Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class William Weinert | A Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion guard checks security inside Camp Delta, Feb. 14,...... read more read more
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By Petty Officer 3rd Class William Weinert
Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – When people think of Guantanamo, often what comes to mind are camps filled with detainees and Army guards. However, there is another group of troopers who share the detention mission of providing safe, humane care and custody with strict professionalism and high motivation. These are the dedicated guards of the Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion.
However, the NEGB is relatively new. When the detention facilities were first opened in 2002, the arduous task of guarding the detainees was undertaken exclusively by Army personnel. After a few years and the escalation of the Global War on Terror, what began as an Army mission required joint service support. To solve this problem, the Navy came here in 2005, under a new unit called the Navy Provisional Guard.
"It (the Navy Provisional Guard) was stood up as the Navy tried to relieve portions of the Army guard that were here at the time," said NEGB Commander, Navy Cmdr. Jeffery Hayhurst.
The Navy Provisional Guard later transformed the Guantanamo workspace in 2006 as it became a commissioned unit and changed its name to the Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion, but its mission stayed the same.
"Our overall mission is to man, train and equip a guard force to support the Joint Detention Group and support the Task Force to provide safe, humane custody of detained enemy combatants," Hayhurst said.
To carry out this mission, the NEGB draws its strength from a diverse group of Sailors that undertake a task that may not be the job or rate that they trained for.
"Right now we have about 56 percent that are rated master at arms, so they have the skill sets associated with law enforcement type duties," said Hayhurst. "The remaining 44 percent are straight-stick sailors, straight from the fleet."
Before arriving here, all guards go through extensive training, first in Gulfport, Miss., then in Fort Lewis, Wash. There they learn the skills essential to undertake the demanding work associated with guarding some of the world's most dangerous men.
Upon completion of their training in Fort Lewis, these troopers arrive in Gitmo and complete a two-week, right-seat left-seat training session with their outgoing counterparts before assuming their duties.
When searching for the right kind of Sailors for this mission, the Navy looks for certain personal attributes rather than specific job or rate qualifications.
"We look for professionalism, considering the arduous duties that they will be assigned. This job takes tremendous professionalism and self control," said Hayhurst.
On a day-to-day basis, the exceptional troopers of the NEGB endure 12-hour shifts — not including trooper turnover that could add another two hours each day — along with sweltering Caribbean temperatures, and the ill tempers of unpredictable detainees. For all they endure and have to put up with, they exhibit extraordinary resolve and do their part in the overall mission of keeping our country safe.
"In my nearly 29 and a half years of service, this is the most professional organization that I've been associated with," said Hayhurst. "That includes the Joint Task Force, the Joint Detention Group and certainly the Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion. What they do every single day, with a smile, makes me proud to be a part of them. They are tremendous Sailors, doing great things and they have made tremendous sacrifices."
| Date Taken: | 02.19.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 02.19.2008 10:05 |
| Story ID: | 16480 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 174 |
| Downloads: | 163 |
This work, Sailors Uphold Guard Mission with Distinction, by PO3 William Weinert, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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