Photo By Sgt. Daniel Schneider | On an outcropping overlooking Lolo Lake and palaces, Command Sgt. Maj. William...... read more read more
BAGHDAD — Soldiers gathered in the shade near the Reserve and National Guard liaison office at Camp Victory in anticipation of the ribbon cutting that will officially open a newly renovated facility for Soldiers to unwind and relax.
Freedom Rest, overlooking Lolo Lake, will allow Soldiers the chance to take a four-day pass when their missions might otherwise not allow time to travel to Qatar.
"Freedom Rest will allow commanders the opportunity to send Soldiers close-by for four days of rest, allowing Soldiers to return to duty sooner," said Gunnery Sgt. Terry Wells, a program operations non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Forces — Iraq personnel section, and the lead coordinator of the Freedom Rest project.
"This place will allow Soldiers to get back to their duties after four days of out of pocket time, as opposed to the average of six-to-ten days that Soldiers usually miss when going to Qatar, due to time held over in Kuwait waiting to get back to their station," Wells explained. Out-of-pocket time refers to the time a Soldier is away from their unit.
During the ceremony, an opening speech was given by Command Sgt. Maj. William Johnson, U.S. Division — Center command sergeant major. He said during the speech that his favorite part of the new Freedom Rest was the memory foam mattresses being on every bed.
Spc. Austin Bell, who works in theatre-wide casualty operations in the USF-I personnel section, had the opportunity to tour the facility following the ribbon cutting.
"I think for Soldiers who can't get home to see their families, this place will provide the next best thing," said Bell, who is a native of Iowa, just north of Des Moines.
This new facility strives to improve morale of Soldiers and give them the opportunity to relax even if they can't be spared for long periods of time.
"I know that if Soldiers come here and check out the facilities we've put together here, they'll be impressed," said Wells. "We've put in a lot of hard work for them, and we're proud of what this facility can provide."
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2010 09:13 |
| Story ID: | 47591 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 498 |
| Downloads: | 356 |
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