GTMO's Usefulness

CG "HU25" Falcon

Why is Guantanamo Bay Naval Base necessary? Most folks probably do not know what the base means to the Caribbean islands or the U.S. All most folks know is what they read in the papers or hear from the self important blabbering heads on TV. The base has been here since about 1903 and started out as a coaling station for the steam powered ships of the time. Today it is still a useful supply depot for the Navy as well as vessels of other nations but few people would know that since the news is all about detainees and prison camps and military trials. I stumbled onto one web site called closegitmo.com that was sponsored by the ACLU or "World Civil Liberties Union" as they might be called since they are so upset about foreign combatants being detained on foreign soil. By the way, prisoners of war and enemy combatants have been detained like this through centuries of war but our "enlightened" generation is either ignorant of history or think legal precedence is irrelevant.

CG Cutter at GTMO pier

The busiest folks I see here are the members of the US Coast Guard. I estimate that about 8 of every 10 ships entering the bay are Coast Guard. I had no idea how far from our nation's shores the Coast Guard operated. Their presence in the Caribbean is huge. Even well into South American waters. About half of the air traffic transiting GTMO on some days are Coast Guard cargo planes, search planes and rescue helicopters. The Coast Guard is tasked with interdicting drug runners, helping to police international fishing treaties, inspecting vessels for sea worthiness, rescuing folks of every nationality who are in trouble at sea, maintaining navigational aids and markers wherever US interests dictate and providing security in many many ports. Those are just the tasks I am aware of.

CG "H65" is carried on the stern of cutters.

It is not unusual to see a CG copter coming into the GTMO hospital with a sick Filipino sailor off of a Liberian ship for example. The CG aircraft fly endless hours of low level searches day and night using sophisticated devices looking for drug runners and other vermin such as pirates. Yes, piracy is still a big problem around the world. They work closely with other nations navies or law enforcement agencies.

Recently a British warship, the "Wave Ruler," was in the bay for replenishment and crew liberty. The "Wave Ruler" has a website:
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.00h00100500800a004. The Brits are busy in the Caribbean interdicting drugs and the Wave Ruler has had some good success.

Viper boat.
Packs 1 50 cal. machine gun and 2 smaller ones.

Then GTMO is an important stop for US Customs aircraft, DEA aircraft and many other alphabet agencies and military service branches. Oddly enough the fewest planes of any branch of the military we see are Navy planes.

DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) Confiscation

 

I am told that this little yacht was suspicious because they were "trolling" with fishing lines out at about 30 knots. Now it is property of the US Government and is docked near the base post office.