OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — Fitness centers at air bases in South Korea and Japan are getting significant upgrades, with hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent on renovations and new equipment.
At Osan Air Base, the 51st Fighter Wing Fitness Center underwent a $400,000 renovation. This included fresh interior paint, an updated weight room with new strength training equipment, repairs to parts of the aging indoor track, and the addition of a stroller and wheelchair lift. The center now boasts 72 new pieces of equipment, including plate-loading machines, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and selectorized machines (weight training machines with built-in resistance). Dumbbells and free-weight plates were also added, according to Shengo Sheffield, Osan’s fitness center director.
At Yokota Air Base, home to the 374th Airlift Wing in western Tokyo, the Samurai Fitness Center recently upgraded its equipment with $100,000 worth of new weight machines and stationary bicycles, said Tech. Sgt. Daryl Delosreyes, the fitness operations manager. The center’s indoor basketball court is also being renovated at a cost of $600,000, according to Master Sgt. Faith Donovan, the fitness and sports superintendent. Work on the court began in February and is expected to be finished by fall. Additionally, the base resurfaced an outdoor basketball court and is working on a tennis court, though the cost of these projects is not yet available.
The upgrades are not part of any specific Air Force initiative to increase fitness spending, Delosreyes noted. The decision to renovate the Osan facility was made by Col. Jeff E. Elliott, commander of the 51st Mission Support Group, and Lt. Col. Annabelle Hill, commander of the 51st Force Support Squadron, after they visited the fitness center together in late March. The facility was closed for 10 days last month to complete the renovations.
“The Osan Fitness Center is a crucial facility for the resilience of active-duty members and their families,” Hill said in a statement. “The renovations were aimed at refreshing the space and improving the customer experience. We continually look for ways to serve the community and enhance warfighter readiness.”
Securing the new equipment for Osan took more than a year from the initial request, Sheffield added. “It’s important to keep the equipment up to date so everyone has access to quality workout gear, helping them stay ready for any challenges,” he said.
