1959 to 2015 - renovating the gym Published Dec. 11, 2015 By Senior Airman Jeremy L. Mosier 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- The fitness center is updating a few areas to better the quality of life for airmen at Mountain Home AFB. The pool, weight room and functional fitness areas are the three parts of the gym that will be attended to over the next four months. "We have a multitude of renovations going on, one of them is our functional fitness area," said Richard Holmes, 366th Force Support Squadron fitness center director. "We are putting diamond plating around it and giving it a new paint job." The functional fitness area is scheduled to open for use in the near future, after being closed for a few months. Next on the schedule is the pool. "The pool was built in 1959 so it has been well overdue to get a new liner in there to conserve water," Holmes said. They are also resurfacing the pool deck to make it slip resistant. For those who are interested in a more extreme pool session, there will be a rock climbing wall in the deep end of the pool. These renovations are projected to be finished by the end of April. Like the pool, the weight room is from 1959, but was first used as a basketball court before being transformed to what it is now. "It's basically going to update that room to be able to make it more of a weight room type atmosphere instead of an old gym basketball court," Holmes said. "There will be new floors, new rubber surface, diamond plate all the way around it to prevent from damaging the walls and two of the long walls are going to have mirrors on them to watch yourself for proper technique." For the first portion of the gym renovation, Dec. 15 through Jan. 18, it will still be open but machines will be moved eight feet away from the wall. Once the initial part is completed the weight room will be closed for 90 days. During the closure the facility is trying to adapt and relocate equipment enabling airmen to continue their regular workout routines. "We are going to take quite a bit of that equipment and locate it in aerobic room three area," Holmes said. "There will be dumbbells as well as some of the free weights." Although the gym will be under construction for the next five months or so, the 366th FSS expresses it's concern for the wellness of the airmen. "It's new and exciting," said Senior Airman Andrew Belo, 366th FSS fitness specialist. "Just as fitness itself is ever-evolving, and our fitness center does an excellent job adapting to accommodate those changes." The completion of each project has the same intent - to assist in keeping airmen mission ready. "With the flexibility I have in almost 120,000 square feet we can rearrange depending on what the Gunfighters need to stay healthy and to boost their morale," Holmes said. For more information on the fitness center construction, check out Airman 1st Class Chelsie Taddonio's video below.