Keeping Camp Justice on the map

Courtesy Photo | Air Force Master Sgt. Arl Pauley III and Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Hensley, both with the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, perform a preventive maintenance check and service test on a global position system at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, July 1. The 474th ECES supports Joint Task Force Guantanamo by maintaining the Expeditionary Legal Complex and Camp Justice facilities and infrastructure. 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

Courtesy Story

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — Air Force Master Sgt. Arl Pauley III and Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Hensley, engineering assistants with the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, successfully help sustain the Expeditionary Legal Center and Camp Justice by accurately updating base maps, creating an organized layout of tent city and all the assets belonging to the 474th.

To ensure proper placement of equipment they must use the Global Positioning System and coordinate with all ECES shop superintendents. They are essential in locating and plotting of underground electrical and utility lines within the boundaries of Camp Justice. This creates an updated, detailed map of Camp Justice to keep on file, helping future construction projects move along smoothly with the intention of preventing mission down time or accidental injury.

"The GPS is what makes our job so technical," Pauley said. "It allows us to position any asset on Camp Justice to a specific point on a map."

The GPS relays a signal directly to satellites orbiting the earth to obtain an accurate location and altitude, recording the coordinates within the data collector. The coordinates can then be uploaded to the computer, plotted onto the map and printed out for use.

"The Global Positioning System performs real time kinematic surveying allowing [the Engineers] to pinpoint the exact location of earth's surface in real time," Hensley said.

The EAs also worked hand-in-hand supporting the Air National Guard units that deployed to Guantanamo Bay recently for their two-week annual training.

"We allowed [Air National Guard units] access to our facilities, technology and know-how," Hensley said. "It's nice to meet other EAs from across the nation."

In between land surveying and creating organized layouts of Camp Justice, they are also tasked to help support other missions such as potential migrant operation efforts, providing suggestions for the contingency mission.

Both Pauley and Hensley perform similar tasks in their civilian careers in West Virginia.

"I've been an Engineer for a coal company for over 19 years and Hensley works as a hydraulics engineer for a large underground mining equipment company," Pauley said.

Hensley attributed their success to the excellent preparations made by the previous ECES members and support from the current team.

"It's what helps the EA shop run smoothly," he said.

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 13:03
• Story ID: 36310
• Location: GUANTANAMO BAY, CU