Soldier Family Fitness Centers at Ft. Campbell
If you could be transported instantly to one of the family housing fitness centers at Ft. Campbell, bypassing the sentries at the security gates, the Cobra attack helicopters on display, and the memorials dedicated to the Screaming Eagles who paid the ultimate price, you might have a hard time figuring out where you were.
You would see people dressed in workout gear on well-maintained commercial fitness equipment. You’d see toddlers playing in a supervised area within view of their parents running on a treadmill or using a stepper. And there, a few steps from the fitness center—a Starbucks! It would seem so familiar to you—but not what you’d expect on an army base.
These centers serve the soldier families living at Ft. Campbell. The neighborhoods are run by Ft. Campbell Family Housing, a private contractor with a 50-year lease on the buildings and property. Of four community centers planned for Ft. Campbell, two are built and operational and two more are under construction, to be opened in Late Summer 2010. Each community center serves approximately 1000 households. In all, Ft. Campbell Family Housing houses 16,790 family members, including the soldiers.
Debra Cash, director of On Post Family Housing at Ft. Campbell, talked with Dane Burks & Co. about the nature of their service and the facilities they provide.
“These families have loved ones serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, in Europe, and even in places we aren’t allowed to know about, and we want them to feel good about being there,” she says. She says the soldier families’ needs are just like other families, and they try to make daily life as normal as possible for them.
“We try to make it so all the families have to worry about is whether their soldier is coming home safe.”
The neighborhoods are within the protected perimeter of Ft. Campbell. “We don’t like to use the term ‘safe and secure,’ because no place can guarantee that, but we refer to our neighborhoods as ‘gated communities,’ because that is the closest comparison to what these are like.”
They want families to feel at home. Because Debra and most of the people who work for her have been in military families or served in the military themselves, they understand the struggles of the military families. They have lived in Army-run housing. They have learned what works as well as what can be improved.
ON-POST CONVENIENCES CONTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY COHESION
The community centers and fitness centers, like the neighborhoods, have special touches to give them a civilian look and feel. The community center at Hammond Heights has the first Starbucks ever on a military post. It also has the first boundless playground on a military post.
Little things have been included that make a big difference to the families. At Warner Park’s community center, the fitness center has been placed near the children’s supervised play area, and a window lets parents see that their kids are okay while they work out.
The fitness centers are equipped with high-quality, commercial-grade equipment. Debra says that they learned from other bases not to skimp on quality. “We talked to the people at Ft. Hood, and they said to go with commercial-grade equipment. The other stuff just won’t hold up under the use we get.”
Dane Burks & Co. designed the fitness center layout and helped Ft. Campbell Family Housing select the right equipment. Debra was pleased with Dane Burks & Co. and their contribution.
“We showed them the floorplan,” she says, “and we asked them to tell us what would work. And they did the rest.”
Dane Burks & Co. also provides maintenance and service for their equipment.
Dane himself understands much of what the soldiers and their families are going through. He was a platoon sergeant with the Army Reserve for 15 years and was assigned to the 4203rd U.S. Army Hospital, where he provided medical support and physical fitness training.
While he was never deployed overseas, Dane worked with many who were and he knows leaving family for months at a time is not easy. “It is tough on the soldier and on his or her family,” says Dane. “I am really glad to see how they are taking care of the families at Ft. Campbell. And I am honored that we got to be a part of it by doing their fitness centers.”
The fitness centers within the community centers have elliptical and treadmill aerobic machines, strength equipment, dumbbells, and some free weights.
The amenities and their proximity add up to lots of use. According to Debra, “We talk to our community center managers and ask for feedback from the families. So far the feedback is that they love having a fitness center close to home, within their neighborhoods.”
“And when you have easy access to a gym that fits you,” she adds, “working out can become a part of your life that’s fun, exciting and easily works into your daily routine.” Again, it comes back to creating a normal daily routine for families that have a lot on their minds.
CARING FOR EACH OTHER LIKE FAMILY
Debra works hard but to her it’s not just a job, she says. “This is a job that inspires and a job that feels more like a daily good deed then an actual job. We feel honored to work for the courageous families at Ft Campbell.”
That passion comes from personal experience. Debra’s two sons have served in the Middle East, and one is preparing for his second deployment. “I want my sons to receive the best care and service possible at all times. Because I want the best for them, I work hard to ensure we provide the best to all soldiers and their families as they pass through On Post Housing at Ft Campbell.”
That kind of dedication doesn’t come easily. But it is readily available at Ft. Campbell among the soldiers, their families, and those working to create a place they can call home.