GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba,- Keeping service members safe within Joint Task Force Guantanamo is everyone's responsibility.
But for Soldiers with the 115th Military Police Company's external security, it's their daily assignment.
"We run all the security on the outside and that makes everyone that's working on the inside safer," said Army Sgt. Justin Depot, a member with the 115th Military Police Company of the Rhode Island National Guard. "Especially the [service members] behind the wire."
Soldiers with the 115th, who are in charge of JTF Guantanamo external security, dedicate countless hours to guard just about everything in sight. Just try to get through an identification checkpoint without the proper documentation.
"It's always 100 percent identification check out here. We stop every entry to the JTF, authorized and unauthorized," said Army Spc. Will Gilroy, a member of the 115th. "If you don't have the right items of documentation, you won't get in."
Guarding a checkpoint offers an advantage of constantly interacting with people and getting familiar with everyone who cycles through your post.
"Sometimes there are unauthorized personnel without an escort that try to get through, but I just turn them away politely," said Army Spc. Chad Richard, a member with the 115th. "They get frustrated, but it's what we do."
Officially, members of the 115th conduct security operations to protect friendly forces and detainees from surveillance, sabotage and attack. They do that through entry control access, roving patrols and observation from both guard towers and observation posts. They also support military commissions at Camp Justice by providing security duties.
Additionally, they perform random vehicle inspections.
"We have very clear instructions on how often and how many vehicles we inspect," said Army Sgt. Dennis Corrigan, a member with the 115th. "We don't deviate from the formula and we don't cut corners. Ultimately, the safety and security of everyone inside the JTF is our responsibility. We take that task very seriously."
With surveillance operations a round-the-clock venture, the hours are long and the conditions are less than perfect. Regardless, each person in the 115th gets something different out of their experiences here.
"The best part about being here is you see this place in the news all the time," Gilroy said. "And then you finally get to come down here and get to know what it's like."
Roving patrols provide support to all of the camps and external security sites. They are available to check out unusual or suspicious activity spotted at any area around Camp America and can respond quickly to requests from all security positions.
The 115th's mission comprises just a piece of the security measures in place at JTF Guantanamo to keep the service members and detainees here safe. Working together with various other services and elements, the service members know their work is an important part of the JTF mission.