And Why is the Carpet All Wet, TODD?!?

I don't know, MARGO!

Season's greetings from Guantanamo! I hope this finds everyone wearing ridiculous Christmas sweaters while pretending to actually like eggnog. Watching people struggle with a cup of this booze batter is like some twisted holiday version of the Emperor's New Clothes. Just admit that it is terrible; no one is going to judge you. One has to question who thought eggnog up; "I want to get a little drunk, but I also want some pancakes."  

"Is Rusty still in the Navy?"

I'm stunned to consider that I am writing this at the mid-way point through my deployment. The time has absolutely flown. There is a serious "casino effect" down here that seems to advance time at an accelerated rate. Casinos are notorious for lacking two major things: windows and clocks. As a result, it becomes nearly impossible to judge the passing of time. One experiences a somewhat similar phenomenon here. As I work within what is essentially a secure vault, my workday is windowless. And then there is the weather. There has been absolutely no discernible transition from summer to winter. Living in Chicago for most of my life, I am grown accustomed to complaining about the weather over four distinct seasons. That is not the case here. Even with the random Christmas decorations haphazardly strewn across GTMO, it does not feel like December. I can be told it is December, I can see Al Roker's now creepy quasi-ectomorphic body with still massive head talk about winter, and I can even watch the Metrodome collapse faster than Brett Farve's starting game streak (too soon?)...but I'm still not buying that it is December.

These pictures were taken in "winter." It is like I'm living in a Postal Service song; we can swim any day in December.

Work continues to go well. I'm going to stick with my policy of not commenting on my professional day-to-day within the JTF. That said, if any of my readers out there have an interest in the myriad legal complexities surrounding the Habeas litigation (my focus down here) and Military Commissions prosecutions of Guantanamo detainees, I strongly recommend Lawfare. The authors are absolutely brilliant legal minds that do an excellent job of presenting the issues from a variety of viewpoints. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I get a number of questions from friends and family on what I do with my free time down here. GTMO has a number of outstanding recreational activities to keep us busy when we are not within the JTF. Within the first month, I became a certified open water scuba diver, a revelation that usually induces laughter from those close to me. Scuba diving still strikes me as a bit odd, probably because I spent almost all of my life in the Midwest and currently am stationed in a desert. While there are some fanatical divers out here, I remain pretty "meh" about it. It was cool to do, I've crossed it off my list, but I entertain no plans to retire on the Caribbean so I can send spend all my free time scaring the shit out of fish. That said, because the waters around GTMO are protected from commercial fishing or boating, it is some of the best diving in the world. All the pictures below were taken on our dives from GTMO beaches.

Beyond this sign lie Cuban waters. In full disclosure, I may have poked one of my fins a little past the maritime border.

 

We can also spear fish, which is, in a word, awesome. Most us use what is called a Hawaiian Sling as opposed to the more traditional spear gun. The Hawaiian Sling, as you can see below, is just a big spear with a bungee type band at the end. It is the same concept of a bow and arrow, with the spear being pulled against the tension of the bungee; when it is released, the bungee propels it forward, faster and further than a diver could by hand.

 Johnny Utah, 1. Red Snapper, 0.

We also fish, or as I call it, "A Race Against Time Before I Get Incredibly Sea Sick and Have to Lay Down on the Deck of the Boat."

I received word that I will be PCSing this summer to Cannon AFB in Clovis, New Mexico. Incredible mission, terrible location. I'll be attached to the 27th Special Operations Wing (27 SOW), one of our two Special Operations Wings that fall under Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). 27 SOW operates highly specialized aircraft such as the AC-130H Spectre gunship and CV-22 Osprey in specialized and contingency operations using advanced aircraft, tactics, and air refueling techniques to infiltrate, exfiltrate, and resupply special operations forces and provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and close air support in support of special operations forces (SOF) operations. 27 SOW is also home to a number of SOF operators, with Combat Control, Pararescue, and Combat Weather units.

The AC-130H Spectre, a heavily armed ground-attack gunship. 

I am ecstatic at the prospect of the significant military justice and operations law opportunities Cannon looks to hold. Being a second assignment JAG will open up new challenges and greater responsibility, so we shall see how it all shakes out. While Clovis is in the middle of absolutely nowhere, I am a mere stone's throw from Texas. An incidental perk to the assignment is my proximity to Dyess AFB, where one of my great friends from JASOC will be PCSing. She is also a JAG blogger, presently in Italy at Aviano Air Base, and a fellow JTF-GMTO vet. She not only leads a more interesting life than I do, but is also a better writer, so I strongly suggest checking out her blog, Inklings of Wanderlust. I'll also be within driving distance Austin, San Antonio, Sante Fe, and Albuquerque; I anticipate putting a lot of miles on my A4.

I would be remiss if I did not take a moment and extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has sent cards, care packages, pictures, and emails throughout my deployment down here. It is always great to have something to open during mail day and I have been absolutely inundated with packages nearly every week. I sincerely appreciate the time, effort, and expense you all have been going to. If any of you out there know someone, even indirectly, that will be spending the holidays in Iraq, Afghanistan, or in some other similarly unpleasant locale, throw some stuff in a box for them.

That's all for now. For all of you spending your holidays in the sandbox, stay safe. The rest of you, have a merry Festivus and a raccuous Ludachristmas.

"Who cares about the true meaning of Christmas? It’s about getting crap and eating too much! It’s about getting drunk and hugging your cousin until your mom says, ‘Frank, enough!''