Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs
Story by Spc. Archie Corbitt
Story by Spc. Archie Corbitt
06.28.2010 GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba -- Many onboard Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been in the service for a number of years and have seen many duty stations – but there are a few who have yet to gain that first-hand experience.
Army Pfc. Jerome Perry Jr. is a supply clerk assigned to the S-4 supply shop with the 525th Military Police Battalion and Joint Task Force Guantanamo is his first duty station. For his ability to go from Advanced Individual Training to a deployed location and adapt in an ever-changing environment, Perry has earned his 15 minutes of fame.
When Perry was asked to select places he wanted to be stationed, he chose Brazil, Ft. Hood, Texas and Korea. Instead the military chose to send him to JTF-GTMO.
“I guess they wanted the best, so
Army Pfc. Jerome Perry Jr. is a supply clerk assigned to the S-4 supply shop with the 525th Military Police Battalion and Joint Task Force Guantanamo is his first duty station. For his ability to go from Advanced Individual Training to a deployed location and adapt in an ever-changing environment, Perry has earned his 15 minutes of fame.
When Perry was asked to select places he wanted to be stationed, he chose Brazil, Ft. Hood, Texas and Korea. Instead the military chose to send him to JTF-GTMO.
“I guess they wanted the best, so
they sent me,” Perry said with a grin. “I enjoy providing Soldiers with the proper gear for their mission and learning about my job all at the same time.”
Some of the adjustments Perry went through are similar to those many service members face coming to Guantanamo. Coming straight out of AIT and being dropped into a joint environment can be difficult.
“It was different for me,” Perry said. “I had to learn about different ranks, how the Navy and Air Force work and how we [operate] differently from them.”
Within the office Perry was able to focus on his own service operations.
“As far as my job in the S-4 shop goes,” Perry said, “I don’t work with the other services that much, but it is still a joint environment.”
The assignment to Guantanamo was an eye-opening experience for Perry.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming here,” Perry said. “The day before I came down here I looked on the Internet and that’s where I saw pictures of the detention camps and what not.”
What awaited Perry was a command ready to help him grow as a Soldier, including scheduling a daily push-up routine.
“My first non-commissioned officer-in-charge saw that I was good at [physical training],” Perry said. “So he wanted to make sure I didn’t slack off.”
Army Sgt. 1st Class Elmer Beeler, the S-4 non-commissioned officer-in-charge, keeps up training with Perry and other supply clerks within the 525th.
“Young Soldiers coming in are the future of logistics,” Beeler said. “It’s our job as NCOs to make sure they take the field forward.”
“I enjoyed my time at Guantanamo,” Perry said. “It gave me a chance to get a sense of what it’s like to deploy and see what it’s like to be away from family. You have to man-up and learn to live on your own.”
From Guantanamo Bay Perry moves on to his original choice of duty station, joining an aviation unit in Fort Hood, Texas.
Some of the adjustments Perry went through are similar to those many service members face coming to Guantanamo. Coming straight out of AIT and being dropped into a joint environment can be difficult.
“It was different for me,” Perry said. “I had to learn about different ranks, how the Navy and Air Force work and how we [operate] differently from them.”
Within the office Perry was able to focus on his own service operations.
“As far as my job in the S-4 shop goes,” Perry said, “I don’t work with the other services that much, but it is still a joint environment.”
The assignment to Guantanamo was an eye-opening experience for Perry.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming here,” Perry said. “The day before I came down here I looked on the Internet and that’s where I saw pictures of the detention camps and what not.”
What awaited Perry was a command ready to help him grow as a Soldier, including scheduling a daily push-up routine.
“My first non-commissioned officer-in-charge saw that I was good at [physical training],” Perry said. “So he wanted to make sure I didn’t slack off.”
Army Sgt. 1st Class Elmer Beeler, the S-4 non-commissioned officer-in-charge, keeps up training with Perry and other supply clerks within the 525th.
“Young Soldiers coming in are the future of logistics,” Beeler said. “It’s our job as NCOs to make sure they take the field forward.”
“I enjoyed my time at Guantanamo,” Perry said. “It gave me a chance to get a sense of what it’s like to deploy and see what it’s like to be away from family. You have to man-up and learn to live on your own.”
From Guantanamo Bay Perry moves on to his original choice of duty station, joining an aviation unit in Fort Hood, Texas.
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