friday, august 15, 2003 438th mps : you’ve got...

Inside the Wire...

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Friday, August 15, 2003Friday, August 15, 2003Volume 3, Issue 37Volume 3, Issue 37

By Sgt. Erin Crawley

If JTF Guantanamo were giving outsuperlatives, the 438th would mostlikely get ‘Best Personality.’ This isbecause the 438th brings to this mis-sion not only their dedication and pro-fessionalism, but some uniquecharacteristics that make them standout among the rest.

For starters, most of the senior non-commissioned officers, to include allof the platoon sergeants, the first ser-geant, the Nuclear Biological andChemical NCO, and two squad lead-ers, bring to the table a total of morethan 160 combined years of service inthe military. One of the major contrib-utors to that statistic is 1st Sgt. RonaldEngland, who not only has served formore than 20 years, but is also the old-est first sergeant of JTF Guantanamo.

Approximately 18 percent of the438th is female, which is also fairlyunique for MP companies. In addi-tion, Capt. Judith Brown is the only

438th MPs : You’ve got personality!

See 438th, page 4.

Soldiers of the 438th Military Police Company of Murray, Ky. finish their shift inside the wire. In front, from left to right,Spc. Michael Weatherford, Spc. Michael Suddath, and Spc. Matthew Thomas.

Excellence,innovation andcreativity are allsigns of a greato r g a n i z a t i o nand reflectswhat the sol-diers havebrought to JTF-GTMO. Overthe last ninemonths, ideasand designshave flourishedfrom our young

soldiers and service members within thisorganization.

From the 806th, Postal Detachment 1.Spc. D. Walls revamped the existingpostal supply system and built a comput-erized database for tracking, ordering andmaintaining stamp supplies. Sgt. Padillaand Spc. A. Rios established the CampAmerica Post Office. The Camp AmericaPost Office takes in more than $500 inbusiness per day and has sold more than$15,000 of stamps since its opening. The806th Postal Detachment is also responsi-ble for streamlining the process ofdetainee mail and processing more than13,000 pieces.

The enthusiastic pride of the youngsoldiers from the 806th is transparentthrough the accomplishments they havemade. Their perspectives of this JointTask Force is clear and reflects on theirleadership daily. Soon the 806th willdepart the JTF and the soldiers will takewith them the products of success.

The 438th Military Police Company isanother story of selfless service, dedica-tion and commitment by all. The Ken-tucky based unit took the JTF by stormlast November when it arrived in Guan-

tanamo Bay. The term Granite as inGranite Rock can be used to describe the438th. The bonds of the company arewoven so tightly when one soldier hurtsthey all hurt. This one team of soldiers isa reflection on the experiences of the lead-ers from the company and how they bal -ance mission and soldiers always.

Capt. Brown, Commander of the 438this the center piece of the stabilizing basethat has fastened this company together.Capt. Brown takes on objectives that willpromote the mission and enhance thelives of the soldiers. Given a mission, shewill formulate and generate ideas usingthe decision making process and choose acourse of action.

1st Sgt. Ronnie England is a wise,abstract thought provoking leader willtell soldiers what right is. His leadershipstyle is like a salesmen who takes a charis-matic approach of resolving the missionat hand. 1st Sgt. England holds his sol-diers to the highest standards, teachesthem new responsibilities and takes pridein their integrity.

The pillars of this organization wouldnot be complete if we failed to mentionSgt. 1st Class Riley, Sgt. 1st Class Tubbs,Sgt. 1st Class Schroader, Staff Sgt. Lasterand Staff Sgt. Duke. They surround thetwo leaders and take on the task ofstrengthening the company bond throughinner actions with all the soldiers of the438th.

The soldiers who arrived for this mis-sion over nine months ago seized theopportunities to build this Joint TaskForce through Army values, leadershipand dedication. The soldiers have scari-fied their lives and families for the GlobalWar on Terrorism and their accomplish-ments are immeasurable. We thank themand wish them God Speed for the future.

Friday, August 15, 2003

Command Sgt. Maj.Gregg E. Hissong,

300th MP Bde. JTFGuantanamo

JTF-GTMO Command

Commander:MG Geoffrey D. Miller

Joint Task Force CSM:CSM George L. NievesPublic Affairs Officer:

Lt. Col. Pamela HartDeputy PAO / 362nd MPAD Commander:Maj. Paul J. Caruso

Command Information Officer / Editor:Capt. Linda K. SpillaneCirculation: 2,100 copies

The Wire StaffThe Wire NCOIC & Layout Editor:Staff Sgt. Stephen E. Lewald

Sports Editor:Sgt. Bob MitchellStaff writers and design team:

Sgt. Daniel O. Johnson Sgt. Benari PoultenSgt. Erin P. Crawley

Spc. Delaney T. JacksonSpc. Alan Lee KnesekSpc. Mark Leone

Spc. Jared Mulloy

Contact us:5239/5241 (Local phone) 5426 (Local fax)

Joint Information Bureau/HQ AnnexOnline:http://www.nsgtmo.navy.mil/jtfgtmo

The Wire is produced by the 362nd MobilePublic Affairs Detachment assigned to the

Joint Information Bureau at Joint Task ForceGuantanamo. This publication is printedunder the provisions provided in Army Regu-

lation 360-1 and does not reflect the views ofthe Department of Defense or the personnelwithin.

“What international organization, with headquarters located in Geneva, Switzerland, maintains a regularpresence at JTF Guantanamo?”

Message from the Top

Trivia Question of the Week:

Spc. Joshua D. Wise of the 303rd MP Co. correctly answered the question and was selected as the winner!

Last week's question: “What is the name of the tower inside Camp 4?”Answer: Liberty Tower.

Please send your answers to the JTF Public Affairs Office, email address: [email protected] by Tuesday, Aug. 19th.A name will be drawn from all who get it correct for a JTF T-shirt or hat.


By Spc. Jared Mulloy

A small, 14-soldierdetachment from the806th AG Co. (Postal), ofMoreno Valley, Ca., wasresponsible for establish-ing the JTF Army PostOffice (APO) here andmastering the system bywhich detainees send andreceive mail. And like somany other troopers, the806th will soon be leav-ing Guantanamo Bay forhome.

When the 806tharrived in GTMO, theywere divided into differ-ent sections. Eight of the14 soldiers worked in theJTF mail room handlingtrooper mail while theother six worked inside Camp Delta processing incoming and out-going detainee mail. “Our mission was to basically start fromscratch and get everyone’s mail moving,” said APO postal clerkSpc. Andrew Rios.

“We provided the detainees with a connection to the outsideworld,” said non-commissioned officer in charge of the incomingmail section of the Detainee Mail Processing Center, Staff Sgt.Montgomery Miller. “The unit before us processed about 1,500pieces of detainee mail. In the same amount of time we havetripled that amount to 5,000 pieces.”

806th squad leader Spc. Brian Ellis, of the incoming mail sec-tion, along with the help of his fellow soldiers, has also beenworking on a new system of mail processing that will make the

806th’s replace-ments even moreefficient. Thei m p r o v e m e n t smade by the 806thwill echo in rota-tions to come.

And all along,most importantly,the 806th has beenmaking sure JTFtroopers receivetheir mail asquickly and effi-ciently as possible.

Although thisdeployment gavethe 806th a chanceto improve the JTF,being part of theJTF has had itsshare of improve-ments on the 806th.

“Our unit has gotten a lot closer, and [we] learned a lot abouteach other. It’s hard to really know people that you only get to seeonce a month,” said Ellis. “I’ve also had a chance to raise my PTscore from a 194 to a 275, and when I get home I’ll be able to puta down-payment on a house.”

“We had a chance to learn a whole new job,” said noncommis-sioned officer-in-charge of the outgoing detainee mail section,Staff Sgt. Ernie Carranza. “Not to mention, we gained a wealth ofexperience on working with the intelligence community.”

The 806th will definitely leave their mark on the JTF whenthey leave, and may have proven that good things do come insmall packages.

“JTF Army Post Office … Post!”

Photo by Staff Sgt. Stephen E. Lewald

Members of the 806th AG Co. (Postal) from Moreno Valley, Ca., stand proudly atop McCalla Hill near theJTF Guantanamo Headquarters. The 806th were responsible for JTF postal operations.

By Tech. Sgt. Theo McNamara

The 216th Military Police Companyarrived Wednesday after completing themobilization process at Fort Dix andbefore they re-deploy, they may changehistory.

“We believe we’re the only NationalGuard unit in recent history to be deployedfor such a long period of time,” said Capt.Betty Anderson, 216th MP company com-mander.

The 216th was deployed in October toback-fill for Fort Leonard Wood’s 463rdMilitary Police Company, which deployedto Qatar. The Arkansas National Guard

unit worked access control and handledlaw and order responsibilities. Whiledeployed there, they learned they wereslated to replace troops at JTF Guan-tanamo.

“When we discovered we were cominghere, we coordinated with the Fort LeonardWood to get 95 Charlie training,” saidAnderson. “We wanted to be prepared andready for the mission here, so we’ve beencontinuously deployed since leaving ourhome station in West Memphis, Ark. inOctober.”

Many of the troops admit that it’s beena long time since they’ve been able tospend time with family and friends, but

they’re ready to do their part. “This is thefirst time we’re actually going to do whatwe’ve been trained to do, so it’s very excit-ing for us, for all of us,” said Anderson.“Before we get back to our home stationwe’ll have been deployed for much morethan a year and a half.”

“We’ve got some highly motivated peo-ple we’re bringing in here. We’re a teamthat’s made up of troops from every cornerof Arkansas,” she bragged. “9/11 hurt allof us and if it wouldn’t have happened,none of us would be here … This is ourplace to give something back, to do some-thing for America.”

216th arrives, poised to make National Guard history


female company commander of an MP unithere.

To add to the mix, the average age ofthis company is 25. The younger leader-ship has had the luxury of learning from asmall group of soon-to-be retiring soldiers,rich with many years of law enforcementand military experience, which has provedmost helpful during this mission. In addi-tion, the younger soldiers have been able tobring some fresh ideas and approaches tothe mission. Both groups have had a majorimpact on how successful the unit, as awhole, has performed their mission here.

But to be successful in this world, youneed a lot more than a good personality,and the 438th fits the bill here as well. Youhave to have skill, drive, and a strong senseof duty. England said he was veryimpressed with how the 438th cametogether as a team to get this mission doneand how many members of the 438th grewas soldiers and as people. There weremany lessons learned and many challengesmet – all done so with a purpose, as a partof the Global War on Terrorism.

“I’m proud of their dedication to eachother and to their work,” England said.“Each soldier has grown in experience andmaturity. Each has learned to be teammembers and how to depend on theirbuddy,” explained England.

Spc. Rebecca Brun joined the Armythree years ago for college money, but nowrealizes there are even more benefits.“This deploymenthas really made megrow up. I’ve seen alot of different things.I feel like I’m a muchbetter soldier. Get-ting this experiencefirst hand, I feel like Ican actually do more.I feel like I can makea better noncommis-sioned officer now,”Brun said.

Brun feels that the438th had a positiveimpact on the mis-sion here. “I thinkour unit has done a good job of being firmand fair. The orders might be tough to takesometimes. We might not want to do it,but I think we do a good job of doing whatwe are suppose to do,” Brun said.

This deployment changed Spc. RobertElder’s life in a way he didn’t expect. “Ilook at things a lot differently now. I havemore patience and I have more respect for

other people’s reli-gion besides myown. I’m moreopen minded now,”Elder said.

Elder got backhome from a peace-keeping mission inBosnia about a yearbefore he deployedto Cuba. With theexception of know-ing that he wouldmiss his childrendearly, he was morethan ready to serveagain. “I think this

mission here is very important because wecan gather information from thesedetainees and that information can possi-bly stop anything from happening in thefuture, which we have already seen with

the warnings they put out every day on tel-evision. I have a pretty good feeling that itprobably directly relates to what we dohere every day,” Elder said.

Sgt. 1st Class Teresa Rae, the noncom-missioned officer-in-charge of the Deten-tion Operations Center, said the soldiers ofthe 438th worked as a team with otherbranches and members of other units tostreamline the critical operation in theDOC.

“It was challenging at first. But Ilearned a lot from the lower enlisted sol-diers in my unit. They taught me how touse Excel, create spreadsheets, reports andhow to track things,” Rae said.

Their efforts in streamlining the processhelped to eliminate 90 percent of thepaperwork, according to Rae.

Through thick and thin, the 438thpulled together as a team and as a family,making this deployment a very successfulone. “The soldiers of the 438th learnedthat they can do just about anything theyset their minds to,” said England.

438th, from page 1.

“This deployment hasreally made me grow up. I’veseen a lot of different things.I feel like I’m a much bettersoldier. Getting this experi-ence first hand, I feel like Ican actually do more.”

Spc. Rebecca Brun438th Military Police Company

Photo by Sgt. Erin Crawley

Spc. Michael Laster of the 438th Military Police Company uses the high pressure water hose to clean the inte-rior of this HMMWV so that it can be sent back to his home station in Kentucky.


Members of Fort Polk’s ‘Warrior Brigade’ soon to arrive at GTMO

Blue Grass State welcomes JTF MPs


“The 438th Family Support Group is working withthe Murray Tourism Commission for a community wide,Welcome Home Celebration,” according to Terry Laster,438th MP Co. Family Support Group Coordinator.

The celebration is intended for the entire communityand will be sponsored by local businesses. Lasterexplained that although the plans are not yet finalized,one thing they would really like to do is have a fish-frycook-out at the city park so that the whole communitycan come by and show their support.

An important aspect of dealing with homecomings ofthis sort is to let soldiers settle in with their families fora while. With that in mind, the 438th plans to have acombined welcome home and Christmas festivities cele-bration in December.

“It was going to be difficult to find a good time whenthe entire unit would be together again, so we decided todo it during December. We plan to have a PatrioticChristmas, with a Christmas party and a family day.We’ll have food and are also planning to have a DJ sothat people can dance. The next day will be the familyday with a meal and a visit from Santa for the kids,”Laster said.

The 438th FSG is also making an effort to help thefamilies prepare for their soldier’s homecoming. “Thereis a ‘Family Reunion Briefing’ being held this week atthe National Guard Armory in Murray, Ky. and anotherone being held the following week at the FairgroundsArmory in Louisville, Ky. Individuals from Fort Camp-bell and Fort Knox are conducting these briefings,”Laster said.

Throughout this deployment, the FSG of the 438thhas continually supported their troops deployed here aswell as each other back home. Laster added, “If the sol-diers know that their loved ones back home are beingtaken care of, then they can do their job.”

Photo by Spc. Delaney T. Jackson

Army Sgt. Melissa Obermiller cuts the cake at the finale of the 984th MP Co.'s Victory Din-ner at Seaside Galley last week. Held in honor of the 984th's accomplishments whiledeployed to Guantanamo Bay, the dinner, which included an awards ceremony and a view-ing of the 984ths' unit video, followed a Transfer of Authority ceremony in Camp Delta wherethe 463rd MP Co. assumed the responsibilities of the 984th.


The 258th Military Police Company of Fort Polk, La. will soonbe arriving in Guantanamo to support Operation Enduring Free-dom as the replacement unit for the 438th MP Company.

As part of the 519th MP Battalion, also known as the WarriorBrigade, the soldiers of the 258th are prepared take on this toughmission. Earlier this year, the 258th MPs supported OperationNoble Eagle for the U.S. Army’s Military District of Washington,finishing that mission at the end of February.

1st Sgt. Ronald England of the 438th MP Co. said his unit islooking forward to meeting their new replacements. “We willopen the door, bring them in, and give them everything we’ve got

on the positive side to help them continue the mission. We willgive them any information they need to help them meet the chal-lenges of the mission here,” England said.

According to Col. Donn Richards, acting Warrior Brigadecommander, the 258th is well trained and more than ready to takeon the JTF Guantanamo mission. While Richards understandsthis is a difficult mission, he said his soldiers are excited about itand want to make a difference.

Of course, the first difference they will make will be to relievethe very deserving 438th. With that in mind, England joked, “Weare willing to share any secrets we have with them as long as theytake our place and stay.”

984th’s farewell dinner


1. I am concerned about what hap-pens to my job when I go home. Whathappens if my position is either filled oreliminated?

Your employer must provide you witha position similar to what you had whenyou left. If that exact job is no longeravailable they are required to give you aposition with no loss in pay or status.

2. Can I collect unemployment dur-ing the 90 days that are allowed beforeI have to go back to work?

No you cannot, unless you do not havea job at all. In that case you may in somestates collect unemployment as long asyou are actively pursuing employment.

3. Who is responsible for my health

insurance from the time the deploy-ment is over until I am required to goback to work?

If you have been in the military lessthan six years you qualify for Tri-Carecoverage from the military for 60 daysafter your Refrad date. If you have morethan six years you qualify for 120 days ofcoverage. Otherwise you must rely onwhatever civilian insurance you havethrough your employer. Depending onyour employer, you may have to be backat work before coverage is reinstated.

5. Why do we have decompressiontraining?

The highest levels in the military havemandated the requirement. It is designedto give every service member the optimumtraining in preparation to return home.

6. When will the reserves/guardbegin to attend drill?

The final decision is up to the unitcommander but most units will return fordrill in 60-90 days after re-deployment.Many will be offered to return to drillsooner if they so desire.

7. Am I likely to have left over prob-lems with diseases like TB and hepatitisafter I return home?

No. You are much more likely to getTB on a cross-country plane trip or inyour local Wal-Mart, and even those arehighly unlikely. You will be tested for TBwithin six months of your return to homestation.

See DCSP, page 8

Photo by Sgt. Benari Poulten

You don’t need to serve in theUnited States military to meetwomen … but it helps! For bothSgt. Steven Sparks and Sgt. JohnSokolik, the pen was mightier thanthe sword when it came to meetingtheir future wives, as they both mettheir significant others by strikingup pen-pal correspondences.

If it weren’t for a determinedfirst sergeant while Sparks wasserving in the Texas Air NationalGuard, he never would have methis wife. Forced to participate inan international pen-pal program,Sparks sent out his contact information on a post card, which wassubsequently sent to a random person. After sending out his postcard, he switched over to the Army, going on active duty. Whileon Christmas exodus from his Advanced Individual Training atFort Jackson, Sparks returned home to find a letter from Lithua-nia. “I thought to myself, I don’t know anyone from Lithuania,”he said. “And then it hit me … the postcard!”

Sparks credits long fire-guard duties with helping spark the ini-tial correspondence from there, as he would write to his pen-palDaiva during those lengthy hours. After getting to know each

other via mail, Sparks traveled toLithuania to meet her in person and in1993, they were married in the smalltown of Anyksciani, Lithuania. Theynow live in Radcliffe, Ky., near FortKnox, where Sparks works as a federaltechnician.

Sokolik picked his future wife’sname out of a box – literally. Choosingfrom an open grab-bag of mail whileserving on active duty in the first GulfWar, Sokolik hoped to make some penpals. “There were shoeboxes full of[mail],” he explained. “I just pickedout three or four of them and startedpen-palling them. And it just so hap-pened that she was one of my pen-pals.” Originally hailing from

California, he and Rhonda now live in her hometown of Paducah,Ky., with their two children, Monica and Shelby.

Having met their wives under long-distance circumstances hashelped make this current deployment a little easier for these twosoldiers, as Sparks pointed out. “We’ve been apart from eachother for long times before this deployment, so I guess we can nat-urally stand to be away; we can deal with it better than most.”

As for their plans when they get back from serving in JTFGuantanamo, they both look forward to catching up with theirfamilies in person.

Sgt. Steven Sparks writes a letter home to his wife, as he prepares todepart JTF Guantanamo.

From mail call to wedding vows

DCS Program Top 10 FAQ’s


Man on the StreetThis week’s question:

Five years from now, who in the JTF will stand out in the forefront of yourmemory and why?

Compiled by Staff Sgt. Stephen E. Lewald

By Sgt. Benari Poulten

“There’s plenty to do here, but youhave to be an active person,”explained Staff Sgt. James Garner.Garner would definitely qualify as anactive person, as he has taken advan-tage of his time here as part of JTFGuantanamo to maintain a healthyworkout schedule.

Garner has already seen animprovement during this deployment.“Since I’ve started this mission, I’velost 28 pounds,” he said. “My PT hasimproved by about 60 to 70 points, soI’ve just been doing what I can … I’vebeen using the time here to improvemyself.”

He maintains a pretty dedicated sched-ule of running on Mondays, Wednesdays,and Fridays, while fitting in weight train-ing on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To helpburn calories and keep his muscles limber,he also runs to and from the gym for theseworkouts, even squeezing in some laps at

the pool. “I’ll run down to the pool and I’lldo around one to two laps and that helpsme loosen up my muscles after the run andbeing in that heat really dehydrates you, soI’ll drink a quart of water [as well].”

He also noted the benefits of swimminga few laps in the pool. According to Gar-ner, it not only helps him cool down after a

strenuous workout session, but it alsoallows him to work some other musclegroups while giving him an opportu-nity relax at the same time. And on ahot afternoon, the pool can be arefreshing way to finish a run. “Aftera run, it helps you loosen up and cooldown, because a lot of times I was run-ning in the heat of the day.”

Garner continues to work on trim-ming the calories, so he can returnhome in excellent shape and make asignificant difference in his ArmyPhysical Fitness Test. “I’m trying tokeep myself lean and actually work onthe areas that would help me in myPT,” he noted.

As the deployment comes to a close,Garner does not expect to give up his exer-cise routine, hoping to keep himself in tip-top shape. “Since I’ve seen how I’veimproved here, I will probably take thiswith me because I know in future deploy-ments, I will need this physical fitness, soI will probably try to keep this going.”

Soldier makes a splash in his fitness routine

Photo by Staff Sgt. Stephen E. Lewald

Staff Sgt. James Garner, 438th MP Co., takes a few laps in theWindjammer Pool during his dialy workout session.

PO3 Chris L. McDiffittMIUWU 212

Pfc. Julio A. Arredondo806th AG, Postal Det.

Spc. Dudley A. Fabio661st MP Co.

"My squad will alwaysbe in my memories ofJTF, because of all thetime we spend onpatrol, doing checkpoints, and up in theguard towers."

Pfc. Maya A. Lyubimova300th MP Bde.

“I’ll always rememberthe Puerto Rican unit,and how they enjoyedgetting together and toparty.”

"As I look back, itwould be my room-mates; all the thingswe shared, and all thefun things we didtogether, will be wellremembered."

“I’ll always rememberthe men and women inmy unit I served with,because of the impor-tant job of first linedefense for the JTFand NAVBASE.”

Army Sgt. Robert A.VanderveerA Co., 2-116th Inf. Bn.

“I’ll remember the peo-ple in my unit, and howtheir dedication helpedto improve the JTFPostal Service.”


Worship ServicesCatholic

Main ChapelDaily 6:30 a.m. Mass

Cobre Chapel Wed. 5 p.m. R.C.I.A.

Cobre ChapelFri. 5 p.m. RosarySat. 4:30 p.m. Confession

5:30 p.m. MassSun. 9 a.m. Mass

11 a.m. Mass (Sanctuary B)

Camp AmericaSun. 5 p.m. Mass

Wooden Chapel

Protestant

Main ChapelMon. 7 p.m. Prayer Group

Fellowship*Wed. 7 p.m. Men’s Bible

Study*7 p.m. Spanish Group

390-Evan’s PtThurs. 6:30 p.m. Home Group

Nob Hill 5B7:15 p.m. Youth 7-12

Fellowship*Sun. 6:30 a.m. Praise and

Worship Servce9:30 a.m. Sunday School

11 a.m. Service/Sunday School

5 p.m. Bible Study** Fellowship Hall located in Chapel Complex

Camp AmericaWed. 7 p.m. ServiceSun. 9 a.m. Seaside Galley(Temporary location until further notice)

7 p.m. ServiceWooden Chapel

Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints

Sun. 9 a.m. Sanctuary A

IslamicFri. 1 p.m. Classroom 12

ChapelComplex

JewishFri. 8 p.m. Fellowship

Hall

Camp America Church Bus schedule:Sun. 8 a.m. Windward Loop

8:15 a.m. Tierra KayThe bus will return immediately followingworship.

Chaplain’s CornerBy CH (LTC) Herb HeavnerJTF GuantanamoCommand Chaplain

Transition training. That is what theycall it when you try to learn what you havebeen doing right, and try to apply it to thejob that lies ahead of you in another loca-tion. It can apply to jobs inside the mili-tary or in the civilian sector. It involveslearning valuable lessons from both yoursuccesses and your failures. It involveslooking ahead and making a commitmentto do your new job better than ever. Itinvolves your leadership chain and it caneven involve your family. Most everyonewants to do better in the present and futurethan they did in the past. It is for that rea-son that we use transition training to learnhow best to facilitate that process.

Notice that this can involve any posi-tion, inside or outside of the military. Formany members of the JTF, coming toGuantanamo called for high quality transi-tion training. Making the change to a newlocation, a new climate and a totally newworking environment were all goals thateach of us had to confront. Now manynew members of the Joint Task Force facethat same challenge as they come to the

island to carry on the good work that wehave done. Our goal should be to helpthem do the very best they can do to meetthe goal of a successful transition. In fact,our goal should be to help them do evenbetter than we did ourselves.

Most members of the current JTF nowface this transition process in reverse aswe prepare to go back to our homes and toour jobs. For some of us this change willseem nearly as foreign as does the changefor our replacements. The person in theoffice next to us may be a stranger. Thesupervisor at the plant may be some guy orgal from the west coast. Even familymembers will be changed.

I believe that the important thing for allof us to remember, on whatever side of thetransition process you may be found, is tonot let it get the best of you. Rely uponthose forces for good that you have alwaysfound helpful. Look to the power of Godto assist you in this process. Allow Him toguide you in the transition process. Theancient scripture writer wrote: "Be trans-formed by the renewing of your mind . . ."The writer referred to the power of God todo the renewing. Let God do this for you,and your transition will be more of a suc-cess than you ever thought possible.

WANTED: Piano Player...... for the general Protestant Worship service at the Camp America Chapel.Should be able to play church music out of a hymnal and provide back-up for

choral and other special singers. Would need to be available from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30a.m on Sunday, and one other hour per week, time to be determined.

Please give the JTF Command Chaplains’ office a call at 3202, 3203.

8. Will GTMO be granted tax-exempt status and if so, will it beretroactive?

The consideration of this is still at thediscussion level in congress. If it does passbefore the end of this year it would mostlikely be made retroactive to January.

9. Can I get prescription medicationsafter I return to reserve or guard status?

Yes, you should be able to get a 90-daysupply at your demobilization station.

10. How long will we be at our mobi-lization station and can my family comethere?

The goal is to spend no more than three- five days at your MOB site. Families arediscouraged from coming because every-one will be busily engaged in a rapidreturn to the home station.

From DCSP, page 6

If you’re looking for fun andexcitement, look no further than ClubSurvivor, JTF’s newest hotspot. Nes-tled in the middle of Camp America,Club Survivor is conveniently locatedfor troops living in Tierra Kay andCamp America North.

Club Survivor offers troopers achance to unwind after a long work-day in a comfortable setting along thecool waters of the Caribbean. Folkscan pull up a chair, kick back, relax,and hang out with friends where thedrinks are cold and the mood can’t bebeat. “It’s a fun atmosphere,” raves J-

4’s Spc. Nick Davis. “The view’sbeautiful and it’s a great chance tomeet people from other units.”

The club also boasts a familiarlook, giving it a down-home atmos-phere. “It reminds me of a bar backhome called the South Shore Grill, onthe shores of Lake Erie,” Davis noted.Capturing the unique feel of the islandwhile offering troopers a taste ofhome, Club Survivor offers some-thing for everyone. And for those ofyou who love to belt out a few tunes,the club hosts karaoke every Fridaynight.


RECREATION & LEISURE

Camp Bulkeley

Fri., Aug. 158p.m. Malibu’s Most

Wanted PG13 - 86min

10 p.m. Bulletproof MonkPG13 - 104min

Sat., Aug. 168 p.m. Daddy Day Care

PG - 94min

10 p.m. A Man Apart R - 109min

Sun., Aug. 178 p.m. Life of David Gale

R - 130min

Mon., Aug. 188 p.m. The Hunted

R - 131min

Tues., Aug. 198 p.m. Minority Report

R - 140min

Wed., Aug. 208 p.m. Dreamcatcher

R - 134min

Thurs., Aug. 218 p.m. Ballistic: Ecks vs

SeverR - 144min

Downtown Lyceum

Fri., Aug. 158 p.m. Dumb & Dumberer

PG13 - 85min

10 p.m. Alex & EmmaPG13 - 96min

Sat., Aug. 168 p.m. Hulk

PG13 - 116min

10 p.m. Tomb Raider IIPG13 - 110min

Sun., Aug. 178 p.m. American Wedding

R - 102min

Mon., Aug. 188 p.m. SeabiscuitPG13 - 130min

Tues., Aug. 198 p.m. Hollywood

HomicidePG13 - 108min

Wed., Aug. 208 p.m. American Wedding

R - 102min

Thurs., Aug. 218 p.m. 2 Fast 2 Furious

R - 108min

Located at Camp AmericaThursday thru Saturday 5 p.m. to

11:30 p.m.Open to all NAVBASE and JTF per-

sonnel of all ranks.

Club Survivor

MovieMovieScheduleSchedule

By Spc. Jared Mulloy

Most JTF troopers who have taken advantage of a four-day Special Pass toPuerto Rico have realized how expensive a trip out of Guantanamo Bay can be.So, for those who would like to go on a pass to relax, without spending a lot ofmoney or a lot of time traveling, there’s another option.

Special Passes, not exceeding 72 hours may be granted to troopers for excep-tional performance or following periods of continuous duty of excessive dura-tion.

“Taking advantage of this pass is a great idea if you need to get away with-out spending a lot of money,” says noncommissioned officer-in-charge of theJoint Personnel Reception Center, Sgt. 1st Class Leona Hunter-Wade. “You canget a private room on the Leeward side, there’s free access to lots of beaches, amess hall, and plenty of space to stretch out.” Hunter-Wade also mentioned thatthis special pass should be treated like regular leave, meaning that you have tosign-out when you start your pass, and sign-in when it’s over.

Club Survivor … you won’t wantto be voted off THIS island!

Don’t pass up a chance to relax

By Sgt. Benari Poulten

Summary by Sgt. Bob Mitchell

The Green Bay Packers were dealt a potentially disastrous blow to their title hopes whendefensive lineman Gilbert Brown tore a bicep muscle in the Pack's win over the Atlanta Fal-cons last Saturday. Brown was a key to the team's run defense. Team officials say his come-back may depend on his ability to endure pain.

On the links, Davis Love III has not had to endure much pain while playing golf. He pickedup win number four Sunday at the International to bring him to the top spot on the PGA moneylist with $5.1 million. Off the course, Love is still coping with the suicide death of his wife'sbrother, who had been under federal investigation for allegedly taking more than a half milliondollars of Love's money from a bank account.

Triple plays are few and far between, but an unassisted triple play is the most rare play inall of baseball. Atlanta Braves' shortstop Rafael Furcal became the 12th player in majorleague history to pull off the feat. In the fifth inning of the Braves' game with the St. LouisCardinals Sunday, Furcal snagged a line drive off the bat of Woody Williams , stepped on sec-ond base to double up Mike Matheny, then ran down Orlando Palmeiro who was trying tomake it back to first base. Furcal's heroics weren't enough, though, as the Braves lost the game,3-2.

There's a new name at the top of the women's tennis rankings, and it isn't Williams. KimClijsters took the number one spot with her victory in the JP Morgan Chase Open. The winwas her sixth title of the year. Serena Williams had a lock on the top spot for the past 57weeks, but underwent knee surgery on August 1.

Sports Highlights compiled from ESPN.com


NATIONAL SPORTS

Sports High lightsOn the Mark‘Tis the season

By Sgt. Bob Mitchell

Well, here we are again. Every-one seems to be getting into thespirit. You can see a little morebounce in people’s steps. Lastminute shoppers scramble to pur-chase presents. You can feel theanticipation in the air.

Christmas time? Hardly. It’sfootball season! The earliest NCAAgames begin on August 23, whilethe NFL kicks off on September 4.

I hope my wife remembers myhat size. After all, true fans get fit-ted hats. None of this “one size fitsall” nonsense. My preference? TheNotre Dame cap in the school’s col-ors (navy blue and gold) with theinterwoven “ND” on the front with“Irish” underneath.

It’s not a requirement for anyfootball fan to have attended theassociated school. In addition, it isnot mandatory for a fan to live in theNFL city in which his/her favoriteteam plays.

All it really takes is love of thesport and, of course, the proper fanattire. Mandatory items includeheadgear, T-shirt (or sweat shirt)and, for the love of Mike, knowl-edge of your team. If you are juststarting out as a fan, at least knowthe team’s nickname and be dressedproperly.

It will be very difficult for manyof us here at Guantanamo Bay tomake it to our favorite team’sgames. No problemo. All you haveto do is wear the right stuff. If youhave already ordered your favoriteteam’s game day gear, you havedefeated commercialism and cap-tured the spirit of the season. Keepthese vital facts in mind, and whenyou get older, with children antici-pating the countdown to kickoff,you won’t have to say, “It doesn’tseem like football season anymore.”

By Spc. Mark Leone

Jump into those recliners, get the coolersready, and have that surround sound bumpingbecause the NFL season is here! Pre-season isunder way and we have Football on Sunday,Sunday night and Monday night to look for-ward to! What else can fans ask for? Theirteam to win the Super Bowl, that’s what!

“The OaklandRaiders are the teamto beat this year,”said Petty Officer2nd Class EvanHorner of the JTFDetention Hospital.“They have come upshort the last coupleyears but they haveone of the mostexplosive offenses inthe league. Rich

Gannon is a top quarterback in the league and

with Tim Brown on the receiving end, it’s aperfect match.” Although Evan is a Raidersfan, that doesn’t mean he likes everyone onthe team. “I hate Jerry Rice because he was a49er.”

Spc. CharlesWells of the 785thMP Battalionbelieves the DetroitLions have just asmuch of a chance asany of the otherteams. “The Lionswill be a solid teamthis year under newhead coach SteveMariucci. They alsohave second year quarterback Joey Harring-ton, strong running backs, and a powerfuloffensive line. They are not as strong as Oak-land, but now-a-days in the NFL you don’thave to be a powerhouse to win it all. All youneed is a little luck.”

Spc. Charles Wells,785th MP Bn.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Evan Horner, Detention Hospital

Head to head ... Who will win the Super Bowl this year?

Story & photo by Spc. Alan Lee Knesek

This weekend was the Big Stick Battleof the Bay. It was Army vs. Navy in an E-7 and above softball tournament.

After claiming two victories, the Armysunk the Navy's hopes of taking home thesought after trophy.

The first game started off slow, but theArmy picked up the pace and began to runaway with the game, taking the lead in thelate innings with a score of 13 to 10.

Army had a one-win lead over Navy atthe beginning of the second game, but theirlead would come to an end soon enough.Navy came back from their game one lossto defeat Army 15 to 2.

It was down to the line. One game left,one team goes home with the trophy whileone team just goes home. It was anyone’sballgame in the third and final game of theseries.

Both teams took the field and playedtheir hearts out. There was a sense of intense competitivenessbetween the two services throughout the tournament, and by thethird and final game, it was do or die for all.

Navy made a valiant effort to take the trophy home, but Army

came on like a tidal wave, capsizing Navy and sending them backto port wanting. Army clinched the victory over Navy with a finalscore of 20 to 5.


JTF SPORTS & FITNESS

Army beats Navy at the ‘Big Stick Battle of the Bay’

Army 2nd Lt. Shaw Locke shows the Navy how big the Army’s ‘sticks’ are during the first of three games duringlast Saturday’s “Big Stick Battle of the Bay.”

August 18 - Captain’s Cup Flag Football Season:Games are held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday nightstarting at 6 p.m. Come root for your team under the lights atCooper Field.

August 29 & 30 - Labor Day Tennis Tournament:There will be first, second and third place awards for Men’sand Women’s Divisions. Starts at 6 p.m. on the 29th and 10a.m. on the 30th at the BEQ Tennis Courts. Sign ups are at theBase Gym and the deadline is August 26 at 4 p.m. There willbe a meeting at the Base Gym on the 27th at 2 p.m. for all par-ticipants.

August 30 - 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament: There willbe first, second and third place awards for Men’s and Women’sDivisions. The tournament begins at 10 a.m. Sign up deadlineis August 28th at 4 p.m.

August 30 - Labor Day 5K Fun Run: The race starts at

6:30 a.m. at the Base Gym. For more information call 2193.

August 30 - Labor Day Coed 1 Pitch SoftballTournament: Starts at 5 p.m. at Cooper Softball Fields #2,#3 and #4. Teams must have two women on the field at alltimes. Rosters are due by August 27 at 4 p.m. For more infor-mation call 2193.

August 31 - Labor Day 3 on 3 Beach Volleyball CoedTournament: The tournament begins at 1 p.m. at windmillBeach. For more information all 2193.

September 1 - Xtreme Curtain 9 Pin No Tap BowlingTournament: Starts at 6 p.m. at the Bowling Center. Thereis a $10 entry fee. Each participant bowls three games. Therewill be prizes for the first, second and third place participants.For more information call Robbie at 2118.

Future JTF/NAVBAS sporting events and tournaments


15 Minutes of Fame...Staff Sgt. Phillip Freeman, Sr.

438th MP Co.21-year corrections veteran leads with experience

Interview and photo bySgt. Dan Johnson

Staff Sgt. Phillip Freeman Sr., whohails from Radcliff, Ky., overseesthe care and security of thedetainees at Camp Iguana. With21 years of active duty andNational Guard service, and 21years of corrections experience inboth the civilian and military sec-tors, Freeman has brought enor-mous experience to his squad, hiscompany, and the JTF.

Q: In what ways does your civil-ian career benefit your job hereat the JTF?A: Well, I’ve worked in correc-tions (military and civilian) for 21years now. When I got down here,I was able to spread the knowl-edge that I gained from past expe-rience around so the other soldierswho had never done anything likethis could benefit.

Q: In what ways has your expe-rience helped?A: Before we left Murray, I taught someclasses on how to search individuals, cells,and other basics of corrections from both amilitary point of view and a civilian pointof view. I helped the soldiers by teachingthem the basics. I love to instruct the sol-diers.

Q: What was your objective while teach-ing this?A: My objective was to ensure that theyhad confidence in themselves so whenthey're doing their job, they're not nervous,scared, or intimidated. When they're morecomfortable in their job, they have a betterchance of succeeding.

Q: How did your soldiers benefit fromthis?

A: I think they've done quite well. We'vehad very few incidents, and a lot of thatcomes from their confidence in themselves,which gave them a better chance to suc-ceed.Q: What brought you to the NationalGuard?A: Well, when I got off active duty, I hadto serve two years in the National Guard aspart of the contract. I really like being inthe National Guard because I can be a civil-ian and belong to the military at the sametime. I love the military. I never wouldhave stayed in this long if I didn't enjoybeing a part of it.

Q: What kinds of goals have you set foryourself during this deployment?A: As a squad leader, if I came down with

10 soldiers, my goal was toensure that 10 soldiers go backhome with as little hurt, harm, ordanger as possible. When those10 soldiers fly out of here in thesame mental and physical condi-tion as when they came downhere, then I know I will haveaccomplished my goal.

Q: What do you think you’llmiss most about the JTF?A: I'll miss the camaraderie ofthe soldiers. When I was onactive duty, that's what I likedmost ... being able to cometogether and have cookouts andjust talk and laugh and joke …the soldiers. That's the reasonwhy I stay in the National Guard.

Q: What's unique about hisdeployment?A: The living conditions here area lot better than any other deploy-ment I've ever been on. This isgreat … you can't beat this. Asfar as the mission, I've neverdealt with international detainees

before.

Q: How has your experience with theJTF changed your life?A: I lost a friend that I went to school within the September 11th attacks on America,and I'm doing my little part to help ensurethat this never happens to anybody again.I've also learned a lot about the Muslimreligion since I've been here, and I'velearned to appreciate it.

Q: What has been your most significantachievement here?A: My soldiers. Training someone who'snever even seen a jail before, and seeingthem follow the procedures with confi-dence with no problem at all, and knowingthat I played a part in that by training them.

Staff Sgt. Phillip Freeman Sr., of the 438th MP Co., set out to become more phys-ically fit during this deployment. After nine months with the JTF, Freeman, 44, hasshaved nearly a minute off of his two-mile run, which now only takes him 12:44.

friday, august 15, 2003 438th mps : you’ve got...

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