MWR: working hard

Photo By Sgt. Michael Baltz | The Morale, Welfare and Recreation staff of U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay poses for a photo, June 30. The MWR staff provides and maintains numerous events, programs and facilities that support service members deployed to and stationed at Joint Task Force Guantanamo and U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. 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

07.03.2009

Story by Sgt. Michael Baltz 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — Morale, Welfare and Recreation services at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay continue to define success through teamwork and rigorous work ethics to meet the needs of naval station and Joint Task Force Guantanamo service members.

Sixty-hour work weeks, prior experience in specific fields and immeasurable dedication to the mission are all critical reasons why MWR has managed to provide for the service members.

"The mission of MWR is to provide services that support quality of life to entitled personnel," stated MWR Director Craig Basel. "MWR provides recreation areas like parks, motion pictures, aquatic training facilities, gyms and quality child care and child development programs.

"We do a lot," Basel continued. "We have community support centers, ceramics and intermediate sports. We also have food service facilities."

Guantanamo Bay is unique when it comes to MWR because of its isolation. As a result, service members rely on MWR a lot.

"Being stationed here is hard for people," said Lisa Dula, MWR's marketing director. "We try to keep people busy to make it easier."

MWR also tries to think outside of the box by hosting events like "Amazing Race."

"We do what we can to try to find different events and activities to keep the morale up," Dula explained.

Dula is on her third tour at Guantanamo Bay and has spent a total of six years here supporting service members. Aside from her personal relations and advertising role, Dula is one of the many examples of sustaining multiple roles by overseeing the ceramics shop, the movie theaters, the wood shop and teaching customer service to all other MWR employees. Her children also make her do her MWR job at home.

"One day when my daughter came home from school, she was upset with me because I didn't tell her "UP" was playing that weekend," Dula explained with a smile. "I now know to keep her better informed."

Dula enjoys Guantanamo Bay and is working on changes to continue to enhance service members' lives here.

The MWR mission is large and complex with 179 full-time employees and approximately 300 part-time employees.

Basel, a retired Marine, is able to use his prior service experience to create the good quality of life for service members.

"There are some things I would like to have seen when I was on active duty," Basel said. "Now, I am able incorporate that into my decisions."

It takes Basel and his team about six months to coordinate big events like Memorial Day and Independence Day.

"A lot of work goes into these events. Planning for the [Independence Day celebration] started in November," Basel said. "That is when we started lining up entertainment and looking for bids for a fireworks display. When we get down to the event, the staff puts in hundreds of hours to prepare for it.

"It takes two days just to set up the stage, speakers and lights for the performers," Basel added.

In order for large events to take place, it is extremely vital to work together as a team.

"We very rarely get time off when big events are taking place," said Karissa Sandstrom, MWR fitness director. "When we have a big event you will see every manager working, even if it is just selling water."

The MWR staff clearly tries their best to be successful.

"I love my staff, and the way they handle things," Sandstrom said proudly. "I think this is one of the few places where MWR works together. When someone needs to step up to the plate, whether it is to hand out water bottles for a run or assisting with a tournament, we are ready to support each other."

"My team is friendly, professional and are always trying to meet the needs of the service members," Basel said. "We are still working on becoming a better organization, because there is always room for improvement."

• Date Taken: 07.03.2009
• Date Posted: 07.06.2009 14:27
• Story ID: 36041
• Location: GUANTANAMO BAY, CU