September 16, 2016• VOL. 73 • NO. 25• NAVY.MIL/LOCAL/GUANTANAMO • FACEBOOK.COM/NSGuantanamoBay
NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA • PSC 1005 BOX 25 • FPO, AE 09593 • 757-458-4520
Helping Hands Go The Extra Mile
Commander Dennis Mojica, Executive Officer of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, is shown speaking to a group of service members who volunteered and constructed the gazebo at the Lighthouse during a dedication ceremony, September 7. (Photo by SGT Natasha Price.) SGT Natasha Price Photojournalist
S
ailors, Soldiers and Airmen stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba attended a dedication ceremony at the Lighthouse courtyard Sept. 7. The ceremony was to honor the construction of a gazebo built by service members who volunteered their time over the last few months. The volunteers opened the ceremony by presenting the gazebo and a wooden plaque to the Chief Petty Officer Association. Master Sgt. Jerry Townsend, the Joint Detention Group Joint Operations Center’s Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, states he took over the gazebo project that Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Moore originally created. Moore was responsible for the design, planning and construction, however was only able to start the design and initial planning phase of the project before his unit left the island. Townsend graciously took over the project. After taking over Townsend was responsible for the planning, coordination and arrangement of volunteers. He also was the go to person for getting the needed supplies and equipment for the project, added Townsend. “Having all four branches out here dedicating time on weekdays, Saturdays and even some Sundays and bringing
something to the table to help make this place better was awesome,” stated Townsend. Over a three-month period about 40 volunteers dedicated close to 700 hours volunteering to build the gazebo. Most supplies were received on island from the Joint Task Force Base Engineer Emergency Force, Centerra, Public Works and Island Mechanic Contractors. Some items were purchased from the NEX in order to complete the mission, said Townsend. According to MC2 Ryan Williams, Combat Camera at Joint Task Force, he was interested in getting involved with a hands-on project and when Moore presented him with the idea of the gazebo, Williams was more than willing to help. Over the three-month period 56 hours of his personal time were volunteered. “I love building and creating stuff but being full-time military it’s sometimes difficult and things like this take a backseat,” said Williams. “The opportunity to pitch in and work with my hands again was the big drawl for me and to say you actually have something to show for it in the end was great.” A lot of hard work and dedication was put into this project and it’s good to know it will be here for years to come even after we all leave the island, added Williams.
PAGE 2• THE GUANTANAMO BAY GAZETTE
NS Guantanamo Bay Executive Officer, Cmdr. Dennis Mojica congratulates CS3 Amanda Osher, left, on her selection as Sailor of the Week, Sept. 6-12, and CE2 Erik Heivilin, right, on his selection as Sailor of Week, Sept. 13-19.
CS3 AMANDA OSHER
■Job/Department: Galley QA Personnel/Safety P.O. ■Age: 23 ■Hometown: Stanton, Iowa ■Hero: My mama and David J Pelzer ■Movie: Lilo and Stitch ■Book: To Kill a Mockingbird ■TV Show: Band of Brothers ■Hobby: Being in the water ■Sports Team: Minnesota Vikings/Iowa Hawkeyes ■Ambition/goal: Wildlife/Municipal Firefighter ■Quote: “The devil whispered in my ear, “you’re not strong enough to withstand the storm.” Today I whispered in the devil’s ear, “I am the storm.” ■Sailor of the Week Because: With the food service department being undermanned to 40% due to gapped billet and personnel transferring for PCS, CS3 stepped up to fill the role and accomplish all qualifications in a timely manner. She took over Safety P.O., Government Purchase Card Holder, Cash/Ration in Kind Auditor in addition to an end of Fiscal Year Close-out approaching, monitoring all surcharge funds to zero out at the end of FY16. VOL. 73 • NO. 25
COMMANDING OFFICER EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMMAND MASTER CHIEF
CE2 ERIK HEIVILIN
■Job/Department: Seabees BCO Cable Shop ■Age: 27 ■Hometown: Stirling City, CA ■Hero: My family ■TV Show: Arrow/Gotham ■Musician: Jimmy Buffett ■Hobby: Fishing ■Currently working on: Starting A.A. Degree ■Sailor of the Week Because: CE2 Heivilin has worked diligently with ViaSat and T-Mobile contractors in preparation for base-wide residential internet and cell phone services transition. He provided project oversight for the $2.5M project, which when completed, will have upgraded the fiber connectivity throughout the entire base allowing new services to be installed. He provided quality assurance and technical assistance in the upgrade of 3,500 feet of fiber optic cable, 2,000 feet of copper cable, and assisted in the splicing of 72 strand fiber optic cable, all while working outside in the sweltering heat. His efforts have enabled a smooth installation of connectivity to the new companies on island, and has been an integral part of the team that will bring 21st century communications to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Guantanamo Bay Gazette
CAPT. DAVID CULPEPPER CMDR. DENNIS MOJICA CMDCM (SW/AW) RODD TOOKER
NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER/EDITOR GAZETTE EDITOR PHOTOJOURNALIST
JULIE RIPLEY MC1 KEGAN KAY ARMY SGT NATASHA PRICE
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 535.
USS Jackson Paints New Basketball Court for Panamanian School September 16, 2016• PAGE 3
MC1 Kegan E. Kay Photojournalist
ailors aboard USS Jackson (LCS 6) conduct a community S relations project with service members from the National Air and Navy Service of Panama (SENAN).
Jackson, the third ship in the Independence-variant littoral combat ship, departed Mayport, Fld. after having completed shock trials early and successfully. Making a brief refueling stop at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the ship continued on their journey to their future homeport in San Diego. After traversing the Panama Canal, Jackson stopped at Balboa, Panama for a three day port visit. On September 8, twelve Sailors aboard Jackson took time to assist Lucas Barcenas Primary School with outlining and painting a new basketball and volleyball court providing paint, tape, brushes, rollers and other supplies to help with the project. “It may have just been painting a basketball court,” remarked Boatswains Mate 2nd Class Herman Parker, “But it makes me feel good knowing that those kids now have the chance to play basketball and have an area to play on other than the muddy field.” Working around language barriers, service members from both military groups quickly established a work flow between outlining the lines of the court, taping them off and painting. SENAN Corporal Jose Alvarado said he likes learning from different military cultures and that he sees that there is harmony working with the different branches. The basketball court is just one of many projects that volunteers
will be doing over the next few months to help improve the school and quality of life of the students and staff. “As a father myself, I try to give everything to my children,” remarked Parker. “Knowing other kids don’t, makes me want to help however I can. Every child should have a chance at everything and be given the same opportunity as other kids in the world.” Between the morning and afternoon school session, several students ventured over to the new court to see what work was being done and to converse with the service members. A few students even tried to teach the Jackson Sailors some Spanish as they stood at the edge of the court laughing and smiling at their attempts. At the end of the day, the school’s principal, Damaris Chan, came out to thank the volunteers for their hard work and to show her gratitude on behalf of the school and school district. Taking a group photo to commemorate the day of hard work, the service members shook hands and parted ways. Alvarado said that it was a pleasure to work with the U.S. Navy and that he has a learned a lot from both military groups and hopes to continue to work together in the future. “To give back to a less fortunate city and their school and just knowing they are happy makes me happy,” concluded Parker. “It shows there are people willing to help with something big or small.”
SGT Natasha Price Photojournalist
ifteen years later and there is still a pain in F America’s heart from the tragic terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001.
Service members and civilians gathered to remember the events and pay tribute to those affected by 9/11 at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station Chapel Sept. 11. As guests flowed into the chapel and took their seats the ceremony began with two Sailors playing the bagpipes. The guest speaker, BMC Joseph Ryan with the Maritime Security Detachment, took the podium and reflected on where he was during the attack. Ryan, who is a Coast Guardsman in the reserves, was also a Police Officer in New York City at the time of the
9/11 attacks and remembers getting the mass page that was sent out after the first plane struck the north tower of the World Trade Center. Ryan stated that working in both professions was almost a seamless transition and was helpful when responding to the attack. “You have the same core values and ethics as well as the same trials and tribulations, but you put the uniform on each day and do your job as best as you can,” remarked Ryan. According to Cmdr. Dennis Mojica, the Executive Officer of NSGB, he enjoyed hearing the guest speaker, who was there during the 9/11 attacks, because Ryan has a personal experience with the event and lived through it.
“This is a very important ceremony because we lost 3,000 people who had no reason to die that day,” stated Mojica. There is an increased pride for service members wearing the uniform in support of the tragic attacks. No matter what capacity you serve in, you are supporting the freedoms and liberties of this country. “As a Police Officer, Sailor, Soldier, or Firefighter the crisis happens and you do the right thing to the best of your ability and tomorrow you do it all over again,” said Ryan. Mojica, who was serving as a Navy officer during 9/11, reflected on what it means to protect this country as a military service member. “I’m very proud of my uniform and supporting this
country with everything we got”, stated Mojica. According to Ryan training and experience are two important things to refer back to during a crisis because amongst all the panic there has to be a balance. “When you get that call that things have hit the fan, you rely on two things: your training and your experience,” stated Ryan. “It’s true for any profession, but especially with ours in the military, law enforcement, or first responders; we’re here to do a job.” For the younger generations 9/11 will simply be another historical event in the history lessons, but for many who can remember exactly where they were on that tragic day, it’s a day that will never be forgotten.
PAGE 6• THE GUANTANAMO BAY GAZETTE
Suicide Prevention: It’s Up To All Of Us Ed Wright Navy Installations Command Public Affairs
he death of a family member often brings a certain T amount of uncertainty, but death by suicide can sometimes be even more emotionally devastating with
family members wondering what they could have done to prevent it. “It’s very common for those family members left behind to feel guilty after a suicide,” said Capt. Gary Clore, Navy Installations Command (NIC) force chaplain, “It sometimes leaves them with the difficulty of trying to make sense of what happened.” September is Suicide Prevention Month and the effects it has on the Navy family make it a major cause of concern for Navy Installations Command. According to Clore, his training and his work as a Navy chaplain have helped him provide a good support network to others and have allowed him to cope with his own personal tragedy. “When I was seven years old my father came home and told me that my grandfather had passed away,” said Clore. “He had apparently taken his own life by carbon monoxide poisoning and my father was the one who actually found him in his car in the garage.” This tragedy helps to define Clore as he is today. “This serious tragedy, the most seriously impacting event for my father, allowed him to have a positive outlook on life and made him a good father and husband. I inherited my personal values of being authentically caring and respectful of others from my father’s past experiences,” said Clore. “While we cannot redo the past, we can forge the present and the future by understanding those who are in our sphere of influence as we listen and care.” Navy Installations Command provides programs that can help Navy personnel in their struggles with suicidal thoughts or actions.
The programs available include Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and Suicide Alertness for Everyone: Tell Ask Listen and Keep Safe (SafeTALK) which is run by the NIC force chaplain’s office. ASIST is a two-day suicide prevention training which focuses on the quality of the intervention and in moving someone at risk towards safety. SafeTALK is part of the ASIST program and is a threehour training that teaches participants to recognize and engage persons who might be having thoughts of suicide and to connect them with community resources trained in suicide intervention. SafeTALK stresses safety while challenging taboos that inhibit open talk about suicide, according to Clore. “For suicide prevention to be effective, it requires everyone to know and understand the risk factors and warning signs of suicide and to know how to respond and take action to those warning signs,” said Clore. “Any person who indicates suicidal thoughts or behaviors should be taken seriously and treated with the utmost respect.” Navy Installations Command is comprised of approximately 52,000 military and civilian personnel worldwide responsible for the operations, maintenance and quality of life programs to support the Navy’s fleet, Sailors and their families. For more about the Navy’s shore enterprise, visit: http://www.cnic.navy.mil. For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www. twitter.com/usnavy.
MOVIES
ADVENTURERS SOCIETY NSGB’s only open role playing gaming group. New players To place an ad please send an e-mail to welcome! For events and location PAO@GTMO.NAVY.MIL contact us on FB at Adventurers Society or sean.mccorm77@gmail. 1993 Mercedes Benz, Black 4-door com or 78590. for sale. Call 77532 for more info. STUDENT MEALS Lexmark Pro 715 Printer for sale. It FARM Applications for the SY 16/17 copies, prints, scans and uses wifi. for free and reduced meals are now available at the NEX Customer Please call 77532. Service Counter. Full price meals are $2.50 for Elementary and $2.75 for Middle/High School.
THE CLASSIFIEDS
The
Scoop
PASSPORT INFO Passport waiver letters will no longer be issued. All civilian personnel travelling to/from Guantanamo are required to have a current/non-expired passport. For more information, contact the Legal office at 4834 or 4575.
at 6 p.m.! Bring your own food and drinks for a night on fun on the beach.
September 16, 2016• PAGE 7
DOWNTOWN LYCEUM POWER OUTAGES FRIDAY SEPT 16 There will be a scheduled Kubo and the Two power outage Sept. 20 from 8 p.m.: Strings (NEW) 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Please visit PG the base roller on channel 4 or Sully the Naval Station Guantanamo 10 p.m.: PG13 Bay Facebook page for areas and facilities affected. SATURDAY SEPT 17 SWING & LINE DANCE Bridget Jones’s Baby 8 p.m.: Line Dance lessons Sept. 21 (NEW) R at 6 p.m. and Swing dance NIGHT OF PRAISE lessons Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. in 10:30 p.m.: Nerve (LS) NAVSTA Chapel Sept. 16 at 7:30 the Windjammer Ballroom. For PG13 p.m. Come out for a night of praise. more info call 2011. SUNDAY SEPT 18 FISH FRY 8 p.m.: Pete’s Dragon The Navy Ball Committee PG will host a fish fry at the NEX Atrium Sept. 17 from 1 p.m. to MONDAY SEPT 19 3:30 p.m. Sausage Party 8 p.m.: R DANCE PARTY DJ will spin Hip Hop, R&B and SEPT 20 LATIN NIGHT @THE BEACH Pop for a dance party Sept. 23 TUESDAY Come out to Cable Beach Sept. 16 starting at 7 p.m. at the Tiki Bar. 8 p.m.: Bad Moms (LS) INSTRUCTORS NEEDED Become a volunteer or contracted instructor for the Child and Youth Programs. Instructors are needed for Ballet, Dance, Cheer, Volleyball and Piano. Contact Karen Sloan at 2005 for more info.
OMBUDSMAN
CONTACT INFORMATION: NAVSTA:
NAVAL HOSPITAL:
Jamie Yeich
TC Bacon
Carrie McCormick
R
WEDNESDAY SEPT 21 8 p.m.: Jason Bourne (LS) PG13
THURSDAY SEPT 22 8 p.m.: Suicide Squad PG13
Kendra Keesey E-mail: ombudsmannsgb@gmail.com
E-mail: Ombudsman.usnh.gtmo@gmail.com
Phone: 84792
Phone: 55379
CALL THE MOVIE HOTLINE @ 4880
Fleet and Family Support Center
UPCOMING CLASSES
FAP TRAINING E7 & ABOVE: Sept. 19, 0900-1200 at FFSC. This training is required for all newly arrived NAVSTA E7 and above personnel. The class will cover the Family Advocacy Program, Domestic Violence Awareness, Child Abuse Awareness, and Command responsibility and accountability to the prevention of, and treatment of, child abuse and domestic violence incidents. This training must be taken within 90 days of arrival on island. TIL DEBT DO US PART: Sept. 20, 1300-1430 at FFSC. This course will provide awareness for married couples and those intending to get married on the importance of financial preparation for marriage, communicating and collaboration in achieving financial fitness and reaching financial goals; along with the steps for separation of finances during divorce. MILLION DOLLAR SERVICE MEMBER($AILOR): Sept. 21-22, 0800-1600 at FFSC. A two-day interactive program for active duty service members, reservists, retirees and family members who are looking to be financially stable and desire information on topics such as understanding your pay, financial goal setting and implementation, debt reduction, savings, investing and long-term wealth building. RESUME BASICS: Sept. 27, 0900-1100 at FFSC. Not sure where to start? Need a brief refresher on resumes? This class provides an overview of civilian and federal and federal resume formats. This workshop will help you construct a resume that gets you noticed! Includes info on writing your objective, accomplishing statements and knowing the focus of each resume format. ASSESSING HIGHER EDUCATION: Sept. 28-29, 0730-1630 at FFSC. Designed to guide participants through the complicated decisions involved in choosing a degree program, college institution, and funding, as well as completing the admissions process. FRAUD ID THEFT: DONT BE A TARGET: Sept. 28, 1400-1500 at FFSC. How to defend, detect and deter against identity theft. Define types of Fraud. Develop best tactics to prevent fraud. NEW TO NS GUANTANAMO BAY: Sept. 29, 0815-1130 at FFSC. This orientation class provides new residents an introduction to key base personnel, a summary of base history, an overview of installation rules, and a base tour. To register or for more information please call 4141 or 4153. Hours of Operation are: Mon-Fri., 0730-1630.