Pfc. Steven Sherry, 21, broke a game of nine ball Friday and glanced approvingly at the action around him.
Beyond the eight pool tables awaited a phalanx of state-of-the-art computers, gaming consoles and monitors. When they weren’t playing video games or surfing the Internet, soldiers lounged and watched the digital firefights on 55-inch or even larger projection screens.
The lighting dimmed, other soldiers talked in groups while music pulsed through the room. Above Sherry, a row of flat-screen televisions displayed sports and satellite programming.
Friday’s opening of the new $11 million indoor recreation center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord offers the ultimate hangout for young soldiers, joining the ambiance of a nightclub with the hardware of a souped-up Internet cafe.
The center, named Warrior Zone, will entertain the ranks of young soldiers, which has grown in recent years. It will induce them to remain on base, safe and away from trouble they might find in surrounding communities, said Bill Strock, civilian adviser to the soldiers’ group that helped design the new center.
Warrior Zone is on North Fort Lewis, walking distance for more than half of the estimated 8,000 single soldiers who live in barracks on Lewis-McChord.
The location is key, said Command Sgt. Maj. Matt Barnes, the garrison’s senior enlisted soldier.
A shuttle will help transport the estimated 150 airmen who live on McChord Field to the center, he said.
Sherry, of Monticello, N.Y., said he spends less time socializing on the installation since he moved to the South Sound. But Warrior Zone will be a destination for him in the future during lunch breaks and at the end of his duty shifts.
“I’ll probably stop in a lot more and play pool and video games,” he said.
Watching four platoon mates playing a military-based video game, Spc. Kent Kallstrom, 25, also expected to find time for the indoor recreation center.
Kallstrom, of Ephrata, lives on North Fort Lewis but often ventures out to play pool and ride his motorcycle.
“I was surprised; this is a nice place,” he said. “It’s going to be packed all the time.”
It’s the military’s second Warrior Zone; Fort Riley, Kansas, cut the ribbon on its 25,000-square foot center in August.
Lewis-McChord officials say no taxpayer money was used to construct the center; instead, the Army financed it using a portion of fees soldiers pay for morale, welfare, and recreation programs.
The entertainment is free, but soldiers do have to pay for food and drinks, which includes beer. The center also has a small movie theater and an outdoor patio with a fire pit.
There’s even a place for board games in the midst of all the whiz-bang technology. Dominoes and spades remain as popular as ever in the military because it’s easy to pack a deck of cards for a deployment, Strock said.
“Seeing these young guys happy, that’s the most important thing,” he said.
Christian Hill: 253-274-7390
Christian.hill@thenewstribune.com
Twitter: @TNTchill
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