University News

Fr. Schlegel Visits Guantanamo

Creighton University President the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J., was one of a group of community and civic leaders from across the United States to tour Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in September as part of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC). The JCOC is a program sponsored by the Secretary of Defense for civilian public opinion leaders interested in increasing their knowledge of military and national defense issues.

This year’s conference was hosted by the United States Southern Command, with visits to U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and various other sites throughout the command. Creighton University graduate U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Tom Copeman III, BS’81, serves as commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo.

“This was an eye-opening experience,” Fr. Schlegel told The Wire, the official news magazine of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, “not just because of the hospitality of the troops here or the mission they perform, but truly the spirit in which they do it.”