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For exercisers working out at the new $15 million, 53,857-square-foot NAS Pensacola, Fla., Radford Fitness Center, catching a stunning sunset like the one pictured here is not unusual, especially if you look at the detail that went into the design and layout of this eye-catching facility. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast Public Works Department Pensacola officially turned over the completed fitness center to sailors and Marines during a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 8, 2007. The facility meets LEAD Green Efficiency Standards and was made using pre-cast walls, saving time and money on labor and construction.

“All servicemembers, retirees and DoD civilians at NAS Pensacola can now enjoy one of the finest fitness centers in the Navy,” says NAS Pensacola Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Director Kerry Shanaghan.

The state-of-the-art facility features a full fitness center with extensive cardio options — ellipticals, treadmills and rowers — selectorized equipment, circuit and various other strength equipment, as well as free weights. A dedicated spinning studio features 20 Star Trac computerized bikes, and always boasts packed houses for classes, says Shanaghan.

• A Glimpse at the Future of Fitness
  

  The Fit Kids Center at NS Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, boasts one of the most comprehensive youth fitness and strength programs in the Navy. Located at the Bloch Arena Fitness Center, the youth fitness center is tailor fit with the latest youth strength and cardio equipment. “Youths, ages 6-14 years old, now have a special place to call their own,” says Fitness Center Manager Mark McFarland.

  The idea for a room dedicated to youth fitness became a reality two years ago when the base got money to buy some equipment and convert a room into a Fit Kids Center, McFarland explains. “We really got great support from the Chief of Staff and our commander, who both pushed for more MWR and fleet and family readiness support here.”

  “We want to provide the best possible support and programs for our youth and our families, who many times must contend with difficult times as a family member is deployed. We want to help families to reduce stress and keep fit.” — Mark McFarland, Fitness Center Manager

• Air Force Sets Sights on Boosting Fitness
  

  The Air Force has been leading the way in military fitness construction over the past few years, opening many new state-of-the-art fitness centers around the world, including Robins AFB, Ga.; Ramstein AB, Germany; Eielson AFB, Alaska; Hanscom AFB, Mass.; and Minot AFB, N.D., to name just a few. In addition to an influx of new 5-star facilities popping up, the Air Force has renovated and upgraded many fitness centers over the past few years in an effort to bring all Air Force fitness centers up to standard.

  The Air Force Reserve Command, 934th Services Squadron, celebrated the opening of a newly renovated fitness center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 6, 2007.

  “Fitness is a key component of mission readiness,” says Air Force Fitness Branch Chief Danielle Taylor. “Air Force leadership has emphasized this by providing adequate equipment, more physical training leaders and sufficient duty time to maintain personal fitness levels.”

• Military's Culture of Fitness — Founded on Training
  

  A fitness program or class, or any type of fitness training, is only as good and effective as the instructor who is running it. And to become a good instructor, it takes a passion for what you are doing, the proper training and the right opportunity. As the military ratchets up its commitment to fitness as a mission-essential component of readiness, services are hiring highly qualified fitness instructors with a love for what they are doing, and training those from within who are leaders and shakers already, are looking to get serious, get certified and start teaching. Personal trainers, aerobics instructors, fitness and program managers, aquatic directors and lifeguards — the demand for qualified and quality instructors is higher than ever in the military, as it is outside the gate.

  U.S. Air Force airmen and Army soldiers work out during an abdominal exercise class at the Red Tail Fitness Center on Balad AB, Iraq.

• Pool Therapy Invigorates Military Fitness ... At Home and Downrange
  

  Whether it is the Montpetit Pool at Forward Operating Base Prosperity, Iraq, or the therapy pool at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., the water provides the perfect medium for rehabilitating injuries more efficiently and getting those who are injured — a first-year cadet at the Academy or a soldier deployed in Iraq — back up to speed faster.

  The pool also provides the perfect environment to help those who are seriously injured to remain active and moving on the road to recovery, when they would have otherwise just been relegated to very limited movement on land and possibly de-conditioned during the healing process. The aiding nature of the water's buoyancy helps in the rehabilitative process, allowing patients to go from just simple exercises to keep them fit, to strengthening exercises that can determine if they are ready to start training back on land. All the while, the person is able to maintain a high level of fitness, and continue his/her training.

  Ultimately, the water provides the best of both worlds — variable resistance and low impact on the joints and ligaments.

  “Our coaches understand, and the players do too, that the sooner they get in the pool, the sooner they get back up to full speed.” — Larry Willock, USAF Head Athletic Trainer

  Soldiers with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, stretch out before beginning a session of pool therapy at Montpetit Pool, which opened last year at central Baghdad's Forward Operating Base Prosperity. The brigade's physical therapist, Capt. Matthew Larson, added pool therapy to soldiers' rehabilitation programs as a result.

Initial Thoughts: There's No “I” in Team ... Rec Notes: Macdonald Assumes Command of FMWRC Maj. Gen. John Macdonald, USA, FMWRC commander and IMCOM deputy commander, receives his second star from his mother, Martha Macdonald (left), and his wife, Brig. Gen. Anne Macdonald, USA (right), during a promotion ceremony Jan. 11 at the Pentagon Auditorium. Photo By Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs Maj. Gen. John A. Macdonald, USA, took the reins of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command (FMWRC) for the second time during a change-of-command ceremony on Dec. 21. Outgoing commander Brig. Gen. Belinda Pinckney, USA, passed the colors to the returning Macdonald during the ceremony, held at the Wallace Theater at Fort Belvoir, Va. Macdonald's second star was confirmed by Congress on Dec. 20, and he received the additional star during a promotion ceremony on Jan. 11. He is dual-hatted, remaining deputy commander of the Installation Management Command (IMCOM) while serving in the FMWRC commander position. The dual position is the first step in the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) realignment that will ultimately place IMCOM, FMWRC and the Army Environmental Command (AEC) together at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in 2011. Miles Hodges Dies Miles Hodges, longtime head of the Nonappropriated Fund (NAF) Construction Branch, Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS), passed away on Jan. 21. He was 68. “For the last 27 years, Hodges served Marines and their families as an advocate for their interest in ensuring their dollars were spent wisely,” according to a statement released by MCCS. Army Launches Wounded Warrior Sports Program Members of the Missing Parts in Action Team, along with other physically challenged runners, begin the 2007 Army Ten-Miler at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. The goal of the Army’s new Wounded Warrior Sports Program is to allow wounded soldiers an opportunity to continue to compete in state- and national-level sporting events. Photo by Tim Hipps, Family and MWR Command The U.S. Army officially launched its Wounded Warrior Sports Program in January for active-duty soldiers with serious injuries, giving them the opportunity to compete in competitions at the highest level. The Army will pay for the athletes' registration fees, transportation, lodging and per diem while they compete at selected events, according to Tim Hipps, Family and MWR Command Public Affairs. Athletic attire also will be issued to the soldiers, who will represent the Army during competitions. Soldier and Family Assistance Center Opens Photo by Elaine Wilson Sgt. 1st Class Larry Newkirk, his son William and Cpl. Jason Gifford cut the ribbon at the opening of the Soldier and Family Assistance Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 08, 2008. Assisting with the ribbon-cutting are (from left) Army Vice Chief of Staff Richard A. Cody; Newkirk; Secretary of the Army Pete Geren; Installation Commander Maj. Gen. Russell Czerw; Gifford; William Newkirk; Brooke Army Medical Center Commander Brig. Gen. James Gilman; Kevin Newkirk; Jessica Newkirk; Diane Newkirk; U.S. Army Garrison Commander Col. Wendy Martinson; and Charles O’Leary, SFAC supervisor. FMWRC to Hold Training in Louisville The Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command (FMWRC) recently announced that it will hold a series of training sessions for its MWR personnel at the Galt House Hotel and Suites in Louisville, Ky. The sessions are scheduled to take place from Aug. 24-27. FMWRC Chief Operating Officer Richard Gorman told sister publication Military Club & Hospitality that 1,000-1,100 Army personnel are expected in Louisville, including MWR directors, as well as headquarters, club, fitness and child-care personnel, etc. “Program managers from top to bottom throughout our enterprise” are scheduled to attend, according to Gorman. USAMU Shooter Wins Soldier of the Year MMA president retired Col. Robert I. Hoidahl Jr. (on right), presents Sgt. 1st Class Grant L. Singley the Soldier of the Year Award — a .45-caliber pistol donated by the Smith and Wesson Corp. USAMA photo A soldier of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) has been named as the Military Marksmanship Association Soldier of the Year. Sgt. 1st Class Grant L. Singley, a service rifle shooter with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, was selected as the Military Marksmanship Association Soldier of the Year for 2007. Inside Industry: Army Paintball Introduces Tippman Alpha Black Markers Military Running on Mondo Super X Track Anchor Industries Launches New Web Site www.anchorinc.com Discover Gerflor Sports Flooring's New Fitness Solution New Environmentally Friendly Lenox Lockers from Bradley New Hammer Strength Heavy Duty Line Built For Performance Playworld Systems' NEOS Lights Up Outdoor Play EQUIPMENT ROOM: Product Showcase

On the Cover: U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brian Tomlinson, a Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) specialist, negotiates an obstacle at Fairchild AFB, Wash. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Laura K. Smith.

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