Buckner Fitness Center opens expansion

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. Wes Wright
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Base officials cut the ribbon at the new Buckner Physical Fitness Center during a ceremony at the gym March 21.

The 35,000 square-foot state-of-the-art addition includes an aquatic center, rock-climbing wall and a plethora of new strength and cardio machines. The total square footage of available fitness space now exceeds 122,000 square feet.

"The improvements and features are tremendous," said John Limon, BPFC director. "Before, we had about 55 pieces of cardiovascular equipment. Now, we have 130. We've never had an indoor track; now we do. Squat racks went from two to 16. Our weightlifting platforms went from one to eight and, there's so much more."

Limon said one of the marquee attractions at Bucker is the addition of an aquatics center, which includes a waterslide, lazy river, a diving board and a wave pool. There is also a play feature that shoots water like a water gun.

Due to high maintenance and personnel cost associated with the aquatics center, there is a fee to access the pool; it is $5 for children under 13 and $7 for adults. The aquatics center hours are 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It is also open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

While family recreation was a consideration with respect to pool design, the new pool area will also help with physical rehabilitation and resiliency.

"There are parts dedicated for wounded warriors," said William Leider, quality assurance representative for the Army Corps of Engineers. "There's a [motorized] chair [which lowers people] into the pool. They can float, and they can swim and build strength back into their body."

The new, 34-foot rock-climbing wall also promises to be a key attraction at the expansion, Limon said. It has sections for everyone, from the experienced climber to the novice. The fitness center staff provides safety and harness hook-up instructions before people use the self-belaying system.

"Here at Buckner, we are very much focused on making Soldiers and Airmen better warfighters," Limon said. "I think that is evident in the layout and the equipment we have offered. We also understand that there is a strong resiliency piece that goes into fitness. Things like the aquatic center and rock wall offer a chance to get away from the everyday rigors of military life and make people more resilient."

Buckner's upgrades also included many new sets of free weights. It also includes a full Hammer Strength station lineup--plate-loaded resistance machines that pivot off a fixed fulcrum.

"Our old weight room had a maximum capacity of roughly 60 people," Limon said. "Now, we can easily accommodate 300 people."

One of the reasons Buckner can now accommodate so many people in its free weight area is the addition of a Pulastic multipurpose court the size of a basketball court. A Pulastic surface has a slight cushion to it, offering a gentler surface for different types of workouts.

"It's got some bounce to it," Limon said. It allows us to have multiple conditioning programs. We have battle ropes, medicine balls; people can do walking lunges and box jumps; you name it."

For cardio enthusiasts, not only are there 130 different cardio stations, but there is also a new indoor running track; and, for anyone with a lower body injury or anyone looking for an alternate form of cardio, the center now has arm ergometers.

"Basically, it's a cardio station like the hand bikes you see pedaling around in the summer," Limon said.

Further outdoor upgrades are scheduled to be completed in 2017 and include three baseball/softball fields and a multi-purpose field.

Completion of the indoor expansion marks the end of almost a decade of planning and nearly three years of construction, as various delays and setbacks challenged organizers and construction crews.

"This has been a long time in coming," said Air Force Col. Brian Bruckbauer, 673rd Air Base Wing and JBER commander. "This is a huge treat for all the men and women who work on JBER. There is a lot to see here and a lot for our families to take advantage of. Hats off to everyone who was involved in this project."

For more information on the programs and improved features to the BPFC, call 384-1369.