MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Kaneoha Bay -- Marines and Sailors aboard MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, will not be forced to seek out training classrooms and/or purchase audiovisual gear needed for training anymore. The Combat Visual Information Center has five new state-of-the-art teaching facilities that base units can take advantage of.
"This has been a vision of ours to renovate these classrooms within three years," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 William Crow, officer in charge of CVIC. "It's amazing that we actually got it done so successfully in about 18 months. It would not have been possible without the assistance of Lieutenant Colonel [Jeffrey] Zeller, base comptroller, and the entire G-4 staff, and Facilities' maintenance department."
The cost of modernizing the CVIC rooms was more than $500,000. That money was used for new paint, carpeting, construction, air conditioning, white boards, bulletins and more than $125,000 in audiovisual equipment.
Four of the classrooms can comfortably accommodate 35 to 40 bodies. The fifth is significantly larger and can easily handle 90 bodies, with room for more if needed.
In case an even larger group needs to train, extra tables, chairs and an additional 10-foot screen are available too. Plus, a 50-inch plasma screen can be placed in a room for easy viewing pleasure.
"We wanted everything to be perfect to fill the needs of all the commands," said Crow. "I honestly believe that these are by far the best classroom and conference facilities in the Marine Corps."
The classrooms are provided to Marines and Sailors on a first-come, first-served basis, said Gunnery Sgt. John Krumholz, staff noncommissioned officer in charge of CVIC.
The schedule of availability can be reviewed using the Range Facility Management Scheduling System, explained Krumholz.
"We hope to have the facilities full at all times. They're free," he said. "Marines just need to know that they're available for all to conduct their military training requirements."
Military units can contact CVIC at 257-1365, to obtain information regarding available classrooms.