Navy Lodge Celebrates 40th Anniversary

By Sarah Fortney, National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs

BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- Celebrating the Navy Lodge's 40th birthday, Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bethesda commemorated the program's dedication to service members and their families with a cake-cutting ceremony Aug. 27.

The Navy Lodge program, established in 1970, operates under the Navy Exchange Service Com-mand and is a self-sustaining business, said NSA's Navy Lodge Manager Mike Rabideau.

The Navy Lodge offers a place for service members to stay while they are on Permanent Change of Station (PCS) status. It's also a place where families can stay while their loved ones are undergoing extended treatment at the hospital. The lodge offers service members lodging rates well under their allotted cost of living per diem, he said, which helps save service members an average of about $30 million every year.

When the lodge at Bethesda first opened in 1973, it was made up of 26 stacked, modular units encased in brick, said Rabideau. In 1996, Bethesda opened a new lodge that includes 106 rooms, resembling extended-stay, hotel-like suites. Undergoing additional renovations in July, the lodge now provides custom-made beds and built-in kitchens. Additional expansions will soon begin at Bethesda's lodge, which will provide an additional 60 to 65 rooms, Rabideau added.

The lodge offers handicapped-accessible rooms and quality of life items to service members and their families to help them feel more at home. Various amenities include linen and towel service, high speed and wireless Internet and flat screen televisions.

While the Navy Lodge provides a needed service wherever it is located, it is particularly critical here at NSA Bethesda, said Cmdr. John Lamberton, NSA Bethesda's executive officer.

"The Navy Lodge supports the families of the wounded warriors, so their family can support the patient," said Lamberton. "Having a room on campus allows the families to focus on what is most important, which is spending time with their loved one in the hospital."

For more information about the Navy Lodge Program or to make reservations, visit www.navy-lodge.com or call NSA Bethesda's Navy Lodge at 301-654-1795.