Short-term burdens bring enhanced fitness, food services Published Dec. 16, 2015 By Tech. Sgt. Thomas Trower 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- A range of sweeping changes have begun at three primary 2nd Force Support Squadron facilities here, and upgrades will continue to be seen through October 2016. Facility renovations at Senior Airman Bryan R. Bell Fitness Center will enhance official fitness assessments, changes at Iron Airman Gym will allow 24/7 access, and upgrades at Red River Dining Facility will improve customer comfort. "The biggest thing with all this is meeting what customers need," said 2nd Lt. Joshua Kane, 2nd FSS chief of food operations. "Many of these projects have been in the works for years." Most customers have already encountered construction underway at the fitness center, where equipment shuffles and closure of the cardio room lend way to construction of a mezzanine. Currently, fitness assessments are held in a walkway. However, the addition, opening June 2016, will house 2nd FSS Fitness Assessment Cell operations. To maximize available equipment in the meantime, smaller projects are changing the facility in other ways. "[Basketball] Court One is being re-floored, and the free-weight equipment is being permanently relocated there," Kane said, adding that high-intensity interval training equipment will also be located there. "That project should be complete by early to mid-January." Airmen from throughout 2nd FSS are volunteering to complete jobs, like lowering sit-up bars, as self-help projects aimed to cut costs and expedite installation. Other fitness customers prefer the setup and specialized equipment of the Iron Airman Gym, and changes are underway there as well. "We're tailoring it for the crowd that uses that facility," Kane said. "We've asked them what workouts they like to do and how we can help." Soon, 24/7 access will be available to registered users, and flooring upgrades are improving safety. A new floorplan will also enhance high-intensity interval training sessions, Kane said. While most of these changes will be "seen" soon, improvements at the dining facility will be "felt" instead. The outdated heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment will be replaced starting around April 2016 and will force closure of the building between six months to a year. "We're going to install a twofold system of climate control," Kane said. "Right now, we have to turn off the heat to the whole building when the kitchen gets too hot, because it all runs on one system. This means the dining area can get cold while people eat." Dining options for Airmen on meal card will still be available at other 2nd FSS facilities, including the golf course, club, bowling alley and flight kitchen. Healthier options are being added, such as a salad bar at Fox Run Golf Course snack bar, he continued. Many of these changes to services have come about from customer feedback, which is continuously collected and scrutinized by installation leadership. The Interactive Customer Evaluation program at http://ice.disa.mil/index.cfm?fa=site&site_id=245 allows anonymous criticism. "Customers can use comment cards [at each support facility] or ICE," Kane said. "Good and bad, we encourage both types of comment."