Photo By Sgt. Emily Greene | Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ian Pheifer, a rifleman with the Marine Corps Security Force...... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — Day and night, through sunshine and rain, the border between U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and Cuba is held secure. For more than four decades members of the U.S. Marines have manned the towers and guarded the fence line in order for those operating within be kept safe and unencumbered in their mission.
The Marine Barracks' mission was to provide fence line security, observe the Cubans and provide ground defense when needed. Today the Marine Corps Security Force Company still holds this responsibility.
"Our mission today is to conduct continuous security operations along the shore side perimeter and directed waterside approaches between U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and Cuba," said Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Kenneth Waterman, gunnery sergeant for the MCSFCO. "This allows the naval station to conduct advanced naval base operations without interference."
Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Miguel Rivera is the communications chief for the MCSFCO and a member of the permanent staff that provides everything needed for the Guantanamo Bay mission.
"This mission is all day and all night, [24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week]," Rivera said. "We are constantly rotating Marines on and off this mission and this keeps us busy here at MCSFCO."
Between the necessary paperwork, training and the ongoing mission, operations are constant, Rivera said.
Some of the tasks for the MCSFCO include maintaining continuous observation of the perimeter, providing reaction forces on both Windward and Leeward sides, conducting shore-side screening and reconnaissance and conducting checkpoint operations for the repatriation of Cuban nationals.
"We are always training our Marines on all aspects of the mission in order to maintain the highest level of performance," said Rivera.
The company's platoons receive approximately two weeks of training when they first arrive in Guantanamo Bay and periodic training throughout their deployment here.
Marine Corps 1st Lt. Adam Steele, a platoon commander with the MCSFCO, is at Guantanamo Bay for the first time. His platoon deployed out of Norfolk, Va., and is relatively new, having been stood up earlier this year.
"This is our platoon's first deployment and the mission here plays an important role in the development of our Security Force Marines," Steele said. "Here they take the skills they learned in training and apply them in their daily mission. The experience they gain here enhances their capabilities when they deploy to other regions later."
Steele said the mission here at Guantanamo Bay is challenging and is instrumental in his platoon's development.
"The mission here directly translates to the Security Force mission anywhere in the world," Steele said. "This is a great opportunity for junior Marines to jump into doing their job right away."
Waterman said while operations on Guantanamo Bay have their own nuances, the mission is carried out the same as anywhere else; with pride and professionalism.
For more information about Joint Task Force Guantanamo, visit the Web site at www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2009 10:52 |
| Story ID: | 37492 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 1,099 |
| Downloads: | 269 |
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