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It was seven weeks in the making, but Baumholder’s new Warrior Zone is now a reality. The Warrior Zone officially opened at its new location next to the Hall of Champions May 23, only moments after the official opening of the Baumholder EXPO.
The new facility’s forte is actually twofold: it’s bigger and it looks great.
“The other location was just too small,” said Mary Jane Spreier, Warrior Zone relocation coordinator.
The Soldiers now have a lot more room and a large variety of entertainment systems to use. Another perk is that using the Warrior Zone does not cost the Soldiers a dime. It’s all free. “They can also bring guests, and they are welcome to use anything in our facility,” Spreier said.
The hub of the Warrior Zone is its multifunction room.
“It’s kind of a lounge area where people can come in, chill out or watch television,” Spreier said.
Next to the lounge is a pool room and game room. Down the hall, there is a computer room with eight computers and a large printer for Soldiers to use.
Free WiFi is also available throughout the building. There’s also a movie room that can deliver a real “large screen” experience because that’s what it has. If music is more your style, there is also a sound proof music room where anyone can live out their “Guitar Hero” fantasies.
But in these austere times for the military and the economy in general, where did the financial backing for all the games and furnishings come from?
“We found out that the Heidelberg Warrior Zone was closing, so we went looking to see what they had available, and they offered to give us everything that we would take.
We went to Heidelberg three times in the last seven weeks to pick things up. It was still all good stuff and we’re thankful for it. We’re very thankful for it,” Spreier said.
The need for a place like the Warrior Zone is obvious.
“Soldiers need to get out of the barracks. They need to unwind, have fun, goof around, play pool, or just relax and not think about their daily work schedule,” Spreier said.
For that reason, the Warrior Zone steers away from a military atmosphere.
“We don’t want the Warrior Zone to be too much military,” Spreier said. “We want them to have fun here. They need to get away from the stress of daily operations.”
The Warrior Zone is open from 3:30 to 10:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 4:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
“I hope that the Soldiers come in and use the facility,” Spreier said. “My two employees are waiting to see people in here and have fun.”
