Matt Decker
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (March 25, 2021) — Looking to improve your fitness? There are five fitness facilities on Fort Leonard Wood that serve most Department of Defense ID card holders: Specker Gym and Davidson Fitness Center, which are run by Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation; and Cunningham Gym, Shea Gym and Swift Gym are run by the 1st Engineer Brigade, 3rd Chemical Brigade and 14th Military Police Brigade, respectively.
While all five facilities can offer a great workout, they each have certain aspects that make them unique. The following is a brief guide to the fitness centers on the installation:
FMWR fitness centers
Both Davidson Fitness Center and Specker Gym are open to all authorized Department of Defense personnel, including active-duty service members, DoD civilian employees, retirees, members of the National Guard or Reserve and family members ages 18 and older with a DoD ID card.
“The main difference between the FMWR fitness centers and unit fitness centers is the standard focus,” explained FMWR Chief of Sports Jeffrey Barrett. “Our FMWR fitness centers not only cater to our military by providing them with the outlets they need to be ready for any situation, but we also offer many complex programs, such as fitness classes, recreational sports, ceremony and aquatics.”
With COVID-19 mitigation measures still in place, both DFC and Specker facilities are closed up to one hour per day for cleaning. Patrons are advised to check the latest schedules online at https://leonard wood.armymwr.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/mwr.ftwood for updates.
— Davidson Fitness Center, located in Bldg. 1300 at 1300 South Dakota Ave. Starting today, the center is open to all authorized patrons from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. on holidays. DFC is the largest fitness facility on post, with its 68,000 square feet encompassing four basketball courts, a weight room, an elevated indoor running track, a cardio room featuring a variety of treadmills, elliptical machines, exercise bikes, stair climbers and more; along with an indoor pool. Although currently closed due to COVID-19, three racquetball courts, an aerobics studio and locker rooms are also a part of the facility.
“DFC is also the main facility for intramural and rec league sports during the winter seasons,” Barrett said. For more details, visitors can call DFC at 573.596.4359 or visit https://leonardwood.armymwr.com/programs/davidson-fitness-center.
— Specker Gym, located in Bldg. 1714 at 6060 Michigan Ave., is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on holidays. Known as the installation’s premier weight-training facility, Specker Gym features a 9,000-square foot weight room with a variety of machines and free weights, along with a 2,000-square foot cardio room, a spin room, equipment check-out and more.
Visitors can call the center at 573.596.7377 or visit https://leonardwood.armymwr.com/programs/specker-gym for more details.
Unit gyms
— Cunningham Gym, located in Bldg. 746 on West 11th Street, is operated by the 1st Engineer Brigade. It is currently open from 5 to 9 a.m. and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and is closed on weekends, federal holidays and training holidays. The 5 to 8 a.m. time frame is reserved for active-duty training, during which patrons are required to wear the Army Physical Fitness Uniform. The gym will be open 24 hours during the month of April as part of a special pilot program (See related story https://www.army.mil/article/244629/cunningham_gym_to_test_247_schedule). Open to permanent party service members, their families and DoD civilians, the gym features weight rooms, a cardio room and a functional fitness/recovery room. To access the facility, patrons sign in and out with a DoD ID card.
1st Engr. Bde. Command Sgt. Maj. Rodney Russell said all patrons are asked to follow gym policies and ensure adherence to COVID-19 mitigations.
“Although masks are not mandated during workouts, it is encouraged to wear masks while entering or exiting the facility, or while interacting with gym cadre to sign in or out,” Russell said.
For more information, contact the 1st Engr. Bde. at 573.596.0224.
— Shea Gym, located in Bldg. 640 on West 6th Street, is operated by the 3rd Chemical Brigade and is open to all DoD ID card holders ages 16 and older.
The gym is open from 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, with military-only usage with APFU uniform adherence required prior to 8 a.m.
Amenities include several power racks, benches, free weights, Olympic and hex bars, machines, cardio equipment, pull-up bars and turf to accommodate sprint/drag/carry drills.
“It’s a great facility for fitness goals,” said Sgt. Maj. Jason Duncan, 3rd Chem. Bde.
For more information, contact the brigade at 573.596.0805.
— Swift Gym, located at the corner of West 16th Street and Buckeye Avenue, is run by the 14th Military Police Brigade and is open from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with reserved military training times with APFU requirements prior to 8 a.m.
The facility is open to all DoD ID cardholders.
“We follow FMWR rules to determine who is allowed to enter the gym and place no additional restrictions,” explained 14th MP Bde. Command Sgt. Maj. Paul DeSanto.
The facility features a basketball court, functional fitness areas with a turf Army Combat Fitness Test lane, climbing ropes, two cardio rooms with treadmills, ellipticals, row machines and more, combatives mats and two weights rooms.
Although currently closed due to COVID-19, the facility also features showers, locker rooms and a sauna.
For more information, call the 14th MP Bde. at 573.596.0424.
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About Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.
Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.
Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.
More information about Fort Leonard Wood is at: https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/about/mission