Category Archives: Support

Be a Team USO Athlete

Posted on February 22, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Have you ever wanted to support the troops and their families but didn’t know how? Are you a runner? Have you heard of Team USO? I think it’s about time you have! Team USO was developed as a response to people like you looking for new and fun ways to support our troops.  Through Team USO, we provide great resources for athletes and supporters to serve out mission on the ground.

Team USO athletes post-race

Team USO athletes are able to race all over the world while raising money for our troops. Whether you are already signed up for a race or planning on your next one, Team USO can help. If you choose your own event you can set your own fundraising goal. If you are trying to get into a sold-out race, though, we offer guaranteed race entries in exchange for a minimum fundraising goal!

When you join Team USO, you aren’t alone. We provide a wealth of resources and some great looking gear! As a member the USO will support you in whatever ways possible, like:

  • Fundraising toolkits
  • Support from a fundraising professional
  • Training support—training calendar, mentoring
  • Mission Moments—help you connect with troops and military families to participate in honor of
  • Prizes for reaching certain fundraising levels

Online registration is now open for the 2012 Honda LA Marathon to be held on Sunday, March 18. This is one of the largest road races in the world and the race is expected to sell out. Runners can secure their spot on the starting line by registering here. Just 25 spots are available for Team USO.

We are also proud to be among the New York Road Runners’ official charity partners for the 2012 New York City Half-Marathon! We only have 15 race registrations available so click here to register today.

Help lift the spirits of our troops and their families by joining Team USO today and get to work tomorrow! – Joe Scannell, USO New Media Intern

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Posted in Fundraising, Support

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USO Liberty Bells 2012 Troupe Refresh

Posted on February 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The USO Liberty Bells, a traveling song and dance troupe based out of Times Square in New York City, looks for new talent at the start of each year.

At their annual auditions, Bells from the previous year return to show off their talent, and new performers try out for a panel of judges.  This year, the Bells plan to add about six new singers to the troupe.

“There is so much talent out there,” said Ray Kennedy, USO Liberty Bells Director and Choreographer. “The new singers that auditioned this year and the returning Bells sang from their books and man, did they raise the bar!”

These amazing singers and dancers perform at hundreds of shows each year, entertaining tens of thousands, and carrying on the morale-boosting entertainment tradition of the USO.

“I’m a huge fan of the Liberty Bells,” said John Pray, USO Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff. “Not simply because they are incredibly talented performers, but because they do so much to help us lift the spirits of troops and their families.”

Judges will reveal the final list of 2012 USO Liberty Bells this spring.   But in the meantime, watch the video below to learn what being a USO Liberty Bell means to one performer who just completed her first year. — Joseph Andrew Lee, USO Staff Writer

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Posted in Celebrity Entertainment, Support, Troops, US

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The USO Mission: Serving the Troops for 71 Years

Posted on February 4, 2012 by | 1 Comment

In early 1941, we were a nation on the brink of war.

England and France were already at war with Germany. Japan had invaded China years earlier, and soon Pearl Harbor would draw the U.S. into a worldwide conflict.

With global tensions escalating, our military was growing, and so were the needs of our troops. But at the time, there was no single organization focused solely on supporting our men and women in uniform.

At the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, six civilian agencies came together and created a partnership called the United Service Organizations for National Defense, later known as the USO. It became official on Feb. 4, 1941.

The original USO mission statement is typed on yellowing paper and bound in a slim black volume that we dug out of the archives at our Arlington, Virginia, headquarters.

It reads in part:

“The purposes for which this corporation is formed are to aid in the defense program of the United States by serving the religious, spiritual, welfare and educational needs of the men and women in the armed forces and defense industries [and]… to contribute to the maintenance of morale in American communities…”

The original six organizations making up the USO were the Salvation Army, YMCA, YWCA, National Catholic Community Services, National Jewish Welfare Board and National Travelers Aid Association.

During the war, the USO opened more than 3,000 centers across the country, setting up facilities in any available space—log cabins, museums, castles, barns, railroad sleeping cars and storefronts. The USO soon became famous for its Camp Shows, with more than 7,000 entertainers traveling overseas to perform for the troops.

In the decades that followed, the USO continued serving troops with entertainment, recreation and social support programs in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East and the Balkans.

In the 21st century, the USO has followed our servicemen and women to bases in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar. Now it’s tackling another challenge—expanding services for wounded, ill and injured troops along with their families and caregivers.

Seventy-one years later, the mission statement is shorter and simpler, but the mission itself remains the same:

“The USO lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families.”

- Ellen Bjork, USO Director of Internal Communications, & Malini Wilkes, USO Director of Story Development; Photography by Joseph Andrew Lee, USO Staff Writer

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Posted in History, Support

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America’s Away Team

Posted on February 3, 2012 by | 1 Comment

This Sunday is one of the biggest days in all of sports: The Super Bowl. Pitting the New York Giants against the New England Patriots in a near-identical rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl, the fan rivalries are heating up. Surely Tom Brady will be looking for revenge after his perfect season was ended by the Giants in the Super Bowl four years ago. As the nation prepares for the showdown of the season, here’s a look back at the long and proud partnership between the USO and the NFL.

In 1965, then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle was looking for a way to demonstrate the NFL’s support for United States servicemen and women in Vietnam. He conceived the idea of sending NFL players to Vietnam on “goodwill tours” to visit and inspire the troops. After partnering with the USO they became the first sports organization to send a group of players to Vietnam.

From 1966 to 1973, NFL players visited remote firebases, aircraft carriers, and other installations in Vietnam, Guam, Thailand, and Japan. Since then, active and retired NFL players and coaches have lifted the spirits of America’s troops by participating in countless USO tours in places like Somalia, Bosnia, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

More recently, since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the NFL, with the help of the USO, has sent many players and coaches to the Middle East. Commissioner Roger Goodell became the first sports commissioner to visit troops overseas when he toured Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008 with Osi Umenyiora of the New York Giants.

In 2005, the NFL and USO again teamed up to preserve the legacy of Pat Tillman, a former Arizona Cardinal and Army Ranger killed in action in 2004, by constructing a USO center in his honor. Former New England Patriot and current New York Giants Assistant Special Teams Coach Larry Izzo traveled to Afghanistan to take part in the grand opening of the Pat Tillman USO Center at Bagram Air Base.

No matter who comes out as this weekend’s victor, remember the men and women sporting America’s camouflaged away uniforms. The USO is proud of their long history with the NFL and is grateful for the opportunity to better lift the spirits of America’s troops and families. Who do you think we should send next? - Joseph P. Scannell, USO New Media Intern

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Posted in Celebrity Entertainment, History, Support

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Get Some Oxygen—Don’t Let Your Marriage Become a Casualty of War

Posted on January 30, 2012 by | 6 Comments

In an interview with Army SGT Philip Romero about the invisible wounds of war, he told the USO that it’s difficult to explain complex wartime emotions to his wife.

Romero suffers from post-traumatic stress.  “My wife asks me … ‘Why don’t you talk to me about it?” he says.  “How am I supposed to tell my wife that I’m sorry I didn’t die and two younger guys could have made it home? How do you explain that?”

Romero’s silence and bouts of anger are not uncommon in military marriages, particularly those where a spouse is dealing with PTSD.

“There is a level of stress on wounded warrior couples that seems ten-fold what a normal marriage bears,” said Noel Meador, Executive Director of Stronger Families, creator of a marriage training program called Oxygen.

A military couple learn to communicate more effectively at a recent Oxygen Seminar

The USO recently teamed up with Stronger Families to provide the workshops free to wounded, ill or injured troops.  It’s a way to tackle tough issues in a non-threatening environment.

Stronger Families coaches work with groups of about 25 couples, teaching them practical skills for improving communication, resolving conflict, rekindling romance and finding new hope.

“The ability for a spouse to empathize is tremendous,” said Meador, “and that’s really what we’re trying to reinforce… If we can help give couples the tools they need to communicate how they are feeling, we can help them attain a mutual understanding of the problem and work together to diffuse the anger safely.  Eventually couples can come up with an action plan to move forward in their relationships.”

In partnership with Stronger Families, the USO hosted three Oxygen seminars last year and plans to host six more this year.  The workshops are held near military hospitals, warrior transition units and wounded warrior battalions. -  Joseph Andrew Lee, USO Staff Writer

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Posted in Families, Support, USO Warrior & Family Care

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The USO Proud Patriots Club

Posted on January 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The limited edition car magnet the USO is releasing today is special in two ways.

First, it conveys a powerful message: “I’m a Proud Patriot and I Support Our Troops.” Secondly, it is only being issued to USO Proud Patriots, a group of members who have chosen to honor the service and sacrifices of our troops by making a monthly pledge of financial support.

To make sure we can be there for our troops through every twist and turn in 2012, we’re on a drive to add 1,000 new USO Proud Patriots by January 31. Will you step forward and become a USO Proud Patriot today?

Become a USO Proud Patriot with a monthly pledge of $5, $10, $15 or more and get your limited edition car magnet.

As a USO Proud Patriot, you’ll be playing a pivotal role in delivering support to our troops. More USO Proud Patriots means more free phone calls home for our troops, more USO care packages distributed on the front lines, more bedtime stories from troops to their children who miss them every night as well as providing many of the other comforts of home.

It also means tangible help to returning troops adjusting to life at home after long and difficult service overseas. As a USO Proud Patriot, you’ll also be supplying enduring care for those who have returned home from war with wounds that need healing.

Take a strong stand for our troops. Make a monthly pledge of $5, $10, $15 or more.

We only have a few days to meet our goal of 1,000 new USO Proud Patriots. Help us get there by making your personal commitment now. – Kelli Seely
USO Chief Development Officer

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Posted in Donations, Support

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