rescued pilots became rescuers as 

they patched up the wounded Sailor as best 

they could.

“It is customary to give survivors a shot 

of whiskey,” Tarn said of a then Guantanamo 

Bay hospital tradition. “The other pilot and I 

looked at each other and gave our shot to the 

first class (the coxen).”

Hileman knew his mystery was solved. 

“Based off the Captain’s story and 

approximate position ... I felt this was his 

aircraft,” said Hileman.

Tarn was under the impression the aircraft 

went much deeper than where it ultimately 

came to rest, a fact Hileman used to judge the 

Captain’s story.

“Even though he thought it went into 

600 feet of water, he was close to the shelf 

that drops that deep but missed it,” Hileman 

explained.

Unraveling the mystery, Hileman said he 

was glad he was able to restore a piece of 

forgotten Guantanamo Bay history.

“Having it solved means a lot,” Hileman 

said. “It adds context to the wreck and history 

to the base that was forgotten. It’s hard to beat 

a story like that to go with it!”

Photos provided by Chris 

Hileman, president, Reef 

Raiders Dive Club
The Wire | Page 8 Cover Story | | Cover Story The Wire | page 9

Polynesian spice Story by Spc. Meredith Vincent

Photos by Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

a dash of

No amount 

of rain could 

keep the 

island fever 

away Saturday 

evening 

as the Tiki Bar hosted a Polynesian Luau, featuring live music, a 

hula dancing performance and a fire dancer.

The seven-person group made their second journey to 

Guantanamo Bay over the weekend, a journey they were more than 

happy to make.

“Military audiences are always receptive and very appreciative,” 

said Nathan Pokipala, owner and performer of the Polynesian group 

out of Orlando, Fla. “If this is our little two cents to help the cause, 

then we want to feel like we’re a part of it.”

Pokipala’s troupe originally started 20 years ago in Hawaii but for 

the past ten years they have been with Universal Studios at Polynesianthemed hotel The Royal Pacific. However, they continuously take their 

talents on the road, traveling to more than 100 countries. Curiosity 

got the better of them last year when they decided to venture to 

Cuba.

“We’d been to 111 countries, and not one of them was Cuba,” 

Pokipala explained. “So we were intrigued and interested. And we’re 

so glad we came, because the people have been so gracious.”

The act includes live music from Pokipala, hula dancers and plenty 

of audience participation. However, said Pokipala, the highlight of 

the evening is always the fire dancer. As he described the work his 

performers put in every day, Pokipala said it’s just a way of life back 

home.

“In Hawaii, you’re raised to do it,” he said with a chuckle. “We’ve 

just taken it to the next level and gone beyond what you learn 

there.”

Pokipala takes pride in the work he does, especially for the 

audiences made of servicemembers and their families.

“Our whole focus is trying to bring the South Pacific to those 

who are not able to go,” he said. “We want to take the audience on a 

musical, comical and exciting journey.”

Along with fire dancers and other 

entertainers, dancers entertained the crowd 

with many different Polynesian styles.

Audience participation 

was a key feature during 

the night’s festivities. 

A fire dancer with the Lanakila dance troupe 

heats things up Saturday as part of the Luau 

hosted by Naval Station Guantanamo Bay’s 

Morale, Welfare and Recreation department. 

(top left corner) Nathan Pokipala served as 

master-of-ceremony as the Tiki Bar played host 

to Polynesian-style Luau.
The Wire | Page 10 Features |

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay’s 

historic Windward Point Lighthouse and 

onsite living quarters are in grave danger 

of entering their final chapter in the history 

pages of the United States’ oldest overseas 

military installation.

At 60-feet-tall and 107 years old, the 

primarily steel structure continues to steadily 

decay after decades of neglect and wear 

from weather, sea water and insufficient 

funding. 

“The main entrance was secured from 

further access between 1998 and 1999,” 

said JoAnn King, NAVSTA GTMO Public 

Works Department procurement technician. 

“It [the lighthouse] was determined 

structurally unsound and unsafe by rust 

and corrosion [crews] shortly afterward and 

guided tours are no longer available.”

Many long-time Guantanamo Bay 

residents, including King, feel it will be 

difficult to secure appropriate means to save 

something that spent the last decade serving 

as little more than an ornament.

“The sad thing is we probably will never 

get the funds to either restore or repair the 

lighthouse,” said NAVSTA Environmental 

Director Michael McCord, who assumed 

responsibility for the property late last year. 

“Eventually it will become a safety hazard 

and have to be demolished.”

Although the lighthouse was condemned, 

the nearby living quarters remain open to 

visitors as a museum – showcasing the house 

itself and various historic Guantanamo 

Bay artifacts. It too may suffer the fate of 

its towering neighbor with King noting the 

Uncertain future ahead for Guantanamo Bay’s lighthouse

Story by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class 

Wesley Kreiss

Structure “eventually will become a safety hazard and have to be demolished.” 

museum is currently closed to the public.

 “It’s a piece of GTMO history and I have 

a belief that we should always try to preserve 

history,” said McCord. “We are currently 

working with the cultural resource folks at 

NAVFAC [Naval Facilities] Region Southeast 

and are looking into possible alternative 

funding streams that can be used to pay for 

the repair and renovation.”

Until then, iguanas make their homes 

among the nearby boats, the future of the 

lighthouse remains uncertain and a once 

shining beacon to the sea may forever go 

dark.

Photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Wesley Kreiss

Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

| Ephemera The Wire | page 11

Sgt. 1st Class Vernon Watson briefs a solider during a 525th Military Police Battalion training session 

at Buckley Field, Jan. 27. Watson is the Battalion Maintenance Officer for the 525th, which supports 

the Joint Task Force Guantanamo mission. — photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st 

Class David P. Coleman

Serious Training, Serious Trainer 

 Accuracy

The Wire strives for accuracy. When we fail, we accept 

responsibility for our errors and correct them. If you see an error in 

The Wire, please e-mail us at TheWire@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil.
The Wire | Page 12 Trooper Focus | 

What would you be doing back home if you weren’t here in Guantanamo?

Aviation Ordinance 3rd 

Class David Smith

“Phone watch at the Naval 

Special Warfare Center or 

training for BUDS (Basic 

Underwater Demolition/

Seal).”

“Preparing for the Super 

Bowl!”

“Four-wheeling with my 

family and getting ready to 

retire.”

“Riding my motorcycle in 

Hawaii.”

Aviation Electrician’s Mate 

2nd Class

Gedeon Baez 

Culinary Specialist 1st 

Class Matthew Conner

Air Force Staff Sgt. 

Archie Gerald

When members of the 525 Military Police 

Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters 

Company gathered to discuss ideas to 

commemorate this year’s Martin Luther 

King Jr. Day, it was Staff Sgt. Kitisha BattleHeyward who stepped up with the winning 

idea – a 5K run. Tina Brown, 1st Sgt. for the 

525th, credits Battle-Heyward for the success 

of the event.

“It was an excellent idea to do something 

different,” Brown said. “She started 

everything, with the t-shirts and programs, 

and it all just fell into place.”

Battle-Heyward, who is the unit resource 

sergeant, has been in the Army for 15 years. 

However, she said, that was not always the 

plan.

“I originally came in for two years, 23 

weeks and then I was going to get out,” she 

explained, adding college money was her 

ultimate goal at the time. “But I decided to 

reenlist and I’m still here.”

Joint Task Force Guantanamo is BattleHeyward’s second deployment, having already 

deployed to Iraq in 2007. The mother of two 

is determined to stay ready and motivated 

during her remaining months here.

“I like to help people,” she said. “It gives 

trooper

me a sense of satisfaction knowing I was able 

to help another Soldier.”

That leadership is noticeable to those 

around her, said Brown. 

“She’s very dependable and straightforward,” 

Brown said. “If she has something to say, she 

says it. She’s herself, and it makes her a strong 

leader.”

Apart from her usual duties, BattleHeyward is also the unit’s equal opportunity 

leader. A large part of her outlook toward 

fellow Soldiers and servicemembers is to focus 

on their humanity.

“For me, I try to remember before they put 

the uniform on, they’re still people,” she said. 

“So regardless of rank, it’s remembering I was 

once in their place and how would I want my 

leadership to interact with me.”

“She’s an excellent Soldier,” concludes 

Brown.” If she makes a mistake, she admits it 

and moves on. That’s what sets her apart from 

a lot of Soldiers.”

Bullet Bio

 Time in service: 15 years

 Hobbies: Reading and going 

 to the gym

 Inspirations: My kids. 

 They’re the main reason I do 

 what I do. 

 Pet peeves: Lack of 

 organization

 Advice to junior Soldiers: 

Be flexible. 

Army Staff Sgt. Kitisha Battle-Heyward

focus

Boots on the Ground

| At the Movies The Wire | Page 13

great bit part to kick things off. Lenore Case, 

played by Cameron Diaz, holds a significant 

role as Reid’s secretary. Diaz unknowingly 

supplies Rogen and Chou with their crime 

fighting plan of attack through her vaunted 

knowledge of criminal behavior. Plan in 

hand, Rogen and Chou head off to stir up 

trouble in hopes of reaching their antagonist, 

a drug lord known only as Chudnofsky.

Played by Christoph Wald, Chudnofsky is 

Spc. Justin Pierce

Movie Review

Anti-hero: -noun, a protagonist who lacks 

the attributes that make a heroic figure, as 

nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude 

marked by action or purpose, and the like. 

From his inception, the Green Hornet 

emulates this term better than any other super 

hero. Be it through radio, comics, television 

or even a new movie, the Green Hornet has 

always been the hero who wasn’t. Giving the 

Hornet’s role to Seth Rogen must have felt 

like a knee-jerk reaction for director Michel 

Gondry. Who better to play an unwitting, 

mildly incompetent hero, than the man who 

also plays an unwitting and incompetent 

policeman, witness and security officer? 

Some may call Gondry’s use of Rogen in a 

role like this type casting; I call it exploiting 

a natural talent.

Rogen exudes the attitude of an antihero right from the start. At 30 years old, 

the Hornet’s alter ego, Britt Reid, is an 

unemployed party boy living in his father’s 

garage. From any other actor, the sheer sight 

of this would seem pathetic, but Rogen lends 

his character’s status unwarranted coolness. 

Like the Hornet himself, Rogen doesn’t 

get into crime fighting alone. The lovable 

straight man — and competent barista/

mechanic/martial artist — Kato, played 

by Jay Chou, backs the Hornet brilliantly. 

The duo of Rogen and James Franco in 

“Pineapple Express” lead to unbridled 

meanderings through woods, farms and 

inner city streets, but Chou keeps Rogen 

much more on course. Chou also brings a 

little humor to the movie in his own way, 

through a feline aloofness that’s really more 

fun than funny to watch.

Several other minor roles lend to the 

movie’s comedic wealth. James Franco has a see MOVIE, pg. 15

PG-13

119 minutes

Rating:

28 29 30 31 01 02 03

FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

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

Tangled

(PG) 7 p.m. 

Love & Other

Drugs

(PG13) 9 p.m. 

Green Hornet

(PG13) 7 p.m.

Morning Glory

(PG13) 7 p.m.

Last Showing

Skyline

(PG13) 7 p.m.

Last Showing

The Next Three 

Days

(PG13) 7 p.m.

Harry Potter 

& The Deathly 

Hallows

(PG13) 

7 p.m.

Green Hornet

(PG13) 8 p.m. 

Love and Other 

Drugs

(R) 10 p.m. 

Unstoppable

(PG13) 8 p.m.

Last Showing

Morning Glory

(PG13) 8 p.m.

Last Showing

The Tourist

(PG13) 8 p.m.

Chronicles of 

Narnia - Voyage 

of the Dawn 

Trader

(PG) 8 p.m.

The Next Three 

Days

(PG13) 8 p.m.

Burlesque

(PG13) 10 p.m.

Skyline

(PG13) 8 p.m.

Last Showing

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley . 

Clipper 

Club

Other 

Events

Chronicles of 

Narnia - Voyage of 

the Dawn Trader

(PG) 7 p.m.

Burlesque 

(PG13) 9 p.m.
Page 14 | The Wire Mind, Body, Soul||

GTMO Religious Services

Daily Catholic Mass

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

Main Chapel

Vigil Mass

Saturday 5 p.m.

Main Chapel

Mass

Sunday 9 a.m.

Main Chapel

Catholic Mass

Saturday 7:30 p.m.

Troopers’ Chapel

Sunday 7:30 a.m.

Troopers’ Chapel

Seventh Day Adventist

Saturday 11 a.m.

Room B

Iglesia Ni Christo

Sunday 5:30 a.m.

Room A

Pentecostal Gospel

Sunday 8 a.m.

Room D

LDS Service

Sunday 10 a.m.

Room A

Liturgical Service

Sunday 10 a.m.

Room B

General Protestant

Sunday 11 a.m.

Main Chapel

United Jamaican

Fellowship

Sunday 11 a.m.

Building 1036

Gospel Service

Sunday 1 p.m.

Main Chapel

GTMO Bay Christian 

Fellowship

Sunday 6 p.m.

Main Chapel

Bible Study

Wednesday 7 p.m.

Troopers’ Chapel

The Truth Project

Bible study

Sunday 6 p.m.

Troopers’ Chapel

Protestant Worship

Sunday 9 a.m.

Troopers’ Chapel

Islamic Service

Friday 1:15 p.m.

Room C

Jewish Service

FMI call 2628

LORIMI Gospel

Sunday 8 a.m.

Room D

Church of Christ

Sunday 10 a.m.

Chapel Annex

Room 17

Mind, Body & Soul

Joel Barker may hold more acclaim for his knowledge and 

advice in business than in the gym, but this quote still offers 

a good deal to chew on. At the very least, Dr. Barker’s words 

display the necessary correlation between a plan and action 

where success is the desired result. 

Importance of planning aside, actually making a plan can 

prove to be a tedious endeavor. Setting up a fitness schedule 

can be particularly difficult. Choosing which muscle groups to 

work, when and how much is a fairly tricky science. Thankfully, 

professionals lend us all a willing hand in reaching our personal 

fitness goals.

Unfortunately, with workout DVDs going for $100 to $300, 

that helping hand may not even seem worth it these days. Never 

the less, many of these products enjoy a wealth of acclaim in 

both professional and consumer reviews. If the price still has 

your pocketbook cowering in the corner, Muscle and Fitness 

might present a more amenable offer. 

Muscle and Fitness magazine has long since decorated the 

shelves of supermarkets and coffee shops alike, and honestly the 

covers never really pulled at me from an aesthetic perspective. 

Aesthetics aside, their website, offers an alternative approach 

to setting up your workout routine. While this is certainly not 

an endorsement, I’ve used their program with a fair amount 

of success.

Members can sign up to receive a somewhat customized 

Spc. Justin Pierce

“Vision without action is a dream. Action without 

vision is simply passing the time. Action with vision 

is making a positive difference.” -- Joel Barker

Planning for a fitter future

monthly workout plan. The benefits of the program are really 

two-fold. Not only can you choose a routine to meet your 

specific goals, muscle building, cardio, weight loss, etc. but also 

you can choose a level of proficiency appropriate to your own 

abilities. 

Muscle and Fitness’s monthly trainer program also helps keep 

your workout from going stagnant by changing up the types of 

lifts, sets and reps. This is probably the greatest asset to the site 

because now, no matter your familiarity, the site can give you 

new workouts or methods that weren’t even a twinkle in your 

eye before hand. On top of this, if you’re unfamiliar with an 

exercise in the routine, one click will pop open a window where 

it’s demonstrated as well as described. 

The trainer program goes even further, allowing members to 

set up meal plans, fitness goals and also earn points that can be 

cashed in for rewards, free supplements etc. In the end, it really 

does pay for itself. The accountability it places on the members 

by setting them up with a calendar so they can annotate when 

they’ve completed their daily routine is useful and valuable. 

Whatever the route chosen, using an outside source to help 

plan and adjust your workout routine is a great way to apply 

vision and goals to the action of your daily workouts. Even 

if you don’t follow a pre-made workout routine to the letter, 

having it around helps keep you on track and evenly balance 

your physical fitness.

| The last word The Wire | Page 15

more butt-chewings and 

more responsibility. After all, 

America’s sons and daughters 

are yours for safekeeping! We are 

the Army’s strategic leadership in 

Soldiers’ lives.”

These small paragraphs speak 

to what it means to sacrifice for 

one another and for our nation. 

They speak to taking care of 

your Troopers regardless of 

branch of service and seeing 

unfortunately the most disappointing part of the 

movie. James Franco phrases it best in the first 

five minutes when he dresses down this flop of 

a villain. 

Casting may be the biggest issue here. 

Chudnofsky’s style of villainry just doesn’t mesh 

MOVIE cont.

TROOPER cont. the mission through regardless 

of how long it takes. This to me 

defines, in its purest form, the 

essence of “Selfless Service.” 

So my message to the 

Troopers is that each of you 

demonstrates this core value 

every day when you put that 

uniform on and come to work. 

From the young Airman, Sailor, 

Marine or Soldier to the most 

senior leader on the ground or 

on duty, we all demonstrate our 

“Selfless Service” to our nation.

But on a more personal level, 

you demonstrate your Selfless 

Service to that shipmate or battle 

buddy to your left and right by 

being on time for duty and 

enforcing policy and procedure 

even though this could be your 

fourth, fifth and sometimes sixth 

12-hour shift. You are tired, yet 

you don’t quit. You proudly 

stand your post, complete 

that final admin transaction 

or finance paperwork, finish 

that last counseling or write 

that last award for your junior 

trooper and you don’t ask for 

recognition; you just do it. Once 

again thank you for what you 

do and know that each of you 

have an impact on the Joint Task 

Force mission. Continue to serve 

with pride and distinction, but 

most importantly remember to 

always serve selflessly. We are all 

part of the JTF family, a team of 

teams working toward the same 

end-state and mission success. 

Thanks once again.

When Completing a Visitor Request Package, It’s Important to Follow These Procedures

- All necessary forms can be found in the JTF-GTMO intranet page 

https://intranet/j1/visitor.htm

- If your visitor(s) is not on active duty he/she will need a passport. This 

includes children and babies as well.

- If your visitor request is submitted within 14 days of your visitor’s arrival, your package must include a late memorandum.

- If your visitor request is for more than 14 days, your package must 

include an exception to policy request for the Chief of Staff’s approval. You 

will need to provide justification for a visitor’s stay beyond 14 days.

- Your request must be signed by your Department Head, Housing (J4), 

and the NAVSTA Security Office. Once you have these signatures, bring 

your visitor request package to the Joint Personnel Center in the Trooper 

One-Stop. The JPC staff will route your package to the CoS for final approval.

- Once approved, the JPC will notify you to pick up your visitor request.

- Please note, non-Department of Defense ID card visitors must have 

the signed Air Mobility Command letter to qualify for the DoD AMC rate. 

This letter is signed by the CoS. There have been instances where sponsors accomplished the country clearance forms and stopping the process 

there, which allowed a visitor to arrive. While this seemed like a shortcut, 

the sponsor and visitor discovered that they had to pay $800 for the visitor’s departure ticket. For substantial savings, as well as proper accounting for 

all JTF-GTMO visitors, please ensure your visitor request package comes 

through the JPC.

- While JTF-GTMO supports the visitation program, there may be circumstances where visitation is shortened or not possible, such as for mission 

requirements, destructive weather, etc. While these circumstances are rare, 

they may interfere with your visitation.

- If you have any questions about visitation, please contact YN2 Goines, 

Visitation Program Manager, at extension8020.

with Wald’s brand of evil. Instead of the devious 

wordsmith and strategist, showcased in “Inglourious 

Basterds,” Chudnofsky is a flat character of few 

words brandishing a ridiculous two-barreled pistol.

Flawed casting aside, Wald still manages to hold 

your attention, and the movie doesn’t suffer greatly 

for it. Sure, it’s not a hero flick at heart, but that 

never really was the Green Hornet’s MO. All in all, 

“The Green Hornet” is a great movie for a laugh 

on auto-pilot. There really wasn’t anything awardwinning in the performances, story or score but it 

was fun to watch.

The JTF Chaplain’s Office is hosting a 

JTF Prayer Breakfast at 0700 

Monday 07 Feb 2010 

at the Seaside galley. 

The guest speaker will be 

Ch, CAPT Ronnie King, USN

USSOUTHCOM Command Chaplain

FMI: Call 3202/2305

To SSG Archie Gerald

Archie.M.Gerald@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil

All E-4 and below without meal cards will be sponsored by the 

Chapel Section.