Photo By 2nd Lt. Christopher Garibay | Cuzco Barracks house Troopers across the Joint Task Force Guantanamo. Whereas the...... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Editor’s note: This is the second of a three part series profiling support functions of Joint Task Force Guantanamo. The J4 logistics directorate is one of the most complex organizations in Joint Task Force Guantanamo, consisting of several components aimed at ensuring the command can continue its mission with few disruptions. The J4 transportation and J4 housing sections of the directorate keep Troopers on the move and sheltered during their time here.
J4 transportation ensures that JTF movements and commissions’ security operations run efficiently. They manage 500 cars, trucks, mules and other vehicles. Other vehicles include the mobile watch towers used during commissions, which ensure the safety and security of the operational area.
The J4 transportation serves as the vehicle rental, repair and maintenance arm of the JTF, said Army Staff Sgt. Jennifer Davis, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of J4 transportation. She encouraged Troopers to be patient with the process, considering
there are more Troopers than available vehicles.
“We’re critical to the JTF mission, which mostly consist of (General Services Administration) vehicles, watch towers, light sets and water buffaloes,” said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Lincoln A. Hamilton, senior enlisted leader of J4 Transportation. “We use them to enhance and support JTF missions, which include demobilizations, mass movements via rotations and watch towers for commissions and all the basic needs to complete the mission.”
Hamilton said J4 transportation constantly analyzes how vehicles are dispatched ensuring they meet the needs of the various missions.
For example, the buses that ensure Troopers can travel around the naval station.
With regard to the smaller unit vehicles, Hamilton encouraged Troopers to conduct preventative maintenance checks and services regularly.
“The vehicles are not ours; we lease them,” said Hamilton.
“Report any issues you may have in a timely manner because parts get shipped in by the barge. Bring the vehicle and let it be inspected by Centerra (contract company) and they will determine if it will continue to drive.”
While mobility is imperative to the task force’s operations, housing for Troopers is also important.
That is where J4’s housing office comes into play.
The J4 housing section of the directorate is responsible for accommodations for anywhere from 1,700 – 2,000 Troopers on a rotational basis at GTMO. The four-person housing team oversees five areas, consisting of mostly single service members deployed here.
“Our day-to-day workload consists of taking care of reservations, work orders and maintenance issues, but we are also responsible for back-to-back rotations of transient personnel,” said Air Force Capt. Edmund Ward, J4 housing officer-in-charge. “We ensure those who rotate in and out of GTMO have somewhere to go, and that there are enough bed spaces for larger unit rotations.”
Ward said the challenges J4 housing encounters include unusable tents, which take away bed spaces from personnel rotating into their roles in the JTF.
“The overarching issues we face are the age of the facilities we have here,” said Ward. Most of them have met or exceeded their life span of 7-10 years. In the (Tierra Kay and Windward Loop housing), the buildings are being renovated but sewage pipes are old and tree
roots are growing into them.”
The Cuzco barracks and Bay Hill housing were built as temporary facilities, so it may come as no surprise that they have issues, said Ward. He said that service members should notify his office of any issues, such as leaks during rainy days.
“Let us know if there’s an issue, and although it may take a while to get parts here on the island, we can’t fix what we don’t know about,” said Ward.
The next challenge for J4 Housing will be the JTF’s reorganization of housing arrangements the units, otherwise known as the “unit integrity move”.
“There has been a directive by the (JTF commander) to gain unit integrity and we were put to the task to accomplish that,” said Ward.
He continued, since units were in the process of transitioning out, this created an opportunity for Troopers to start moving into their new rooms this month. Ward said the entire move should take two
months to complete.
To improve the process, he encouraged Troopers to thoroughly clean their rooms to make things easier for the next person. The checkout process will be left at the senior leader level to ensure rooms have met cleanliness standards.
| Date Taken: | 01.15.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2016 10:29 |
| Story ID: | 190604 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 505 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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