Sailors at Naval Air Station Patuxent River now have a single building to handle everything from booking a rental kayak to grabbing a controller for a video game night, after base officials cut the ribbon Sept. 1 on a newly renovated Morale, Welfare and Recreation facility near the installation’s main gate.
The building splits into two functions under one roof. On one side, the Community Recreation Center handles the logistics of base life open to all hands — selling tickets to events, running leisure skills classes, renting out outdoor gear, organizing bus trips, and pointing people toward what’s happening on base and in the surrounding area. On the other side sits a dedicated Liberty Center, open only to junior enlisted sailors in pay grades E1 through E6, stocked with video games, a TV and movie setup, pool tables, MWR laptops and Wi-Fi, and a music room where sailors can pick up drums or a guitar.
NAS Patuxent River Community Recreation Director Jennifer Beavers said the location itself is a big part of the upgrade. “We are most excited about the new location and being so close to the gate,” Beavers said. “We are also excited about the expanded space for our Liberty Center and being able to offer more programming for our Junior Sailors.”
Getting the space ready took a full interior overhaul — new paint, flooring, countertops, cabinets and walls — work Beavers credited to the base’s MWR maintenance team. Commanding Officer Capt. Mark Zematis joined staff for the ribbon-cutting, according to a Defense Visual Information Distribution Service account of the event.
The new center is part of Navy MWR’s broader push to keep programming centralized and accessible for sailors, under a mission the command describes as supporting resiliency, retention, readiness and quality of life. Details on programs and hours at the new facility are posted at navymwrpaxriver.com
