| The Least Worst Place in Existance...
Despite the considerable media coverage of the detainees, the base's roughly 10,000 residents are essentially unaffected by their presence. Even on a small base where people know their neighbors, issues regarding the detainees remain top secret - so much that residents must watch the American news for updates. First housed in camps originally built for large numbers of migrants during the 1990s, the detainees are now kept in a new, off-limits facility removed from the main areas of the base.
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay was seldom in the headlines before the war on terror. Though it may seem that "GTMO" or "Gitmo," as it is commonly called, was established recently, it is actually the United States Navy's oldest overseas base, first leased in 1903 and renewed indefinitely in 1934. The lease, which costs the U.S. government just a few thousand dollars a year, can be broken only by mutual agreement of the U.S. and Cuban governments or if the U.S. abandons the property.
Located 400 air miles from Miami, Fla., and covering 45 square miles, Guantanamo Bay is home to a variety of commands, including the Naval Hospital, Branch Dental Clinic, Naval Atlantic Meteorologic and Oceanographic Command, Naval Media, Naval Communications Station and the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC). The FISC is the base's lifeline, transporting every material item that comes to the base, including all personal property shipments, either on supply flights or the bi-weekly barge. Also at GTMO is the Marine Corps Security Forces Company, which provides anti-terrorism and physical security for the base and the activities it supports.
The most recent - and most noticed - addition to the base is the Southern Command Joint Task Force (JTF) Guantanamo. Established after September 11, 2001, this command is responsible for overseeing nearly 800 suspected terrorist detainees. Approximately 2,000 service members representing all branches of the Armed Forces currently reside in Guantanamo under the JTF.
From GTMO also comes important support, logistics and protection to Navy and Coast Guard vessels and aircraft operating in the Caribbean. The U.S. maintains an active military presence in the Caribbean, primarily to intervene with drug trafficking, protect legitimate shipping operations and aid migrants fleeing from the frequent political and social unrest in the region. During the 1990s, the base was used to house tens of thousands of Cuban and Haitian migrants, and even now there is a steady group of fewer than 50 migrants at a time who find refuge at Guantanamo.
Not surprisingly, Guantanamo Bay presents some unique challenges as a duty station. Though close to the U.S. mainland, the only way on or off base is on one of about six military-contracted flights a month that stop in Jacksonville, Fla., and Norfolk, Va. Reserved seats on those flights cost $600 per person and, while Space-A seating on supply flights is much less expensive, waits are often long and availability is not guaranteed. Visitors coming to the base must apply and be approved before making the trip. There is no access to the rest of Cuba (the 17.4 mile fence line is patrolled by guards on both sides at all times, and the area is fortified with land mines), so movement is very limited and, with a speed limit of 25 mph, it is also quite slow.
Communications in and out of GTMO are difficult, too. Mail is delayed, and phone use is expensive, with access charges even for toll-free and calling card calls. Calls from the U.S. frequently have difficulty connecting, so most contact must be initiated from the GTMO side, despite the expense. A new phone system in early 2005 should help lower costs and improve service. The Internet is available through a difficult-to-access dial-up connection or a limited number of cable modems, for which there is a lengthy waiting list.
Despite higher prices on nearly everything sold there, there is no cost-of-living allowance at GTMO. The Navy Exchange and Commissary carry only a basic selection of items, and no other in-store shopping options are available. Online shopping is very popular, though shipping to GTMO costs extra. GTMO residents advise that anyone preparing to move there stock up on their favorite brands and complete as much shopping stateside as possible, then ship the items with their household goods. Family and friends in the States can send things that GTMO residents can't find on base. |
