PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. (Feb. 9, 2026) – For the first time in the history of the Presidio of Monterey, 24-hour access to Price Fitness Center is now available.
Used more than 15,000 times each month by individual service members, PFC is the most popular fitness facility on post, but access was previously limited to times when PFC staff were present. These time constraints presented challenges for service members stationed at PoM, given that many of them are students at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center and are engaged in rigorous language training.
Classwork and other military obligations often consume most of a service member’s day, leaving them little time to visit PFC during its previous standard operating hours. 24-hour PFC access alleviates some of that pressure and allows service members to pursue additional physical training outside of normal business hours.
“The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center is one of the most rigorous academic environments the Army has to offer,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Adam Bossart, the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Army Garrison PoM. “Success in the institute requires trainees to have a high level of holistic health and fitness to support the courses’ intellectual and mental demands. While the standard fitness center hours meet the needs of the vast majority of patrons, not everyone thrives within the same routines.”
Excitement for 24-hour access was high, well exceeding the expectations of PFC staff. Approximately 107 active-duty service members filled the reception area of the PFC the night of the first orientation.
“We expected interest when we announced we were opening outside of staffed hours, but I was shocked at the enthusiasm for 24-hour access,” said Erica Meyers, the chief of business and recreation at the USAG PoM.
Before a patron is authorized to enter PFC after staffed hours, they must attend an orientation where they will register and activate their common access card in the PFC entry system, learn the rules of unmanned gym hours and view a demonstration of the entry system.
“I have to work unusual hours, so I started going to the gym at the Naval Postgraduate School because they have 24-hour access and PoM did not,” said Tech. Sgt. Kate Herndon, a deputy flight chief for the 311th Training Squadron. “I no longer have to cut my workouts short to commute and I appreciate the flexibility.”
24-hour access to a fitness facility is a first for PoM, but not a first for military gyms on the Monterey Peninsula. Naval Support Activity Monterey first opened 24-hour access to the Monterey Bay Athletic Club April 1, 2024 and saw a positive response. NSAM staff assisted PFC employees in jump-starting their program by sharing their experience operating a 24-hour access facility.
“We began this process by checking out the Navy’s 24-hour access program,” Meyers said. “We had a lot of questions about what we needed to smoothly open and having a helpful partner just down the road made opening much easier.”
Meyers said the NSAM team shared their lessons learned in opening up 24-hours and recommended service options.The group also worked closely with Installation Management Command subject matter experts to add the 24-hour access function to the PFC.
“Our Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation team has been diligently working on this effort for over a year,” Bossart said. “The biggest challenges for this project were securing funding, gaining approvals and contract support for the necessary camera and access systems, and working through installation of the required physical security measures and supporting network infrastructure.”
PFC staff stressed the increased importance of lifting with a partner during unstaffed hours and asked service members use the time to stay fit, not attempt personal best lifts for safety reasons. Olympic weightlifting platforms and powerlifting equipment are not available for use during unstaffed hours.
The initial drive of sign-ups and subsequent enthusiasm for 24-hour access show that service members at PoM are ready to strengthentheir physical and mental toughness. Fitness is the foundation of mission readiness and USAG PoM is continuing to serve as a prime training ground for warrior linguists.
Active-duty service members interested in signing up for 24-hour PFC access can fill out the user agreement found at https://presidio.armymwr.com/programs/pfc and attend orientation in the fitness center on Tuesdays or Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.