At Ease - Wisconsin National Guard Department of Military Affairs

Brick and mortar
By Tech. Sgt. Dawn Putzke
128th Air Refueling Wing Civil Engineering Squadron
The 128th Civil Engineering Squadron deployed Airmen
to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to help build a secure facility for
military commission proceedings planned there.
The Milwaukee-based unit, part of the 128th Air Refueling
Wing, sent 23 members to work from September 2007 through
February 2008 on the $10.2 million project for Phase I of the
Expeditionary Legal Complex at an unused airfield on the
45-square-mile U.S. naval base. The project was ordered when
the Bush administration decided to provide trials by military
commission to Guantanamo-housed detainees accused of terrorist
activities. Construction encompassed several buildings that would
include all amenities needed to facilitate the work of the Office of
Military Commissions. At the heart of the complex were a highly
secure courtroom, holding cells and a walkway between them.
The Milwaukee engineers joined a construction team of
about 100 Guard members from six states, grouped together as
the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. Ground was
broken on September 11, 2007.
Members of the 128th used their skills and experience
to overcome unforeseen obstacles, especially the challenging
logistics of acquiring materials by plane or barge from Florida.
They returned to Wisconsin in February 2008. The Expeditionary
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at Camp Justice
This page: Members of the 128th Refeuling Wing Civil Engineers pose for a photo at Camp
Justice, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Submitted photo
Top: Unit members pour concrete into forms for the Camp Justice sign. Submitted photo
Legal Complex became the site for military commissions until
proceedings were ordered suspended by President Obama in
January 2009.
Two Airmen from the 128th, Senior Airman Bradley
Wiskowski and Master Sgt. Corey Bialcik, were recognized for
outstanding performance with the quarterly deployed member
awards of the U.S. Southern Command Air Forces. n
at ease