Sunday, December 21, 2008
MAF @ NAVSTA GTMOPart One: So You Wanna Go to Gitmo
Guantanamo Bay is an infamous household name now, made almost synonymous with torture and human’s rights abuses. We at Move America Forward understand the importance and legal difficulties of apprehending terrorists in Iraq who are operating in a war zone and often not originally from Iraq. Last year Move America Forward sent three of our own to Iraq as a delegation to bring Christmas joy to the troops in Baghdad and to show our appreciation for the great work they were doing there. This year we wanted to show our troops here in GITMO that we also appreciate THEIR roll in the War on Terror.
Guantanamo Bay is very important to the larger War on Terror and we are here to find out just who are these men and women who watch over these detainees, who we call the most dangerous terrorists ever captured? What exactly do they do here at GITMO and what motivates the people here to serve so vigilantly and how can we show them that we appreciate them?
MAF hooked up with Florida’s own Kylie Williams to arrange a trip to GITMO to answer these questions and to bring our troops some love and comfort here in Cuba where they are stationed just across the bay from a hostile and communist country. Kylie was Ms. Florida 2007 and went on to compete in the Miss America Pageant. She has her own non-profit organization called Realistic Support for the Troops and is also designated Official Ambassador for Veteran’s Advocacy for the State of Florida. Kylie helped to make our trip to GITMO happen by using her contacts in Florida and GITMO to help facilitate our visit. Kylie visited GITMO in 2007 while MAF was in Iraq.
Part Two: How You Get in Without Chains on Your Wrists
It was 10 AM this morning, we were all set to go in Ft. Lauderdale but there was a slight mix up when we didn’t know, and the pilots for the Navy didn’t know, whether we were supposed to go fly out of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. We were waiting in Ft. Lauderdale at a private hangar waiting for the military to show up, but then we got a call saying they were waiting for US in Miami (with Kylie) so they said they would come pick us up in Ft. Lauderdale and about 40 minutes later a prop plane showed up in Ft. Lauderdale with Kylie Williams and 3 U.S. Navy pilots on board ready to pick up the MAF team.
In just a few minutes we were up in the air and on our way to Cuba. It’s a three hour flight out of Ft. Lauderdale because you usually take a route around the eastern edge of the country and then turn westward and loop around the island into Guantanamo Bay. This is because we usually do not have access to Cuban airspace but Joe from the Navy told me that even if you cut across the country it only saves you thirty minutes.
Part Three: Guantanamo Bay: First Impressions
We landed softly and taxied in quickly, loaded up into two trucks with all our gear and went down to a little harbor that is right next to the airstrip. We boarded a boat called the GITMO Queen and took a short ride across the bay where the Navy pilots were pointing out all the local landmarks. Guantanamo Bay has lots of manatees in the water and there are a whole mess of old and historical buildings. For example, in testament to the fact that GTMO has been in use as a military installation for decades, there are a couple old forts situated in the outskirts of the bay.
There is also an old hospital where the Cubans used to quarantine patients when they had an outbreak of some sickness they did not want to spread. We also saw lots and lots of old warehouses that used to house sea planes and other things but have since been converted. From the boat we were also able to see the base HQ, a power plant that supplies energy for the whole base, and “the skipper’s house” which is now under renovations so the skipper lives in the BEQ where we are staying.
The MWR (which stands for Morale, Welfare and Recreation) treated us to some of the excellent local dining, a fast food-type joint called The Jerk House which had some AWESOME food! I got me some jerked pork and rice and it was delicious. Tomorrow morning we have an early start and a full day’s schedule of stops and tours where we will explore everything that goes on down here in Guantanamo Bay. Keep emailing the MAF account and keep up with us on our journey!
