On Saturday, Fort Bragg temporarily closed the doors of the Blackjack, Funk and Hosking physical fitness centers (PFCs). The closings are a result of the federal hiring freeze that went into effect in January, shortly after the change in administration.
While the ongoing hiring freeze does not apply to service members, civilian positions at Fort Bragg and other military bases are not exempt. Other sites have reported similar cutbacks, such as reduced hours at child care centers.
In a Facebook post, the base’s director of welfare and recreation announced the closures, saying, “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our patrons of these three PFCs. We will continue to operate the remaining 11 PFCs on normal business hours. We will update this page and our website when the facilities are scheduled to reopen.”
In a statement to The Fayetteville Observer, garrison commander Col. Brett Funck said, "The closures are temporary, but at this time we do not know when we will be able to reopen these facilities." The staff from the closed gyms have been reassigned to fill other vacancies on base.
