Fort Jackson's Perez Gym has expanded its hours as part of a test program to see how community members respond to enhancements made to installation Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation activities. In addition to expanded hours at Perez Gym, the pos...

No one can say the installation doesn't listen to the community.

The Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation's recent "service enhancements" were a direct result of feedback from its customers -- mainly drill sergeants said the organization's top official.

The doubling of hours at Aachen Range, testing extended hours at Perez Gym and installing Wi-Fi are all part of FMWR's creative process to enhance its offerings, said Dan Ahern, Fort Jackson's FMWR director.

"These are a direct result of customer feedback," he said. "When customers speak we listen."

The doubling of hours on Aachen Range was based on feedback received from drill sergeants at the cadre resiliency course.

The range is now open Saturday and Sunday for recreational shooters and includes a newly renovated trap tower. On Saturdays a 200-meter range is open from 8 a.m. to noon while the skeet/trap range is open from 1 -- 4 p.m. The skeet/trap range opens at 10 a.m. on Sundays and closes at 1 p.m., while the 200-meter range is open from 1 -- 5 p.m. The range costs $6 per round.

All weapons must be registered with the physical security office before being taken to the range.

Ahern said it was a coincidence that the hours at the range doubled so closely after Maj. Gen. John "Pete" Johnson held a town hall seeking community input into a Sportsman's Club.

"We actually already had plans in place to expand the hours based on drill sergeant input," Ahern said. "We could open it within a week because we always intended to do it."

One of the biggest concerns the Fort Jackson community had was adding wireless internet capability to the post's gymnasiums.

"We had a lot of feedback about enhancing the gyms with Wi-Fi," Ahern said.

The enhancements will positively affect life on the installation by helping improve readiness and Family life on post.

Johnson said during the town hall that improving outdoor activities will make Fort Jackson a community "where Soldiers, their Families and civilians can thrive."

"This is only going to make us even more a community of excellence," Ahern said. "We will improve morale and customer satisfaction with our services. FMWR is not just about making money, it's about improving the lives of the Fort Jackson community by reinvesting any money we make, and delighting our customers."