At Guantanamo, Prisoners Watch Parade Of US Military Guards Go By

Years since the first inmates arrived at Guantanamo Bay, the hastily constructed temporary detention center has morphed into a maximum-security prison that could exist for decades to come.

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Nov, 2018 ) :Nearly 17 years since the first inmates arrived at Guantanamo Bay, the hastily constructed temporary detention center has morphed into a maximum-security prison that could exist for decades to come.

But while the facility in southeastern Cuba and the 40 inmates who remain there are not budging, the staff doesn't stay put for long.

A continually changing roster of senior leaders -- 18 generals and admirals -- have rotated through the military prison, which first opened in January 2002 in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

And the 1,800 troops who guard the prisoners tend to do stints of six to nine months.

The brief deployments and constant changes mean institutional knowledge of Guantanamo has suffered, said Navy Admiral John Ring, who currently heads prison operations.

"One of the problems that we have is the lack of continuity (of staff). So we are doing some things about that," Ring told reporters on a recent media tour.

He said he had just hired a civilian deputy and some civilian assistants, who can stay for longer than military personnel.

"We definitely desire to have people down here longer," he says.

"One of the challenges we have on that is that the base doesn't have enough family housing," Ring adds, noting that problem could take years to resolve.

Critics are concerned that the constant rotation of prison guards risks further isolating the inmates, some of whom have still not been charged despite 16 years in detention.

Ring said the Pentagon had recently sent a memo to the prison, telling leaders to plan to remain open for at least 25 more years -- meaning new solutions must be found.