Sailors on the San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln will enjoy a few extra comforts during their upcoming deployment thanks to a brand new USO Center on board.
Over the last month, the USO renovated what used to be the ship's library, installing fixtures and flooring that feel more like a San Diego condo than a U.S. warship.
Sailors can access Wi-Fi while at sea and make phone calls from two soundproof booths. The facility includes several video game consoles, TV stations, and a small movie theater.
There's even an artificial fireplace in the first of the center's three rooms, which now serves as the library.
Capt. Pete Riebe, the Lincoln's commanding officer, said during the center's official opening Monday that sailors and Marines need comfortable spaces to spend their limited off-hours at sea.
"This is all about taking care of our sailors (and) Marines," Riebe said. "It sort of takes advantage of some of our Wi-Fi capabilities on the ship and increases ... the space for them to sort of unwind and rest and recharge."
Christopher Plamp, the COO of the nonprofit USO, said donors are funding the centers with the goal of installing one on all 11 Navy carriers by the end of next year.
The center on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was highly in-demand from sailors during its deployment this year, Plamp said.
"It's booked up," he said. "We had more than 8,000 visits to one of our centers on one of our carriers last month."
The configuration of the centers varies from ship-to-ship. Work on the Lincoln's lasted about a month and cost more than $200,000, Plamp said.
