The Young Professional 1 - Arizona Parks and Recreation Association

Military Recreation:Questions Answeredby Bo HutchensIn the year 2013, when an unknown arises, the firstreaction of many is to pull out the iPhone or othersmart device (that is assuming one has a smart deviceand doesn’t still utilize a “dumb” phone like myself)and perform an internet search. When this search ismade for military recreation, the findings range fromRV campgrounds to lodging, but actual facts aboutmilitary recreation and who provides it are difficultto gather. Like many things within a governmentalorganization, information can be difficult to discover;however, the organizations that deliver recreationfor the military have a long history and are crucialto maintaining the mission readiness of the servicemembers and their families.So WHO provides recreational programming forthe military? That is a great question and I’m glad youasked! First, it is important to discuss who militaryrecreation is provided for. The 5 military services:Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corp, and CoastGuard service members are the primary targets. Alsoincluded in this customer base are: spouses, children,Reservists, retirees, Department of Defense civilianemployees, and some contractors. The providers ofrecreation for the military and other eligible patronscome in a variety of means, which can often differfrom service to service. For some services, the entireorganization is comprised of civilian employeesemployed by the government; in others some militaryservice members work within the department. Theseemployees range from recreation professionals withdegrees to former military personnel to militaryspouses, and more. Organizational names differ aswell. Military recreation for each service is titled as:Navy Morale, Welfare, & Recreation (MWR), ArmyFamily and Morale, Welfare, & Recreation (Family andMWR), Air Force Support Services Agency, MarineCorps Community Services (MCCS), and CoastGuard Morale, Well-Being, & Recreation (MWR).WHAT exactly is included in military recreation?The services that are provided can vary depending onthe installation and service; however, there are somemainstays that can be found at most installations.One would be a fitness/sports/aquatics facility andprogram. This facility/program is quite similarto one you might find at a college or universitywhere authorized patrons provide little or no feeto participate in these programs. Other programsinclude: golf courses, bowling centers, outdoorrecreation programs/gear rental, discounted attractiontickets, recreation centers, and activities designed for18-25 year-old service members.WHERE do these activities take place? As theseprograms are uniquely designed to meet the needsof the military and their families, they can be foundwherever there is a military installation. Dependingon the size of the base, number of active duty, andthe mission, all play a role in what activities/facilitiesare offered. Most military installations often appearlike small towns complete with housing, food stores,restaurants, and, in the case of installations overseas,even schools. Typical recreation facilities includingfitness centers, athletic fields, parks, playgrounds,pools, bowling alleys, and golf courses can all be foundas well.WHY offer these programs when most installationsare close to towns with some form of Parks andRecreation already established? There are severalreasons that the government delivers specializedrecreation for its military. First, there are uniquechallenges that military members and their familiesface which require specific and unique recreationin order to be productive and successful. Familiesare faced with only having one parent at home forextended periods of time due to deployments andlong work hours. Also, military installations can befound all across the globe in countries such as Japan,Germany, and Cuba. Service members and theirfamilies stationed at these locations are positivelyimpacted by the recreational opportunities that easethe locality of their mission.HOW does this military recreation work exactly?An answer to this question is fairly simple but it is alsoto provide due to the intricacies of the governmentwhich are compounded with the current state of thegovernment budget. Historically, different programsare funded in different ways depending on how crucialthey are to the mission. Some programs like fitness,sports, and young single-service member activitiesare fully supported with government funds. Otherslike golf courses and RV campgrounds are activitiesPage 10 | The Young Professional