FALLUJAH, Iraq -- An informal ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new fitness center took place here Monday, where recently deployed Marines and Sailors have hit the ground running – literally.
“All right, I need to go work out,” said Maj. Damian A. Bess, seconds after the ceremony. He’s the executive officer for Headquarters Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, and was one of the first to give the new-and-improved fitness center a try.
Combat engineers with Charlie Company, CLB-1, took on the task of building the cardio room, giving their peers a designated place for treadmills, bicycles and elliptical machines.
The air-conditioned building will help service members maintain cardiovascular fitness during the upcoming summer, when temperatures top 120 degrees.
“It’s going to be great, the Marines can stay fit year round,” said 1st Sgt. Leveta S. Smith, first sergeant for Charlie Company. “They really did a great job on this project.”
They also renovated the existing weight room by repairing broken equipment with spare parts they found on site.
“It’s a morale booster for all of our Marines,” said Sgt. Ronnie C. Mills, a 28-year-old from Barbour, Ky. He’s one of the squad leaders for Engineer Platoon, Charlie Company, and helped oversee the construction of the new cardio room.
“This is my third deployment here, and I’ve seen that things I built the first time are still standing,” Mills said. “It feels good to see these structures withstanding the test of time.”
He said the quality of his team’s work is always improving and expects the cardio room to be enjoyed for years to come.