Musical gator rocks GTMO

Photo By Spc. Archie Corbitt | Army Spc. Keith Chambers, an armorer with the 786th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, turns on a radio that he installed in his gator at Camp America, Feb. 16. Spc. Chambers, who has been deployed multiple times, finds unique ways to keep him entertained while away from home. JTF Guantanamo conducts safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detainees, including those convicted by military commission and those ordered released by a court. The JTF conducts intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination for the protection of detainees and personnel working in JTF Guantanamo facilities and in support of the War on Terror. JTF Guantanamo provides support to the Office of Military Commissions, to law enforcement and to war crimes investigations. The JTF conducts planning for and, on order, responds to Caribbean mass migration operations.  

GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA

03.05.2010

Story by Spc. Archie Corbitt 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

Going on his third deployment in seven years, Army Spc. Keith Chambers is no stranger to finding ways to keep himself entertained while away from home.

It's that experience and personal ingenuity that has helped him come up with an idea unique to his assignment with Joint Task Force Guantanamo at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

"[To my knowledge], I have the only Gator [utility vehicle] with sound in it," said Chambers, as he showed off his makeshift radio set. It consists of an MP3 player, speakers and a small 12-volt converter.

"This is a great way to spend some time, especially after a long day at work."

It's this skill and ingenuity that earns Chambers, an armorer with the 786th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, his 15 Minutes of Fame.

Chambers joined the Virgin Islands Army National Guard in 2000. Since he joined the Army, he's been deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Guantanamo Bay. Chambers is instrumental in the operation of the motor pool as well as the storage and cleaning of weapons at Joint Task Force Guantanamo. He has found adjusting here a bit different from other assignments.

"The rules on a naval station are different from what I'm used to on an Army post," Chambers said. "It's a give and take, some rules are stricter, and some are more lenient."

After spending his first few days in Guantanamo and driving to work with only the sound of the Gator's engine to keep him company, Chambers decided to make an adjustment. That's when he "enhanced" his vehicle and added what he needed to be able to listen to music. Drawing from knowledge gained installing radio sets in cars, Chambers knew what he needed to get music, which he loves, into the Gator he drives. Now, when he drives around GTMO, it's to the sounds of dancehall and calypso music. The music is new to many Troopers at JTF, but for Chambers, it helps him feel right a home.

"Chambers has always been a gadget guy," said Army Sgt. Leonard Richards, a mechanic with the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, who deployed with Chambers to Iraq in 2005. "He's smart and working with electronics is something he is good at doing."

Chambers said when members of the 786th CSSB see him on the road and hear his music, they can only shake their heads and say, "only Chambers would do something like that." The setup is not permanently installed and takes only a few minutes to put in place.

Aside from music and his Gator, Chambers appreciates the benefit of being deployed to an environment where all branches of service are recognized.

"I used to worry about not knowing different branch ranks, but being part of this joint environment, I have learned a great deal about the interaction and cooperation between the branches of the military."

• Date Taken: 03.05.2010
• Date Posted: 04.12.2010 15:47
• Story ID: 48032
• Location: GUANTANAMO BAY, CU