Joint Task Force Guantanamo

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Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War Against Terrorism

Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) is one of the U.S. military units based at the United States Navy base located at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba on the southeastern end of island. Since around 2002 the unit has come to world attention as the operators of Camp X-Ray and its successors Camp Delta, Camp V, and Camp Echo where there are detained prisoners captured in the war in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Currently is under command of Rear Admiral David M. Thomas

The status of these detainees is hotly disputed. The U.S.^[who?] calls them enemy combatants, as their status was not recognized under the Geneva Conventions (due to not being affiliated with any government, being alleged members of Al Qaida or groups affiliated with them). On June 29, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that they had the minimal protection of Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.

Other parties^[who?] insist that the detainees be granted full prisoner of war rights and privileges listed in the Geneva Convention.

[edit] Living quarters

Enlisted personnel live in prefabicated quarters, similar to shipping containers.^[1] Each prefab unit houses four to six personnel. Each prefab unit ships with a toilet and sink, but no internal partitions. Occupants are allowed to erect curtains to make temporary partitions, for privacy. Occupants share communal showers, shared between prefab quarters.

Officers and senior non-commissioned officers typically share cottages left over from family residences that were constructed when the base had a larger permanent population.^[2]^[3] Four occupants will share a two bedroom cottage.

According to Commander Daniel Jones, JTF-GTMO's Staff Judge Advocate, JTF-GTMO staff^[3]:

The chow here is probably the best I’ve had and a mainstay of each day’s activities. A surf and turf and special birthday meal are served at least once a month. By the end of your tour in GTMO you’ll either weigh 300 pounds or be able to bench press 300 pounds. Nevertheless, you can look forward to a farewell BBQ and presentation of the highly coveted GTMO Bar Association Certificate.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Kathleen T. Rhem. "Guantanamo Troops Deployed in Unusual Surroundings", American Forces Press Service, February 25, 2005. Retrieved on 2008-01-25. "Living conditions vary considerably within the JTF. Enlisted servicemembers generally live in prefabricated individual buildings, which they call "houses" with a touch of cynicism. The shipping-container-like quarters each house four to six servicemembers. The troops typically divide the space as evenly as possible and then partition "rooms" by hanging blankets and shower curtains."
^ Kathleen T. Rhem. "Guantanamo Troops Deployed in Unusual Surroundings", American Forces Press Service, February 25, 2005. Retrieved on 2008-01-25. "Senior enlisted members and officers generally live in converted Navy family housing left over from when the base housed a larger population of permanent- party personnel. For instance, one two-bedroom apartment might be assigned to four junior officers."
^ ^a ^b Commander Daniel Jones. "IA: Life at Guantanamo Bay", Jag Mag, Winter 2007. Retrieved on 2008-02-15. "Housing is also an interesting topic here. Get used to a loss of privacy and the idea of having a roommate, several in fact. Just hearken back to your childhood and/or college days when you shared everything, labeled your food with your initials, and waited in line to use the bathroom."