Witness
For personnel traveling to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to participate in a military commission proceeding as a witness, the party calling the witness (Prosecution or Defense) will contact the witness to coordinate travel arrangements from the witness’s home to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
If approved as a witness, travel expenses may be reimbursed by the Department of Defense up to the limits authorized for the locations and dates of travel. (Please note that expert witnesses and consultants must receive approval from the Convening Authority prior to providing any expert services to the Department of Defense.)
The OMC Witness Assistance Section and Travel and Transportation Section can provide help in all aspects of travel to include reimbursement, travel coordination, and certain care at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Clearance Requirements
Witnesses traveling to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, require the following clearances, which are obtained through coordination with the Office of Military Commission Office sponsoring your travel:
- Country Clearance
- Theater Clearance
- Special Area Clearance
Mandatory Pre-Travel Training
Depending on your individual status, you may be required to conduct certain web-based training prior to obtaining clearance to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Please coordinate with the office sponsoring your travel or the Travel and Transportation Section for more specific details.
Required Documentation
Once approved to travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, you are required to bring with you the following documentation:
If Active Military Personnel:
- Valid active duty Military ID
- DoD-Issued Travel Orders*
- Country Theater Clearance*
If Civilian (both US or Non-US):
- Current passport**
- DoD-Issued Travel Orders*
- Country Theater Clearance*
*Obtained from the OMC Office sponsoring the travel
** United States citizens may travel on a US passport. Non-United States citizens may travel on their home country passport to Cuba after they obtain entrance into the United States at a port of entry.
Questions regarding travel should be addressed to the Travel and Transportation Section
Victims/Family Members
Victims and family members traveling to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to be witnesses in a military commission proceeding will be considered witnesses for purposes of arranging travel. Guidance for witness travel may be found here.
The Department of Defense has instituted a program which allows a limited number of victims and family members to travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to observe military commission proceedings. For more information or to apply to participate in the program, visit Victim/Witness Assistance.
OMC Employee
All OMC-assigned personnel must use the Defense Travel System (DTS) to prepare their orders and obtain travel authorizations. Each traveler must coordinate through the Office of Military Commissions Office to which he/she is assigned. On island lodging, vehicles, and other support is requested through a form prepared by the traveler’s staff section. Lodging is assigned depending on availability and in accordance with the OMC Housing Policy.
Pro Bono Civilian Defense Counsel must coordinate travel through the Office of the Military Commissions Defense Organization and the Office of Military Commissions Travel and Transportation Section.
Clearance Requirements
All Department of Defense employees or Department of Defense sponsored travelers traveling to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, require the following clearances, which are obtained through coordination with the Office of Military Commission Office sponsoring your travel:
- Country Clearance
- Theater Clearance
- Special Area Clearance
Mandatory Pre-Travel Training
All Department of Defense employees or Department of Defense sponsored travelers are required to conduct certain web-based training prior to obtaining clearance to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Please coordinate with your OMC Office or the Travel and Transportation Section for more specific details.
Required Documentation
Once approved to travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, you are required to bring with you the following documentation:
If Active Military Personnel:
- Valid active duty Military ID
- DoD-Issued Travel Orders*
- Country Theater Clearance*
If Civilian (both US or Non-US):
- Current passport**
- DoD-Issued Travel Orders*
- Country Theater Clearance*
*Obtained from the OMC Office sponsoring the travel
** United States citizens may travel on a US passport. Non-United States citizens may travel on their home country passport to Cuba after they obtain entrance into the United States at a port of entry.
Questions regarding travel should be addressed to the Travel and Transportation Section.
Non-Governmental Organization Observers
The Convening Authority for the Office of Military Commission has approved certain Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to send representatives to view commission proceedings in person at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on a space available basis. Before being selected to travel, NGOs must be approved by the Convening Authority to become a member of the Observer Selection Pool.
To be considered for inclusion into the Observer Selection Pool, the organization must submit materials to the NGO Selection Team based upon the following Observer Selection Criteria. Once received by the NGO Selection Team the materials will be reviewed and verified and provided with a recommendation to the Convening Authority for the NGOs approval or disapproval.
Individuals wishing to submit information for one-time travel to view a commission proceeding in-person must also meet the criteria as mentioned above. The individual must be sponsored by their organization and cannot travel independently.
If approved by the Convening Authority, the NGO and/or individual will be notified by a member of the NGO Selection Team and entered into the Approved Observer Pool for possible selection to view a proceeding at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The selection process from the Approved Observer Pool is governed by the March 7, 2024, Chief of Staff NGO Selection Policy memorandum which can be found here.
If not selected to travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, based upon the NGO Selection Policy, NGOs are still welcome to send Observers to the Fort Meade, Maryland, CCTV public viewing site.
Those NGO Observers selected to travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will coordinate their travel through their Office of Military Commissions NGO Escort Team.
The following forms must be completed by the NGO Observer prior to travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba:
Members of the Media
Members of the Media who wish to travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to observe a commission proceeding must coordinate travel through the Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs (OASD-PA). The Office of Military Commissions does not coordinate either group or individual media travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Media wishing to contact OASD-PA can contact the following:
Ron Flesvig
(571) 372-3713
ronald.e.flesvig.civ@mail.mil
LCDR Adam Cole
Office: 571-372-8934
adam.r.cole6.mil@mail.mil
Contractors
Contractors who travel in support of military commissions must arrange their travel through their employer and through the Travel and Transportation Section. Contractors must contact the Travel and Transportation Section to ensure they have a valid passport, appropriate travel orders, and country theater clearances. Contractors should coordinate with the OMC Office they are supporting for lodging arrangements at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
IMPORTANT: All OMC Contractors MUST be registered in the Synchronized Pre-Deployment Operational Tracker (SPOT) system and Letters of Authorizations (LOAs) MUST be used as travel documentation.
Clearance Requirements
Contractors traveling to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, require the following clearances, which are obtained through coordination with the Office of Military Commission Office sponsoring your travel:
- Country Clearance
- Theater Clearance
- Special Area Clearance
Mandatory Pre-Travel Training
Depending on your individual status, you may be required to conduct certain web-based training prior to obtaining clearance to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Please coordinate with the office sponsoring your travel or the Travel and Transportation Section for more specific details.
Required Documentation
Once approved to travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, you are required to bring with you the following documentation:
If Active Military Personnel:
- Valid active duty Military ID
- DoD-Issued Travel Orders*
- Country Theater Clearance*
If Civilian (both US or Non-US):
- Current passport**
- DoD-Issued Travel Orders*
- Country Theater Clearance*
*Obtained from the OMC Office sponsoring the travel
** United States citizens may travel on a US passport. Non-United States citizens may travel on their home country passport to Cuba after they obtain entrance into the United States at a port of entry.
Questions regarding travel should be addressed to the Travel and Transportation Section.
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