WASHINGTON - Sailors will soon have access to fitness centers on all Navy installations 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Commander, Navy Installations Command, which oversees all 70 Navy bases around the globe, signed a memorandum on March 8 authorizing installation commanding officers to move forward with implementing 24-hour entry to fitness facilities.
"If we require our Sailors to be physically fit and healthy so they can fulfill the Navy mission and deploy at a moment's notice, then we must provide the facilities and resources for them to do so," said Vice Adm. Scott Gray, commander of Navy Installations Command. "Not only does this make sense, it is the right thing to do for the quality of life of our Sailors and other service members."
Military personnel stand duty at varying hours of the day, including night shifts, depending on their roles and responsibilities. As a result, service members often had difficulty getting to the MWR gym during normal business hours and were forced to find alternatives.
"Maximizing access to fitness facilities makes it more convenient for our Sailors," Gray said. "We all know that exercise benefits one's physical health, but it also reinforces mental, emotional, and social health, which are important for our Sailors' overall wellbeing."
Fitness centers may be staffed or unstaffed outside normal business hours. For the safety of patrons, several restrictions will be implemented while fitness centers are unstaffed. These include: 1) Patrons must be 18 years or older; 2) Patrons younger than 18 must be supervised by a parent or legal guardian; 3) Guests are not permitted access; 4) Access to saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools, and aquatic spaces is not permitted.
Prior to instituting unstaffed fitness facilities, installation commanding officers must conduct initial operational risk assessment to be certified by the base's safety office and develop a standard operation procedure in order to ensure the safety of Sailors and other authorized patrons.
