Navy Security Battalions Deploying to Cuba to Help with Operations
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS050210-05
Release Date: 2/10/2005 1:22:00 PM
By Kaylee LaRocque, Naval Air Station Jacksonville Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- The Navy's first provisional guard battalion began mobilizing at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville Jan. 27. The unit, established by Commander, Fleet Forces Command by direction of the Chief of Naval Operations, will soon mobilize to Joint Task Force (JTF) Guantanamo (GTMO) at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, once they complete a specialized training course.
The battalion is comprised of five different companies of highly trained Navy security and corrections personnel from naval facilities around the world.
"We were established to relieve the current rotation serving in Guantanamo Bay," said Cmdr. Ken Deal, commander of the Navy Provisional Guard Battalion JTF GTMO. "Our personnel will be involved in the detainee operations on the base. This is the first time the Navy has done anything of this magnitude. It's the largest Navy law enforcement organization ever brought together by the Navy."
"The Navy has been participating in the mission there, but on a much smaller scale," he added. "The Army is still there overseeing everything. We are going to help relieve a little pressure by providing more support this rotation."
The battalion is made up of active-duty men and women who have Navy enlisted classifications and backgrounds in military law enforcement and Department of Defense corrections.
"All the Sailors who are deploying with us were screened, because they have demonstrated professionalism and have dealt with custody and control of prisoners," stated Deal, a 32-year veteran who has spent much of his time working in Navy law enforcement and is currently the commanding officer of Naval Brig, Norfolk, Va. "They are familiar with the safe and humane custody treatment of prisoners."
To help these Sailors prepare for their six-month deployment, a special processing center was created at NAS Jacksonville. Every member is flown here for about a week to take care of their overseas screenings, get any needed inoculations and dental work, complete necessary legal paperwork, and to be issued new uniforms and supplies.
"It's taken quite a bit to coordinate all this," continued Deal. "We're working with a lot of different entities to get everything we need to fulfill this mission, but everyone has been extremely supportive. The Southeast Region and NAS Jax has accommodated our every need. We've become part of the family here and are being well taken care of."
Once they have processed in, the next portion of the battalion's journey takes them to Fort Lewis, Wash., where they will spend three weeks in an intensive training course learning, how to apply their skills to the special mission of safe, humane custody of enemy detainees.
"This has always been an Army-centric mission, but they are currently overstretched for such specialized resources, so we (Navy) were given an opportunity to increase our participation in this mission," Deal added.
During the training, the Sailors will go through specific scenarios that have been experienced by those serving on other rotations in Guantanamo Bay.
"Most of our Sailors have never seen this side of law enforcement," explained Deal. "They will be very well educated on the Geneva Convention, detainee custody procedures and will be familiarized with the cultural differences of the people who are detained, so they can better understand their thought processes and apply what they learn to the safe and secure performance of the mission."
All five companies are expected to be cycled through the processing center here and training in Fort Lewis by the end of March. The battalion should be in full strength in Cuba in early April. After their nine-month deployment ends, the Sailors will return to their parent commands in the same order they arrived.
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