Volume 13, Issue 19 Friday, March 16, 2012

A song of resilience

JTF prayer breakfast 

revitalizes Troopers

Read on...

GTMO sports return to The Wire

Pirate’s Cove opens near Camp America

Seabee Ball energizes Naval Station, JTF
 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

Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven

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

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.

“St. Paddy’s Day” and the “Luck of 

the Irish” both have similarities and ties 

to Joint Task Force Guantanamo. How 

so? Read on and I will make the case:

First, St. Patrick: Although most know 

he is the patron saint of Ireland, it is not 

widely known that he was not born in 

Ireland. He was born in the latter half of 

the 4th century in England or Scotland. 

(Ireland, England, Scotland – all are 

islands. Cuba is an island... coincidence? 

I think not). It is believed that his name 

was Maewyn Succat. Patricius was his 

Romanized name, which led to the 

familiar “Patrick” (note: this is fortuitous 

because “St. Succat Day” 

probably would not have been 

as widely embraced!)

Patrick was the son of 

Calpurnius, a Roman-British 

army officer. (This is our 

military connection to St. 

Patrick!) He was growing up 

in south Wales when one day 

a band of pirates landed and 

kidnapped Patrick and several others. He 

was sold into slavery in Ireland where he 

remained for six years. He escaped on a 

ship (here is the Navy connection) bound 

for England then France where he spent 

about 12 years in a monastery gaining his 

religious education. It was then that he 

received his calling (his orders) to return 

to Ireland and spread the gospel.

One legend often associated with St. 

Patrick is that he put the curse of God 

on venomous snakes in Ireland which 

allowed him to drive all the snakes into 

the sea where they drowned. (Cuban Boa 

Constrictors are not venomous. Again, 

more than just coincidence?)

Next, the “Luck of the Irish,” 

interestingly, has multiple meanings or 

disputed origins. Most today consider 

the reference to the “Luck of the Irish” 

to mean good fortune. The good fortune 

legacy traces its roots back to the Gold 

Rush in the United States where a large 

number of Irish emigrants struck it rich. 

Often this connection is perpetuated 

by the Irish leprechaun “pot of gold” 

legend. Some believe that the term really 

was intended to have an ironic meaning 

of a history of Irish misfortune: 

everything from Ireland being the target 

of conquerors, and repression spanning 

several centuries, to the Irish Potato 

Famine, which caused one million deaths 

and the migration of a million more. 

Here at Guantanamo I believe you 

make your own luck and control your 

destiny. Your goals, drive, attitude and 

motivation are key ingredients in making 

your own luck. You have the ability to 

positively impact your future with your 

performance and actions. Very little 

misfortune or bad luck 

is preordained; most is 

shaped by our ill-advised 

or misguided actions. So 

I invite each of you to 

use St. Paddy’s Day to 

rededicate yourselves to 

improvement and make 

your luck for the future! 

We have all been sent 

to Guantanamo Bay to accomplish a 

visible mission which is very important 

to our military and our nation. We have 

the opportunity to positively impact that 

mission execution and those we work 

with every day. The goal should be to 

leave here at the end of our tour having 

moved this mission forward and having 

grown individually from this experience. 

Optimally, this growth will be both 

professionally and personally. Along 

those lines, it has been two and half 

months since you made those New Year’s 

resolutions...How is your progress? 

If you didn’t commit to a resolution, 

it is not too late. Start today and let St. 

Paddy’s Day mark the occasion of that 

turning point or re-focus! 

You can start by taking advantage 

of the many events planned, like the 

“Lucky Clover Ridgeline Run” or the 

Liberty “St. Paddy’s Day Kayak Paddle” 

to Hospital Cay. Have a great St. Paddy’s 

Day. Celebrate sanely, safely, and make 

your own luck! 

Honor Bound! 

I believe you 

make your 

own luck and 

control your 

destiny.

Rear Adm. David Woods

Commander, JTF Guantanamo

Cover: Joint Task Force Guantanamo command chaplain Capt. Bradley Thom led the JTF prayer 

breakfast March 9 with a song entitled “Lord, Listen to your Children Praying.” 

–photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant

Cc

ommand

orner

All base residents are invited to take part 

in the Birthday Triathlon on Apr. 7 at 6 a.m. 

hosted by Guantanamo Bay’s Chief Petty Officers. The events will be a 500 meter swim, 

10 mile bike ride and a 3.1 mile run. Sign up 

in a three-person team or individual. Registration fee for teams is $30 and $20 for an 

individual. 

Signup will be at the NEX Atrium every 

Saturday in March from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Are you tired of your underwater photos being fuzzy? Do you want to show your 

friends and family exactly how beautiful Gitmo waters are? Sign up for the Digital Underwater Photography Course, which starts 

March 20. This course is tailored to cameras 

available at the Dive Shop. 

For more information, call 75336.

Go to Denich Gym and sign a team up 

for the indoor volleyball league by 7 p.m. tonight. The season starts March 26. There are 

separate leagues for men and women. The 

league is open to anyone 16 years and older.

For more information, call 2113. 

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, NAVSTA personnel can 

schedule an appointment with Primary Care 

Clinic at 72110. JTF personnel can call 3394.

Due to ongoing hospital renovations, the 

TRICARE Office has temporarily relocated 

to building H-11, behind the barracks.

| News from the Bay The Wire | Page 3

News from the Bay

Want to learn the history and lineage of 

the North East Gate and the United States 

Marines at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay? 

Meet at the Marine Hill Parade Deck at 11 

a.m. on the third Friday of every month for 

the North East Gate Tour. 

For more information, call 2334.

Tuesday Night Trivia and Pasta Dinner at 

the Windjammer Cafe will be discontinued 

until further notice. 

For more information, call 75503.

Golf cart rentals will be half price every 

Thursday in the month of March. $5 covers 

one person and $7.50 pays for two riders. 

Boat rentals will be 50 percent off every 

Monday this month. Prices vary based on the 

boat. 

For more information, call 2345.

There will be a track meet at Cooper Field 

at 4 p.m. on March 24. Today is the last day to 

register for the meet by today at Denich Gym. 

The events include 100, 200, 400, 800 meter 

sprints, 100 and 300 meter hurdles, 1500 and 

3000 meter dash, 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay. This meet is open to anyone 16 years and 

older. There are no age categories and there 

are separate heats for men and women. 

For more information, call 2113.

Discount recreation 

in March

INDEX

The Wire

March 16, 2012

Commander’s coin recipients

Pirate’s Cove opens, yarrr

JTF prayer breakfast

Basketball playoffs

Seabee Ball, with cake

MBS: Avast ye stretching!

Movie review: The Lorax

Updated Quick Reference

CPO Birthday Triathlon

Show your support for Red Cross Month 

by taking part in a Red Cross hike up the Ridgeline on Mar. 24. Meet at Christmas Tree 

Hill at 7:30 a.m. This is a free community 

event. There will be face painting and other 

activities. 

For more information, call Sharon Coganow at 2511 or 2512.

Take a relaxing trip in a kayak from the 

Marina to Hospital Cay tomorrow morning 

at 9 a.m. At the destination you will be able 

to swim and jump off the pier. Sandwiches, 

chips and drinks will be provided. 

Kayaks are limited, so call 2010 by today 

to reserve a spot.

Spring is time for tennis. Sign up for round 

robin singles and doubles tennis leagues at 

Denich Gym by 5:30 p.m. on March 22. The 

season starts Apr. 2. The league is open to 

anyone 16 and older. This is a participation 

league and all active participants will receive 

a T-shirt. 

For more information, call 2113.

Conch season is now closed and will reopen in June. As a reminder, taking starfish is 

prohibited at all times. 

To report violations, or for more information, call 4105 or VHS channel 12.

Indoor volleyball league

North East Gate tour

Tennis league

Red Cross Hike

Specialty care 

providers at USNH

Kayak trip Pasta’s on the barge

Attention divers and 

snorkelers

GTMO track meet

Underwater 

photography course

TRICARE office moved

5

8

10

12

13

16

18

19
What is PII?

PII is an acronym that means “personally identifiable information.” PII consists of information that is 

unique to us. Things like your name, social security number, phone number, local address, home of record, 

birthday, place of birth, and mother’s maiden name are all considered PII. Putting this type of information 

on Facebook or other websites can put you at a much greater risk of financial fraud, stealing credit 

and identity theft. Any information that is tied directly to you or could be used to identify you should be 

protected. Many people don’t think about the need to protect this information until it’s too late. Don’t let this 

happen to you or your family. Use OPSEC to protect your PII. 

PSEC ALERT

PROTECT YOUR INFO!

 The Wire | Page 4 Trooper to Trooper |

Trooper to Trooper

Sgt. 1st Class Carolyn Kinsey

Command Element Office Manager

is your leadership contagious?

My first experience as a leader 

was as a new young E-4 stationed 

in Germany, and I had just three 

Soldiers under my leadership. 

During that time I often thought 

about my first noncommissioned 

officer, Staff Sgt. Bell. His leadership style left such an impression that I emulated my own 

leadership style after his.

Staff Sgt. Bell left me with 

the need and desire to give back 

to Soldiers the outstanding leadership that he had given to me. I 

collected everything positive that 

gave his presence strength and 

put it in my pocket. What stood 

out the most is how he was liked, 

and respected even more. 

I quickly learned that respect is something that has to 

be earned. Respect is not issued 

to you as you advance in rank. 

Every Soldier knew if we were 

given a directive to complete a 

mission, it was a mission that 

had already been completed by 

Staff Sgt. Bell. His belief in taking care of Soldiers stood out 

over other leaders. Taking care 

of Soldiers is a vague statement 

that has different meaning to different people. 

Staff Sgt. Bell provided us 

with the training, mentoring and 

guidance we needed to grow as 

young Soldiers. I am sure you 

have heard leaders make the 

statement of “what right looks 

like.” There is something about 

an NCO’s confidence that shines 

in his or her leadership style. 

Whatever you want to call it, 

Staff Sgt. Bell had it in his walk, 

talk and job performance. His 

expectations and standards were 

put in our performance counseling. Not only did he talk to us 

when we made mistakes, but he 

also provided positive feedback 

to us. We always discussed our 

short term and long term goals. 

The communication was open 

and effective for all Soldiers. 

Staff Sgt. Bell never did anything unethical, nor ever used 

his rank or position as an excuse. 

Integrity is what we do and what 

we say, and more than anything, 

what we say we do. As your integrity is recognized by others 

more trust is placed in you by 

your Soldiers and your leaders. 

You often hear leaders say how 

they are taking care of Soldiers. 

Well, what does that mean? Because of contagious leadership, I 

truly know the meaning of taking care of Soldiers. 

When I pinned on the rank 

of E-5, I knew I wanted whatever Staff Sgt. Bell had as the 

foundation of my leadership. 

There are not enough leaders 

who think about their leadership 

styles being passed on to their 

junior Soldiers. 

Leadership is action! It is 

about showing, not telling; it is 

about setting the right example 

and doing what is right even 

when you think no one is watching. Someone is always watching! 

Leadership is not rank specific. 

You can come in contact with 

outstanding leadership at any 

time. Leadership is contagious, 

just like a smile. I just have one 

question. If leadership was contagious, would you want to catch 

yours? Here it is 23 years later 

and I am still talking about Staff 

Sgt. Bell’s leadership skills. They 

are contagious!

| Command Information The Wire | Page 5

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When Defense Secretary Leon Panetta 

was asked what keeps him awake 

at night, he didn’t hesitate: a major cyber attack.

“We are literally getting hundreds or thousands of attacks 

every day that try to exploit information in various [U.S.] agencies or departments,” Panetta 

told an audience at the McConnell Center at the University of 

Louisville. There are plenty of 

targets beyond government, too, 

he added.

“There are, obviously, growing technology and growing 

expertise in the use of cyber 

warfare,” he said. “The danger 

is, I think, [that] the capabilities 

are available in cyber to virtually cripple this nation: to bring 

down the power grid, to impact 

on our governmental systems, to 

impact on Wall Street and our 

financial system and to literally 

paralyze this country.”

The country needs to defend 

against that kind of attack, but 

also develop the intelligence 

resources to understand when 

those possible attacks are coming, the secretary said.

“So the one thing I worry 

about is in knowing these things 

are possible and feeling that we 

haven’t taken all the necessary 

steps we need to protect this 

country,” he said.

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

Risk of major 

cyber attack 

‘worrisome’

Super Troopers

Congratulations to the Joint Task

Force Troopers who recently 

received commander’s coins! 

SGT Simmons

HM3 Washington

Interpreter, Camp 6

Interpreter, Camp 6

SPC Combariza

HN Carron

MSG Santiago

MSG Dillion-Scott

Mr. Carpenter

IT2 Guzman

In a few weeks, military families 

around the nation will have a chance to 

take their own walk down memory lane 

-- and create some new memories for 

their children -- when Sesame Street 

comes to town.

The Sesame Street and USO Experience for Military Families, a free 

traveling show, is about to embark on 

its 2012 tour. The show, exclusively 

for military families, premieres April 

7 at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Families 

at more than 70 military installations 

across the nation will have the chance 

to see the show over the next eight 

months.

The 30-minute musical show features Sesame Street favorites Elmo, 

Grover, Cookie Monster and Rosita, as 

well as a new addition, Elmo’s friend, 

Katie. Katie is a character from a 

military family dealing with a military 

move.

During the show, Katie opens up to 

her Muppet friends about her fears and 

excitement about the move. With the 

help of a few songs, Elmo and other 

pals reassure her that she’ll make new 

friends while still remaining close with 

old ones.

The Sesame Street and USO Experience for Military Families debuted in 

July 2008 to help families deal with the 

challenges of deployment and homecomings. Since its inception, the tour 

has taken its message to more than 

248,000 troops and military families, 

and performed 433 shows on 131 military bases in 33 states and 11 countries, 

a Sesame Street news release said.

Background: Elmo and friends sing 

with Katie, a new character on Sesame 

Street, during the kickoff of the fifth 

installment of the Sesame Street/USO 

Experience for Military Families in Columbus, Ohio, April 14. Katie is a military child dealing with a military move. 

–DoD photo by Elaine Sanchez 

Sesame Street, USO launch 

tour for military families

By Elaine Sanchez

American Forces Press Service
 The Wire | Page 6 Trooper Focus |

trooper focus

Bullet Bio

Time in service: 5 years

Hobbies: Learning different types of 

computer software, digital photography, reading the Bible and reading 

about history in general

The boss says: “Johnson is a fantastic 

partner in ministry. It’s refreshing to 

see an individual give glory and honor 

to God.”

Advice to junior Troopers: “Always 

stay motivated in doing the right thing 

and remembering your service values, most importantly when no one 

is watching. And when taking care of 

Troopers: ‘What we learn we should 

teach, and what we get we should 

give.’ I borrowed that from Annie 

Henderson.”

By Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant

The Wire spent some time this 

week getting to know Spc. James R. 

Johnson, the Command Chaplain 

Assistant for Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo.

“Spc. Johnson is absolutely 

crucial to the overall success of the 

JTF Command Chaplains office 

for a variety of reasons,” explained 

Air Force Chaplain Lt. Col. Alan 

Chouest, Deputy Command 

Chaplain for the Joint Task Force. 

“He is often the eyes and ears of 

the chaplains around JTF and often 

provides spiritual triage before 

someone gets to the Chaps.”

“I love that I get to serve the 

entire JTF as a whole,” Johnson 

explained “From contact with 

senior leadership to the most junior 

Trooper, I get to help people. I also 

love that I can be proud to serve my 

country doing what I’m doing.”

“When we’re talking about the 

people who are behind the scenes 

who make things happen, we are 

talking about Specialist Johnson,” 

said Sgt. 1st Class Carolyn Kinsey, 

office manager for the Joint Task 

Force command element. “He never 

complains and always has an ear for 

everyone. He’s always seeking to 

learn different things, whatever it 

takes to get the job done.”

“My job here is very fulfilling,” 

Johnson said “I support Troopers 

by giving spiritual and moral 

support with compassion 

and understanding. And 

mostly it’s just by lending 

an ear to listen and 

providing direction by 

giving religious items or 

arranging appointments 

with a chaplain.”

“Sometimes all it needs 

to be is just listening, just 

giving people an opportunity to 

vent,” added Johnson.

When Johnson leaves 

Guantanamo he will return to the 

641st Regional Support Group in 

Florida where he is also a Chaplain’s 

Assistant.

“Back home, in the Reserves, 

Who is your favorite pirate?

“Blackbeard.” 

Tech. Sgt. 

Rick Thompson

“Jack Sparrow from Pirates 

of the Caribbean... all of 

them.”

Staff Sgt. 

John Cheatham

“One-eyed Willie from the 

Goonies.”

Sgt.

Chad Hawkins

“Capt. Hook from the live 

action Peter Pan.”

Spc. 

Davon Gaines

 see FOCUS next page

Boots on the Ground

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, 

Vice President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta issued statements today 

marking the upcoming one-year anniversary 

of the “3/11” earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters that devastated Japan.

Obama said he and First Lady Michelle 

Obama join all Americans in honoring the 

memory of the 19,000 victims lost or missing. “We continue to be inspired by the Japanese people, who faced unimaginable loss 

with extraordinary fortitude,” he said.

The 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck 

northeastern Japan in the afternoon of 

March 11, triggering a tsunami. The disasters killed an estimated 16,000 people and 

destroyed coastal villages, towns and cities in 

the Tohoku region. The earthquake damaged 

the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, which 

suffered cooling system failures, fires and explosions continued through March 15.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said 

the disasters were the worst crisis his nation 

had faced since World War II. Some 3,000 

Japanese people remain missing.

In today’s statement, the president said 

the United States mobilized immediately to 

aid Japan in a relief effort named for the 

Japanese word for “friend.”

“At the peak of Operation Tomodachi – 

our single, largest bilateral military operation 

with Japan ever – the Department of Defense had 24,000 personnel, 190 aircraft, and 

24 Navy ships supporting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts,” Obama 

noted.

Japan’s government has led rebuilding efforts over the past year, Obama said, while 

U.S. experts “continue to support Japan’s 

ongoing efforts to deal with the challenges 

associated with Fukushima.”

Obama said he and the first lady are grateful for the contributions American civilians 

and service members have made to Japan’s 

recovery.

“On this day when our thoughts and 

prayers are with the Japanese people in remembrance of the hardship faced one year 

ago, let us also celebrate the recovery under 

way in Japan and pay tribute to Japan’s unflagging dedication to bettering the lives of 

others throughout the world,” the president 

said.

Biden, in his statement, recalled his visit 

to Japan five months after the disasters.

“The survivors I met in Natori and Sendai made clear to me that the disaster met 

its match in the resilience and fortitude of 

the Japanese people,” the vice president said. 

“While struck by the scale of the devastation, I also witnessed remarkable and inspiring progress in rebuilding homes, schools, 

and workplaces.”

In Sendai, Biden said, he visited an airport that had been flooded and later became 

a refugee center.

“A week after the tsunami, Japanese and 

American forces reopened a runway, allowing the arrival of hundreds of relief workers 

and more than two million tons of humanitarian supplies,” he said. As Japan rebuilds, 

America will stand with its allies as long as it 

takes, Biden added.

“We join the Japanese people today in 

honoring the memories of those lost as they 

continue to work for a better future,” he 

said.

Panetta also expressed admiration “for 

the strength and resilience of the Japanese 

people,” adding that he too, in a visit last 

year, had seen their determination to rebuild 

their country even stronger than before.

"The U.S. military was proud to support 

the government of Japan in responding to 

this disaster, and the success of these efforts 

is a testament to the strength of our alli-

| News The Wire | Page 7

I only come in contact with someone if 

they come into the Reserve Center,” said 

Johnson. “But that is only one weekend a 

month and two weeks out of the year. Here 

I get to help people every day and the affect 

isn’t just in the moment. I can follow up and 

it can have a world-wide effect.”

When he isn’t in the office, Johnson 

likes to unwind by listening to music and 

spending time in prayer.

“And I talk to my family every day,” said 

Johnson. “that’s important.”

Johnson shared how he watched a 

program this morning which offered some 

good advice he thought to pass along.

“I was listening to the Sergeant Major of 

the Army on television and he was talking 

about the Army Values,” explained Johnson. 

“What good is it to have values if you don’t 

follow them? The Sergeant Major said, ‘We 

need to live up to our Army Values... even 

when no one is watching.’”

FOCUS cont. 

Leaders recall Japan 

disasters, relief efforts

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

 see JAPAN page 11

This apartment building in Ishinomaki, Japan, was destroyed in last March’s 9.0 earthquake and resulting 

tsunami. –Voice of America photo by Steve Herman
 The Wire | Page 8 Feature |

By Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

Ahoy, mateys! 

Above: Capt. Matt Perry tested the billiards table 

March 9 at the newly opened Pirate’s Cove.

Right: (from left to right) Joint Task Force Guantanamo deputy commander Brig. Gen. James Lettko, 

U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay commanding 

officer Capt. Kirk Hibbert, flag aide Lt. Cdr. Jay 

Haddock, MWR Director Tara Culbertson, engineer 

director Capt. Michael Merino, and JTF commander 

Rear Adm. David Woods cut the Pirate’s Cove ribbon March 9. Avast ye bored Troopers, now ye have 

something to do when ye can’t get across base on yer 

day off! Yarr!

 –photos by Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class 

Ty Bjornson

| Feature The Wire | Page 9

It’s been a long time 

coming. Troopers have been 

asking for it. Now it is finally 

here. Morale Welfare & 

Recreation’s “Pirate’s Cove” 

had its grand opening March 

9, to the merriment of Joint 

Task Force Guantanamo 

and Naval Station staffers 

and Troopers who were on 

hand for the ribbon cutting 

ceremony. 

“‘Pirate’s Cove’ is a much 

needed social environment 

out in Camp America,” 

said JTF Guantanamo 

commander Rear Adm. 

David Woods. “We took 

the suggestions from the 

Troopers to bring back a 

social hub.”

“We knew there was a 

need,” added MWR director 

Tara Culbertson. “We 

partnered with JTF to make 

this happen.”

“Pirate’s Cove” is next 

to the Seaside Mini-NEX at 

the former location of the 

off-hours social spot, “Club 

Survivor.” “Club Survivor” 

was in a group of old SeaHuts 

which were demolished in 

the last few years.

The establishment offers 

a place for Troopers to enjoy 

their off-hours time in a 

social setting that features 

Wi-Fi, Direct TV, music, 

Starbucks coffee and other 

beverages. There is an indoor 

foosball table and an outdoor 

pool table as well. Though 

“Pirate’s Cove” doesn’t serve 

food, Troopers are welcome 

to bring their own.

This Week in 

Guantanamo Bay History

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 

tests conducted 

73 years ago

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 

(UAVs), radio-controlled drones, and 

guided missiles are all fixtures of 

modern warfare. But 73 years ago in 

March 1939, a U.S. Navy experimental program known as Project “Dog” 

was operational here at Guantanamo 

Bay during Atlantic Fleet training. 

Project Dog consisted of one officer, one warrant officer and sixteen 

men; plus three TC control planes and 

Five N2C-2 (Curtiss biplane) drones. 

The TC aircraft arrived via Key West, 

Cienfuegos, Cuba and Camaguey, 

Cuba, and set up operations on Leeward Point Field. The N2C-2 drones 

arrived aboard the USS Ranger from 

Norfolk and were then flown to McCalla Hill Field upon arrival. Project 

Dog’s mission: conduct anti-aircraft 

training for the US Navy, including 

the destroyer USS Patterson and the 

battleships USS Maryland, USS California and USS Utah.

Accommodations for the Project 

Dog Sailors were quite austere. According to Rear Admiral M.E. Murphy’s History of Guantanamo Bay: 

“flights were run from Leeward Point 

Field, known then as “Hungry Point” 

due to lack of messing and berthing 

facilities; in fact it was just a wide 

open space of coral rock, dust, and 

scrub palm. During all operations of 

Project DOG, only one drone was 

shot down by Fleet vessels.”

By Sgt. 1st Class Michael Shimer

“It’s a great opportunity for the 

Troopers to be able to come here,” 

said Capt. Matt Perry of Joint Task 

Force Preventive Medicine, after a 

pool game. “I like the view. Great 

view.” 

“Pirate’s Cove” is definitely a 

place for Camp America Troopers 

to call their own. Everyone is 

welcome, though the location does 

cater to those members who do 

not have transportation to travel 

across base from Camp America.

 “I’m very excited about this,” 

said Spc. Nicolas Thomas of the 

107th Military Police Company. 

“It’s a lot easier than going to 

O’Kelly’s when you live in Camp 

A.”

“Pirate’s Cove” is open 

Thursday, Friday and Saturday 

from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. 
Feature | The Wire | Page 10

More than 70 Troopers from the various 

commands in Joint Task Force Guantanamo 

attended the prayer breakfast held at Seaside 

Galley the morning of March 9. The event’s 

theme was “Prayer: A Tool of Resiliency.”

After the welcome, conducted by Navy 

Capt. Bradley Thom, JTF Guantanamo 

Command Chaplain, Spc. Sherrella Nixon of 

the 525th Military Police Battalion sang the 

national anthem. Nixon was followed by Air 

Force Chaplain Lt. Col. Alan Chouest, who 

led the invocation and a reading of Psalm 46.

Three speakers then shared sermonettes 

that focused on prayer or trusting God.

The first person to share his thoughts 

was Spc. James Johnson, JTF Command 

Chaplain’s Assistant. Johnson read the 

parable of the persistent widow found in 

Luke 18 of the Bible.

“What we see here,” said Johnson, “is that 

we should pray without wearying, especially 

in our darkest hours. God will answer our 

prayers.”

Following Johnson, Chaplain Thom and 

Air Force Maj. Jeff Bell, Officer in Charge 

of Intel Operations played guitar and sang a 

song called “Lord, Listen to Your Children 

Praying.”

“One way to pray is through music,” said 

Thom. “Most times when I sing, I do so by 

myself as a way to pray to God.” 

The final speaker, Army Capt. Chris 

McCann, Assistant J-3, read Psalm 18 verses 

6 and 18, and Matthew 26:39 as he spoke 

about how to rely on God to help work 

through individual weakness.

“He is like a spotter in weight-lifting,” 

McCann said “He is there to help when you’re 

out of your own strength. It isn’t about what 

you can do in your strength it’s about what 

you can do in God’s strength.”

“This is my first prayer breakfast,” 

explained Sgt. Rosa Tucker, of the 189th 

Military Police Company. “I thought it was 

wonderful. I liked the message. I liked the 

spotter analogy that Capt. McCann used 

because that is how God is working with me 

right now.”

Following the speakers, the breakfast 

was rounded out with a prayer for the 

nation led by Navy Expeditionary Guard 

Battalion Chaplain Lt. Jeremy Selitto, and the 

benediction and dismissal by 525th MP Bn. 

Chaplain Capt. Garland Mason.

If you missed this inspirational morning, 

keep your eyes and ears open as there are 

undoubtedly more to come. 

By Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant

Prayer breakfast 

revitalizes Troopers, 

encourages 

resiliency

ance,” the secretary said.

The United States remains committed 

to helping Japan rebuild, Panetta said, and 

the U.S. military will continue to deepen its 

partnership with Japanese forces.

“Japan is more than just an ally,” the 

secretary said. “It is also a great friend of 

America. Together we will continue to forge 

ahead to achieve peace, prosperity, and a 

better future for both of our countries.”

Panetta thanked the thousands of Defense Department men and women who 

responded to Japan’s disasters.

“Within moments of disaster striking, 

the United States armed forces, under the 

leadership of [Navy] Adm. Robert Willard, 

were fully mobilized to support the Japanese government in its response and recovery efforts,” he said.

Willard commands U.S. Pacific Command, the nation’s largest combatant command, and led U.S. relief efforts after the 

earthquake struck. Willard, who is retiring 

after a 39-year career, will hand that position over to Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear 

III in a ceremony later today.

Panetta said the greatest service anyone 

can perform is to help fellow human beings 

in need.

“Together, Japanese and American forces helped those in need, and solidified the 

friendship between our two great nations 

for generations to come,” the secretary 

said.

JAPAN cont. 

| Feature The Wire | Page 11

Below: Joint Task Force Guantanamo Command Chaplain 

Capt. Bradley Thom welcomed Troopers to March 9’s 

prayer breakfast. More than 70 were in attendance, and 

received guidance on “Prayer: A Tool of Resiliency.” 

Top right: Maj. Jeff Bell (left) and Thom performed “Lord, 

Listen to your Children Praying” for the Troopers at the 

prayer breakfast.

Below right: Spc. James Johnson, the Joint Task Force 

Command Chaplain’s Assistant, read Bible verses for the 

prayer breakfast audience.

–photos by Sgt. 1st Class Jerome Grant

Food for the body, food for the soul
 The Wire | Page 12 Student of the Game |

Where will Peyton Manning play football 

next year? Will it be Andrew Luck or Robert 

Griffin III who replaces him? What team 

does Dwight Howard want to play for when 

his contract expires? Will Albert Pujols be 

the phenom in California that he was in St. 

Louis? Can David Beckham lead the Los 

Angeles Galaxy to another MLS Cup after 

signing a two-year extension?

It’s easy to get caught up in the story lines 

of professional sports – trust me, it’s what I 

love to do – but let’s not forget that we have 

sports going on here at Guantanamo Bay too. 

The softball playoffs are this weekend, so 

come down to Cooper Field and watch your 

buddies and coworkers compete in an all-day 

tournament starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday 

and 2 p.m. on Sunday. The championship 

game is 8 p.m. on Tuesday night. Better yet, 

get your team ready and sign up for the next 

softball league that begins in a few months.

The basketball season is also about to 

reach its climax. After the regular season, 

the Warriors representing the 525th Military 

Battalion were the favorites to win the 

championship having gone undefeated and 

winning the majority of the games by a large 

margin.

However, much like March Madness, the 

“Warriors” found out that the powerhouse 

doesn’t always have the easiest route to the 

big dance. The “Warriors” suffered their 

first loss of the season to the defending 

champions, the “Militia.”

“I really think we needed that loss,” 

525th’s guard Alvorn Richmond said. “It 

made us bring our best to the next opponent 

and get our game back.”

Point guard Spc. Joe Martinez knows the 

team has the chance to avenge their sole 

loss en route to the championship game on 

Monday night at 8 p.m. at Denich Gym.

“‘Militia’ is a very versatile team and they 

can turn it on at any time,” he said.

But Martinez says his team is up for the 

task. “We beat them earlier in the season, but 

we are our own worst enemy,” he added.

Even if you don’t play basketball you can 

take part in the entertainment. Basketball 

games at Guantanamo Bay are a social 

event. Large, rambunctious crowds fill up 

the bleachers to be a part of the action. The 

players even feel the positive energy.

“It helps the mindset,” Martinez said. “It 

always helps to hear the people that believe 

in you and cheer for you.”

So, don’t worry about how much of 

a signing bonus Peyton Manning will get 

from the Denver Broncos. Leave the draft 

selection process to the teams that are 

involved. Forget the fact that LeBron James 

yields to lesser players in crunch time. Get 

off of your fourth point of contact and get 

involved in MWR sports.

Register today (the last day) for the indoor 

volleyball league. Try out for the travel 

softball team on March 24-25. If you make it, 

you go to Naval Station Mayport in Florida. 

Registration for the tennis league is open 

until March 22. In this league, you schedule 

your match with your given opponent for 

whenever fits your schedule. Test your speed 

and agility against other Guantanamo athletes 

at the track meet. Sign up at the participant 

meeting starting at 5:30 p.m. at Denich Gym. 

Get a flag football team registered by April 

9 and get it in on the Gitmo gridiron. Keep 

your eyes peeled for opportunities to play on 

an MWR sport team and maybe you can be a 

story line as big as Andrew Luck.

GTMO’s own 

sports stars

By Army Sgt. Landis Andrews

STUDENT OF THE GAME

The 525th Military Police Battalion’s “Militia” broke the “Warriors”’ undefeated hold on Guantanamo Bay basketball Monday night. As the season concludes soon, Joint 

Task Force Guantanamo Troopers can look to other sports to participate in as well, including indoor volleyball, softball, tennis, and track. 

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

| Feature The Wire | Page 13

Seabee Ball boosts GTMO energy

The Department of Defense last week announced a plan to cut energy consumption 

to reduce operating costs, improve security 

for U.S. forces transporting fuel into combat 

zones and lessen reliance on foreign oil.

The man who is guiding the Navy on this 

DoD roadmap, Thomas Hicks, was in Guantanamo Bay as the guest speaker for the Seabee 70th Birthday Ball held at the Windjammer on March 10.

“The Navy is leading all services,” said 

Hicks, who is the Deputy Assistant Secretary 

of the Navy for Energy. He told the audience 

about the increase use of a 50/50 blend of 

fossil fuel and biofuel, which is algae-based 

and made with used cooking oil and nonfood-grade animal fats.

Biofuel is being tested by the Navy in 

the air and on the sea, from the Blue Angels 

flight demonstration team using the fuel mixture in the jets; to the upcoming Rim of the 

Pacific or RIMPAC maritime exercise off Hawaii using biofuel for the carrier group, were 

examples cited by Hicks.

The RIMPAC demonstration will lead to 

a multi-month carrier group deployment using 50 percent biofuel for surface ships and 

aircraft in 2016. Hicks called this the “Green 

Fleet” and likened it to the historic “Great 

White Fleet,” which consisted of 16 new 

battleships sent around the world in 1907 as a 

show of American naval power.

The use of biofuels by the Navy fits into 

the energy plan’s call for promoting the development of alternative fuels and helps the 

Navy meet the goal to reduce fuel consumption afloat by 15 percent by 2020. That is the 

Navy’s goal in the DoD roadmap to reducing 

energy use.

The just released energy implantation plan 

is the next step in a strategy outlined in June 

2011, which focused on the need for energy 

conservation in military operations. It is a 

three-part strategy of reducing the demand 

for energy, securing diverse options beyond 

fossil fuels, and building energy security considerations into all military planning.

“Energy security means a reliable, secure 

and affordable supply of energy for military 

missions, today and in the future,” said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in DoD press 

release.

The plan creates a Defense Operational 

Energy Board to review each of services 

progress in reducing energy consumption.

The services have all set goals from the Air 

Force planning to increase aviation energy efficiency by 10 percent by 2020; to the Marine 

Corps to increase energy efficiency on the 

battlefield by 50 percent by 2025. The Army 

looks to have 16 “Net Zero” installations by 

2020 and 25 by 2030, these are installations 

that do not use more energy or water than 

they produce and reduce waste by recycling.

The plan also calls for improving operational energy security at fixed installations; 

incorporating energy security considerations 

into requirements and acquisitions; and 

adapting policy, doctrine, military education 

and combatant command activities to support reduced demand of energy.

As part of the implementation plan, Panetta wrote that the rising global demand for 

energy, changing geopolitics and new threats 

will make the cost and availability of energy 

even less certain in the future.

“Energy security is an imperative – 

our economic well-being and international interests depend on it,” he said.

American Forces Press Service contributed to this story.

Maybe all the energy is a sugar high from delicious 

cake: Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy Thomas Hicks cut the Seabee Ball cake Saturday 

with the youngest and oldest Seabees of Naval Mobile 

Construction Battalion 23 from Fort Belvoir, Va., 

Constructionman Jake Lee and Senior Chief Michael 

Blank. The Seabees celebrated their 70th birthday at 

the Windjammer, with much of U.S. Naval Station 

Guantanamo Bay and Joint Task Force in attendance. 

–photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven

By Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven

Hicks: ‘Navy leading all services’
at the r ead y

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – Army Staff Sgt. 

Theodore Albright, a member of the 204th 

Engineer Battalion, will represent the New 

York Army National Guard in a nationwide 

hand-to-hand combat competition at Fort 

Benning, Georgia March 16 to 18.

The competition pits 160 experts in combatives – the hand-to-hand combat the Army 

teaches Soldiers – against each other to pick 

the best in the 360,000-man Army National 

Guard, said Army Staff Sgt. Vincent Cruz, 

the senior combatives instructor at the Army 

National Guard Warrior Training Center.

The top three finishers in the Army National Guard competition will square off 

against counterparts from the active Army 

and Army Reserve in July to pick the best 

hand-to-hand combat warriors in the Army, 

Cruz said.

Just being picked to compete is an honor, 

he said.

Albright, a 14-year veteran of the Army 

National Guard, is a full-time supply sergeant in the Binghamton-based 204th Engineer Company. He serves at the combatives 

instructor for the battalion.

He has been involved in martial arts training since he was a kid and competes in mixed 

martial arts as a civilian.

The competition involves grappling as 

well as open handed striking, Albright said. 

Winners are determined by knocking their 

opponents out, when the opponents submit, 

or on points, he explained. The competition 

is very demanding, he said.

Normally he would spend a couple of 

months preparing for a competition, but in 

this case he had two weeks notice, Albright 

said. His goal, he said, is to do a good job for 

the New York Army National Guard.

“It’s a little short notice but I figured it 

would be an opportunity of a lifetime, as 

someone who is passionate about mixed 

martial arts,” he said.

“Everybody that legitimately does martial 

arts knows you leave your ego on the mat,” 

Albright said. “You go down there and do 

the best you can.”

 The Wire | Page 14 At Your Service |

I n the fight

Marine dad plans 

trek across country

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – When it comes to giving back 

to his country, Mike Mobley has given it 

his all. His twin sons joined the service in 

the fall of 2004, one joined the U.S. Marine 

Corps and the other joined the U.S. Army. 

With both sons in the military, his drive for 

supporting troops throughout the country 

quickly became evident to those around 

him. 

Stationed out of Marine Corps Base 

Camp Lejeune, N.C., Mike’s son, Sgt. James 

R. Mobley, an infantry team leader with 

Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th 

Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, is 

currently deployed to Afghanistan. When 

Mobley told his family what he planned on 

doing to support his son and fellow service 

members, their reaction came as no surprise, he said. 

“It’s called Operation Hero Trek and 

basically what I am doing is walking from 

our hometown in Colorado all the way to 

Lejeune, which is roughly 2,000 miles,” said 

Mobley. “The first response I get from most 

people is, ‘you’re crazy!’ But once they start 

thinking about it and realize how much I’ve 

been planning and what it’s for, they start 

asking me what they can do to help.” 

Mobley hits the road March 24, and 

preparation for the trek started more than a 

year ago. He said he trains each day and has 

been pushing himself harder and harder so 

he can make it to Camp Lejeune in time for 

his son’s homecoming. 

“I’ve been training for about the last 

eight months at about 10 to 20 miles of 

walking per day, depending on how tired I 

get,” said Mobley. “Once the trek starts my 

objective is to walk 20 miles per day with 

a goal of arriving at Camp Lejeune on or 

before the 30th of June.” 

Because the military isn’t allowed to 

give homecoming dates so far in advance, 

Mobley said he had to estimate the date his 

son was coming home and left plenty of 

room for error so he wouldn’t miss it. He 

explained it was better not know the date. 

He didn’t want to arrive there on the exact 

day and have all of the attention on him. 

He said the focus of his trek is supposed 

to be on all of the service members who 

sacrificed their lives in the line of duty and 

the ones who are currently serving. 

“He wants to raise awareness and keep 

people informed on what’s going on in the 

U.S. military to keep it in the forefront of 

everybody’s mind,” said Mobley’s long time 

friend and neighbor Tom Witowski. “It 

helps people remember that these people 

are out there fighting, getting injured and 

dying for us and to not just take light of 

it.” 

Witowski spent more than 20 years in 

the Navy where he spent a lot of time preparing missions and retired as a lieutenant 

commander, he said. When Mobley told 

him about the trek, Witowski said there 

was no way he was going to let his friend 

do it alone and they both started planning 

together. 

“We had ideas going back and forth off 

each other and we wanted to get some foundations involved, so we called around and 

got some participants,” said Whitowski. 

It didn’t take long before a whole slew 

of supporters and organizations jumped on 

board. People all over the country started 

donating money and volunteered to join 

them at different stopping points along the 

way where they would hike for certain distances, said Whitowski. 

“So far we’ve got Adaptive Adventures, The Fisher House Foundation, The 

Greatest Generations Foundation and the 

Wounded Warrior Project that we’re raising 

money for,” said Mobley. “All of the contributions go completely to the foundations; 

we’re not keeping anything for ourselves. If 

people want to help they can go to my website at www.operationherotrek.com.” 

Mobley plans on staying at campgrounds 

along the way and contacted several churches who said they had no problem giving 

him a place to stay, a warm meal and a hot 

shower. Although he’s going to miss his 

grandchildren, two daughters and wife, he 

said the physical aspect of the trek will be 

the toughest to overcome. 

“Walking those 2,000 miles is going to 

be the hardest,” said Mobley. “Doing this 

is kind of like facing the unknown because 

I don’t know what’s going to be at the next 

stop. A lot of preparation has gone into this 

but I know it will be worth all of the time 

and effort in the end.” 

By Cpl. Andrew Johnston

2nd Marine Division

Combatives 

instructor 

to represent 

NYARNG

From the New York National Guard

SAN JUAN, Honduras – Members from 

Joint Task Force-Bravo, Soto Cano Air Base, 

Honduras, saw more than 1,000 villagers 

during the four-day medical readiness and 

training exercise in the Montana de la Flor 

region March 7-10. 

“It was a very successful MEDRETE,” 

said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. William Fecke, 

deputy commander of the Medical Element. 

“We saw more people than we had anticipated.” 

Over the past four days, medical professionals treated illnesses including respiratory 

infections, skin infections, women’s health 

check-ups, HIV testing, diabetes and high 

blood pressure.

The MEDRETE team which consisted 

of members from JTF-Bravo, Honduran 

Ministry of Health, South Dakota State University nutritional team and Mission Honduras LeMars provided 661 patient screenings, 

36 vaccinations, 254 dental treatments and 

over 652 medications distributed.

The members conducted the exercise in 

the villages of La Ceiba and San Juan, spending two days at each location. 

“We’ve definitely provided care to people 

who live in remote, austere locations where 

they had to hike for hours just to receive 

medical attention,” said Capt. Virginia Aguilar, the MEDRETE planner. “In addition to 

people hiking to see us, we hiked to see them 

by way of the nutritional team and their 

door-to-door surveys.”

Mission Honduras LeMars, a non-governmental organization, provided dentists, 

pharmacists and doctors to support the MEDRETE. 

While the SDSU medical team conducted 

a pediatric nutritional survey in homes within 

the surrounding areas here as well as created 

a nutrition station. Additionally, when the 

SDSU team conducted their home surveys, 

the JTF-Bravo medics provided de-worming 

treatment to children. 

“This is a good example of the cooperation we have with our partners here,” Fecke 

said. “Without us the Mission Honduras 

LeMars and the SDSU would not be able to 

get as much supplies to as many people and 

without them we would probably not have 

gone door-to-door providing preventive 

medicine treatment nor had as many providers to see patients.” 

“This is a win-win for everyone,” he said. 

The focus of Mission Honduras LeMars 

is to improve living conditions through 

healthcare and medicine, water projects and 

supplemental food programs in Montana de 

la Flor, El Guante and Esquias, Honduras. 

The professional exchange between U.S. 

and Honduran doctors and nurses will allow 

improved patient treatment and enhance the 

U.S., Honduran partnership. 

In 2011, JTF-Bravo and Honduran Ministry of Health clinicians provided general 

medical care to 14,401 patients and dental 

care to 1,061 patients for a total of 15,462 

local Hondurans receiving much-needed assistance.

S ha r ed P a r tne r ship

By Capt. Candice Allen

JTF-Bravo Public Affairs

O n T he w ing

| At Your Service The Wire | Page 15

JTF-Bravo medics see 1,000 patients

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Melissa Sparks, a Medical Element member who works in preventive medicine at Soto 

Cano Air Base, Honduras, gave a child de-wormer after a preventive medicine briefing on the last day of the 

medical readiness and training exercise March 10. –U.S. Air Force photo

ACCRA, Ghana – U.S. Air Forces Africa Airmen participated in the opening ceremony 

of the inaugural African Partnership Flight 

event March 12 at Air Force Base Accra, 

Ghana.

The event, hosted by the Ghanaian air 

force, is a two-week, military-to-military multilateral and regional engagement designed to 

improve regional cooperation partnerships, 

and the readiness of all countries’ servicemembers. 

More than 160 airmen from the Ghana, 

Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Senegal air forces 

were welcomed to the event by Air Commodore Emanuel Ahadome, Ghana air officer, 

logistics.

“The importance of training to our military profession cannot be over emphasized,” 

Ahadome said. “The need to be educated 

and have good knowledge of best practices 

in ways of carrying out our tasks is very crucial to the success of any modern air force.” 

He continued by saying the program 

would enable participants to exchange ideas 

and upgrade knowledge of best practices in 

modern air forces and the aviation industry.

Several Airmen from U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command and 

North Dakota National Guard will support 

APF.

“At the end, if we do nothing more than 

strengthen relationships, old and new, that’s 

value added,” said Col. Dave Poage, APF 

mission commander. “Just getting to know 

each other and creating partnerships among 

a myriad of organizations will make it successful.”

Inaugural African Partnership Flight takes off

By Staff Sgt. Brok McCarthy

U.S. Air Forces Africa Public Affairs
 The Wire | Page 16 Mind, Body & Spirit |

Mind, 

Body 

& Spirit

by Army Maj. 

Jon Powers

I hate stretching. It’s stupid 

and I have waited all my active 

adult life to find a credible reason 

to not waste my valuable workout 

time in the quadruple-lotus sunrise 

position. So I looked to objective, 

esoteric, reliable science: the 

type which has proven the earth 

is round, allowed man to soar 

through the sky and that white is 

in fact the new black.

It all started with the 

Australian Army studies in 1999 

and 2000. These reports stated 

that stretching did not produce 

“clinically meaningful reductions 

in risk of exercise-related injury” 

among recruits. Their methods 

seemed viable since they had 

enough recruits to make four 

groups of varying stretchiness 

and even included controls and 

randomized samples. Good on 

ya, mate! 

I thought I had my answer but 

couldn’t help but feel they left 

something out of the equation. 

Apparently someone else did also 

because the study was done a 

second time in 2003. That second 

study showed the Aussies failed 

to account for a simple fact: there 

isn’t a stretch imaginable in this 

dimension or any other to help 

you not sprain your ankle. Yes, 

that’s right – they included ankle 

sprains and knee soreness in 

the lower-limb injuries. Also, 

they never looked at the age, 

weight or fitness of the 

recruit at the start of the 

program. Nor did they 

record the point at which 

the injury was sustained. 

I am no Einstein but I 

am scientifically 45 

years old and I know 

that if I repeated 

my 1989 Basic 

Training now I 

would end up hurting myself.

If I could take a fresh look 

at that data I think I know what 

I would find. Older recruits 

sustained more injuries later 

in the training regimen and 

may have zero correlation to 

stretching. You can’t stretch the 

old out of your legs, nor can 

you cure slow-healing muscles to 

prevent overuse types of injuries. 

But that didn’t stop the media 

from reporting the findings, nor 

did I give up on rationalizing my 

hatred of stretching. Faulty data 

be darned!

Shortly after that, BIU (Big 

Important Universities), sensing 

yet another chance to prove 

something is bad for you that was 

once previously thought to be 

good for you, seized bucketfuls of 

research grant money and created 

more hypotheses, theorems and 

postulates, all of which promised 

to deliver humans once and for 

good from the dreaded standingfront-hamstring stretch. 

They concluded everything 

from “stretching does not reduce 

muscle soreness” to “stretching 

(yoga) does not increase your 

intelligence.” (Duh) There was 

no proof to say that it increases 

performance, and best of all, 

they conducted a study on how 

to interpret studies on stretching! 

(American College of Sports 

Medicine 2004) A few studies did 

note that stretching cold muscles 

could actually cause injury. Really? 

Rolling out of bed into a full split 

might hurt? Never saw that one 

coming. So yes! Finally something 

I could hang my jockstrap on. But 

where was my keystone scientific 

study to put an end to senseless 

stretching forever? 

Sadly, it does not exist. If 

this were an email I would put a 

frowny-face emoticon here. That 

is what the beloved Professors 

Platypus of the world ultimately 

realized. There was no scientific 

study that produced “evidence of 

significant predictors of injury.” 

“No evidence” means “I don’t 

know” in egghead language. 

Imagine what your college 

biology professor looked like, 

because I think mine would brainhemorrhage after a few push-ups. 

Maybe the world of academia 

was not the holy grail 

of sports stretching 

knowledge I 

searched for. 

So where 

could I turn 

next? Why, 

w h e r e 

e v e r y 

American 

t u r n s 

after pure 

science and 

cable TV fails 

them: emulate 

rich people! What 

do the folks who make 

millions do to prepare for their 

sport of choice? I am pretty sure 

they wouldn’t do a single thing 

to jeopardize their huge, envyinspiring salaries. Not to mention 

the fans’ adoration and accolades 

– in my mind I still see Michael 

Jordan flying but I can’t for the 

life of me remember seeing him 

sitting on the floor center-court in 

the all-too-embarrassing butterfly 

groin stretch.

So everybody understands 

running. Some hate it, others 

loathe it. But it is the base for 

all military fitness. I thought 

about who would make the best 

research subject. Professional 

runners must have this figured 

out, right?

I started with Usain Bolt. 

After all, his event only lasts 10 

seconds (9.58 on a good day) so 

he would be done racing before 

stretching could possibly make 

a difference. As it turns out, he 

warms up, stretches, dances, eats 

chicken nuggets, lies down, jogs a 

few laps, stretches again, dances 

some more and maybe eats two 

more nuggets 90 to 120 minutes 

before his race. Drat! The word 

I least wanted to see – stretch – 

though I like the eat nuggets part. 

Two whole hours of warming up 

and stretching to run 100 meters!

Ok, so here’s a runner whose 

race is so long that stretching 

could mean nothing: Grete Waitz, 

one of the best marathoners ever. 

Her pre-race routine begins with 

a five mile warm-up (absolute 

insanity – five miles to warm up 

to run 26.2 miles!) on the hotel 

treadmill, then stretch, 

get a massage and 

then rest. One 

hour before 

the start, she 

would run 

10 minutes 

more! Yay! 

Now I 

can add 

massage to 

my regimen. 

I knew 

studying the 

greats would lead 

me to the perfect 

routine. But there were still 

the all-too-noticeable inclusion 

of warming up and stretching.

That’s it. Forget runners. 

Running is hard anyway. Team 

contact sports! What could 

stretching possible do for a 300-

pound lineman? And those dudes 

make mega-bucks and have 

whole teams of professionals to 

train them. Whatever they do, it 

has to be for a reason because I 

don’t think there are many men 

that could make Bubba Smith 

do anything Bubba Smith didn’t 

want to do. Thinking back to my 

teenage years, I would show up 

hours before a Giants game to 

see them warm up and do the 

team drills and stretching... wait 

there it is again. From the misty 

colored memories of the way 

things were... stretching. Yikes, 

it is everywhere! Baseball, same 

thing. In fact, when you examine 

the process closely you notice

I hate stretching!

continued next page

I looked to objective, 

esoteric, reliable 

science: the type which 

has proven the earth 

is round, allowed man 

to soar through the sky 

and that white is in fact 

the new black.

Big Important 

Universities, sensing 

a chance to prove 

something is bad for 

you, seized bucketfuls 

of research grant 

money.

every athlete who gets paid to play 

has a pre-sport routine. Warming 

up, stretching and then the sport 

drills. So that certainly did not 

make a case for never stretching 

again. Dejected, I decided to 

ignore all outside sources and 

find my own internal excuse to 

stay eternally inflexible.

Lastly, and most simplistically 

– I experimented on my own 

body. It turns out there is no 

remedy for tight hamstrings like a 

nice easy stretch. Crud. I give up. 

Truth is, if you actively pursue 

flexibility through yoga or pilates 

you will be plagued by fewer lower 

back aches and general morning 

stiffness. Beats your body makes 

sounds similar to an ammo can 

of broken glass and rocks falling 

down a staircase for the first 30 

minutes each day.

So, here it is. The all-kiddingaside-once-and-for-all-definitiveyou-heard-it-here-first-answerto-stretching-sports-life-theuniverse-and-everything. Drum 

roll please... depending on the 

intensity and kinesio-ballistic 

nature of your sport, you must 

follow this simple program for 

injury prevention. Through 

the research – not some Cable 

Channel fitness guru of the 

month – I found dozens of 

credible authorities including 

Lance Armstrong (who 

happened to win 

the most grueling 

bicycle race in the 

universe seven 

times; drugs or no drugs, that 

rocks!), certified trainers, sports 

medicine associations and 

performance oriented articles 

that say essentially the same thing. 

Stretching is an important part of 

a process to prepare for exercise. 

Here is a summarized routine:

– General warm-up and 

“limbering”

The general warm-up should 

consist of a light physical activity. 

Walking, easy jogging or jumping 

jacks are good. The intensity and 

duration depends on your fitness 

level and the activity. A basic 

warm-up for should take about 

five to 10 minutes and result in 

a light sweat. Next, gently go 

through a series of range of 

motion movements like head 

and neck rotations or arm and 

shoulder rotations for all your 

joints.

– Static stretching 

Never stretch a cold muscle- it 

does you no good and it aggravates 

the muscle. Static stretching is 

safe and effective if you follow 

three simple ideas. Stretch slowly 

and gently, relax and breathe 

throughout the stretch and hold 

the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds 

depending on your goals. Static 

stretching should include all 

the major muscle groups, with 

emphasis on those muscles 

involved on the sport or activity. 

Runners, for example, should 

spend more time stretching their 

legs than their arms. Shocking!

– Dynamic stretching 

A correct warm-up should 

finish with a series of dynamic 

stretches. Don’t get carried away 

and flail your legs side to side. 

This form of stretching carries 

with it an increased risk of injury 

if performed incorrectly. Just 

swing them through their entire 

range of motion. The force of the 

bounce or swing is gradually 

increased but should never 

become radical or uncontrolled. 

The goal is not to look like you 

are having an seizure but to 

release any tension held in your 

muscles. 

– Higher intensity warm-up

Here, fast twitch muscles are 

activated with drills designed for 

speed, power or agility. Slowly 

build up to near-full intensity 

to prepare both mentally and 

physically. Shuttle runs, high knee 

runs, carioca steps and fast laps 

on the track are examples.

– Sport specific warm-up 

(pre-contest, if applicable)

During this part of the warmup, specific vigorous activity 

begins. If you are getting ready 

for a game, now is when you 

throw a ball or hit the sled. Your 

body is warm, loose and ready 

to go. Finally, activities should 

reflect the type of movements 

and actions that will be required 

during the sporting event.

Now if you will excuse me, I 

am feeling a little tight from all 

this writing. Time to work on 

the quadruple-lotus sunrise 

pose while repeating my 

new mantra. Now go 

stretch yourself... 

for science!

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

| Mind, Body & Spirit The Wire | Page 17

I still hate stretching... Mind Body & Spirit continued

There was no scientific 

study that produced 

“evidence of significant 

predictors of injury.” 

“No evidence” means 

“I don’t know” in 

egghead language.

Lastly, and most 

simplistically – I 

experimented on my 

own body. Turns out 

there is no remedy for 

tight hamstrings like a 

nice easy stretch.
 The Wire | Page 18

Dr. Seuss is a hot commodity for 

Hollywood. In the last decade, at least three 

of his books were made into big-screen 

live action pictures. Those preceding films 

boasted excessive budgets with fantastic 

production values, great special effects, weak 

scripting and big name comedians layered in 

prosthetics to “get them into characters” that 

rendered them unrecognizable as actors. 

“Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” is the first film to 

rely on CGI animators to create the visual 

look of the characters and the world they 

inhabit. CGI animated films are nothing new. 

One would think that the works of Dr. Seuss 

would have been made into a CGI movie 

much sooner than now.

Though Suess himself had always claimed 

his books are written without a “moral of the 

story” element, you could have fooled me. If 

“The Lorax,” the latest Suess film adaption, 

isn’t about environmental conservation and 

anti-commercialism, then I don’t know what 

is. 

“The Lorax” opens with the idealistic 

12-year old Ted (Zac Efron, “High School 

Musical”). He secretly desires the acceptance 

and affection of the lovely Audrey (Taylor 

Swift) . Ted is willing to do whatever it takes 

to have Audrey notice him.

Ted and Audrey live in the bustling 

“Thneed-Ville.” This city has been blocked 

off from the rest of the world. Its GNP is 

bottled and canned fresh air. Their world 

used to be bountiful with fresh air, until all 

of the trees became extinct. Without trees to 

generate fresh air, it is now mass produced 

and marketed by the greedy Aloysius O’Hare 

(Rob Riggle, “21 Jump Street”), the wealthy 

mayor of Thneed-Ville. 

Upon learning Audrey will only marry 

someone who would give her a real tree, 

Ted is on a quest to meet the only man that 

knows anything about trees: the Once-ler 

(Ed Helms, “The Hangover”). He lives in the 

barren wasteland far beyond the protective 

walls of Thneed-Ville. The Once-ler agrees 

to share with Ted in a series of visits the tale 

of what happened to all the trees. 

The Once-ler also explains his role in how 

Thneed-Ville came to be. As a youth, the 

Once-ler discovered how processing truffula 

trees could be manufactured into “Thneeds,” 

which can be used for just about anything 

from fashionable hats to hammocks. No 

one could live without having a thneed 

and everyone absolutely had to acquire 

one. However could anyone live without a 

thneed?

The spokesman for the trees is the twofoot tall, fuzzy orange fellow known as the 

Lorax (Danny DeVito, “It’s Always Sunny 

in Philadelphia”). “I speak for the trees” 

he asserts upon his arrival from the sky. 

The Lorax was opposed to the Once-ler’s 

logging plans to make thneeds for the mass 

consumers who demand them. 

The Once-ler originally agreed to not 

cut down the trees. When his greedy family 

arrived, he changed his tune for the chance to 

become the wealthiest man alive. The Lorax 

and the woodland animals were powerless to 

prevent the harvesting of the truffalas.

Ted is humbled by the Once-ler’s account. 

Ted also ponders the meaning of a message 

from the Lorax etched on a stone in the 

Once-ler’s yard. “What does it mean? How 

does this apply to me today?” he wonders.

The new movie version of “The Lorax” is 

considerably broader in its telling compared 

to the original children’s book. There is more 

background on the Once-ler and Ted to 

help transition the material into a full-length 

feature. As a movie, “The Lorax” holds 

up on its own merits. This film is colorful, 

detailed and kinetic in its approach. I admired 

the truffala trees that resembled white birch 

crossed with cotton candy looking much as 

they did in Seuss’ book. The Lorax himself 

is a true Seussian creation. This is welcome 

to see. The previous live-action Seuss-based 

movies offered comedians Jim Carrey and 

Mike Myers merely dressed up as Seuss 

characters, and they channeled themselves 

and not the characters. This time, the 

character of the Lorax feels right. Danny 

DeVito’s voicing doesn’t go over the top and 

he is believable.

Also refreshing is the sense of innocence 

in this film. The other big screen Dr. Seuss 

outings turned off parents with some crude 

humor and language that was present. “The 

Lorax” is fairly squeaky clean in content, 

despite its “PG” rating. There’s no foul 

language, crude humor or violence. I’m 

guessing the rating stands for “mild peril.” 

Even then, there’s nothing objectionable 

in this movie for children or parents to be 

concerned about.

 “The Lorax,” like the book, has created 

a stir about its “eco-message” and anticonsumerism stance. A commenter on the 

science fiction site “io9” complained, “I’m 

pretty darn liberal and I still wanted this 

movie to shut up and stop lecturing me.”

Whether “The Lorax” is heavy-handed in 

a message or not, the sub-text of the film did 

not bother me. I felt it was a pure escapist 

family feature. “The Lorax” is light-hearted 

romp with bright colors, lively characters, 

some catchy musical numbers and a happy 

ending. The message I got was to let the movie 

entertain its audience. I am sure people can 

make up their own minds on any messages, 

perceived or otherwise, that may have been 

present in “The Lorax.” Hasn’t that always 

been the case with children’s stories?

By Mass Communication Spc. 1st Class Ty Bjornson

The Lorax

Movie Review

PG

95 min.

Movie Review | | Bulletin Board The Wire | Page 19

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Services

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Wednesday 6 p.m.

Intense Spiritual 

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Study the Book of 

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Thursday 11-11:30 a.m.

JTF Chaplain’s Office

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Chapel

For other services, contact the 

NAVSTA Chaplain’s Office at 2323.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU 17

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

16 18 19 20 21 22

The Lorax

(PG) 8 p.m.

One for the 

Money (NEW)

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Darkest Hour 

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Grey 

(New)

(R) 10 p.m.

Man on a Ledge 

(NEW)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Grey 

(NEW)

(R) 10 p.m.

Haywire

(R) 8 p.m.

One for the 

Money (NEW)

(PG-13) 10 p.m.

Man on a Ledge

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Girl with the 

Dragon Tattoo 

(last showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

The Devil 

Inside (last 

showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

The Devil Inside 

(last showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

Girl with the 

Dragon Tattoo 

(last showing)

(R) 8 p.m.

Darkest Hour 

(last showing)

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

Haywire

(R) 8 p.m.

Red Tails

(PG-13) 8 p.m.

The Lorax

(PG) 8 p.m.

Contraband

(R) 8 p.m.

Downtown

Lyceum

Camp 

Bulkeley

For more information, contact the 

JTF Chaplain’s Office at 2305

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Safe Ride - 84781

Due to Daylight Savings Time, Downtown Lyceum 

showtimes are now 8 and 10 p.m.
Background: The windmills must be working overtime these 

days. Hold onto your hats!

Below right: A snorkler took advantage of the nice weather at 

Windmill Beach last weekend, but not to pick up conch shells.

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

Below left: Joint Task Force Guantanamo deputy commander 

Brig. Gen. James Lettko (left) and chief of staff Capt. Patrick 

Rabun didn’t seem particularly menaced by pirate and flag 

aide Lt. Cdr. Jay Haddock March 9 at the grand opening of 

Morale Welfare & Recreation’s Pirate’s Cove. Yarr!

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

TheJTF