Outdoor Adventure Center promotes Comprehensive Airmen Fitness through recreational activities

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jessica B. Nelson
  • 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Beale Air Force Base is surrounded by fields that stretch as far as the eye can see.  Although the surrounding area appears empty, it is flourishing with activities for every season, from kayaking at Lake Engelbright, hiking the hills of Napa Valley, or snowboarding at Lake Tahoe. 

The Outdoors Adventure Center provides equipment, trips and opportunities for Team Beale to experience what the local area has to offer and also incorporate the four pillars of Comprehensive Airmen Fitness in recreational activities.

"We have equipment for every outdoor adventure that you would want to do," said Nathan Stayrook Hobbs, OAC programmer. "There's so much going on in the area that we want to make it possible for people to have the means to get out there and experience those things."

The center supports an average of 10 CAF days monthly, Stayrook Hobbs said.

"Rather than presenting a slide-show which can be repetitive and boring, we are providing an opportunity to experience the CAF pillars with a more hands-on experience that Airmen are more likely to engage in," Stayrook Hobbs said. 

The four pillars that make up CAF are social, spiritual, mental, and physical.  In August, Airmen from the 13th Intelligence Squadron focused on the social pillar while rafting down a portion of the Yuba River for their quarterly CAF day.

"It was definitely a workout rowing through the water," said Senior Airman Joseph, 13th Intelligence Squadron. "It was a great way for the flight to bond with one another."

The Outdoor Adventure Center coordinated the rafting trip and provided the equipment for Airmen to safely float down a 4-mile stretch.

"We provided white water rafts, sit-on-top kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and float tubes," Hobbs said. "Everybody was provided with a PFD (personal floatation device), and we also provided the transportation."

Aside from CAF days, the OAC is a place for Airmen to experience what the local area has to offer individually or with a group of friends. Monthly events include wine tasting, moonlight kayaking, night-time tours of Alcatraz and much more.

To view this month's OAC calendar of events, see http://bealefss.com.