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[MADem]

51. I have some experience with this sort of situation.

Go on and close that bowling alley--and you'll hear from the ombudsmen that that's where they held their meeting of their charitable organization, or that's where their kids had their after-school program, or that's what kept those punk eighth graders out of trouble when the pool closed. You'll get an earful. Every opportunity you can take to keep a variety of MWR/MWA activities open and viable, you need to take. As an installation commander, you're judged not just on how well your base runs day-to-day, but on your bottom line. If you can't keep your non-appropriated funds instrumentalities up-n-running, you're a loser.

It's not a question solely of "local prominence," though that is not ignored, certainly, but it is a question of money, and if a regular visitor can help the base out in other ways (donating to a scholarship fund, for example, to be awarded to one of the kids of a servicemember graduating from high school, or contributing funding for a Welcome Home BBQ for returning deployed personnel) this kind of thing is helpful. It does forge better relations with the local community, and if the local community isn't hating the military, life is easier all around.

These people aren't nearly helpful if THEY have to be "sponsored" and signed in--their utility is that THEY can bring five others in during the daytime to spend money on base. Believe me, that money is critical to keeping the recreational services--that are used by junior personnel with not much money in their paychecks--available.

About the only thing run by MWR/MWA that can "legally" lose money is the gymnasium--that's because it's a "mission readiness" component--people need to be fit to fight and have to pass their PT test twice a year.

This sort of thing, where civilians are granted access, ONLY applies to MWA/MWR (non-appropriated funds) recreational activities. PX/Commissary privileges will NEVER be granted to them--DOD has made this very clear down the years, and it won't be changed.