Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) Gym Membership Program
DoD has contracted with the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) to fund YMCA memberships at participating YMCAs throughout the United States and Puerto Rico for all Active Duty Personnel at Independent Duty Stations.
Questions and Applications for new or renewal need to be sent to usarmy.knox.usarec.mbx.g1-ymca-fitness@mail.mil ~ Not an individual’s inbox for processing.
INDEPENDENT DUTY PERSONNEL ELIGIBILITY:
* Authorized only for those units/duty locations that do not have access to free fitness equipment, commands are not already paying for fitness memberships, and/or have fitness equipment onsite.
* Federal Active Duty/Active Reserve Title 10 assigned a minimum of ten (10) miles from a military installation offering free fitness facilities (any service). * Approved personnel can choose to use any participating YMCA branch they choose (can only join one). See ymca.net for participating branches. Memberships are purchased for the service member as a single membership in accordance with the federal law. The YMCA is allowing approved service members to bring their families at no additional cost to the service member.
* Unit/Duty Location Approval by the Army Service POC must be received PRIOR to registering at the YMCA or Private Gym*
* Have the COMMANDER OR FIRST SERGEANT SIGN THE REQUEST. Provide Unit POC information on the form. The POC receives all correspondence from the ASYMCA so ensure the email address is accurate and is the person you want the ASYMCA to contact.
* Information needed from the gym includes, POC name, phone number, and address.
Private Fitness Facility:
Private gym fees can be covered up to $55 for individuals, $77 for families, any cost more than that will be covered by the individual.
The Department of Defense will buy down memberships, to a local Fitness facility (e.g. Gold’s Gym/Bally’s/Planet Fitness, etc) for Active Duty Title 10 Personnel at approved Independent Duty locations. Memberships at Private Gyms will only be for the service members. In accordance with the federal law memberships are purchased for the approved service members and family members will NOT be allowed to utilize their single person membership.
**Gym Membership program does not participate with 24hr Fitness or Lifetime Fitness.
YMCA Program Instructions and Requirements
YMCA Application (For Initial and Renewal)
YMCA IDP (Only for Duty Station change of address or gym transfer)
YMCA Waiver
PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING/RENEWALS:
YMCA Membership Request:
Complete IDP form submitted to USAREC Fitness Mail Box (typed or legibly written and scanned in) with contact information for YMCA and signed by the Commander or First Sergeant. Must be located at that Recruiting Center for next 6 months. Each Soldier must submit an application for all interested and eligible participants.
Private Gym Membership Request:
Complete IDP form submitted to USAREC Fitness Mail Box (typed or legibly written and scanned in) with contact information for fitness facility and signed by the Commander or First Sergeant. Must be located at that Recruiting Center for next 6 months. Each Soldier must submit an application for all interested and eligible participants.
Once the unit is approved, the ASYMCA POC will contact the fitness facility on the request form. The memberships have to be purchased in advance of the personnel registering. Please have the military members wait until those arrangements have been made, and confirmed by the ASYMCA, before participating under this program. The ASYMCA can take up to 30-45 days for a YMCA membership and up to 60 for a private membership after they open approved USAREC requests to put a contract into place. Please do not ask for status until 40 to 45 days have passed -since initially approved by USAREC. Please remember this is a DOD funded program and USAREC is not responsible for payment processing.
YMCA Membership Renewal:
Attendance Records for last 6 months**. Must meet the below outlined usage requirements.
Must be assigned to that Recruiting Center for next 6 months. One renewal IDP per unit, does not require separate paperwork per individual, unless only one is eligible.
** Many of the YMCA membership directors can verify visit requirements direct and provide in-network status to the ASYMCA. If so, attendance records for renewal may not be needed. Check/verify with your local YMCA.
Private Gym Membership Renewal:
Attendance Records for last 6 months. Must meet the below outlined usage requirements.
Must be assigned to that Recruiting Center for next 6 months. One renewal IDP per unit, does not require separate paperwork per individual, unless only one is eligible.
USAGE REQUIREMENT:
The membership must log a minimum of eight (8) calendar day visits per month at YMCAs and Private Fitness Facilities. A visit is defined as : the soldier comes into the YMCA scans their card for that day’s workout. That is one (1) visit for that calendar day. Multiple swipes by that participate or family members does not constitute multiple visits in 1 day. For attendance purpose all visits in one (1) day are counted only once. If the aggregate total of visits (a total of all of the family members at YMCAs) does not meet this requirement, then the membership will not be renewed at the six (6) month mark.
Fitness Log for TDY Travel
Travel Log: (YMCA)
In the event you are sent TDY due to Military Assignments, use the “Fitness Log for TDY/TAD Travels” link above to record your visits at a YMCA that is participating in the DoD Military Outreach Program. You must attach a copy of orders showing the TDY dates. It is your responsibility to present this completed log upon your return to your home YMCA location for your visits to be applied toward the minimum monthly eight( 8) visits, as required by the DoD Military Outreach Program.
This Fitness Log must have the visiting YMCA's stamp by the proper date in order for the visit to be counted toward your attendance at your home branch. Your home YMCA will retain this Fitness Log and TDY Orders in your file, so they can submit at renewal time.
If this log is not completed then these visits will not be recorded at your home YMCA location, and the service member risks having his/her membership cancelled at the 6-month renewal period.
Travel Log: (Private Fitness Facility)
Although the usage requirements are the same, Private Fitness Facility memberships are not eligible to use this Fitness Log for recording TDY travel visits. The service member must log the required number of visits at the Host Gym identified in the IDP. The service member is encouraged to notify their gym and see if there is a sister gym they could use or have the Host Gym block those dates on the membership (most gyms do). The ASYMCA POC will require documentation of the TDY dates upon renewal time.
TRAVEL POLICY
The A.W.A.Y. program (Always Welcome at YMCAs) is based on the philosophy that when a person enrolls in a YMCA, he or she becomes a member of a nationwide association, and, therefore, when away from home, on business or vacation, will be warmly welcomed by all other participating YMCAs in the United States. A YMCA's participation in the A.W.A.Y. program is voluntary, and some restrictions may apply. Check with the your YMCA Branch to see what they allow.
To find information on any YMCA in the United States, click FINDYOURY, and conduct a "Find Your YMCA" search. YMCAs participating in the A.W.A.Y. program are noted.