Sea Signal


Vol. 1, No. 24                                      Joint Task Force 160, Guantanamo   Bay, Cuba                                 November   10,1994



Married soldiers deploy together in today's army


ByCarlA.  Mahnken
Joint Task Force - 160 Public Affairs

     Today's military is ever changing, upgrading and more and more thinking about military families and how to help them. Though we may never see the day when entire families are deployed with a unit like in the crazed TV and movie hit Star Trek, the 716th Military Police Battalion already has a small taste of this.
     There are three married couples in the 716th MP Bn that were deployed here from Fort Riley, Kan., home of the 1st Infantry Battalion.
     "This is today's Army, it's always changing... it's the new Army," said Spec. Patricia Harback, lst MP Company, 716th MP Bn, and wife of Spec. James Harback.
     This isn't the first time the unit has deployed with married couples within the battalion, according to Lt.Col. Randy Garver, 716th MP Bn commander.
     "When we deployed to Desert Shield/Desert Storm, we had families thatwere married and deployed together and there were no problems," he said. "I attribute this to good leadership and that our soldiers are great young Americans, doing their duty. I don't think it has an adverse affect and is not negative. If there are problems it's more out of jealousy."
     While there are always problems and challenges to be dealt with when preparing to deploy, there were some unique challenges which existed for these married soldiers as they prepared.
     For James and Patricia Harback, they had to move up their wedding date because of the deployment here.
     "We had planned to get married July 5, and that was the day we were to deploy," James said. "We got married July 1, in the 1st MP Company day room in our BDUs."
     "I had to leave five minutes after the ceremony to get my jungle issue uniforms," Patricia said.
     For Spec's Joe and Lisa Waterhouse the big challenge was moving out and packing up all the household goods, then moving them into storage over a weekend so they could deploy that Monday.
     Unlike the Harback and Waterhouse families, the Cherry family didn't deploy at the same time.
     Spec. Karl Cherry deployed at the same time as the Harbacks, however it was nearly two months before his wife, Spec. Lenease Cherry, was sent to Guantanamo, too.
     The big challengefor the Cherry familywas deciding where their daughter, Karlissa, who will be 18 months old in November, should stay.
     "She's with her godmother, whose husband is also deployed here," said Lenease. "She's walking now. She took her first four steps a day before I left. She's even started talking without me."


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Married  and deployed  together (left to right): Specialists James and Patricia Harback, Specialists Karl and Lenease Cherry,  and Specialists Lisa and Joe Waterhouse.  Photo  by Carl A. Mahnken.


     "I'll try to be there for her graduation," Karl said jokingly.
     Although the young couples are here together, there still aren't many chances for them to spend time together.
     "Their personal time is cut down to a bare minimum and there is no privacy like that enjoyed back home, and that can add stress to the situation," said Sgt.Maj. Vittorino Dimattia, Command Sgt.Maj., 716thMPBn.
     For each couple, time together is important and cherished. They live in separate tents, and one couple is even split between camps.
     Working the midnight to noon shift, the Harbacks get about five to ten minutes daily to see each other during the shift changes and on days off.
     The Waterhouse couple fares a little better with about three to four hours a day and feel fortunate to have that time.
     "I stop myself when I want to complain about not being able to see my husband because I remember all the other soldiers here who don't even get to talk to their spouses back home but once a week," said Lisa Waterhouse.
     For the Cherry family distance plays a big role in the


time they spend together.
     "I'm in Phillips Park and she's in Camp Quick," said Karl Cherry. "We get to see each other on my days off and when schedules allow which is about every third weekend."
     When the families' tour is done here and they head home, there will again be some challenges they will be faced with that many of the other soldiers will not have to deal with.
     "One thing that other soldiers will have is a home to go back to," said Patricia Harback. "We will have to reestablish our home because we had to put everything in storage."
     "We'll have to find a place, getutilities turned on and household goods delivered," said James Harback.
     "We'll have friends to stay with when we get back ... until we can find a place to stay," said Lisa Waterhouse.
     For the Cherry's, Karl may well have to do it on his own as he will head home before his wife.
     "Everybody comes from different walks of life and everyone who does a deployment makes sacrifices, whether you are married or not," said Dimattia.


         Chaplain service celebration


involves migrants, military in prayer


       The  migrant   children's choir  sings during a special  first-of-its-kind evening celebration that took place at the Bayview Officers Club for all Armed Forces Chaplain services on the November  2. It started with 'The National Anthem'   and invocation  and ended  with   a cake   cutting   ceremony. Throughout   the  celebration   prayer  and praise was offered in song and  recognition of each of the  chaplain  services  history. Special music was provided  by  both Cuban and Haitian migrant  children's  choir and a chaplian duet.
       Commander, Joint Task Force -160 and  guest speaker,   BGen.   Raymond P. Ayres,  Jr., said   that  "Chaplains are wonderful, dedicated people who  have taken care of our  troops,  our families,  and  us personally."
       "All branches  of the service, medical personnel  and  chaplain  personnel,   serve hand-in-hand  where  ever they  have been," said Chaplain  Larry  Greenslit.  Photo   by Carl A. Hahnken.


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