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By Senior Airman Hunter Hites
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --
After months of renovations, the 673d Force Support Squadron reopened Hangar 5 on Dec. 8, 2025. The restoration of the major fitness hub expands access to a training environment that supports the strength, endurance and physical readiness required for the development of lethal, combat-ready servicemembers on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
The nearly 90-year-old converted aircraft hangar once again serves as a satellite fitness facility, offering functional fitness equipment and an open layout designed for large-scale unit physical training.
“Hangar 5 is uniquely suited, especially in our northern tier environment, to provide a large, open space that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else on the installation,” said Joshua Grieser, 673d FSS director of the Elmendorf Fitness Center. “The ability to gather units for PT, train together and build fitness directly supports the lethality of our force and ties into the priorities of Ready Airman, Ready Base and Ready Community.”
With a $5 million congressional facility overhaul allocation, the facility was closed in April to improve JBER’s capacity to build and sustain warfighter fitness, The renovation included new roofing, structural repairs, resurfaced fitness flooring, netting around the field and improvements aimed at making the aging hangar more functional and safer.
“We installed lines and platforms that allow a company-sized Army unit to run the ACFT with 12 lanes at once,” Grieser said. “We thought about the entire JBER community because increasing capability for one service strengthens readiness across the installation. The design also intentionally supports joint operations, including Army requirements.”
The reopening ensures servicemembers maintain reliable access to fitness spaces during a time the Air Force is elevating its emphasis on combat readiness.
“Our [servicemembers] rely on consistent access to fitness resources to meet standards and support the mission,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Chad Shinn, the 673d FSS Services and Sustainment Flight commander. “Opening Hangar 5 keeps our community moving and ensures we stay focused on readiness and resilience.”
Equipment inside Hangar 5 differs from other JBER fitness centers, with optimized functional fitness equipment, designated cardio space, and open areas suited for both individual workouts and organized unit training essential to physical readiness.
“We want people to have multiple ways to train and stay injury-free,” he said. “The size of this space lets us bring new programming online that only a facility like Hangar 5 can support.”
Hangar 5 operates from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For more information on Hangar 5, visit jberlife.com or call (907) 552-3624.
| Date Taken: | 12.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.08.2025 20:49 |
| Story ID: | 553471 |
| Location: | ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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