Monthly Archives: July 2010

This Week’s Snag Film: Shooting Robert King

Posted on July 24, 2010 by | Leave a comment

This week’s film, Shooting Robert King, is the second being offered as part of Snag Films’ SummerFest.  It tracks the life and career of a combat photojournalist over 15 years and three wars. From reckless naivety to maturity hardened by war and softened by the love of his family, the film provides an interesting window into the complexities of this man’s motivations and the lessons, for good and ill, that come out of his years spent documenting war zones.

While this film is aimed at an adult audience, know that the USO Theater will continue to offer a wide variety of material, from the purely escapist to the laugh-out-loud humorous to the somber and serious. Our interest here is to provide a diverse range of free films that can be educational, entertaining, and spark useful dialogues.  As always, let us know what you think…

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Posted in Troops

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A Billy Ray Cyrus Concert…and Operation Phone Home!

Posted on July 22, 2010 by | 2 Comments

U.S. service members pose for photos with country singer Billy Ray Cyrus during a USO holiday show at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Dec. 19, 2009. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Triah Pendracki/Released)

Country superstar and USO tour veteran Billy Ray Cyrus will play a free concert at 7 p.m. Sunday at Biggs Army Airfield on Fort Bliss.   This event is a special, exclusive performance just for military personnel with valid IDs and their families; the general public will not be admitted. 

Cyrus is a great supporter of the Troops, having gone a week-long, three-country USO tour last December with Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; tennis star Anna Kournikova; and comedian Dave Attell.  He’s also a supporter of Operation Phone Home, a USO program that delivers prepaid international phone cards to deployed service members free of charge, and recently shared this special message that explains how YOU can support the program, too: 

“Being separated from family and loved ones is just one of the many difficult sacrifices our troops make to defend our country and our freedom. But right now, you and I have a special opportunity to help make dealing with that separation just a little easier. 

Thanks to the USO’s Operation Phone Home program, when you donate $15 today, you will provide our brave men and women with 45 calls home.To make the most of this opportunity, the USO has set a goal of 100,000 calls by July 31. It’s an ambitious goal, but it’s one we must take on for our troops. And it’s one we know we can achieve with the help of generous supporters like you. So please, don’t hesitate and join in this great campaign today. 

Thank you,
Billy Ray Cyrus”

Thanks to Billy Ray Cyrus for all he does for our Troops and their families, and thanks to all of YOU who make our programs and services possible.  Let’s make these 100,000 calls by July 31st a reality!

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Posted in Support, Troops

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Help Support USO Hawaii’s Back-To-School Program

Posted on July 22, 2010 by | Leave a comment

USO Hawaii is happy to announce that they’ll be making the back-to-school process a little better for military kids this year. Director Eva Laird Smith explained the importance of providing free backpacks and school supplies for military families to Hawaii News Now earlier this week. ”This is a great opportunity for our community to show their aloha support for our military and their families with their children’s back-to-school needs. It will be one headache less, one challenge less on the homefront for our deployed troops,” said Laird Smith.

Click here to watch her video interview!

The community is encouraged to get involved: now through July 25, donations of new backpacks and school supplies appropriate for any age may be dropped off at the Pearl Harbor Navy Exchange Aloha Desk, ground floor, as well as the USO Honolulu Airport Center.  Click on the poster above for more information or to spread the word.

Online donations are also being accepted online or you can call William Johnson at (808) 836-3351 for information on making a donation via PayPal.

And if you’d like to be one of the families that receives these great back-to-school basics, contact USO Hawaii’s Programs & Marketing Manager Barb Troegner at (808) 256-7744 or via email.  Items will be available for distribution this Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Hickam Air Force Base Officers’ Club area.

Check out the flyer at left for more info on how to participate.  Aloha!

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Posted in Families, Pacific, Support, Troops

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Pat Tillman Memorial USO Unplugged

Posted on July 21, 2010 by | 3 Comments

Bagram, Afghanistan – The Pat Tillman USO has had an array of talented guest walk through the front doors. Everyone from NFL players and coaches to musical stars to members of the government. We are always happy to host these groups of celebrities and elected officials but some of the people right here on Bagram are the true stars.

Music plays an integral part of life at the Pat Tillman Memorial USO Center, as this impromptu gathering of musicians and singers performing in June 2010 illustrates. (USO photo)

On any given night there are as many as 100 plus service members here. They are talented at the jobs and positions they hold and do it with out any hesitation but that is not the only talent they possess. Many nights service members come in a watch a movie, use the wireless internet, call home, or just sit and get away from the outside world. On one such night two service members got together, an airmen and soldier, grabbed a guitar and started belting out tunes for the guest here. That started a fire in the duty managers to get more of these type performances for everyone to enjoy. We are putting together an “Unplugged” night where members of the military can come and play.

On one such occasion we were privileged to listen and record Joseph from 455 ESFS and Brandon from 4ID. These two guys got together as one strummed on the guitar and the other sang quips of songs until they finally put it together and put on an impromptu performance.  Here is a clip from the unplugged show.

The first of many to come!!!

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Posted in Centers, Southwest Asia, Support, Troops

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The USO Welcomes Rear Admiral Frank Thorp IV (USN, ret.) to the Team!

Posted on July 21, 2010 by | 1 Comment

Frank Thorp IV joins the USO as the new Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications (USO photo by Em Hall)

We’re proud to introduce you to the newest member of the USO team, Frank Thorp IV who is the new Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications.

Rear Admiral Frank Thorp IV (USN, ret.) is responsible for internal and external communications, brand management and marketing for the USO. Prior to joining the organization in 2010, he was vice president of communications and government operations for AM General, where he directed public relations, marketing, advertising and Washington operations including engagement with Capitol Hill and the Pentagon.

A communications veteran with more than 25 years of experience, Frank’s service with the United States Navy included serving as the Chief of Information, where he was the senior spokesman for the Navy, provided strategic communication counsel to the Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations and managed a global team of more than 2,000 communications professionals. Frank also served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense where he led the Department of Defense strategic communication program. His assignments also include Special Assistant for Public Affairs to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to the Chief of Naval Operations, as well as Chief of Media for US Central Command (forward) during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Frank holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Naval Academy, a Master of Arts in Public Affairs and Broadcast Journalism from American University in Washington, DC, and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

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Posted in Support, Troops

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Operation Purple Camp Helps Military Kids Cope

Posted on July 20, 2010 by | 2 Comments

Image Courtesy of Operation Purple Camp

CNN’s Jason Carroll reports on Operation Purple, a special camp created just for kids with a parent deployed in the military.  First Lady Michelle Obama cited both Operation Purple and the Sesame Street/USO Experience for special recognition in a speech at the National Military Family Association earlier this year, saying “One of the great lessons of recent years is that you don’t need to be a military expert to help…Consider the Sierra Club, which partnered with the NMFA to create Operation Purple — summer camps that have made a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of military kids. Or my favorite, Sesame Street, which has partnered with the USO to reach more than 100,000 military families and helped kids cope with some very challenging situations.”

Operation Purple (the name comes from the fact that all branches of the military are jointly included) has grown to include over 30,000 kids and teens in camping at locations across the country.  Campers hail from all ranks and Services, active and reserve components; priority is given to children whose parents are currently within a 15 month deployment “window,” the precise dates of which are announced on an annual basis.  In addition to traditional outdoor camp, programming also includes Operation Purple Healing Adventures, designed for children and families of wounded warriors.  The best part?  It’s free!  2011 applications are now being accepted.

The USO lifts the spirits of troops and their families millions of times a year at thousands of places worldwide, and we’re especially proud of everyone who provides opportunities for military kids.  Have you been to an Operation Purple camp?  What other opportunities for military kids are available this summer?  Share your comments below!

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Posted in Families, Support, Troops

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