GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - A sirens' wail could be heard for miles as turbulent seas smashed against the shoreline and roaring 55 mph winds ripped around buildings, whipping up dust and leaves and sending them swirling through the U.S. naval station here.
The siren was warning Joint Task Force troopers to take cover as the powerful wind and torrential rains of Hurricane Ike reached the island of Cuba on Sept. 7.
For many members of the Wisconsin National Guard's 112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, currently deployed to support the JTF's detention mission, Ike was their first experience with a hurricane.
"I was excited initially, because I've never experienced anything beyond the threat of a tornado," said Spc. Meghan Phillips, a Wisconsin native and broadcast journalist with the 112th MPAD. "A tornado is different. It hits a smaller area, whereas a hurricane takes over a whole island. After [Ike] started I was sitting in my room scared to death."
Ike took the path of many hurricanes, coming off Africa's western coast, cutting across the Atlantic sea moving southwest toward Cuba. It churned closer to the islands of the Caribbean, gathering speed and developing into a category four hurricane in the early morning.
Members of JTF prepared for the worst, and by 5 p.m., the eye of the hurricane was 75 miles north-northeast of Guantanamo.
As it collided with Cuba, it dwindled to a category three storm, but precautions still had to be taken to protect JTF troopers from the forceful storm.
However, it was the mountainous terrain surrounding the bay here that took the brunt of the storm - keeping the naval station, and its residents, safe.
JTF troopers follow a weather warning system that ranges in severity, beginning with Condition of Readiness (CoR) five, which is in effect June 1 through November 1 during hurricane season, and requires JTF troopers to be generally prepared.
During Ike, the naval station was in CoR one, which is in effect when a severe storm is less than 12 hours away. All base liberties were canceled, and nonessential personnel were required to take cover in their homes.
"You don't see the storm coming," said Phillips. "From the Doppler [Radar] you have an image, but it suddenly turned from sunny and beautiful to dark, gloomy and rainy. I was in my room thinking my roof was going to come off!"
Phillips wasn't the only person to feel as though her room in the JTF's pre-fabricated Cuzco Barracks housing here was going to blow away.
Many troopers who reside in the community of two-bedroom, metal trailers were fearful as the wind and rain pelted their homes.
Spc. Christina Beerman, a Texas native who is now a two-year Wisconsin resident and broadcast journalist with the 112th MPAD, said: "At first it reminded me of a Texas thunderstorm, flash flooding and stuff like that. But at 1 a.m., with my walls shaking I knew it was different. I tried to sleep but I kind of expected the roof of my Cuzco to be ripped off!"
Although the barracks did nothing to hide the raucous sound of Ike, the trailers are built to withstand up to category three hurricanes. With winds on the naval station reaching only to tropical storm strength, the troops held up inside were safe from harm.
Though a little frightened, members of the 112th MPAD were prepared for the worst and knew that their chain of command had everything under control in case of an emergency evacuation.
"Our chain of command gave us ideas of what would happen in an emergency situation," said Phillips. "We were told when and where to go, and we were constantly reminded to pack a hurricane bag that we could live out of for a few days. The chain of command was constantly calling and checking up on us. It was reassuring, having people know what was going on."
Each hurricane bag consisted of extra uniforms, bottles of water, non-perishable food items, hygiene kits, water-resistant coats and a flashlight.
If Ike's winds reached over 75 mph, the 112th MPAD would evacuate their homes, hurricane bags in hand, and bunker down in the G. J. Denich Gymnasium - one of the designated hurricane shelters here.
"We would be told by our chain of command when it was time to leave Cuzco," said Phillips. "The hurricane bag was always ready to go and a bus would come pick us up to take us to the gym. Our chain of command had things under control, so I wasn't too worried."
For about 34 hours JTF troopers patiently waited out the storm in their rooms. Ike came ashore with bellowing winds the likes of which the naval station has not seen in four years. After two inches of rainfall and power outages across the base, the storm began to subside.
Ike swept through the JTF, breaking off tree limbs, toppling the screen of an outdoor movie theatre, and peeling back the aluminum roofing on an old sea hut. Yet as quickly as it came, Ike departed.
midday Sept. 8, unharmed residents were left with blue skies - and the tedious job of after-storm cleanup.