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    Greywolf supports fitness center

    Greywolf supports fitness center

    Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Banzhaf | Spc. Jack Streeter, a Columbus, Ohio, native and a cavalry scout with 3rd Battalion,...... read more read more

    FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

    08.25.2014

    Story by Sgt. Brandon Banzhaf 

    3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

    FORT HOOD, Texas – Day in and day out, hundreds of Soldiers burn countless calories at the Greywolf Physical Fitness Center lifting weights, running on treadmills, and playing racquetball.

    In addition to enjoying the facilities at the fitness center, Soldiers with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division assist the gym staff in providing various, free services to its patrons.

    “They don’t have a lot of civilians working here,” said Spc. Matthew Christiansen, a Giddings, Texas, native and infantryman with 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd BCT. “Having a couple Soldiers pick up some of the workload helps make sure people who come into the gym can get the most out of their experience at the gym.”
    In order to support the fitness center, six Soldiers were assigned to report to the gym starting Aug. 1 for 180 days.

    The Soldiers work during the gym operating hours, and they report to the shift leader, an employee of the fitness center.

    Since the Abrams Physical Fitness Center is being renovated, many of its regular patrons also use the Greywolf gym. Though there wasn’t an increase in staff, the influx of people using the gym causes its employees to work harder and faster to keep up with the daily cleaning and maintaining tasks.

    “It’s important to support the fitness center, because Soldiers from our brigade like to workout a lot, and it’s located almost in the center of the brigade’s footprint,” said Christiansen. “Most of all, it’s free. Not like the gyms off post, which could get pricey.”
    The fitness center offers a variety of services, including physical training classes, and is open every day of the week, so Soldiers don’t have to go off post.

    “I see Soldiers in here until the last minute trying to work out as much as they can before we close,” said Spc. Jack Streeter, a cavalry scout with 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd BCT. “We flicker the lights to let them know that we are closing in one minute. They know what that means.”

    The fitness center accommodates physical training classes and is open every day of the week.

    “Since this is the main gym on post now, we are open on the weekends,” said Christiansen. “We provide the rooms for physical therapy and spin classes.”

    It gets really busy around PT hours and during lunch. The detailed Soldiers help the gym and its services operate smoothly, said Christiansen.

    “Depending on how much people are working out determines when we do certain tasks,” said. “If the gym isn’t busy, then we mop, replace towels, and go around cleaning.”

    “There has to be a person at the front desk at all times to have them scan their ID cards and validate that he or she is a Soldier, family member or DoD employee,” said Christiansen.

    As one person watches the desk, the others focus on sanitation. The Soldiers are expected to be proactive by walking around looking for weights or equipment that hasn’t been put back after it has been used.

    Along with putting equipment back where it belongs, the detailed Soldiers carry spray bottles with cleaning solution and towels to wipe sweat off of the machines and keep the equipment sanitized.

    “It’s great to work here,” Streeter said. “Since this is the gym I use, to work in it gives a feeling of ownership. I feel pride in having a clean gym.”

    The Greywolf Fitness Center is located on 58th Street and Old Ironsides Avenue.

    The gym’s hours of operation are from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 08.25.2014
    Date Posted: 08.25.2014 11:23
    Story ID: 140276
    Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US
    Hometown: GIDDINGS, TX, US

    Web Views: 62
    Downloads: 1

    PUBLIC DOMAIN