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TheThe

November28 , 2003Volume 15, No. 24

Proving their worth

Photo by Spc. James-Denton Wyllie

Members of JTF-Bravos Search and Rescue Team carry Airman 1st Class Ronald Lee toward an UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter for medical evacuationat Tamara training zone Nov. 14. One other SAR team member and a Honduran soldier were also evacuated to Soto Cano after suffering multiple beestings during a search and rescue training exercise. For more information on the SAREX see pages 4 and 5.

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22 Ch apl ai n s Cor n e rh apl ai n s Cor n e rhe IGUANA November28, 2003By Chaplain (Capt.) Dale A. CodeJTF-Bravo command chaplain

As the mountains are around about Jerusalem,so the Lord is around about his people. (Psalm125: 2)

One of the first things I noticed upon arrival atSoto Cano AB was that mountains surround us.

Being born in the Mountain State of WestVirginia and raised near the foothills of theFranklin Mountains in El Paso, Texas; thesemountains remind me of how most of my life hasbeen lived around mountains. Allow me to sharea little about my life around mountains with you.

As an enlisted service member in Germany, Irecall visiting the Bavarian and Swiss Alps. Af-ter attending my churchs college in Cleveland,Tenn. (that had its beginnings in the SmokeyMountains of western North Carolina),my new bride (Penni; who is from theGreen Mountain State of Ver-mont) and I traveled to our firstpastorate in Raton, N.M. in theSangre de Christo Mountain

Range. It was there that ourson Daniel was born.From New Mexico we

returned to Tennessee topursue more schooling. Wethen ventured to pastoratesin the state of Virginia. Ourdaughters, Pamela andPaula, were born there and weministered in the AlleghenyMountains of western Virginia inthe town of Callaghan. From there itwas on to the hills of Kentucky, themountains of Korea and now Honduras.

Great things happened in each of these moun-tainous places and they all hold special memoriesfor us. I recall once remarking to my son as we

were about to sit down to a feast in the home ofsome friends in Virginia and wanting him to savorthe moment: Daniel, it doesnt get any betterthan thismountain food and mountain musicwith mountain people!

Some great things happened in the mountainsof the Bible too. Noahs ark landed on Mt. Ararat;Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt.Sinai; and on Mt. Transfiguration Jesus went upinto a high mountain andhis face did shine asthe sun and his rainment (clothing) was white aslight.

For Christians, Mt. Calvary holds the greatestsignificance of all as that is where Jesus hung be-tween heaven and earth for the forgiveness of thesins of mankind. Tired of low living in low

places? Try moving up the mountain with JesusChrist!It is not always possible to stay on the moun-

taintop though as nothing but pure sunshine willdestroy living organisms. Sometimes we have tocome down into the valley to receive the propermixture of rain and sun for spiritual growth to oc-cur.

Another reason we cannot stay on the moun-tain is because that is not where the people are.After Moses spent 40 days with God on themountaintop even he had to come back down themountain to be where the people were.

We can also learn some great lessons aboutGod from mountains. Have you ever consideredthat as mighty, majestic, and immovable asmountains are; God is mightier, more majestic,

and immutable. Mountains are mighty and pro-vide protection from the weather.

I recall as a child in El Paso feeling a sense ofsecurity from tornadoes because I thought themountains shielded us from them.

God is mightier than the mountains in that hispresence protects us from the storms of life thatthreaten to bring us harm wherever we may findourselves.

There is comfort to be found in Gods words toJoshua: Have not I commanded thee?

Be strong and of a good courage; benot afraid, neither be thou dis-

mayed: for the Lord thy God iswith thee whithersoever thougoest. Sometimes moun-

tains inspire us to wonderand awe by their majesty.Anyone who has seen thepurple mountainsmajesty of Pikes Peak inColorado can easily un-derstand how the author of

the song O Beautiful forSpacious Skies was inspired

to write those words.As stately as mountains are,

however, they pale in comparisonto Gods majesty. We worship God in

His majesty. According to Psalm 93:1; The Lordreigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed inmajesty, and is armed with strength. (NIV)

Only God merits our highest praise and regard.

The majesty of the Lord beggars description andperhaps the closest we come to seeing it is in Exo-dus 24: 15-17:

And Moses went up into the mount, and acloud covered the mount. And the glory of theLord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud cov-ered it six days: and the seventh day he called un-to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And thesight of the glory of the Lord was like devouringfire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the chil-dren of Israel.

The next time you see clouds shrouding themountains around here be reminded of the gloryand majesty of God.

Another sure thing about mountains is that theyare immovable. They do not move. They are not

going anywhere anytime soon. They were herebefore we got here and will be here when weregone.

Ahumbling thought when you really thinkabout it. Although mountains are immovablethey arent insurmountable.

They can be overcome, scaled or climbed. Je-sus said if you have faith as a small as a mustard

seed, you can say to this mountain, move fromhere to thereand it will move. Nothing will beimpossible to you. (Matthew 17:20 NIV)

Mountains may be immovable, but God is im-mutable, which means he does not change. He isthe same yesterday, today and forever. He is un-changing in his love for his people. (Jer. 31:3)

His Word is unchanging. God is immutable,but not immovable, he can be moved.

For example; God is moved with compassionfor suffering people.

He is moved to action when there is injustice.He is moved with the feelings of our infirmities:he hurts when we hurt. The next time you are con-fronted with what seems to be an insurmountablemountain in your life, try to stop telling Godhow big your mountain is and tell your mountainhow big your God is.

EDITORIAL STAFF

JTF-Bravo Commander

Col. William G. PhelpsPublic Affairs Director

1st Lt. Rob Goza

SuperintendentTech. Sgt. Tom Mullican

EditorSpc. James-Denton Wyllie

Photo TechnicianMartin Chahin

E-mail:[email protected]

Website: http://www.southcom.mil/home/jtfbravo

This funded, joint U.S. Air Force/Army newspaper is anauthorized publication for members of the U.S. militaryoverseas.Contents of The Iguana do not necessarily reflectthe official view of, and are not endorsed by, the U.S. gov-ernment, Department of Defense or the departments of the

Air Force or Army.Content is edited, prepared and provided by the JointTask Force-Bravo Public Affairs Office, APO AA34042, inBuilding D-06. Telephone numbers are 011-504-234-4634,ext. 4150 or 4676. Fax is ext. 4550. o r DSN 449-4150/4676.Readers with story ideas should call the Public Affairs of-fice. All photographs are property of JTF-Bravo unless oth-erwise noted.

PRINTED BY PUBLYNSA

IG U A N AU A N ATheThe

The Iguanais always looking for submis-sions. Any articles, photos or letters to besubmitted to The Iguanashould be sent to

the PAO at [email protected] delivered to the Public Affairs Office,Bldg. D-06 . If you have questions aboutpossible submissions call ext. 4150 or 4676to talk to the editor.

The Mountain of the Lords House

S U BM I S S I O N S

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The IGUANA 33i ewsiewsNovember28, 2003

What is constitutional role of U.S. president?By Lt. Col. Douglas C. RobertsonARFOR Commander

Everywhere we turn, we hearabout the Presidents performance.

Whether the issue is the econo-my, the war on terrorism, socialservices or international trade, theworld is fascinated by the perform-ance of the President of the UnitedStates of America.

It seems as though everythingthat happens or fails to happenaround the globe is somehow relat-ed to his action or lack of action.

As we decide how we will vote inthe 2004 presidential election, weshould be informed not only on the

issues, but also on the role of thepresident.

We should ask the question: whatdoes our Constitution direct him todo, and what do we, the people ofthe United States, require of him?

Article 2 of the Constitution es-

tablishes the Office of the Presidentand gives him his powers.

It appoints him as the command-er-in-chief of the armed forces andof the militia of all the 50 states.

It also appoints the president asthe nations chief diplomat. Withthe advice and consent of the Sen-ate, he has authority to appoint am-bassadors and to make treaties withother nations around the world.

The president is the chief legisla-tor, and has the authority to con-vene both the House of Representa-tives and the Senate.

The president is also the chief ad-ministrator, and is required to pro-vide Congress with information onthe state of the union.

The president has the power tomake appointments that are re-quired during Senate recesses andto grant commissions.

As the Chief Magistrate he is re-sponsible for carrying out the lawspassed by Congress.

With the advice and consent ofthe Senate, he has the authority to

appoint public ministers and con-suls as well as Supreme CourtJudges.

However, none of his powers areabsolute. For all of the formal pow-ers given to him by the Constitu-tion, he requires congressional orsenatorial approval to enact any ofhis proposals.

He must persuade members ofCongress and the Senate that hisrecommendat ions are in the best in-terest of a particular polit ical party,interest group, or the United Statesas a whole.

Because the President requirescongressional and senatorial ap-

proval for so many of his actions,his office is often referred to as be-ing weak.

But while the office may be con-sidered weak, the expectations ofthe people continue to increase.

We expect the President to per-

form as the head of State, and to ex-ercise ceremonial functions.

The people expect him to serveas the leader of his political party.We expect him to manage U.S.

prosperity. We also expect him toserve as the voice of the Americanpeople and look to him as the leaderof the free world, and the worldlooks to him as the keeper of thepeace.

As we move into next year selection cycle, I challenge each ofyou to consider how each of ourpresidential candidates will carryout the functions of the President asdirected by Article 2 of our Consti-tution, as well as the other expecta-tions placed on him by the people of

the United States.By making yourself informed on

the issues, the candidates, and theexpectations of the Office of thePresident, you will be prepared toexercise one of our most treasuredrights - the right to vote.

By 1st Lt. Paul StubbsJoint Security Force

Ronald Reagan once said Some people spendtheir entire lifetime wondering if they made a dif-ference. The Marines dont have that problem.

Today we gather with Marines across the globeto celebrate the legacy of our Corps and know thatthrough the constancy of purpose and the honor of

sacrifice we stand shoulder to shoulder withMarines past, present and future that have made,make, and will continue to make a difference in ourworld.

The Marine Corps was commissioned by theContinental Congress on Nov. 10, 1775.

Since that time, young Americans have an-swered the unique call to duty to become a Marine.During peacetime and war they have continuallydistinguished themselves and the Corps.

Be it collecting and distributing toys to under-privileged children at Christmas, to enduring theharshest privations of fevered combat, Marineshave always aspired to be exceptional fighting menas well as exceptional citizens.

I was once asked what made the Marines so spe-

cial.My answer was simple; we think we are.Marines do not go through Ranger or SEALschool. We do not have a high level of attrition intraining that defines us as a fighting force. We donot grant a Marine special privileges based on aspecific set of training objectives over 61 days or25 weeks.

As Marines we expect the highest standards bedemonstrated in every action and word, everyday.

We do not earn the title Marine once and wear it; wecontinue to earn it. Any Marine that has beenstopped by a Gunnery Sergeant because their hairis a bit long, or boots a bit dirty can attest to this.

We are special because we uphold the traditionsof a highly disciplined, combat-minded, expedi-tionary fighting force that realizes that the nationdoes not, in fact, need a Marine Corps, it wants one.And it is these traditions that we pause here todayto celebrate.

The professional reputation of the Marine Corpsis known throughout the entire world.

In Somalia we were known as the black bootsand the white sleeves and were not the preferredadversary; in World War One we earned the nameTeffelhunden or Devil Dogs in Belleau Woodfrom the German Army, which was driven from thearea in fierce close-in fighting, to one of the mostlasting images in the entirety of U.S. military his-tory; the raising of the flag at Mount Sarabachi onthe Island of Iwo Jima.

In that particular battle, on average, a Marinelost his life every two minutes, for a span of threedays.

The Japanese General who commanded the is-land claimed that it would take a million men a

hundred years to overcome the defenses of the is-land. It took us three and a half days.An important part of the birthday celebration is

the remembrance of those many thousands ofMarines that have died in the line of duty, often inthe worst of circumstances, in the jungle, in thesnow, in the desert, far away from their biologicalfamilies, but finding comfort that their brothers inarms were all around them.

It is said that there are no ex-Marines, only for-

mer Marines. While this distinction may not makesense to some, one has only to go anywhere offbase in uniform to understand. To anyone who hasbeen approached and received thanks by a battle-scarred, grizzled old man with pride in his eyes anda limp, at once keenly feels the depth of the broth-erhood.

Every man or woman that ever wore the eagleglobe and anchor next to their heart eagerly sharesour history and emphatic pride.

Nov. 10 is remembered by every Marine. Evenin times of war we pause and give thanks for thehonor of being one of the few. We pause and re-member those that gave their lives to preserve andprotect the honor and freedom of the nation, theCorps, their unit, and often most importantly, theMarine beside them; and we are proud and grate-ful.

Semper Fidelis.

What it means to be a United States Marine

Oldest resident Marine Staff Sgt. Christopher Shottand youngest Lance Cpl. Anthony Korey share aslice of traditional Marine Corps birthday cake.


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The IGUANA44 FeaeatSearch a

Search and Rescue team members rescue an accident victim during a SARteam exercise Nov.14. The team had to rescue five victims during the SAREX.

Search and Rescue team membersget a lift from a UH-60 Blackhawk.

Airman 1st Class Mark Holton placessplints on casualty Khristhie Fuentes.

Search and RescueTeam members use their bodies to shield a casualty fromflying objects as a helicopter arrives to help with medical evacuation.

Cpl. Sergio Dominguez discovers casualties April Maloney(left) and Khristhie FueBravo Search and Rescue Team had to find, asses and evacuate five accident victi

Search and Rescue Team prove thBy Spc. James-Denton WyllieEditor

The victims lay at the bottom of theravine suffering from broken bones,blood loss, exposed organs, shock andbouts of unconsciousness.

I just thought that I had to start con-trolling their bleeding. said Airman 1stClass Ron Lee. It looked so real, that Ialmost forgot that it wasnt.

Fortunately, the bloody scene wasonly part of a test of the skills of theJTF-Bravo Search and Rescue Team

during their exercise Nov. 12-14.The purpose of the SAREX was to

improve the ability of JTF-Bravo toperform a search and recovery opera-tion, said Capt. Kimberly Jensen, SARofficer in charge. The three-day exer-cise consisted of classroom sessions,lane training and a practical exercise.

During the exercise, team memberswere observed by controllers wholooked to see if the group demonstratedthe tasks needed to be successful.

The team needed to work togetherin all the training, said Jensen Theyalso needed to show that everyone onthe team is cross-trained and can con-tinue the mission if they need to.

The goal the team needed to achievewas to respond to a SAR Alert called bythe 2nd Para Honduran Military to res-cue military hikers on a trip who hadbeen injured by a mudslide. Upon ar-

rival they would have to find the casual-ties, treat them, and prepare them to beevacuated by helicopter.

The team arrived approximatelyone hour and 30 minutes after the alert,and were initially challenged by themountain terrain and the ravine inwhich the casualties were located, said

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55November28, 2003r er e

Photos by Spc. James-Denton Wyllie

d Rescue

Honduran soldiers load a casualty onto a UH-60 Blackhawk for evacuationNov. 13. The Hodurans rehearsed procedures with JTF-Bravo Search andReascue Team members in preparation for the SAR exercise the following day.

Casualty Francis Curington awaitsfurther medical treatment after beingstrapped to a back brace.

Search and Rescue Team memberstie down a casualty with broken legsto a spine board before evacuation.

1st Lt. Robert Johnson treats a bleeding arm wound on casualty April Maloneyduring the Search and Rescue Team exercise rehearsal Nov. 13.

tes in a ravine at Tamara training zone . Dominguez and other members of the JTF-s by helicopter during the final phase of the two-day SAR team exercise Nov.13-14.

ir value during exercise Nov.13-14Jensen. They got on the ground,moved out, and when the helicopters ar-rived, they had 2 points established andstarted evacuating the casualties.

Although the team started slowly,they showed their professionalism inshort order, said volunteer casualty Spc.Frances Curington.

I thought that they did very well inintegrating the things that they learnedin the classroom into a field environ-ment, she said. They were very fo-cused on completing the mission in asuitable manner, and in paying close at-

tention to the casualties needs.The team was in the process of evac-

uating one of the mock casualties whena real world emergency arose.

One second we were putting up oneof the casualties in a litter for evacua-tion, and the next second we were beingattacked by a swarm of bees. said Lee.

It was like being hit with shot pellets.The attack occurred when a beehive

was dislodged by the force of spinninghelicopter blades and fell amidst thegroup.

The disrupted bees stung team mem-bers multiple times, and resulted in theteam having to evacuate three servicemembers to MEDEL.

The team worked together with allof their ingenuity to evacuate one mockcasualty and three real world casualtiesfor reactions to bee stings, said Jensen.They were very motivated and suc-

cessful in this exercise.The teams performance left a favor-

able impression on her as well, saidCurington.

I think that due to the skills theyhave acquired during these training ex-ercises, the SAR Team would do verywell in a real world situation, she said.

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The IGUANA66 Newsews November28, 2003


New housing has grand opening

JTF-Bravo Commander Col. William G. Phelps, (center) cuts a ribbon with a ceremonial machete to commemorate the opening of new base housing Nov. 5. Thenew buildings are intended for 1-228th Aviation Regiment soldiers and contains a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and internal bathroom area.

By Spc. James-Denton WyllieEditor

Military personnel serving in JointTask Force Bravo at Soto Cano AirBase, Honduras, caught a glimpse oftheir future living quarters Nov. 5.

Four new houses were displayedduring a grand opening ceremonycommemorating the completion ofthe first phase of the overall housingproject.

"These houses mark a new direc-tion for the future of the quality of lifeat Soto Cano," said JTF-Bravo Com-mander Col. William G. Phelps. "It'sa giant step of improvement."

Unlike other housing on SotoCano, the new houses feature centralair and indoor plumbing. Residentswill also have access to a kitchen areaand a walk-in closet. The houses fea-ture a separate sleeping area andlarge windows for natural light.

"Another bonus of the new perma-

nent housing is that the units are moreenergy and safety efficient," saidChief of Engineering, Capt. James C.Tehero. "Their structure also reduceslong term maintenance, repair andconstruction costs to JTF-Bravo."

The complex-es are made ofmetal and arehighly fire resist-ant.

Smoke alarmsare locatedthroughout thehouses to ensurethat personnelwill be alert toany signs of fire.

This is espe-cially importantto housing in Honduras, said Tehero.

"Fire is a constant concern with theold wooden hooches," he said."These new complexes are designedto negate that danger."

The new housing project began

construction on the first twoquadraplexes in November of 2002.It was initiated after JTF-Bravo lead-ership decided to pursue a course ofaction regarding future housing proj-ects because of the increase of per-

sonnel followingthe relocation ofthe 1-228th Avia-tion Regimentfrom Panama.

Leadership de-termined thathooches were notcost effective giv-en the long-termnature of mis-sions at Soto

Cano, and thatmetal facilitiesshould be built to reduce long termcosts and improve safety and quality-of-life.

The collaborative efforts of engi-neers and legal counsel from UnitedStates Army South, United States

Southern Command, Air CombatCommand, the Air Force Institute ofTechnology, United States CentralCommand Air Forces and JTF-Bravohave combined to create a success fulproject, Phelps said.

"This project has taken a lot ofhard work to pull off," he said. "Fromplanning to execution, I know thatthis is the result of a real team effort."

The housing improvement pro-gram is on schedule to construct fourunits each year in order to avoid vio-lating statutory funding limits, with atotal of 44 units currently planned forconstruction.

A current housing master plan isstill under development by base engi-

neers, and a finalized copy will beadded to the Soto Cano General Planafter it is approved by JTF-Bravocommander.

"Our goal is to eventually enableall permanent members at Soto Canoto move out of old housing and im-prove quality of life," said Tehero.

Outside view of new housing complex.

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77n aps h ot sn aps h ot s The IGUANANovember28, 2003


JTF-Bravo Commander Col. William G. Phelps presents the non-commissioned officer of the quarter award to Medical Element Sgt. Carletta Jones Nov12. Jones also received a Joint Service Achievement Medal and a $50 gift certificate from the American Armed Forces Exchange Service.

Reina Corea gives a haircut to Sgt. Gregory Kraftduring the grand opening of the AAFES barber shop.The shop reopened after a two-month absence.

1st Sgt. Henry Myrick passes the guidon to1st Lt. Jaime R. Fried during MEDELs Com-pany change of command ceremony Nov. 18.

JTF-Bravo Commander Col. William G. Phelps pres-ents the soldier of the quarter award toTimothyJessen and his wife Kimberly Nov. 5. Jessen also re-ceived a Joint Service Achievement Medal and a $50gift certificate from AAF E S for his achievement.

Photo by Martin Chahin Photo by Spc. James-Denton Wyllie

Photo by Martin Chahin

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The IGUANA88 Ph ot o Feat u r eh ot o Feat u r e November28, 2003White Water Rafting


JTF-Bravo service members battle the currents of the La Ceiba river while white water rafting during the Chaplains spiritual retreat Nov. 7. In addition to raft-ing, personnel went river hiking, waterfall climbing, cliff jumping, and exploring in the city of La Ceiba.

The mountains along the La Ceiba river arehome to snakes, monkeys, and parrots.

Personnel unload a pressurized raft from thetour bus before heading down the river.

JTF-Bravo personnel

take time to get a littlewet during chaplainsspiritual retreat to LaCeibaNov. 7.

Servicemembers receive instruction from a local river guide.

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