Sailors lift weights Aug. 14, 2025, during a ceremony for the opening of the upgraded gym at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece. The nearly $700,000 renovation included the addition of a zone featuring a range of strength-training equipment. (Andrew Eder/U.S. Navy)
A nearly $700,000 gym makeover at a key Navy base in the Mediterranean Sea is offering sailors a next-level workout.
Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, on the Greek island of Crete, recently celebrated the opening of its Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling System zone, the base said in an Aug. 14 statement.
The NOFFS zone is part of a two-year gym renovation project at the base. The upgrades aim to optimize readiness and reduce the risk of work-related injuries for personnel, according to the statement.
Souda Bay is the Navy’s only installation in Europe capable of hosting an aircraft carrier pierside. It serves as a port call for a variety of Navy and allied ships, offering supply and fuel replenishment, repairs and other services. It also gives sailors a place to rest and relax after months at sea.
The gym project included renovation of the base’s basketball and tennis courts along with the addition of a racquetball court and co-ed sauna.
New locker rooms, cardio and weight room equipment and a fire suppression project were among improvements that totaled about $531,000, base spokeswoman Delaney Jensen said Friday.
The renovated workout facility at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete offers a Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling System zone for strength training. The base held a grand opening for facility Aug. 14, 2025. (Andrew Eder/U.S. Navy)
Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece, fitness center’s new Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling System zone turf area as seen on Aug. 19, 2025. (Andrew Eder/U.S. Navy)
An additional $160,000 was spent on the NOFFS zone, which features strength-training equipment such as power racks, Olympic platforms, weightlifting barbells, bumper plates and specialized machines.
An associated turf area provides space for sled pushes, training with dumbbells and kettlebells, and rope climbing, among other activities, Jensen said.
NOFFS is a program focused on teaching effective physical training and healthy nutrition for sailors at sea and ashore, according to the Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation website, which says resilience and durability are the primary goals of the system.
Other bases in the region also are improving their health facilities and offerings. For example, Naval Support Activity Naples recently introduced specially outfitted cargo containers called fit boxes, which offer sailors and others on base opportunities for outdoor weight training and exercise.
Those efforts appear to follow a Defense Department push to improve military physical fitness and body composition.
In June, the Army adopted a new fitness test with updated scoring standards designed to emphasize readiness and combat effectiveness.
The Air Force also is preparing changes to its fitness assessments in an effort to “revive the warrior ethos,” a service spokesperson told Stars and Stripes in June.
It’s unclear whether the Navy is considering similar changes to its physical fitness tests.
Sailors assigned to Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece, do pushups Aug. 14, 2025, during a ceremony to mark the opening of the base's upgraded fitness center. Additions include a racquetball court, a co-ed sauna and a range of new weight room equipment. (Andrew Eder/U.S. Navy)
