Gym Equipment Review: The SCIFIT TC1000 Commercial Stepper

Camp Humphreys readies for more troops, Families – FMWRC – US Army 100727


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PHOTO CAPTION: USAG-H: One of several new athletic facilities under construction, Camp Humphreys’ new “Super Gym” will house an indoor pool, three full-size basketball courts, a 200 meter running track, weight room and locker room. It is scheduled to open this year. U.S. Army photo by Edward Johnson, IMCOM-K Public Affairs.

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Camp Humphreys readies for more troops, Families
Jul 27, 2010

IF you build it, they will come."

The massive military community rising from the rice paddies in South Korea dwarfs anything Kevin Costner’s character might have envisioned in the movie "Field of Dreams."

The old Camp Humphreys is transforming from a quiet aviation base off the beaten track from Pyongtaek into a major hub for U.S. forces in South Korea. It’s part of a major realignment of the 28,500 servicemembers in Korea, with nearly all of them scheduled to move south of the Han River within the next several years.

All but a tiny residual force will leave U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, current home to U.S. Forces Korea and Combined Forces Korea in the heart of Seoul, and the 2nd Infantry Division and its supporting elements will relocate from Camp Casey and its tiny satellite bases north of the capital.

Most will consolidate at Camp Humphreys, where a U.S. military base is being built that’s unlike anything ever seen before on the Korean peninsula.

The project is moving forward, full speed ahead, Gen. Walter "Skip" Sharp, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, reported to the House Armed Services Committee in March.

"We are on track, over the next five or six years, to complete all of the construction down there," he told the panel. "We will actually start moving down there in 2012, and then phase that in over the next several years following that."

Sharp resisted setting a definitive timetable for completion, but said the effort is on the fast track.

"We’re trying to do it as quickly as possible, to be able to return this land to the Republic of Korea and to consolidate our forces to improve the quality of life for our servicemembers," he told Congress.

At Humphreys, Col. Joseph Moore, the garrison commander, gets excited talking about the enormity of the project and the unprecedented quality of life it will offer.

Initial plans called for the post’s population to more than quadruple from the current 10,000, which includes 4,200 military members and about 2,500 U.S. civilian employees, contractors and Family members. But a new dynamic added to the mix just as the relocation plan was being launched-the normalization of tours in South Korea-is expected to further increase the scope of the project, Moore said.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced in December the extension of tour lengths in Korea. Under the normalization plan, single servicemembers will serve two-year tours, and married troops who bring their Families will stay for three years.

So instead of about 1,900 Family members currently here, and about 15,000 expected to arrive as U.S. forces relocate south and more command-sponsored slots are offered, Moore estimates that the post ultimately could become home to as many as 30,000 Family members, swelling the base’s total population to more than 62,000.

Bulldozers are busy at work preparing for their arrival. The result will be a brand-new installation, unrecognizable to anyone who has served in the hodgepodge of buildings built at Humphreys over the decades to accommodate troops serving one-year, unaccompanied tours.

Seventy percent of those existing buildings will be razed, explained Todd Dirmeyer, chief master planner for the project. Replacing them will be a state-of-the-art community planned from the ground up to accommodate servicemembers and their Families. The new Humphreys complex will dwarf the current post, tripling its size to almost 3,600 acres and providing about 30 million square feet in finished building space, compared to the current 4 million.

For comparison’s sake, Fort Bliss, Texas, the U.S. installation experiencing the most growth due to base realignment and closure mandates, is adding 13 million square feet of facilities, Moore noted.

"It really is an awesome thing, if you think about it, because we are going to build a city here," he said. "This is like starting with a blank canvas that considers the whole of the property and the timing of the demolition and construction. At the end of it, we will have essentially a new installation, instead of a new one adjoined to an old one."

That new installation will provide state-of-the-art unit training, maintenance and equipment storage facilities, as well as modern housing, dining and recreational amenities, Dirmeyer said.

The plan incorporates lessons from Fort Bliss and other BRAC installations, from the multi-story post exchange that’s proven successful at Kadena Air Base, Japan, and from the transformation Moore oversaw at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany.

"This represents a new vision, with efficient and thoughtful facility placement," Dirmeyer said, as he looked over a map of the post dotted with different-colored squares and rectangles representing facilities to be built.

"The maneuver and training areas designated for local training are situated away from the housing, recreational and commercial areas. The industrial areas and vehicle maintenance facilities are away from those areas," he said. "Troop housing is within walking distance of working areas. Family housing is in a commercial area, with Family-friendly facilities and schools within walking distance or an easy commute."

Barracks will be the popular "one plus one" design, in which servicemembers have private bedrooms and bathrooms, but share a common living area. A private company will pay for, build and manage most Family housing units, similar to the residential communities initiative being used at stateside posts.

A downtown shopping area, built around a food, beverage and entertainment complex, will give garrison residents a sense of Hometown USA, Dirmeyer said. An aquatics park that opened in 2006 already has proven to be a big hit, as well as the new community fitness center, affectionately called the "Super Gym."

While providing these and other quality-of-life amenities, the planners took pains to preserve green spaces. Walkways connect living and working areas, and ball fields, picnic areas and a riverfront jogging path will beckon residents outdoors.

Even with his latest challenge-accommodating an additional 15,000 Family members due to tour normalization-Moore is committed to preserving sweeping outdoor areas. "We’re looking at a lot of different options, and we have a lot of ideas," he said. "What we don’t want is to sacrifice what is really a great plan by plugging additional buildings in almost randomly."

As these final decisions are made, Humphreys is buzzing with construction activity.

Eighteen construction projects, with a contract value of .2 billion, already are under way on the existing post. Another 57 projects are in the planning and design process.

Meanwhile, a massive effort is under way to build up the rice paddies surrounding the post to accommodate the new construction. The land needs to be built up almost 15 feet to bring it above the 50-year flood plain, Moore said.

That, Dirmeyer explained, takes a lot of dirt.

"On a busy day this summer, you would see upward of 3,000 vehicles in a single day, bringing dirt in here," he said. "If you took all the mileage from the first truck to the very last truck required to do this land expansion, it would equal 17 round-trips to the moon. And if you took all the fill, it would fill the Hoover Dam." As the land is built up, giant piles are being driven into the ground to provide a stable building site.

As the planning and building processes take place, Moore said, the biggest challenge is ensuring it never interferes with the U.S. mission here.

"My first goal is to support General Sharp’s first priority: to be prepared to fight tonight," he said. "So everything we do has to be connected to that first goal. We cannot do something that would interrupt a unit’s ability to do its mission."

The effort here also supports Sharp’s priority of strengthening the U.S.-South Korea alliance because of the cooperative way it’s being planned, funded and built, Moore said.

Moore said he’s particularly proud of the quality-of-life improvements the new U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys will provide U.S. servicemembers and their Families, fulfilling Sharp’s third command priority.

Ultimately, Moore said he expects Humphreys to be the assignment of choice for U.S. forces, who will come to see it as the best place to serve in South Korea.

"This ought to sell itself. We ought not have to sell Humphreys," he said. "If we do it well, it will sell itself, and servicemembers will tell other servicemembers that this is a great place to live."

Donna Miles writes for the American Forces Press Service, Defense Media Activity. This story was originally featured at Defense.gov.

Humphreys home to first American water park (by Steven Hoover)

SINCE May 2007, members of the U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys community have marked the beginning of the summer season by participating in activities at the Splish and Splash Water Park, the first park of its kind on an Army installation in Korea.

Operated by Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, the park was specifically designed to provide the excitement of a typical American water park. It has all the basic necessities: two water slides, a zero-entry water play area, children’s pool and water fort, and an Olympic-size pool. There is also a hot tub, snack bar, outdoor volleyball court, one- and three-meter diving boards, an amphitheatre, water basketball area and locker rooms.

Near the children’s play area is a snack bar and umbrella-covered tables, where parents can relax while their little ones play in the pools. The children’s area has a zero-entry pool design, which allows them a gradual entry into the pool instead of a sudden drop off into the water.

Patrons travel from all over the peninsula to use the facility.

Although the park gets the bulk of its usage during the summer season, it opens in January for the annual Polar Bear Swim. This year, about 200 people participated in the event.

www.army.mil/soldiers/

Gym Equipment Review: The SCIFIT TC1000 Commercial Stepper

Article by Jeffrey Atlas

Stair stepper, stair climber — call it what you will. This great piece of gym equipment is a terrific means of attaining a complete body workout in the smallest amount of time. To do this, it’s necessary either to belong to a gym or health club, or to acquire some key pieces of fitness equipment on your own, so you can work out at home, when it’s most convenient for you. A treadmill is a totally necessary item, but how about other pieces of equipment? The stair stepper is one piece of fitness equipment that’s often overlooked by those who are outfitting their home with a few select pieces of workout equipment. We appreciate the stepper as it is a remarkable means of acquiring a total body workout with important cardio benefits. Here’s some information about a full-featured stepper from SCIFIT: the TC1000 commercial model

Gym Equipment: Key Features of the SCIFIT TC1000 Commercial Stepper

One quality we are fond of with this TC1000 is that this equipment is self-powered; this means it won’t need an electrical hook-up. So, you should be able to employ it almost anywhere, this includes outside locations. Imagine, enjoying an invigorating workout in the garden! Still another advantage of this TC1000 is that the movement of stepping is completely smooth and natural; hence, there is not as much danger of injuring or stressing the muscles or bones. This TC 1000, furthermore, is not very noisy as it functions, and it has got a flowing and independent step action. Because it’s a commercial model, the TC1000 has superior durability and is built to support even the most vigorous workout. Having a space issue? Don’t worry, this premier piece of–gym equipment has a footprint that is quite condensed to fit even a small-size house or flat; it can also accommodate individuals of all fitness levels and ages.

Gym Equipment: Other Information Regarding the SCIFIT TC1000 Commercial Stepper

The TC1000′s foot beds are orthopaedically made, and also are constructed with an elevated safety edge. They measure a generous 43 x 17cm, large enough for almost all users. The foot beds use within a good speed range of 1.5 to 33m per minute. This machine’s independent step action boasts a 35.5 step height scope. This stepper’s resistance is non-friction and magnetic; it has a belt-type drive system. There’s a multi-position handrail for both the free climb and side supported positions. The TC1000 is expansively employed in medical and also rehabilitation places; plus it is used in fitness centres and gyms.

Gym Equipment: A Few Specifications of the SCIFIT TC1000 Stepper

Because the TC1000 doesn’t have a minimum RPM, it is great for people just commencing an exercise programme. The console display shows time, distance, pace, speed, climb rate, heart rate and METs, level, and calories. The heart rate sensing system can be used with nearly every wireless type monitor, for instance, those manufactured by Polar. A person is able to utilise various hand positions because of the ergonomically built handlebars. The programmes are 6 hill programmes, random, constant work, heart rate controlled, and manual; plus it has more than 20 intensity levels.

The SCIFIT TC1000 commercial stepper is a worthwhile addition to any home gym equipment collection.

Phoenix 99226 Power Pro Olympic Bench

• Full Olympic-size bench with incline, decline, and flat bench positions
• Comes with leg lift, lat tower, and preacher curl attachments
• Heavy-duty 3-inch steel frame built for stability and long life
• Built-in squat rack in the rear; 3 Olympic weight plate adapters and spring clips
• Measures 88 x 83 x 60 inches (W x H x D); 1-year frame warranty

Full Olympic size, not a "cheater". Uprights are 42" apart on inside dimensions. Deluxe lat tower and arm curl included - great value! With built in squat rack in rear. This sturdy, heavy duty machine is multi-stationed and equipped with extra padding for comfort. Warranty is 90 days parts, 1 year frame. Maximum user weight 300lbs., uprights 400lbs., leg lift 150lbs., lat tower 150lbs. Not recommended or guaranteed for user over this limit.Tired of heading to the gym for weight workouts? Turn to Price: $ 230.77 Rating: ({noreviews} reviews) Phoenix 99226 Power Pro Olympic Bench

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