Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jayme Pastoric | A crane pulls storage cabinets from the back of a pick up truck in the metal scrap...... read more read more
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By Jaymen Pastoric
Joint Task Force Guantanamo
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Keeping Joint Task Force Guantanamo Troopers comfortable is a big job. Consistent upkeep of barracks and housing takes numerous hours and teams of people. The JTF's Camp Commandant's office does the work, keeps the long hours and only uses a team of five.
From Camp America to Camp Buckley and everything in-between, Army Master Sgt. Oscar Fraire, the Camp America commandant, and his Army/Navy team keep the Troopers comfortable.
"We are always making sure things are working," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Cory Becherer, a master-at-arms employed by the commandant's office. "We are always staying on top of things, everyday of the week and all hours on the weekend, we are there."
"We get about 20 phone calls a day," said Fraire. "The calls range from Troopers needing a new refrigerator to an air-conditioner breaking."
The work starts when Troopers rotate out of the barracks. The commandant's office employees begin with an inspection looking at areas that need to be fixed or cleaned. Then the work of clearing out old lockers and tables begins - removing damaged mattresses and making sure the air-conditioning is working properly. If property is damaged or worn out, the team breaks it down and hauls it away.
"Over 144 buildings are our responsibility," said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Ron Alinger, who is also employed by the Camp Commandant. "We make sure Troopers get everything they need as they rotate through the housing."
On Oct. 1, 2008, Becherer and Alinger worked together at Camp America to finish clearing out a room of old wooden lockers and worn out tables. One by one they moved the tall lockers to a flatbed truck, and secured them for transport. The petty officers made the trip to the dump, unloaded the burnable items, and then repeated throughout the day.
Once the cleaning is complete the rebuilding begins. The housing is outfitted with new furniture and amenities to welcome new Troopers as they check onboard JTF.
"Troopers can really give us a hand with our work," said Fraire. "If they take the time to maintain the furniture and maintain good order and discipline we would be thankful."
The hard work and effort of these Troopers in maintaining the quality of life other Troopers are accustomed to takes a lot of dedication.
"Master Sgt. Fraire is kind of like the Mayor of housing," said Army Sgt Maj. Matt Aragon, a New Mexico Army National Guardsman deployed here to support the JTF's detention mission. "Fraire tries his best to accommodate all of the Troopers needs."
| Date Taken: | 10.10.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2008 14:12 |
| Story ID: | 24973 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 218 |
| Downloads: | 198 |
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