Guantanamo Gazette
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Guantanamo Gazette Vol. 44 -- No. 142 --U.S. Navy's only shore-based daily newspaper -- Monday, August 1, 1988 Guantanamo residents get taste of shipboard life By J03 JOHN GAONA Nuzzi and the entire Missile House Divi- sion and G Division. These guys really Twenty Guantanamo residents got a took care of us." taste of shipboard life when they traveled to Another passenger aboard the ship, Montego Bay, Jamaica, aboard USS Wil- Louise Nichols, echoedMcDaniel's com- liam V. Pratt. ments. Passengers on the ship trip, the first in "The people on the ship were excel- over two years, left port Friday, July 22, lent. They let us off the ship first and returning to the base at 7:30 a.m. the fol- provided us with transportation to our lowing Tuesday. hotels on the first day," she said, adding, According to Lt. L.E. McDaniel, Assis- "They made us feel really at home." tant Operations Officer and a participant in During her stay, Nichols and her hus- the trip, passengers were given a guided band spent one day in Montego Bay and tour of the naval vessel and were treated to spent the next day just outside of Jamaica, movies during the trip. Jamaica. "We were at anchor in Motego Bay at The ship trip came about when the about 8 a.m. Saturday and we stayed at captain aboard USS Pratt requested a port anchor the whole time the ship was in call because the ship's crew had finished Montego Bay," the assistant operations their training early. The trip was approved officer said. and, after a conversation with FTG's "Because we couldn't stay aboard the commodore, a ship trip was arranged. ship while we were in Jamaica, we stayed "It was really short notice," McDaniel at various hotels along the beach and eve- said. "We probably had room for more rybody loved it," McDaniel noted. passengers but there wasn't enough time Of the time spentat sea, McDaniel said, for some people to make arrangements." Twenty base residents recently took a ship trip to Montego Bay,Jamaica "The whole crew was nice but afew people Although this is the first ship trip in aboard USS William V. Pratt. Pictured next to the gun mount aboard the ship stood out: Lt. Phillips, Supply Officer, over two years, McDanielhopes that more are: PC2 Katherine Baker, P03 Mark Rollins and his wife Darlene, Sandy Ensign Outler, Missile Officer, Chief will be on the horizon. Culliter and Louise and DTC Bill Nichols. (Photo by J03 John Gaona) Navy League President speaks on the importance of voting Hollings (GRH) law. The principal stones are slipped first by one or two years, nel eligible to vote in 1986 actually didso. By JACK H. MORSE budget-cutting provisions of GRH are tied then by several. Finally, the program is That is a shameful record. There are over Special Correspondent directly to outlays, the money actually canceled entirely. So, adios to the 600-ship 2 million men and women on active duty spent during a given fiscal year. Navy, and adios to many of the finest young - and a very high percentage of them are America's servicemen and women on The Defense Department had to reduce men and women ever to wear this country's married, which means an even higher active duty throughout the world have a total outlays by 10 percent in one year to uniform. military vote potential. If that potential much greater stake in the outcome of this meet its GRH target. But most of the DoD And the recent-year cutbacks in defense were properly harnessed, there would be year's elections than many of the rest of us outlays had been allocated earlier for pro- spending probably will continue for the fore- pro-defense majorities in both houses of do, and it is to them that I address this curementandRDTandE (research, devel- seeable future. It is no secret that the present Congress, and this country could go about message. opment, test and evaluation) programs for Congress has already projected new and its business secure in the knowledge that The annual military budget is devel- which contracts already had been signed. deeper reductions over the next five years, its forward-deployed defense forces were oped by the executive branch of govern- That left the nation's service chiefs no with service end-strength quotas and person- intact and in good shape. ment, but then it is refined, debated and recourse but to take a sizable share of the nel compensation among the areas likely to This is an immensely important year eventually voted on by the elected repre- mandatory GRH actions' out of two suffer the most. forourcountry. Itisayearwhen almostthe sentatives serving you and your fellow other funding categories: personnel com- Between now and November you might entire structure of government will citizens in the House and Senate - the pensation and benefits, and operations and keep a few facts in mind: Since 1980, mili- change. The nation will elect a new presi- legislative branch of government. The maintenance (0 and M) expenses. tary retirement benefits have dropped by 25 dent, a new House, a new Senate, and outcome of their decisions, which often Cutbacks in personnel compensation percent for those just coming on active duty. thousands of new state and local govern- are based on political considerations hav- and benefits have a cascading effect on When you move to a new duty station, you merit officials. ingnorelevance tonational defenseper se, both retention and recruiting. Regrettably, usually pay one-third or more of the cost People in uniform can make a differ- could adversely affect your future and the some of the most talented young men and yourself. The "variable" housing allowance ence with their votes - or a difference in future of our country. women on active duty, particularly those is now frozen, and in any case very seldom the other direction with their non-votes. In That being the case, I have to suggest on their first tour of duty are always among comes anywhere close to the cost of renting. November, vote either in person at your to you, sympathetically but realistically: the first to leave the service. Their skills For the sixth year in a row, military compen- designated polling place or by absentee Don't gripe about your difficult situation, and abilities are easily transferable to the sation has been capped, and military pay is ballot. or the perhaps even more difficult times private sector. Those who exodus in the now 11 percent behind private-sector pay, If you do not vote, you will not be the *for defense that are just over the horizon, second wave, usually, are officer and en- according to the Employment Cost Index. only one who loses; your countrymen, all and especially don't gripe about the out- listed personnel in the middle-manage- Medical benefits for military dependents and of us, also will lose. come of this year's elections, unless you ment level. military retirees continue to erode. Finally, vote! The budget reductions also take a further reductions in funding for morale, And you must do more than vote. You heavy toll on scheduled maintenance, welfare, and recreation programs seem al- must vote as informed citizens. That which often is deferred until major break- most inevitable. means you have to watch, listen, read, downs occur. Training time also is re- Study congressional voting records on research, ask questions, examine the posi- duced, and some exercises are completely military appropriations bills to see which tions taken and the answers given by the eliminated. Sea-time, or "op tempo," is way members are leaning on national de- various candidates, and then vote. And extended, particularly if ships are decom- fense matters, then ask yourself if you are help persuade your shipmates, or the other missioned to help ease the budget squeeze. satisfied with the way your representative members of your aircraft squadron, your But the nation's commitments around the and your senators have voted. rifle company or other unit, of the impor- world are not decommissioned, so the net Can you make a difference by voting? tance of their votes. result is fewer people and fewer "plat- You most assuredly can. Think about it for a A good way to start educating yourself forms" to do just as much work - some- minute or two. Each election year, a large isby taking along, hard lookatthedefense times more work-and increases in main- number of congressional races are won or budget. The federal government has been tenance costs, drop-offs in recruiting and lost by just a few percentage points. From a operating for many years now at a deficit retention, andanother downward spiral for statistician's pointof view, active duty mili- -more money is being spent than is being the sea services. tary personnel - the most invisible voting taken in. To reduce the deficit in large Procurement and RDT and E also are bloc of all elections one way or the other. annual chunks, and eventually eliminate hard hit. Contracts are stretched out, pur- They could, that is, if enough military it, Congress passed automatic budget-cut- chases deferred, some importantprograms people were to take the time to vote. Unfor- ting legislation - the Gramm-Rudman- are "extended" indefinitely, project mile- tunately, only 20 percent of service person- Marine Barracks conducts tour of North East Gate BAY NEWS On August 6, the Marine mander. Cameras will be allowed, Ground breaking ceremony school registration, for convenience to the Barracks Ground Defense Secu- and there will be no restrictions scouting community.