Volume 12, Issue 03

THE

An Award-Winning 

JTF Journal

Bice and Fosterchild help 

rock in the New Year

Friday, January 7, 2011 Around the

JTF

Logistics Specialist Seaman Dominique A. 

Williams sorts Joint Task Force Guantanamo mail 

being unloaded from a cargo plane at Leeward 

Airfield, Dec 29. The Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

postal personnel handle over 10,000 pounds of 

mail per week, supporting the Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo mission. — photo by Mass Communication 

Specialist 1st Class David P. Coleman

Master-at-Arms Seaman Phillip Wade drives 

toward the basket during a spirited basketball 

game in Dennich gym, Jan. 3. Wade said he is 

exercising to stay in shape and promote his health 

and wellness. He is attached to Naval Station 

Guantanamo Bay. — photo by Mass Communication 

Specialist 1st Class David P. Coleman

Religious Programs Specialist 3rd Class Jeffrey 

Lauber reads the Bible at the Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo Chaplain Command Office, Jan. 

6. Lauber is a Navy reservist deployed here 

providing spiritual and moral support for JTF 

servicemembers. — photo by Mass Communication 

Specialist 1st Class David P. Coleman
Page 2 | The Wire Trooper-to-Trooper | Friday, Jan. 7, 2011

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 Document Automation & 

Production Service 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:

Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class

David P. Coleman

Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class

Elisha Dawkins

Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Air Force Senior Airman Gino Reyes

Army. Spc. Kelly Gary 

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

BACK COVER: Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston speaks to Joint Task Force Command Master Chief Scott Fleming during a tour 

of Camp Six detention facility, Jan. 5. – photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Elisha Dawkins

COVER: Bo Bice and Fosterchild helped bring in the New Year with concerts at the Tiki Bar and the Windjamer, Dec. 31.–Bo Bice 

photo by Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel, Fosterchild photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

A new year has begun and many people look to start new things and 

make resolutions of change or improvement. Many experts say that by 

February 1st, a great deal of those resolutions have already failed.

So do you have a 2011 resolution? Will you be one of those who 

make their resolution stick? 

In the military we are charged each and every day with the duties 

appointed to us from our leadership. There is no choice to fail or walk 

away from these duties—because you are held accountable and doing 

your best is expected. 

So are you going to hold yourself accountable for your 2011 

resolution?

If you have a resolution to end your tobacco use, get into better 

shape, make the next rank or take your education to the next level, then 

shouldn’t you hold yourself accountable? Look yourself in the mirror 

and ask yourself, “What consequences will I hold myself to?” Who will 

“check” your six?

For me it’s as easy as telling a Wingman, (Battle or Shipmate) about 

your resolution or goal. Then offer to do the same for them. It’s just 

like going back to “pick up” that Trooper who isn’t quiet as fast as you 

running PT and encouraging them to finish strong. That simple support 

of someone there to push you along or even to just ask how you’re doing, 

can make the difference between success or failure.

One reason may people abandon their resolutions or goals is we 

become discouraged when results don’t come quickly enough, or when we 

find we are not necessarily happier because of them. Behavioral change 

requires sustained effort and commitment — one of those great military 

core values. It is also typically accompanied by physical discomfort. 

For example, reducing food, alcohol or nicotine intake from a level to 

which you have become accustomed can result in cravings. It’s easy to 

procrastinate until tomorrow, so that you can rationalize not disciplining 

yourself today. That is why having a Wingman, (Battle or Shipmate) can 

help you along the way.

Strive for excellence, strive for success, and good luck to those who 

have a 2011 resolution.

Trooper to Trooper

featuring

Noncommissioned-officer-in-charge, PAO

Air Force Master Sergeant

Andrew Leonhard

Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 | Outside the Wire The Wire | Page 3

A Navy program is equipping service 

members and their families with the skills 

they need to weather the psychological 

and physical challenges bred by a decade 

of war.

Project FOCUS, or Families 

Over Coming Under Stress, bolsters 

communication and coping skills 

among families impacted by multiple 

deployments and the visible and invisible 

wounds of war.

“Families make such sacrifices to 

support service members and their 

country,” said Kirsten Woodward, family 

programs division director for the Navy 

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. “It’s 

important for us to support families 

in the same manner in which they are 

sacrificing.”

Navy officials created the program 

in March 2008 after observing the 

growing effects of wartime stress on 

family members’ psychological health. 

Little research had been conducted on 

the impact of war on families up to that 

point, Woodward noted, but what they 

could find indicated a growing need.

Navy Program Puts ‘FOCUS’ 

on Military Families

Elaine Wilson

American Forces Press Service

Navy Relieves Enterprise Captain for ‘Poor Judgment’

Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

 A Navy captain whose shipboard videos 

have made headlines since they surfaced in 

the media over the weekend has been relieved 

of his command for demonstrating poor 

judgment, a senior Navy officer announced 

Tuesday.

Capt. Owen Honors made the videos 

while serving as executive officer aboard the 

aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in 2006 and 

2007, and he had served as commander of 

the Enterprise for about seven months when 

he was relieved.

“The responsibility of the commanding 

officer for his or her command is absolute,” 

U.S. Fleet Forces commander Navy Adm. 

John C. Harvey Jr. said today in Norfolk, 

Va. “While Captain Honors’ performance as 

commanding officer of USS Enterprise has 

been without incident, his profound lack of 

good judgment and professionalism while 

previously serving as executive officer on 

Enterprise calls into question his character 

and completely undermines his credibility to 

continue to serve effectively in command.”

Honors’ video skits garnered global 

attention after the Virginian-Pilot newspaper 

published three of them and an accompanying 

story on its website Jan. 2. The videos include 

anti-gay slurs and depict male sailors in drag 

and female sailors showering together in a 

single stall.

The Enterprise crew viewed some of the 

videos on the ship’s closed-circuit television 

system while the vessel was deployed in 2006 

and 2007 supporting the wars in Iraq and 

Afghanistan, according to the newspaper’s 

reports.

“It is fact that as naval officers we are held 

to a higher standard,” Harvey said. “Those 

in command must exemplify the Navy’s core 

values of honor, courage and commitment, 

which we expect our sailors to follow. Our 

leaders must be above reproach, and our 

sailors deserve nothing less.”

Honors has been reassigned to 

administrative duties at Naval Air Force 

Atlantic.

Navy Capt. Dee Mewbourne will take 

command of USS Enterprise, Harvey said. 

The ship is scheduled to deploy in the coming 

weeks. Mewbourne commanded the carrier 

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during two 

combat deployments supporting Operation 

Enduring Freedom, Harvey said. Mewbourne 

had been serving as chief of staff for Navy 

Cyber Forces, and was to assume command 

of the Enterprise this afternoon.

“We will support and work with Captain 

Mewbourne and the crew of Enterprise 

to keep them forward focused on their 

upcoming combat deployment. This is a 

difficult situation but the men and women 

of Enterprise are outstanding sailors who 

have completed a very challenging and 

comprehensive predeployment workup period in a thoroughly professional 

manner. They are well-trained and I have full 

confidence in their readiness to execute all 

missions during their deployment,” Harvey 

said.

An investigation will continue on all 

aspects of the videos’ production, the 

admiral added, including the actions of other 

senior officers who knew of the videos and 

the actions they took in response.

Navy Capt. Owen Honors, whose shipboard videos have made headlines since surfacing in the media 

over the weekend, was relieved of his command for demonstrating poor judgment, a senior Navy 

officer announced Tuesday. -- photo courtesy of U.S. Navy

National Guard reaches 

1,200 mark on border

Slightly more than 1,200 National 

Guard members from the four Southwest 

border states are in training or already 

deployed in support of the border 

mission, a Guard official announced 

today.

"The National Guard is a flexible 

organization that provides constant 

forces for overseas commitments and 

domestic support operations," said Jack 

Harrison, director of communications 

for the National Guard Bureau. "In fact, 

the National Guard has fulfilled every 

request for forces to date."

The largest number of troops - 602 

- is on orders in Arizona followed by 

California with 274, Texas with 283 and 

New Mexico with 84.

"Overages are planned to 

accommodate the transition of personnel 

on and off the mission, therefore troop 

numbers will flex slightly throughout the 

deployment." Harrison said.

The majority of the Guardmembers 

will support the Customs and Border 

Protection with entry identification teams 

and support Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement with criminal investigative 

analysts for one year. Additional troops 

from these states will serve in command 

and control or support positions.

The mission is scheduled to end June 

30, 2011. 

National Guard Bureau
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

A new year brings new goals for 

everyone. More often than not, these goals 

focus on the physical, be it appearance or 

performance. For the routine gym user, this 

time of year can create a predictable influx 

of fair weather fitsters, those on a “new 

year, new self ” kick, which generally ebbs 

within a month.

Without delving too far into the human 

condition, one can predict how this ebb 

and flow happens in gyms across America. 

People expect instant change. Because of 

this, many newcomers push an excessive 

regimen, foregoing all comfort foods and 

exhausting their motivation with massive 

two-hour workout sessions four days a week. 

Aside from a body-shocking change, many 

new gym users hit the store before they 

enter the gym, loading up on supplements 

with promises of instant results. 

A passing glance at the fitness aisle in the 

NEX overloads the senses. Flashy bottles, 

jugs and boxes of every shape and size, 

each shiny object promising miraculous 

claims. Hidden behind the glitz and glam 

sits a list of warnings and exceptions. This 

inconveniently tiny text tells everything 

you really need to know before taking 

a supplement. Specifically, these three 

statements: STOP use if (insert abnormal 

condition here) occurs, CYCLE off every 

Xth week, and CONSULT your physician 

before use. These phrases are words every 

user should heed.

 Of all the previously mentioned warnings, 

consultation is the biggest in the military, as 

each branch has a list of banned substances, 

some of which are legal for civilians. Aside 

from legality, consultation also keeps your 

personal safety at heart. Your physician 

knows what all the 10-thousand-dollar 

words, like “L-phenylalanine” mean, and can 

steer you away from a harmful path.

Cycling off is also important when using 

supplements. The length of times vary, but, 

all pre-work out supplements suggest it. As 

with many drugs, failing to cycle off could 

result in creating an immunity to the drug. So 

really, taking a break makes it more effective 

over time. 

One last major consideration with 

supplements comes from the Food and Drug 

Administration’s website. Supplements aren’t 

regulated the same as all other medications. 

Instead, the FDA allows these companies to 

regulate themselves. This sometimes leads to 

a product being released to the public when it 

may not be safe. When this occurs, the FDA 

of course polices up the issue before the 

product is re-released. Still, it is yet another 

reason to consult a physician before using a 

new supplement. At the very least, consult 

online reviews. If everyone is writing about a 

product being dangerous, it probably is.

The take home point I’m meandering 

toward here is simply this: these supplements 

would be more accurately described as 

compliments. Getting in shape takes time 

and effort. Quality exercise is still the main 

ingredient in fitness. As my high school 

wrestling coach/calculus teacher would say, 

“Garbage in, garbage out.” 

Good luck in all your new year’s goals. 

Take it slow, steady and consistently and 

you’ll achieve results that last.

Mind, Body & Soul

Suggestions for 

Supplementing 

Safely

Story by Spc. Justin Pierce

Page 4 | The Wire Mind, Body, Spirit | Friday, Jan. 7, 2011

“Getting in shape takes time and effort. Quality exercise 

is still the main ingrediant in fitness.”

Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 | Trooper Focus The Wire | Page 5

Staff Sgt. Christopher Gatrost wasn’t 

even supposed to be in Cuba. Added on at 

the last minute, he was given a week’s notice 

before joining his unit at their mobilization 

station in Fort Bliss, Texas. Two weeks 

later, he was on a plane.

Gatrost, a housing specialist with J4, 

was awarded a certificate of achievement 

Dec. 23, 2010 by 1st Lt. Mark Wise, 

Headquarters and Headquarters Company 

commander, for obtaining a 300 on his 

Army Physical Fitness Test — a perfect 

score. Wise, for one, was not surprised by 

the young Soldier’s accomplishment.

“He’s a motivating factor out here,” 

said Wise. “He’s got great dedication and it 

shows in his work ethic.”

Gatrost attributes his small-town 

upbringing for that particular set of 

qualities. 

“I’m no stranger to work,” he said. “I 

just try to do as much as I can while I’m 

gainfully employed. It makes the day go by 

and the deployment go by.”

This upcoming February will mark 10 

years of gainful government employment 

for Gatrost, who originally joined the Army 

as a way to go to college. He checked that 

goal off his to-do list when he received 

his bachelor’s degree in marketing and 

international business last year. So what’s 

next for the high-speed Soldier?

“My plan was always to go active duty 

out of college,” Gatrost explained. “My 

first and foremost goal right now is to 

trooper

become an aviator in the Army.”

He’ll have no trouble finding support. 

Sgt. Maj. Rivers A. Jacques Jr., Joint Task 

Force housing facility manager, said he can’t 

speak highly enough of Gatrost.

“When you give him a task, you only 

have to say it once and he gets it done,” 

said Jacques. “He’s very intuitive and selfmotivated.”

With a determination that seemingly 

cannot be stopped and leadership cheering 

him on, Gatrost is looking forward to 

continuing his career in the Army.

“If I get an aviator spot, I’ll do that until 

they kick me out,” he smiled. “I mean, what’s 

a better job than being a pilot?”

Rivers, for his part, has no doubts about 

Gatrost’s success. 

“He is the example and the epitome 

of what we look for in today’s noncommissioned officers,” beamed the sergeant 

major. “I wish I had ten more just like him.”

Bullet Bio

Time in service: 10 years

Hobbies: SCUBA, working 

out

Pet Peeves: Griping and 

complaining

Next goal: Aviator in the 

Army

Army Staff Sgt 

Christopher Gatrost

focus

Boots on the Ground

Which team do you think will be going to the Super Bowl?

“The Saints. They are going 

to repeat, baby!”

-Army Staff Sgt. 

Dion Herrera

“The Saints, because 

everyone is picking them.”

The Seahawks. They are my 

favorite team and I can’t say 

anything bad about them.”

“The Patriots. They seem to 

be a popular choice.”

Navy Counselor Chief

Shakilah Verner

Yeoman 1st Class 

John Baker

Army Staff Sgt.

 Juan Nunez
Page 6 | The Wire news | Friday, Jan. 7, 2011

Harnessin

the

John Paul Jones Hill is 

Guantanamo Bay’s highest 

point, named after a 

revolutionary naval war hero. 

On top of JPJ four wind 

turbines display how ancient 

philosophy and state-of-the-art 

technology combine to help 

propel renewable energy on 

Guantanamo Bay.

The turbines are a sign that 

Guantanamo Bay is on board 

with energy conservation 

and provide a percentage of 

the base’s energy since their 

installment in 2005. 

“GTMO is a completely 

self-sustaining base,” said 

Arthur Torley, production 

division director of Naval 

Facilities. “We take no water or 

power from outlying Cuba.”

There are many benefits 

gained from using renewable 

energy such as wind power.

Although the base primarily 

runs on diesel generators, an 

average of three to five percent 

of the base’s power is provided 

by these turbines, said Torley. 

Story and photos by Spc. Kelly Gary

g Wind Brian S. Hodge rotates the nacelle of a 

wind turbine, Dec. 31, 2010.

Inside the wind turbine are cables and a ladder for personnel. 

The ladder stretches approximately 180 feet to the nacelle.

Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 | news The Wire | Page 7

generator hub) will face,” he added.

Aside from the initial start, the 

turbines are self automated and take 

minimal manpower.

“These are small machines 

compared to most in the U.S., standing 

only 80 meters high compared to 

the 120 meters currently used,” said 

Hodge.

 Hodge estimated the turbines 

stand a total of 262 feet with the blade. 

A turbine is no small structure and 

doesn’t come cheap.

The project was financed through 

an energy savings performance 

contract with Noresco, a Massachusetts 

company specializing in energy solutions, 

said Hodge.

Although the project was in the ballpark 

of $12 million the turbines will continue to 

provide cost effective power for years to 

come.

“With the daily cost of energy reaching 

up to $90,000, attaining 10 percent is a 

significant help,” justified Torley.

The percentage of power provided by 

renewable resources is expected to increase 

On a good day the turbines provide up 

to 10 percent of power and have produced 

up to 17 percent at one point, said Torley.

Guantanamo Bay made a good 

candidate for the project with a constant, 

reliable wind of at least nine miles per 

hour — which is necessary for the turbines 

to be started up, he explained.

The turbines actually require electricity 

to launch the propellers and anything 

below 9kw isn’t worth the electricity. 

“When winds exceed 75-80 miles per 

hour, the turbines are inoperable as well,” 

said Torley.

Brian Hodge, a wind turbine technician 

for Burns and Roe, described how the 

turbines operate.

“An anemometer (small device atop 

each turbine) gauges the wind speed and 

the wind vane monitors the direction 

of the wind,” said Hodge. “When the 

anemometer and wind vane gauge that 

there is either not enough or too much 

wind, the turbine will not operate.”

“The information is then passed to 

a central processing unit which decides 

which direction the nacelle (gear box and 

as solar and wind power as well as bio-fuel 

continue to replace diesel, said Torley.

“This is a huge step toward helping 

Guantanamo and the U.S get off the 

dependency of foreign oil,” Torley said

“In addition to generating power the 

turbines have sufficiently cut down on 

emissions from diesel fuel,” Hodge agreed. 

“The combination of solar and wind 

energy is the wave of the future.”

Three wind turbines can be seen from the top of the fourth, photographed 

Dec. 30, 2010. The turbines produce an average of three to five percent 

of Guantanamo Bay’s power.
Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 | feature The Wire | Page 8 Page 9 | The Wire feature | Friday, Jan. 7, 2011

As the ball dropped in New York and countdowns around 

the country came to a resounding “three, two, one ...” Troopers 

celebrating at the Tiki Bar at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba welcomed 2011 

with special New Year’s Eve guest and American Idol season four 

runner-up, Bo Bice. 

Morale, Welfare and Recreation community activities director 

Amiee MacDonnell said nabbing Bice for Friday night’s festivities 

was a real coup.

“One of my roles is to bring in live entertainment here in GTMO,” 

explained MacDonnell. “I think it really helps to boost the morale 

of the troops here, to have a little taste of something you might 

experience in the states.”

Bice has already toured twice in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, but 

this was his first visit to Guantanamo Bay. During his performance 

Bice detailed a long list of family members who served in the 

military.

“My long hair and rock and roll ways kept me out,” Bice chuckled. 

“But the military has a long tradition in my family.”

Following a raucous performance, Bice helped MacDonnell count 

down the seconds left in 2010. At the appointed second, he popped 

the cork on a bottle of champagne and led the crowd in a rousing 

redition of “America, the Beautiful.”

“He can’t show enough appreciation for the Troops,” said 

MacDonnell. “(He) is extremely grateful to be here ... going out and 

doing meet-and-greets, photos and autographs. He’s just been a real 

pleasure to work with.”

American Idol 

star revs up the New Year

Story by Spc. Meredith Vincent

Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

Former American Idol contestant Bo Bice performs for service 

members assigned to Joint Task Force Guantanamo and Naval 

Station Guantanamo at the Tiki Bar on New Years Eve, Dec. 31, 

2010. Bice invited Alabama natives to join him on-stage during 

a rendition of “Sweet Home, Alabama,” and led the crowd 

during the New Year’s Eve countdown. 

Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

Bo Bice commands the New Year’s crowd 

at the Tiki Bar during his appearance 

here in Guanatanamo Bay.

Photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elisha Dawkins Photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elisha Dawkins Photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elisha Dawkins
Page 10 | The Wire Feature | Friday, Jan. 7, 2011

Lead guitarist Brian Quinn puts on a show for 

the Troops at the Windjammer, Dec. 31, 2010. 

- photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Coleman

Fosterchild

comes to town

Story by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Not only was the band playing in a foreign country but the concert 

afforded them an opportunity to say thanks to those who serve their 

country.

“For me it’s giving something back to them (Troopers),” said 

Bob Pirylis Jr., Fosterchild’s drummer. “They give so much to us - 

sometimes their lives — we’re just playing a show.”

Echoing Pirylis’ comments, Fosterchild’s lead guitarist Brian 

Quinn explained the concert gave Troopers a chance to cut loose, 

even if just for a night.

“It meant the world to me ... to be able to perform for the 

Troopers,” Quinn said.

The band learned they were playing here around Thanksgiving. 

After that, everything became a whirlwind of activity. Getting 

passports, clearing work schedules, making arrangments with tour 

managers — all tasks to accomplish before the group could board 

a plane and make the trip to Guantanamo Bay. The band felt an 

incredible pressure to deliver.

“We were like, ‘Oh my God! We got it!’ If we don’t deliver this 

show, we are the worst band of all time,” said Quinn.

But deliver they did. A packed crowd at the Windjammer rocked 

out as the band performed a mix of rock-n-roll hits along with a few 

of their own ditties. A special treat for those in attendance that night 

was the debut of the band’s forthcoming single, “Stronger.”

“It’s about strength, but it also fits in here with the military,” said 

Pirylis. “We were working on “Stronger” and we were like this (Cuba) 

is where we are going to play this song.”

Reflecting on the band, Quinn explained the connection he felt 

between the music of Fosterchild and the moment’s-notice U.S. 

Military.

“I think the military is always ready to go,” said Quinn. “I kind of 

For the members of 

Fosterchild, an alternative 

rock band from Philadelphia, 

playing to a crowd at the 

Windjammer in Guantanamo 

Bay, Cuba on New Years Eve 

was a double shot of cool.

Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 | Feature The Wire | Page 11

Drummer Bob Pirylis Jr. keeps the 

beat from behind his drumset.

- photo by Army. Sgt. Mathieu Perry

Frontman Danny Beissel and bassist Michael Vlaanderen 

work the crowd at the Windjammer. 

- photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Coleman

“I think the military is always ready to 

go,” said Quinn. “I kind of feel our music is 

ready to go in a moment’s notice to get you 

pumped up.”

Individually, members of Fosterchild have 

performed for much bigger crowds than the 

one at the Windjammer. However, Quinn is 

certain this show will be one of their most 

treasured.

“This was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime 

opportunity and a life-changing experience,” 

Quinn said, adding he’ll take more than just 

memories when he returns to Philly.

A self-proclaimed pack rat, Quinn intends 

to frame the champagne-soaked, footprint marked set list from the night and is 

particularly proud of the coin he received 

from members of the Marine Corps Security 

Forces.

“My memorabilia from here will be the 

crown jewel of my collection for sure,” said 

Quinn.

While not quite the hoarder as Quinn, 

Pirylis agreed, saying performing for 

Guantanamo Bay Troopers was an amazing 

experience.

“I’ve got to be honest with you, I have 

never done anything like what I’m doing the 

six days that I’m here,” said Pirylis. “This is 

my greatest achievement. For us to be able to 

play a show here on New Years Eve, you just 

can’t do anything cooler than that!”

The band and their fans celebrate as the clock 

ticks over into 2011. - photo by Army Sgt. Mathieu Perry
Page 12 | The Wire feature | Friday, Jan. 7, 2011

The Joint Dental Group at Guantanamo 

Bay, Cuba is tasked with maintaining dental 

health readiness for Troopers stationed 

here.

“Our main goal is to treat and reduce 

pain of the gums and teeth,” said Hospital 

Corpsman 3rd Class Ayanna Wright. “It can 

be anything from a cavity to a root canal, 

broken tooth or minor surgeries.” 

Priority is given to those patients who 

are in need of emergency care, said dental 

officer Cmdr. Bruce Green. 

“In most cases they are treated with 

emergency oral examination, X-rays, 

Dental team strives for healthy smiles

evaluation, routine restorative care and 

cleanings,” Green explained. 

“To prevent tooth decay while deployed, 

it is important for servicemembers to have 

a current examination in garrison or their 

home-duty station prior to coming here,” he 

added.

Furthermore, daily care is vital to 

sustaining healthy teeth.

“Establishing a good daily routine of oral 

hygiene will help prevent the advance of 

tooth decay,” Green reiterated.

A third piece to healthy teeth is avoiding 

bad habits, such as tobacco use. 

Story and photos by 

Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elisha Dawkins

Regular care, good daily habits essential to avoid issues

“Undergoing tobacco cessation is vital 

to dental health,” he added. “Smokeless 

tobacco causes oral cancer because it contains 

materials that are abrasive.” 

 Taking preventative measures is essential 

to a Trooper’s health and vital in maintaining 

good dental hygiene.

“I believe good dental health is an example 

of good quality of life,” concluded Green. 

“My personal mission as a dentist is to help 

people improve their overall health.”

If you require an annual dental exam or 

have potential dental issues, contact the Joint 

Troopers Clinic at ext. 3393.

(above) Dental equipment used for oral cleaning 

and exams for JTF Troopers. 

(left) Navy Cmdr. Bruce Green works on a Joint Task Force 

Trooper, Dec. 28, at the Joint Trooper Clinic. Troopers can receive 

teeth cleaning, exams and X-rays from the dental staff of the JTC.

The Wire | Page 13 Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 | feature

Looking in the mirror after his mother 

gave him yet another bad haircut, Ship’s 

Serviceman 3rd Class Darold Johnsonbrown 

came to a conclusion. Just nine years old at 

the time, Johnsonbrown decided he could 

do a better job cutting his own hair and a 

life-long passion began.

“To be able to take nothing and make 

something out of it that people are happy 

with,” said Johnsonbrown, one of two barbers 

assigned to the Navy Expeditionary Guard 

Battalion, Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

Bay. “That’s art. Cutting hair is like art.”

The irony not lost on him, Johnsonbrown 

said it was his mother who gave him his first 

set of shears.

“She wasn’t mad at all, she just went out 

and got them for me,” Johnsonbrown said. 

Friends from his North Carolina 

high school noticed his hair and asked 

Johnsonbrown who the master behind the 

clippers was.

“When they found out it was me cutting 

my own hair, my friends started asking me 

to cut their hair,” said Johnsonbrown, who 

quickly established a reputation as the man 

to see if you needed a trim.

Finishing high school and moving on with 

his life, the need to take care of his young son 

drew the petty officer to the Navy. When he 

walked through the recruiter’s door in 2005, 

there was no question in his mind what job 

he wanted. As fate would have it, the recruiter 

had a quota for a ship’s serviceman and 

Johnsonbrown was on his way to wearing a 

Navy uniform.

Fast forward through a blur of basic 

training, A-school and first fleet assignment, 

Johnsonbrown explained a canceled 

deployment to Kuwait brought him to 

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

“After the deployment to Kuwait 

didn’t work out, I volunteered to come to 

Guantanamo,” he said.

Working with his 

fellow ship’s serviceman, 

Johnsonbrown makes 

regular, weekly trips to the 

camps in the detention 

facility. The team of 

barbers ensure they 

maintain a strict schedule 

of which camps they visit 

on a particular day.

“Detainees know 

when we’re supposed 

to be at their camp,” 

Johnsonbrown said. “If 

we’re not there, that can cause disruptions.” 

Disruptions, however, are a normal part 

of Johnsonbrown’s regular routine. He said 

it is not uncommon to show up ready to 

work and a detainee will suddenly decide 

they don’t want their hair cut.

“And then there are those days were the 

entire block wants their mustache trimmed 

or their hair cut and I’m at a camp all day,” 

he said.

Those are the days Johnsonbrown prefers. 

Being a barber is just one of the duties 

incumbent in his rate — logistics, escorting 

detainees to the phone center and other 

activities fill the days when he’s not working 

behind the chair. 

“I’d much rather be cutting hair,” he 

said.

Much like in small-town barbershops 

that dot the American landscape, 

Johnsonbrown said inevitably conversations 

will pick up as he goes about his job.

“Some of the detainees, those who are 

really strict about their faith, will tell me 

which way to cut their hair,” Johnsonbrown 

said, explaining strict adherence to Islamic 

faith has a hair cut beginning on the right 

side, working to the left.

“I’ll also hear about which guard a 

detainee doesn’t like and stuff like that,” 

Johnsonbrown said. “But I stay out of it. I 

don’t say anything back to them, I just do 

my job.”

Still young in his Navy career, 

Johnsonbrown said he intends to reenlist 

when the time comes and hopes to get his 

shore-duty time soon. Looking beyond 

that, Johnsonbrown said he wants to go to 

C-school, the barber specific training of the 

ship’s serviceman rate.

“It’s a long school, about two months,” 

he said. “But I love doing this and want to 

keep doing it.”

Have clippers, will travel

Story by Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Cossel

Ship’s Serviceman 

3rd Class Darold 

Johnsonbrown displays 

the tonsorial tools he 

uses to cut detainee’s 

hair inside Joint Task 

Force Guantanamo’s 

detention facilities, 

January 4, 2010. - photo 

by Mass Communication 

Specialist 1st Class David P. 

Coleman
PG 

127 minutes 

Rating: 

Army Spc. Matthew Muntzer

Movie Review

Welcome back Greg (Ben Stiller) and 

Pam (Teri Polo) Focker. And, as the title 

should clue you in, these Fockers have been 

multiplying. The couple now has twins, little 

Samantha and Henry Focker. Let the games 

begin! 

In case you’re not familiar with the Fockers 

brood, Greg has spent the last two movies 

meeting his girlfriend’s parents (Robert 

De Niro and Blythe Danner), her parents 

meeting his parents (the beautifully cast 

Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand) and 

squirming through the hilarity that usually 

comes with Stiller at his awkward, stammering 

best.

In this third installment, Greg must manage 

to be a parent in front of the aforementioned 

grandparents. 

De Niro’s Papa Jack is bitter by his second 

daughter’s divorce (hubby was a cheatin’ man) 

and becomes obsessed with making sure that 

his last-son-in-law-standing can handle being 

the man of the family. Meanwhile, Greg has 

re-connected with an old nursing school 

friend, Andi (Jessica Alba). Add a heart attack, 

erectile dysfunction drugs and Owen Wilson 

in the mix and poor Greg never stands a 

chance.

There’s no Big Message in “Little Fockers.” 

There’s silliness. There’s hilarity. There’s even 

come cleverness in the Godfather angle that 

Jack applies to his grooming of Greg, the new 

Godfocker. (I shouldn’t have to point this 

out, but for those of you who don’t know: De 

Niro won the Academy Award for his work in 

“The Godfather: Part II.”) But one does not 

go to a “Focker” movie for deep thinking. We 

go because we want to laugh. And you will. 

At the heart of the story are Greg and Pam. 

As young parents, they bicker, compromise 

and withstand their crazy families and friends. 

But they do it together. Polo and Stiller have 

created a couple for the ages. The movie 

would not work without their simple, loving 

relationship. 

Overall, it’s three out of five banana rats 

for this Focking adventure. 

Page 14 | The Wire At the Movies | Friday, Jan. 7, 2011

07 08 09 10 11 12 13

FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

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

Skyline

(PG13) 7 p.m. 

Little Fockers

(PG13) 9 p.m. 

Megamind

(PG) 7 p.m.

Paranormal 

Activity 2

(R) 7 p.m.

Last Showing

Red

(PG13) 7 p.m.

Last Showing

Due Date

(R) 7 p.m.

Unstoppable

(PG13) 

7 p.m.

Little Fockers

(PG13) 8 p.m. .

Skyline

(PG13) 10 p.m. 

Conviction 

(R) 8 p.m.

Unstoppable

(PG13) 8 p.m.

Hereafter

(PG13) 8 p.m.

Tron Legacy

(PG) 

8 p.m.

Red

(PG13) 8 p.m.

Last Showing

For Colored Girls

(R) 10 p.m.

Paranormal 

Activity 2

(R) 8 p.m.

Last Showing

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

Clipper 

Club

Other 

Events

Sunset Sail

6 p.m.

Marina

Stich and Chat

Library, 7 p.m.

Tron Legacy

(PG) 7 p.m.

For Colored Girls 

(R) 9 p.m.

Chess Club 

Meeting

FMI call 2010 2 

p.m.

Night Fishing

Marina 6 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 7, 2011 | Out and About The Wire | Page 15

Up, up and away ...

Army Staff Sgt. Trevoris Shelley tries for a slam dunk during a spirited basketball game in Dennich gym, Jan. 3. 

Shelley is attached to Joint Task Force Guantanamo. - photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David P. Coleman

Bravo Zulu!

The following individuals received letters of congratulations for their hard 

work and dedication from JTF Commander Rear. Adm. Jeffrey Harbeson. 

In addition to recognition in The Wire, Troopers receive a coin of excellence 

from the Admiral.

SH3 Henry Ramirez

Spc. Elisamuel Gonzalez

AO2 Michael Fulcher

Sgt. 1st Class McCall

Army Sgt. Griffin

Army Sgt. Kirk

Army Spc. Vasel

Army Staff Sgt. Gatrost

Army Staff Sgt. Glover

Army Staff Sgt. Herrera