By Noriko Kudo, U.S. Army Garrison Japan Public AffairsFebruary 10, 2021
CAMP ZAMA, Japan (Feb. 10, 2021) – A brand new recreation room that includes billiards, desk tennis, darts and even traditional arcade cupboards was formally opened to the general public following a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 5 at Sagami General Depot.Dubbed the “Gauntlet Room,” the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation-run facility additionally contains an air hockey desk and a lounge area with leather-based couches and TVs, and is free to make use of for Soldiers, members of the family and neighborhood members with Department of Defense ID playing cards.The Gauntlet Room is situated subsequent to the Depot’s Sagami Lounge. Leadership from the set up’s thirty eighth Air Defense Artillery Brigade, for whom the ability is called, and the Sagami Lounge enterprise supervisor lower the ribbon in entrance of a small crowd of thirty eighth ADA Soldiers and guests.Manager Scotty Reed stated the area was initially residence to Sagami Bowl, a bowling center that had been there since opening after World War II. But the equipment had begun to not work correctly lately, so Reed went to Soldiers from the thirty eighth ADA—the one brigade at the moment headquartered in Sagami Depot—and requested them what sort of new facility they’d prefer to have there.“This was our opportunity to utilize the space for [something] the Soldiers wanted,” Reed stated.Reed spoke after the ribbon-cutting, saying stated he seems ahead to the Gauntlet Room attracting many guests to get pleasure from its many leisure facilities.“I hope to see not only the Soldiers, but also community members, visit … and enjoy themselves,” Reed stated.Sagami Depot is situated a couple of 40-minute drive from Camp Zama and Sagamihara Family Housing Area, the 2 installations the place Soldiers assigned to the thirty eighth ADA and their households reside. For those that commute to and from the Depot on daily basis for work, having a recreation facility close by is helpful, stated Capt. Ashley Patrick.“It is great for the Soldiers to have a place like the Gauntlet Room right next to the chow hall to relax and have fun at before PT hours, during our lunch break, and after work hours,” Patrick stated. “Since we spend a lot time out here, [it’s] a morale booster for the Soldiers.”First Sgt. Joey Salas, assigned to the thirty eighth ADA, stated the Gauntlet Room was one thing he and the Soldiers in his unit had been wanting ahead to, and was “a long time coming.”“Everything in here was all solicited ideas from the Soldiers themselves,” Salas stated. “The primary purpose of this facility is to give [them] the means to decompress and to have a little fun outside of the work area.”Salas stated he predicts lots of the Soldiers in his unit will use the ability usually, significantly throughout their lunch break.“It’s definitely truly an honor for this room to be named after our brigade—our Soldiers, most importantly,” Salas stated. “It’s going to be our legacy for all the future ‘Pacific Guardians’ who come and use this room.”The facility is open Monday by means of Friday, from 6 a.m. to three p.m.
