Outdoor Recreation provides activities for Airmen

With the winter season right around the corner, activities hosted by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Outdoor Recreation are underway through the program for Airmen who like to do activities outdoors.

R4R was designed to help Airmen reacclimate to life at home and also include families in their reintegration. The program has three areas of focus: the Single Airman Programming Initiative (SAPI), RecOn and Deployed Affected Programming.

MyAirForceLife, an Air Force force support services resource, describes the components as:

SAPI is a program that provides resources to foster a strong culture, mission and sense of community among single Airmen. Eligible Airmen are those who are single, relationship-wise or geographically separated from a spouse and are currently on active or reserve duty.

RecOn is a program that provides resources for outdoor centric, high adrenaline and post deployment stress reduction. Activities include sky diving, four-wheel riding, rafting and soaring in a glider plane. Eligible Airmen are those who are currently on active or reserve duty assigned to Wright-Patterson and their spouses and dependents.

Deployed Affected Programming provides resources targeting deployed-affected and dependent-restricted Air Force installation assigned service members and their families providing relief from the challenges of deployment.

Additional information on the R4R program can be found at www.myairforcelife.com/R4R/.

Wright-Patt Outdoor Recreation is a one-stop shop for recreation equipment, such as tents, canoes, kayaks, grills, sports gear, campers, games and a host of other outdoor supplies.

November and December programs available to Airmen eligible under the R4R program as well as the larger base populace are:

Indoor Rock Climbing (Nov. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m.) - Join Outdoor Rec for an evening of rock climbing at Urban Krag in downtown Dayton. Open to all experience levels. You will get belay certified, then spend the rest of the evening reaching new heights on the wall. Cost: RecOn, $5; regular, $38.

Log Rolling (Dec. 2 & 15, 10 a.m. to noon) – It's a modern sport with a colorful history. Log rolling is a fun aquatic sport that works on footwork, core strength and balance. This event will be held at the indoor pool inside the Dodge Fitness Center. Each session will begin with a how-to-log-roll lesson. Open to all ages. Cost: free.

Backcountry Cooking (Dec. 6 from 5 to 7 p.m.) – Learn the basics of backcountry cooking from quick and simple meals to gourmet backpacking meals. Use a variety of stoves to experience a full range of cooking styles. This is a hands-on class is open to all base personnel. Cost: $15.

Holiday Movie Night at the Pool (Dec. 14 from 7 to 9:30 p.m.) – Hang out in the Dodge Fitness Center's indoor pool and enjoy a classic holiday movie. Light snacks provided. Movie featured will be "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Cost: free.

Winter Prairie Hike (Dec. 15 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.) – Celebrate Wright Brothers Day by taking a short hike at Huffman Prairie to explore the native tallgrass prairie, once studied by Orville and Wilbur Wright. While hiking keep your eyes open for some short-eared owls that hunt the fields all winter long. Cost: free.

Holiday Bike Assembly (Nov. 26 to Dec. 21) – Need some help with your holiday gift? Outdoor Rec will assemble and store your kid's bike until the holiday. Must pick up by Dec. 21. Cost: assembly plus storage. $20; just storage, $10.

Visit Outdoor Recreation to sign up for all trips and programs. The office is located at 5265 Miller Drive in Area A and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

More about Outdoor Recreation can be found at http://88thfss.com.outdoorrecreation.html or by calling 937-257-9889.

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