MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. --
Marines’
wishes for more gym time at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point will be
granted as of Oct. 1, due to positive communication between the command and the
Marines.
The
Hancock and Devil Dog gym’s new hours will increase by more than 40 hours per
week collectively between the two fitness facilities.
“We are getting a win-win situation here,” said Sgt.
Maj. Benjamin L. Pangborn, MCAS Cherry Point. “In order to extend gym hours,
more personnel will be hired to accommodate the longer shifts. As more staff is
hired, we will extend the hours until we meet the requirements that the
honorable Mr. Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy, put out for us as directed
in the ALNAV 50/15.”
According to Mabus, by the end of 2015, each service
will ensure that their current fitness programs and facilities promote a
year-round culture of health and fitness.
“A career in the military is one of the most
challenging and rewarding our nation has to offer,” said Mabus. “Throughout our
history, the success we have enjoyed in combat is directly linked to our
ability to train and prepare. Those who volunteer to serve in the finest
expeditionary fighting force in the world deserve an environment supportive of
holistic long-term health and fitness.”
According to Mike Largent, the Chief Executive Officer
of Marine Corps Community Services at Cherry Point, this is being done in two
stages; with hours increasing at both the Hancock and Devil Dog gyms, MCCS will
drive toward fully staffing the gyms and opening them 24 hours a day by the end
of November.
“We are also in the middle of increasing the usable
square footage at the Devil Dog gym so the Marines will have more space to work
out in,” said Largent. “This should make a lot of Marines happy and that is
what we are here for, to serve the Marines because they mean a lot to us.”
According to Lance Cpl. Zacharia Hutchins, a
cyber-network operator with Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28, there is a
lot of people who go to outside gyms because of the limited hours here and who
will now save time and money with the newly extended hours.
“After work was a complete no-go because of the gym
closing so early,” said Hutchins. “Now we will have time after shift to get a
workout in every day.”
“I love the fact that our senior leadership is
listening and taking our advice,” said Hutchins. “It means a lot that our needs
are getting fulfilled.”
“Get those ideas up to us via chain of command or utilize
the Interactive Customer Evaluation system,” said Pangborn. “Let us know what
you are thinking so we can ensure that Cherry Point has everything that a
Marine needs.”