Volume 9, Issue 16 Friday, June 13, 2008 High value detainees arraigned U.S. Army celebrates 233 years JDG Deputy Commander gets in sync Do your part: VOTE! JTF GUANTANAMOJTF-GTMO Commander: Commander: Navy Rear Adm. David M. Thomas Jr. JointNavy Rear Task Adm. Force Mark CMC: H. Buzby Am I my Navy CommandJoint Task Master Force ChiefCMC: NavyBrad Command LeVault Master Chief Brad LeVault Office of Public Affairs: Office of Public Affairs: Director: Director:Navy Cmdr Navy .Cmdr. Pauline Rick Storum Haupt:: 99289928 Deputy: Army Lt. Col. Edward Bush: 9927 brother’s SupervArmyisor Maj.: Army Richard 1st Sgt. MorehousePatrick Sellen:: 99273649 Supervisor: Army 1st Sgt.The James Wire Venske: 3649 TheEditor Wire: Army Staff Sgt. Paul Meeker: 3651 Executive Editor: keeper? Army 1st Lt.Assistant Adam Bradley: Editor: 3596 Navy Command Master Chief NavyEditor Petty: Officer 2nd Class Jeff Johnstone: 3594 Army Sgt. 1stLayout Class and Vaug Design:hn R. Larson: 3651 Brad LeVault Assistant Editors: JTF Guantanamo NavyArmy Petty Staff Officer Sgt. 2nd Emily Class Russell: Gary Keen: 2171 3594 Command Master Chief Army Sgt. Scott Griffin: 3594 ______________________________________ Army Sgt. Gretel Sharpee: 3594 ArmyStaff Sgt.Writers: Jody Metzger: 3592 The title is an age old question that has many levels Navy Petty OfficerWeb Design 2nd Class: and is pertinent at all of them. The answer is always the Cheryl Dilgard: 3499 Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Richard Wolff: same. Yes – you and I, we are all “our brother’s keeper.” Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Why? Why do I have to step in if someone is being 8154Nathaniel Moger: 3592 foolish? They are responsible for their own actions and Army Spc. Megan Burnham: 3589 must face the consequences for them – right? Correct, Army Pfc. EricStaff Liesse Writers:: 3589 but if you are there and do not act to prevent a bad Army Sgt. Jody Metzger: 3592 incident from happening, then you enable it – and not Contact us acting is nonetheless a decision, and you now have Army Spc. Shanita Simmons: 3589 responsibility in the matter. PublicArmy Spc. Affairs Daniel Office: Welch: 35893651 or 3596 Unfair? The point is moot – by reasonable From the continental United States: standards, you are involved and are now part of the Commercial:Contact 011-53-99-3651 us: problem. DSN: 660-3651 Understand fi rst that the term “brother” applies Email:Base Information: [email protected] 2000 to everyone, not just your sibling. The fact of the PublicOnline Affairs: www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil Office: 3651 or 3596 matter is that sometimes people are not able to From the continental United States: make rational decisions and require help. Maybe Commercial: 011-53-99-3651COVER: they are under a great deal of stress or have had a DSN:Coast 660-3651 Guard Petty Offi cer 2nd Class traumatic event, but whatever the reason, it will David Tillman, a boatswain’s mate take an outside infl uence for them to make the from Port Security Unit 307 out of right choices. Another thing to understand is that Clearwater,Cover Fla., Photo mans anBy: M-240B the responsibility to infl uence never ends. crewNavy served Petty Officerweapon 2nd while Class on You may be a complete stranger, but your patrol in Guantanamo Bay, June rational infl uence in a situation may mean the 10. – JTFRobert Guantanamo Clowney photo by difference between someone making a choice Navy Petty OffiOnline: cer 2nd Class Nat that changes lives or otherwise. I submit Moger that intervening as a stranger is easier than www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil intervening as a friend. As a stranger you step in and step out. There is no judging afterward or hurt feelings. Friends, however, are put to the test in these situations. If you are truly a friend, it becomes your responsibility to be the fi rst line of defense. Many times people make bad choices to draw attention. What they really want is to be noticed by you and asked what is wrong. They are looking for a true friend. Enabling your friend’s bad choices by agreeing, or actually The WIRE is the official news magazine of Joint Task Force participating, sends the message that you Guantanamo. It is produced by the JTF Public Affairs Office to inform and educate the Troopers of JTF Guantanamo don’t care. It strengthens the bad choice, through news, features, command guidance, sports and making it more diffi cult for your friend to see entertainment. The WIRE seeks to provide maximum Tdisclosure h e Publicwith minimum Affairsdelay with regards Office to security, the mistake or legitimately ask for help. accuracy, propriety and policy. This DoD news magazine is It requires maturity and effort to be a true anJointTaskForce authorized publication for the-Guantanamo, members of the Department friend. True friends call a bad choice a bad producesof Defense. Contents The of The WIREWire are, notwhich necessarily isthe official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the choice before it goes bad. Be a true friend, Departmentprinted of Defense,under or Joint the Task Forceprovisions Guantanamo. It and fi nd only true friends. ofis printed Department by the Document Automation of & ProductionDefense Service And, yes – you are your brother’s keeper. Instructionwith a circulation of 1000. 5120.4 PAGE 2 | THE WIRE TROOPER-TO-TROOPER | FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2008 New Port Security Unit on Station Members of Coast Guard Port Security Unit 307, from Clearwater, Fla., simulate aggressive screening and herding maneuvers while patrolling Guantanamo Bay. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class areas which are more accessible by boat Nat Moger challenges for a PSU. than by land vehicles. To fulfill these ____________________________JTF Guantanamo Public Affairs “The biggest thing for us this deployment missions, PSU 307 has brought cutting was the incorporation of our shore side edge equipment. U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is security into commissions support,” “We’ve got the transportable port security the oldest overseas naval station. It is also said Howatson. “This meant a larger boat from Boston Whaler out there,” said the only one in a country with which the detachment and bringing our security force Grassino. “It’s got everything you need: U.S. does not have diplomatic relations. from home.” machine guns, crewserved weapons, state- While Marines patrol the fence line Following a turnover period between of-the-art electronics, a complete comms separating Gitmo from the rest of Cuba, Howatson and Coast Guard Cmdr. Robert suite. Of coure, we’ve also got the best there are still miles of coastline exposed to Grassino, PSU 307 commanding officer, trained crews in the world.” the water. PSU 307 has completely taken over all of These crews draw experience from their Coast Guard port security units are PSU 313’s responsibilities. work back home in Florida. responsible for that coastline. “We went through a right-seat, left-seat “We’re a reserve unit and the majority On the morning of June 5, Port Security period,” said Howatson. “Cmdr. Grassino of our people are police officers and Unit 313, from Tacoma Wash., transferred was my co-pilot, until we switched seats firefighters,” said Grassino. “This mission authority over to PSU 307, from Clearwater, and I was his co-pilot. Now he’s steering is the nexus of their civilian and Coast Fla., in a ceremony by the boathouse here. the whole thing.” Guard jobs. They’re perfectly suited for Looking over the past six months, Coast Grassino views success not only in this. And the ones who aren’t policemen Guard Cmdr. Jim Howatson, commanding flawless operations while in theater, but or firefighters are mature, successful officer of PSU 313, saw the deployment as also by passing down his lessons learned professionals with top notch educations.” an opportunity to put all of 313’s skills to to his replacements, creating a sustainable Fortunately for the Coast Guardsmen in the test. rotation between the Coast Guard’s eight PSU 307, Grassino doesn’t look at the next “Our deployment has been excellent,” PSUs. six months as all work and no play. said Howatson. “This was a great “If the next PSU can improve on us “I’ve asked all my folks to turn in a operational opportunity. The op tempo because we’ve left them in good shape, professional goal, a personal goal and a was continuously high, so everyone was then we’ve done our job,” said Grassino. fitness goal,” said Grassino. “Hopefully constantly engaged.” Currently PSU 307 conducts many all my guys will leave in better shape and Besides providing anti-terrorism and secondary missions, including vessel take advantage of everything that Gitmo force protection for the waters surrounding escort, search and rescue missions, random offers, from education, to scuba diving to the naval station and Joint Task Force anti-terrorism measure, and insertion and the classes offered at the gym.” Guantanamo, Howatson’s unit faced new extraction missions with the Marines in FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2008 | MISSION THE WIRE | PAGE 3 JDG deputy commander accepts challenge Army Staff Sgt. Emily J. Russell ____________________________JTF Guantanamo Public Affairs Conducting a symphony requires a keen ear, a quick eye and a steady hand to maintain the perfect tempo. As deputy commander of the Joint Detention Group, Joint Task Force, Guantanamo Bay, Navy Cmdr. Ed Weisbrod must orchestrate intelligence, operations and civil military affairs in an environment that sometimes struggles for harmony. “The biggest challenge the deputy commander faces,” said JDG commander Army Col. Bruce Vargo, “is the synchronization of all aspects of the JDG. I primarily rely on him to manage the intelligence, military operations and civil military operations functions within the camps.