Photo By Staff Sgt. Megan Leuck | (Left) Rep. Ander Crenshaw and Rep. Cliff Stearns from Florida speaks with Air Force...... read more read more
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By Nathaniel Moger
Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Members of Congress visited Joint Task Force Guantanamo to tour facilities and meet Troopers May 9, 2008. Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.), from Florida's 4th district, and Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), from Florida's 6th district, made the trip to see how American tax money is being spent and connect with deployed constituents.
Seeing JTF operations up close and personal was a priority for both congressmen, who left with distinct ideas of the work being done and the troopers performing the mission.
"Well, I think that there are two things that really standout: the morale of the troops and their dedication to the job as well as the humane care they're providing for detainees," said Stearns. "Anyone who thinks there are abuses should come down here and see as we've seen it."
The tour included stops in Camp Delta, an overview of medical facilities as well as construction projects on both the Windward and Leeward sides of the Naval Station. The trip was especially important for Crenshaw due to his position on the House Appropriations Committee and the Military Construction Subcommittee. Seeing the tangible results of the military budget is paramount to Crenshaw.
"I do a lot of work with the military. My position on the (military construction) committee lets me travel to military installations around the world." said Crenshaw. "I wanted to come down and see first hand what needs you might have down here."
Crenshaw's district includes Jacksonville Naval Air Station and Naval Station Mayport, which was recently named as the headquarters for the U.S. 4th Fleet. With such a Navy-heavy constituency, Crenshaw views quality-of-life on Naval Stations as a priority.
"We recently spent 60 million dollars here and a lot of that's going to be for housing," said Crenshaw. "You can read about it, you can hear people talk about it, but until you come and look and you see and you touch and you smell you really don't understand what the needs are. I've come and I've seen and I'm pleased that we will spend some money to modernize these facilities for our young men and women."
Besides fulfilling his role as committee member, Crenshaw also enjoyed meeting with members of the Joint Medical Group, composed largely of personnel from the Jacksonville area.
"All in all, this has been a great trip," said Crenshaw. "Particularly in the JTF, I met a lot of people who work at the Naval Hospital on NAS Jax. It seems like whether it was lunch or breakfast or just walking around I met people from back home, so it's great knowing where people are coming from."
JTF troopers also appreciated the opportunity to talk about domestic issues.
"I enjoyed meeting Rep. Crenshaw," said Navy Lt. Diego Esguerra, from the JMG. "We talked about (the Jacksonville area) and the move of the 4th Fleet and the economic impact on the community."
Stearns, a former Air Force Capt. during the Vietnam War, took special note of the work being done by the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron from the Texas Air National Guard.
"The Air Force has been involved strategically with the infrastructure around the ELC (Expeditionary Legal Complex) and the habeas meeting areas and the press areas," said Stearns.
Stearns is the co-chairman and co-founder of the Air Force Caucus and paid close attention to the work being done in support of the controversial military commissions process.
"The Air Force is doing a yeoman's service here, helping to provide efficient operation of the due process of law here," said Stearns.
The trip reaffirmed both's belief that Gitmo is an integral part of SOUTHCOM's strategy.
"We're both from Florida and being down here really underscores how important this base is to our national security," said Crenshaw. "I liked seeing firsthand what's the contribution here and what's at the forefront of our southernmost command."
| Date Taken: | 05.16.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2008 13:00 |
| Story ID: | 19822 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 180 |
| Downloads: | 164 |
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