Feb 27 Gazette by GTMO PAO

February 27, 2015• VOL. 72 • NO.8• NAVY.MIL/LOCAL/GUANTANAMO • FACEBOOK.COM/NSGuantanamoBay

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA • PSC 1005 BOX 25 • FPO, AE 09593 • 011-5399-4090

PDASN Visits Naval Station Guantanamo Bay

Cmdr. Ron Jenkins, Public Works Officer, Mr. Steven Iselin, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment (PDASN), 1stSgt Joshua C. Wruble, Company First Sergeant Marine Corps Security Force Company, Cmdr. Andre Coleman, Aide to PDASN and NS Guantanamo Bay Commanding Officer, Capt. Scott Gray at the North East Gate. NS Guantanamo Bay Public Affairs Office

rincipal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment the Honorable Steven Iselin conducted a site visit to Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay, Feb. 24-26. During his visit Iselin toured the power plant, desalination plant, fuel farm and several other facilities on base while also looking at ways to improve the utilities on island. His visit followed a visit by a group of contractors who came to the island to evaluate the infrastructure of the base and see how they can better provide utilities to base residents. They were also focused on identifying and evaluating energy-saving opportunities. Examples of projects include photovoltaic, waste to energy, energy efficient generator power and automated controls. The Navy’s goal is to improve NS Guantanamo Bay’s infrastructure, be energy efficient and continue to meet mission requirements.

PAGE 2• THE GUANTANAMO BAY GAZETTE

NS Guantanamo Bay Commanding Officer, Capt. Scott Gray congratulates ND1 Cortez, HM1 Ortiz, and ND1 Reddy on their selection as Sailor of the Week.

Congratulations to our Sailors of the Week, ND1 Matthew Cortez, ND1 James Reddy, HM1 Orlando Ortiz and ND2 James Lidgard for their hard work and dedication while providing emergency medical and diving safety support during the Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba event from 12-17 February. The NAVSTA Dive locker divers provided diving safety oversight and emergency medical response for eight wounded warrior divers and over fifty support staff for the five diving days here in Guantanamo Bay ensuring the operation was completed without incident. VOL. 72 • NO.8

COMMANDING OFFICER EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMMAND MASTER CHIEF

ND2 James Lidgard

Guantanamo Bay Gazette

CAPT. SCOTT GRAY CMDR. AL ROSS CMDCM (SW) JEFFERY TIDWELL

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER GAZETTE EDITOR

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA

KELLY WIRFEL MCC(SW/AW) KEITH BRYSKA

The Guantanamo Bay Gazette is an authorized publication for members of the military services and their families stationed at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Navy, and do not imply endorsement thereof. The editorial content is prepared, edited and provided by the Public Affairs Office of U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. The Guantanamo Bay Gazette is printed by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Document Services with a circulation of 670.

February 27, 2015• PAGE 3

Congratualtions Mrs. Marvette Thompson arvette Thompson has been selected as M Employee of the Year for NGIS Guantanamo Bay for her outstanding attitude and consistency in providing quality customer service at the front desk.

Democracy is a Year-Round Business ... From Navy Installations Command Public Affairs

ith the 2014 mid-term election in their wake, Sailors might be tempted to forget about absentee voting and politics in general until 2016. “Not so fast,” said Lt. Whit Abraham, the Navy Voting Action Officer. Odd-numbered years are historically considered “off-years” for voting, and draw fewer voters to the polls. So why should Sailors think about voting now? Although they often take a back seat to national races, local elections are just as important. Sailors stationed far from home have family members in their hometowns, and may even intend to reside there permanently at some point. Odd-year elections drive important community issues - issues with direct consequences for voters. “2015 marks many statewide races, mayoral and town elections, and even some special elections for Congress,” said Abraham, who manages the Navy’s Voting Assistance Program from Washington, D.C.. “The local officials up for election in 2015 are the ones who set property tax rates for municipalities and school districts, they’re the folks who administer police departments and maintain millions of miles of local roads and bridges, and in many states the judges -- from state Supreme Courts down to local district judges -- are on the ballot this year as well. So you can argue that many of these local officeholders have more to do with the daily lives of American citizens day in and day out than any other elected officials.” As defenders of the right to vote, Sailors are encouraged to

participate. “Absentee voting is easy, but the key is giving the process time,” said Abraham. A major first step in the process is visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website at http//www.fvap.gov. Here, Sailors can click on their state or territory to get detailed information about registration guidelines and local elections. Sailors wishing to vote absentee should complete an electronic Federal Post Card Applications (FPCA) early in 2015. The FPCA is a registration form, a request for a ballot, and the preferred way to update your address. Filling out and returning the FPCA updates local election officials on a member’s absentee status, and it is especially important if Sailors and spouses have changed duty stations. “An updated FPCA puts you on the radar screen,” said Abraham. “When the time comes to mail ballots later this year, election officials will know how to reach you.” Across the Navy, voting assistance is administered at the unit level. Voting assistance officers are appointed by their commanding officer and are trained by the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Besides accessing the FVAP website, voters can speak directly to these individuals who stand ready to assist Sailors and family members. “Democracy is a year-round business, and so is the Navy Voting Assistance Program. Elections are always happening, and we encourage people to ask questions and take a proactive stance” said Abraham. “We’re here to ensure your voice is heard - not just in Washington, but in your local community as well. That’s what this year is all about.”

Sailors Help Keep Base Clean

Photos By MC2 Scott Pittman and MC3 Jacob Goff RADIO GTMO

ailors stationed on Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay participated in base beatification projects, Feb. 26. The Sailors cut and trimmed more than 20 yards that were unoccupied in several of the neighborhoods. The work not only included mowing, but trimming and edging all the corners. “Helping lets the community know that we care and want to help them and it’s a way that we can give back to them for all the support that they give to us,” said Construction Electrician 1st Class Matthew Robison. “Every time I’ve been a part of a volunteer opportunity, I always get that good sense that what I’m doing can help to lead others to understand the importance of it and when people see you out there and being involved with the community and making a difference, then other people want to join in and be a part of it as well.” According to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Command Master Chief Jeff Tidwell we are making great strides at preserving the base and with the help of Sailors like this we will continue to work on the

little things that make a big difference in everyone’s life while stationed here. “These Sailors took time out of their busy day to come out here and make a difference,” said Tidwell. “They worked hard; not only mowing the yards, but making sure they cleaned up as they were going along. Their hard work and dedication is what makes this a wonderful place and I thank them for it.” Tidwell wants to remind everyone that keeping a base clean and operational is everyone’s responsibility. “If you see pieces of paper on the ground then stop and pick it up. If there is no one living next to you then I would hope someone would take that extra 15 minutes to mow the grass,” said Tidwell. “Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is a great duty station and we want everyone to take pride in the base while also taking ownership of it. The days of having unlimited funding are long past and I look at it like this; we all live, sleep and eat onboard the base, so the base belongs to all of us, not just the military, but to everyone.”

PAGE 6• THE GUANTANAMO BAY GAZETTE

Chaplain’s Corner

“Step Up and Step In” CDR Daniel Mode

NS Guantanamo Bay Command Chaplain

In the last few weeks, all Naval Station military personnel from our commanding officer to the newest enlisted sailor have had the opportunity to complete Bystander Intervention training. This valuable and important training focused on stepping up and stepping in when you see a shipmate starting down a road that goes against our Navy Ethos and Core Values. One of the key aspects of the training made us think about how we CARE for one another. While intervening in a situation with a peer or even someone older or with more rank than us can be uncomfortable, if we see our role as providing care and concern for the person it can make it easier for us to step in. In Scripture we see many examples and encouragements to care for one another. Some of my favorite passages include:

Galatians 6:10: So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone. 1 John 4:7: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. Leviticus 19:34: You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 1 Corinthians 13:13: So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Next time we notice that something is not quite right, a friend is acting too aggressively, a shipmate is drunk, or someone is disrespecting others; have the courage to step into the situation out of basic care for others. Become a catalyst to help diffuse the situation before it becomes a potentially harmful event. May we all take the time to care more about each other.

Centerra Conducts Fall Protection Training Ben Miller Centerra Safety Manager

Every day in the United States four construction workers fall to their deaths. Falls are the leading cause of death in the workplace for construction workers. According to OSHA, one-third of all construction deaths stem from falls from elevated heights. Centerra Safety just completed Fall Protection training for 137 Centerra employees. A series of 8 classes were conducted, each class lasting 3 hours. A total of 435 man hours were spent to ensure the safety of the employees when they are six feet or more off the ground. Centerra’s Fall Protection training is designed to train its craftsmen the best practice methods of identifying

and eliminating fall hazards. Employees were also provided with an in-depth exposure to the hierarchy of fall protection, which begins with eliminating hazards, and progresses through the application of passive systems, restraint systems, arrest systems, and finally administrative control systems. Through the use of lecture, demonstration, and hands-on e n g a g e m e n t ; Centerra employees were trained to be compliant as specified OSHA and the EM 385 which dictates Safety Requirements on Military installations. Safety in the workplace is Centerra’s #1 goal and this training will help ensure that everyone goes home at the end of the workday.

GTMO SHOPPER

MOVIES

E-mail classified ad submissions to

PAO-CLASSIFIEDADS@ USNBGTMO.NAVY.MIL If sent to any other e-mail, it may not be published. Submit your ad NLT noon Wednesdays for that week’s Gazette. Ads are removed after two weeks. Re-submit the ad to re-publish. The Gazette staff and NS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, page. The Public Affairs Office has final editorial discretion on all content. Call MCC Keith Bryska at 4520 with your questions or concerns. Please keep ads to a minimum of 5 items.

VEHICLES

2006 Ford Focus ZX4 SE – Buy now for $4,792 ($5,192 KBB for Private Party), Call x79456 (Car will sell to highest bidder on Feb. 18th - no minimum) 58,500 Miles, Runs Great, A/C – Cold and everything else works, 4 x Good Tires, 1 x Spare, Bonus!!! LeBra Car Bra!!! Sporty :) $5,192=KBB Private Party Est. for 2006 Ford Focus ZX4 SE, email kgneiting@gmail.com

ELECTRONICS HP Mini Notebook PC, Intel® Atom N270 Processor (1.60GHz), Genuine Windows 7® Starter (32-Bit) 160GB Hard Drive, 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM, 10.1 Diagonal WSVGA Rarely used, Looks like new, Asking $250, Call 78471 after 3:00PM or leave message. Gaming Laptop MSI GS60-003, Intel Core i7-4710HQ 2.5 GHz (6 MB Cache) up 3.5 GHz turbo boost, 16 GB DDR3L SDRAM, 1 TB SSD 840 Samsung Evo ,+ 128 SSd a total of 1,128TB SSD, 15.6-Inch Screen, NVIDIA Geforce GTX860M with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM, Windows 8.1 Full HD, Item is working properly And in Great shape, With Accessories. Price : $ 1,600 Negotiable. Complete with original packaging, Look For : Florence Call: 74506 or 78558

MISC Looking for a tutor in Spanish with good command of the grammar Call 77199 and leave message.

The

Scoop CO’s MESSAGE I want to take a minute to talk about safety. Each of us must do our part to keep everyone around us safe off-duty and on-duty. Please make sure you are looking out for pedestrian traffic, stopping at the crosswalks to let people cross and obeying the speed limits. Also, please make sure you are not getting in your car and

driving after drinking. There are PLENTY of options available to get you home safely. You can call SAFERIDE, take the bus, call a friend or walk. We want everyone to enjoy their off duty time here but please be smart and look out for each other. Lastly, I encourage each of you to do your part in taking care of the base. If you see something that is broke please report it to the Public Works Department. If you see trash, please pick it up. We have multiple volunteer opportunities available if someone is interested in doing a community service project. If fact, we had about 20 volunteers who helped out mowing grass at the unoccupied houses this week. For service members, volunteering it is a great way to work towards obtaining your Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. CYBER DEFENSE Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command has identified a spear phishing attack that has targeted over 3120 Navy users with a Navy Federal Credit Union account suspension theme. There are multiple senders and the subject line of the malicious emails vary but appear similar to “Account Alert”, “NFCU Notification”, “Notification Alert”, or “Account Notification”. “Dear Customer, Kindly download SECURE PDF file attachment to this email to upgrade our Navy Federal Credit Union account with your correct details. Failure to do this may result in account suspended. Yours Faithfully, Navy Federal Credit Union.” The email contains a PDF attachment with a link to http://x.co/7mwZt that redirects the user to a Navy Federal Credit Union phishing page. The malicious webpage is designed to steal users’ personal financial login information.

February 27, 2015• PAGE 7

Information Assurance is currently having this purged from being delivered to GTMO recipients however, DOWNTOWN LYCEUM users who have already reFRIDAY Feb. 27 ceived a copy should Project Almanac 7 p.m.: delete it immediately and PG13 contact Information SysThe Boy Next Door 9p.m.: tems Department at X-5717 R for further guidance. NAVY EXAM The Navy-Wide Advancement Exam Cycle kicks in a couple weeks so keep on hitting the books. The E6 exam takes place March 5th, the E5 exam is on the March 12th and the E4 exam is on the March 19th. Doors open at 0630 and close at 0700. There is absolutely no entry once the door closes. The exam will take place at the Windjammer Ballroom. Those testing are to be in the uniform of the day and their ID card must have their DoD number on it. No food, drinks, wristwatches and technology of any sort are allowed. Again, doors open at 0630 and close promptly at 0700.group must make an appointment through the Behavior Health Office at 72650. AMC TERMINAL The air terminal wants to remind everyone that all passengers manifested on the AMC Tuesday or Friday rotator flights MUST check-in at the Windward Annex the day prior to their flight. Check in hours are scheduled from 1200 to 1800 at the Windward Annex. Passengers who do not comply with the mandatory check-in requirement will lose their seat. All open seats will be released to Standby and Space “A” passengers.

SATURDAY 7 p.m.: Focus

Feb. 28

9: p.m.:

American Sniper R

SUNDAY Mar.1 6:30 p.m.: The Spongebob Movie PG

8:15p.m.: Black or White PG13

MONDAY 7 p.m.: Big Eyes

Mar.2

PG13

TUESDAY Mar.3 7 p.m.: The Imitation Game PG13

WEDNESDAY 7 p.m.: Selma

Mar.4

THURSDAY 7 p.m.: Taken 3

Mar.5

PG13

CALL THE MOVIE HOTLINE @ 4880

the road ways must have the following minimum requirements; a front windshield, a horn, 2 side view mirrors (except for Jeeps), a rear view mirror, headlights, tail lights, brake lights, and turn signals. If vehicle is a personally owned Vehicle, it must be inspected and registered to the current owner of the vehicle and the owner must have proof of insurance.

3. All non-Low Speed Vehicles must have doors installed. The only exception will be Jeeps. If your vehicle was manufactured with a door, it must be installed. This requirement is federal regulation to prevent personnel from being thrown TRAFFIC SAFETY Starting July 1st, 2015 Se- from the vehicle in the event of curity Patrolmen will be en- an impact or collision. forcing the following Vehicle 4. All trucks with seats placed requirements. into the bed of the truck, not in1. Polaris Rangers must stalled by the manufacture of have netted doors installed the vehicle must be removed. The seats and restraints do not while operating, per meet the requirements of FedOwner’s Manual. eral standards and pose a seri2. All vehicles operating on ous risk to passengers

70 Years After the Battle Began

By MCC Michael Jones Defense Media Activity

eafening silence. Snow lightly dusts the branches of the Christmas trees on this cold, gray Galloway, New Jersey morning. The rows are neatly lined - this is a farm, after all. Its principle crop is Christmas trees. However, its true purpose seems to be the sale of home and family, of comfort, of peace and safety ... of silence. A sharp, shrill metallic buzz slices the early morning tranquility. It sounds like a chainsaw at first, but soon reveals itself as a fourwheeled, all-terrain vehicle. Wally Kaenzig sits at the helm, gleefully carving a path through the fresh-fallen snow. He laughs - zipping around with the wild abandon of youth. Wally is 94 years old. If anyone has earned the right to laugh, it’s Wally. He spent 26 days in hell. Wally is a survivor of Iwo Jima. The Rutgers University Junior was well on his way to a career in agriculture when the shocking news crackled across the radio that December in 1941. In an instant, Wally and many of his classmates dashed to the nearest military recruiting station - they were going to fight. Turned down by the Navy, (“You ain’t gonna be able to grow squash very well on a ship,” laughed the recruiter) Wally found himself walking through the next door in the building. He was going to be a Marine. Wally became a member of the Corps’ legendary 4th Marine Division. Before long, he was training extensively at Camp Pendleton, California for an invasion like no other. The Marines knew they were working toward something huge - the secrecy surrounding the operation was highlighted one day by the unannounced arrival of a black convertible limousine. The silent, bespeckled stare of the commander-in-chief studying the drills in the dunes below was all the proof needed. Once out to sea, Wally and his fellow Marines were briefed on the objective for which they had been training so long. The 4th Marine Division would join the 5th and 3rd for an invasion of an eight-square-mile, pork chop-shaped volcanic island: Iwo Jima. The island’s two runways (a third under construction) would allow for U.S. long-range bombers to begin runs over the Japanese mainland. Iwo Jima’s strategic location was not lost on the Japanese - more than 20,000 defenders dispatched to the island were dug in, literally, through a series of interconnected tunnels and caves. Amphibious forces of the U.S. Pacific Fleet attacked the fortress of Iwo Jima on Feb. 19, 1945, with a formidable force, totaling

495 ships, including 17 aircraft carriers, 1,170 planes, and 110,308 troops. The beaches were eerily quiet as the Higgins boats landed ashore and the Marines began to offload. The relentless, pre-invasion bombardment from naval and air forces must’ve surely worked. The minimal resistance, however, proved only a ploy to draw the exposed Marines onto the beaches. It was then that 20,000 determined Japanese defenders, led by General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, opened up from their vast underground network. The bombardment did little to soften the defenses. It was directly into this inferno on D-Day that Wally came ashore. He almost didn’t even make it off his Higgins boat. Mortar and artillery shells burst all around as the boat’s ramp lowered. Several simultaneous and deafening explosions nearly capsized the landing craft. The boat was sinking fast - Wally knew he had to get out of there quickly. Conditions worsened as Wally struggled ashore through the volcanic sand. The hailstorm of bullets and artillery only increased as he struggled to organize and push his men forward. He was only 24, but Wally knew and accepted that he would soon be dead. It was four days into the campaign when luck began to change. The roar of ships’ horns and whistles off the island pointed Wally’s eyes toward the summit of Mount Suribachi - the island’s highest point. There flapping in the Pacific breeze was the American Flag. The summit was secured. The celebration was short lived. Literally inching their way across the island, the Marines were able to secure Iwo after 36 days of brutal combat. Victory came at a very heavy price. At the battle’s conclusion, 6,821 Americans and more than 20,000 Japanese were killed. Twenty-two Marines and five Sailors received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their actions on Iwo - the most bestowed for any campaign. Adm. Chester Nimitz remarked, “Among the Americans serving on Iwo island, uncommon valor was a common virtue.” Wally returned to Galloway following the war hoping to put the past behind him. Seventy years have gone by, and yet the memories are as vivid as the day he stormed ashore. Friends and family have passed. The ranks of survivors grow smaller each year, yet Wally embraces life with the zeal and passion of a man more than half his age. Surrounded by the trees on the farm he loves, perhaps he’s finally found his peace.

February 27, 2015• PAGE 7