MARCH 16, 2015, WASHINGTON (NNS) – Beginning next month Navy Installations Command will extend Child Youth Center and MWR Fitness Center hours of operation in several locations as part of a pilot program to provide greater services to support Sailors and their families.
Three locations were selected to support the pilot, including Naval Base in Bremerton, Wash., Joint Expeditionary Base in Little Creek, Va., and Naval Station in San Diego, Calif.
“The pilot program in Bremerton will include extended hours for Child Youth Programs at the Child Development Center and the fitness center,” said James Baker, division chief for Morale, Welfare and Recreation at Navy Installations Command. “The pilot will also include extended hours at fitness centers at other selected bases in Little Creek and San Diego,” added Baker.
The locations were chosen for the pilot because of their proximity in fleet concentration areas where work requirements extend beyond a normal work day.
According to Baker, the pilot will determine whether the extended hours are useful for Sailors and their families. This initiative is in keeping with the Navy’s 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative to provide services across a spectrum of readiness and wellness areas to enhance combat effectiveness.
The pilot program will begin in April and continue for six months at each participating installation. The Child Youth Program hours in Bremerton will expand by four hours Monday through Friday, operating from 4:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Child Development Center. The fitness center hours at each location will be expanded from 90 hours to 118 hours per week and will operate Monday through Friday from 4:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. and from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. on weekends.
The pilot program will measure usage and staffing levels required to support the extended hours, and determine whether the expanded hours can be affordably extended to other facilities across the Navy.
With more than 50,000 personnel located at 70 installations under 11 Regions worldwide, Commander, Navy Installations Command ensures requirements necessary to train and operate the Navy’s Fleet are maintained and ready. Navy installations are responsible for facilitating the manning, training and equipping our fighting force, and support Navy families through Family and Community Services programs.