Married and deployed

Photo By Sgt. Michael Baltz | Air Force Staff Sgt. Guy Conley and Air Force Senior Airman Natasha Conley, both deployed with the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron in support of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, golf after work at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, July 7. The married couple, who celebrate their seven year anniversary July 13, participate in several Morale, Welfare and Recreation opportunities on base. 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

07.10.2009

Story by Sgt. Michael Baltz 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — When a husband and wife get married, there are several wedding vows that they take: for richer or for poorer, through sickness and through health. Air Force Staff Sgt. Guy Conley, an electrician with the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, and his wife, Air Force Senior Airman Natasha Conley, also with the 474th ECES, vowed to be deployed together, when possible.

The happily-married couple, from Chapmanville, W.Va., is deployed to support Joint Task Force Guantanamo by maintaining the Expeditionary Legal Complex and Camp Justice.

Guy joined the active duty Air Force in January 2001 and transferred to the West Virginia Air National Guard almost three years ago. He and Natasha married on July 13, 2002. He has been deployed twice prior to arriving here.

"Guy always talks about the things he has seen and done," Natasha said. "I wanted to be able to do the things he has."

As a result, she joined the same unit two and a half years ago.

"It has been what I expected," Natasha said. "Now I don't have to be sad when he deploys because I get to go with him."

"We get to experience a deployment together," Guy said. "In most deployments everyone leaves their spouse, which makes it difficult, but Natasha and I are able to stay together. That makes things much easier."

Even though there are multiple benefits to being deployed with the one you love, there are also some complications.

"People give us a lot of grief for being able to be here together," Natasha said. "It is also hard to separate my personal life from my work life. If we get into an argument it can be difficult not to bring that into the work environment, even if we do not work in the same section."

A few issues they have can be found in many marriages stateside, such as leaving the seat up, too much time together and, of course, what to watch on television.

"When we first got here, Guy would always watch baseball," Natasha said. "I don't like baseball that much."

Now they have cable in one room where Natasha can watch the Food Network while Guy can watch Armed Forces Network Sports in the other.

Guy and Natasha do a lot more than watch the tube; they often enjoy Guantanamo's activities regularly.

"We pretty much do everything together," Guy said. "We enjoy going to the movies, golfing, snorkeling and going to Wednesday night bowling."

They will be headed home shortly and both believe this deployment has been a learning experience and has drawn them closer.

For more information about Joint Task Force Guantanamo, visit the Web site at www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil.

• Date Taken: 07.10.2009
• Date Posted: 07.13.2009 12:53
• Story ID: 36309
• Location: GUANTANAMO BAY, CU