Guantanamo Supports Coast Guard Ships, Missions in Caribbean

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Leona Mynes, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- Medium-endurance cutter USCGC Vigilant (WMEC-619) departed Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, May 8 after a two day port visit.

For Quartermaster 2nd Class (SW) Carlton Jones, a dockmaster attached to NS Guantanamo Bay's Port Operations Department, it was the base's 880th successful ship movement since he arrived in July 2009.

"The dockmaster is the liaison between the vessels coming in and out of port, and all of the services offered here in GTMO," said Jones. "We're the middle man for all of these ships."

Vigilant and several other U.S. Coast Guard ships frequently conduct missions in the Caribbean Sea and are regular customers of NS Guantanamo Bay, said Jones.

"Vigilant usually takes on fuel, gas, stores, water, makes liberty calls and will sometimes onload helicopter support kits," said Jones. "They can do all of that here, and we provide the support for those missions."

Providing efficient support to ships like Vigilant can present several challenges to members of the port operations department, said Jones.

"I would say the most challenging part is being able to piece everything together for the ship you're supporting," said Jones. "Between sending e-mails back and forth between the ship and here, and coordinating logistical request replies, our tasks have to be managed in a timely and professional manner."

Among the tasks Jones must coordinate for ships are fuel and stores provided by the Fleet Industrial Supply Center–Jacksonville (FISC–J) Detachment aboard NS Guantanamo Bay; weapons training facilitated by NS Guantanamo Bay's weapons department; and locations for swimming qualifications, physical readiness tests, and group workout sessions provided by Morale, Welfare and Recreation Guantanamo Bay.