Category Archives: Troops

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’s Love Connection

Posted on February 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Here at the USO, our mission is to lift the spirits of America’s troops and their families.   During any holiday, it can be difficult for deployed troops and their families to stay upbeat.  But this Valentine’s Day, we have a way for you to share your love while supporting the troops.

FTD is partnering with the USO to offer a 15 percent discount on flowers, plants and gifts.  FTD will also donate five percent of the purchase price to the USO.  Just go to ftd.com/USO to place your order.

FTD is also offering a special USO Collection every month through September.  The USO collection will feature a changing selection of special floral arrangements and other gifts.  Just go directly to the FTD.com website to find the USO items.  FTD will donate 15 percent of the purchase price to the USO.

You can also show your appreciation for our servicemen and women by choosing a gift from the USO Valentine’s Wishbook. New items include: the Pocket-Sized Photo Memories, which gifts a USO Photo Book to troops ($25), a Special Treat of food for troops ($40), a Family Fun Day ($50), Tech to Connect ($75), Love Letters and Pigskins ($100) and Run a Center for a Day($5,000).

Whether buying flowers from FTD.com/USO for your loved one or shopping through the Valentine’s Day Wishbook, you’re helping support the brave men and women of our armed forces. - Joseph P. Scannell, USO New Media Intern

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Posted in Troops

The Great American Love Story

Posted on February 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The Greatest Generation told some of the most romantic war-time love stories.

An Airman paints his girl’s figure onto the nose of his warplane and she wears his bomber jacket around town, whistling their song from the night they met at a USO dance.

Almost three-quarters of a century later, romantic stories of love and separation in a time of war have begun to re-emerge.

The plot remains the largely same: boy meets girl, boy (or girl) goes off  to war, they write to each other, and when (s)he gets  home, they get married.

***

It was a Sunday afternoon when Lindsay Banks was working the send-off shift at the Dallas / Ft. Worth USO, saying goodbye to troops as they returned to combat after a period of R&R (Rest and Recuperation).

Originally from Iowa, she moved to Dallas after college and began volunteering at the local USO to meet new people and support her troops. She met her best friend there, and her roommate. She never expected to meet the man of her dreams.

But then it happened.

A single Airman stood apart from the crowd. Lindsay was shy, and it would be against USO protocol to approach him.  Luckily, he struck up a conversation with her and they spoke for almost an hour.

When it was time for him to board, they exchanged email addresses, said their goodbyes, and she reluctantly watched him go.

***

Four months and dozens of emails later, her Airman was finally coming home. They had become friends while he was gone.  Now, they would meet again in the same airport—in the same terminal.

“I was shaking,” she recalled. “I REALLY liked him. But did he like me just as much?”

The airport seemed like Grand Central Station that day as she scanned the crowd for her man in uniform.   Then, she realized he was right behind her.  When she turned around, their eyes locked.

They shared their first kiss that day, but they both realized it wouldn’t be their last.

The  Killoughs tied the knot a year later and remain happily married today.

Happy Valentine’s Day Richard and Lindsay Killough! – Joseph Andrew Lee, USO Staff Writer

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day and LOVE, please share your story of how USO  Centers overseas have helped your loved ones stay connected during their deployments.

Lindsay and Richard Killough on their wedding day. Courtesy photo

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Posted in Centers, Troops, Volunteers

The USO <3s Paul Wall

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Paul Wall performs during his 2009 USO Tour at the Boardwalk at Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan.

When asked to think of USO entertainers, many people imagine Bob Hope or, more recently, country music superstars such as Toby Keith. Grammy-nominated rapper Paul Wall may be less expected, but, having recently come back from his 5th USO tour to the Middle East, is definitely one of the biggest supporters of the USO and our nation’s troops!

How did you get started touring with the USO?

There was a guy in Texas, his name is Mattress Mack and he owns a huge furniture store in Houston and he did a lot of events and stuff for the USO and he suggested I go out on a tour. And then my good friend Jamie Kennedy and I went out on a USO variety type show. He did stand-up and I performed for troops. It was a great experience and I really appreciated the opportunity to perform for troops.

What was your most memorable experience over the years?

The thing that sticks out the most is one time in Afghanistan, there was so much activity in the air terminals and we ended up getting stuck there. Our USO tour manager stayed up all night trying to arrange a way for us to get out, if he hadn’t done that we may have been stuck there for more than just a day. The whole time I was thinking about my family and getting home to them and I knew that this was nothing compared to what the troops must feel. I was only away from my family for a week but these guys are gone for months and a year at a time, I could only imagine how long an extra day might feel to them, if they were trying to get home and something like this happened. It just made me appreciate them even more for all of their hard work and sacrifice.

Hip-hop artist Paul Wall brings members from the 380th Expeditionary Wing on stage during his USO concert on Jan. 18.

How have things changed since your first USO tour?

With the drawdown in Iraq this time I had the chance to visit different areas of the Middle East. We Went to Kuwait, Djibouti and an undisclosed location in the Middle East. I almost experienced kind of a role reversal in Djibouti because many of the troops there had never been to Iraq or Afghanistan and they were asking me questions about what it was like over there. It really just made me realize how versatile our troops are and even though they may not be serving in theater they are still sacrificing time with their family, friends and loved ones and that they care about their fellow troops who are on the frontlines.

If you could say one thing to the men and women serving this country what would it be?

Thank you and I’ll see you when you get back or on my next USO tour!

Wall, whose latest album “Politics as Usual” was released last year, says, “My family is the most important thing to me and being apart from them, for any amount of time, is always hard. I can’t imagine how it must be for our troops. Most of them haven’t seen their family in months, that’s why I make it a point to go on tour with the USO whenever I can. Our troops need to know that we appreciate them.”

See images from his recent tour full of meeting the troops and five performances at USO.org.

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Posted in Celebrity Entertainment, Southwest Asia, Troops

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A New Home

Posted on January 26, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Once I started working for the USO my friends in the service began sending me text messages whenever they stopped by   a USO Center.  Usually they are just passing through an airport and only have  time to grab a cup of coffee, but the texts usually read something like “volunteers were so friendly!” or “everyone was so helpful, tell them thank you!”.  Having visited many centers through my work with the USO, this never comes as a surprise.  Our volunteers and staff are known for providing outstanding service to our nation’s men and women in uniform and their families.  Yet, on a recent trip alongside a military family, I had the opportunity to witness first-hand how our centers go above and beyond to make America’s heroes feel at home wherever they are.

The Harris family gets a look around after being greeted by Ty Pennington as the Extreme Makeover Home Edition provides a house for the Shilo Harris family outside of Floresville, Texas on January 21, 2012. Photo: Express-News, TOM REEL / © 2012

The Texas family of four was traveling to Germany as part of a special Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that will air later this year.  The mother works as an Army advocate for wounded service members and the father is an Iraq war veteran with burns covering 60% of his body.  As a result of his injuries, the father tires easily and has problems regulating body temperature which makes traveling across multiple time zones and varying climates challenging, especially with a two year old son and nine year old daughter in tow.

As part of the television production we were treated to many amazing sights, smells and tastes that Germany has to offer.  Yet, where I saw the family the happiest and most comfortable, was the final day spent at the USO Warrior Center located adjacent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC).  With a fire “burning” in the fireplace (it’s a faux fireplace), a movie playing, spaghetti cooking on the stove, garlic bread in the oven and homemade carrot cake being cut on the counter, it felt like home.  The staff and volunteers immediately embraced the family, enlisting the daughter’s help to serve spaghetti and swapping Army wife stories with mom.

The family knew several people at the center as the father had been treated at LRMC following the IED explosion that wounded him in Iraq.  Yet, being in the room, you would have thought you had walked in on a family reunion.   That is what the USO does.  Whether you are in a USO Center in Europe, the Pacific, Afghanistan or the states, the USO creates an atmosphere of home, inclusion and support for our nation’s heroes and their families.  Thank you, USO team – especially USO Georgia and USO San Antonio, for making this family’s journey truly a special one. - Andrea Sok, USO Communications Manager

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Posted in Centers, Europe, Support, Troops, US, USO Warrior & Family Care

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USO | Hire Heroes USA Workshops & Career Opportunity Days

Posted on January 25, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Springfield, Virginia, USA - June 10, 2011: Hiring Our Heroes veterans jobs fair for wounded warriors. Photo by Ian Wagreich / © U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Through USO Warrior and Family Care programs, the USO is building a continuum of care from the battlefield to the community to provide our wounded, ill and injured troops, their families and caregivers a broad array of programs to help them. The USO has partnered with Hire Heroes USA and the Chamber of Commerce to assist in the transition from troop to employed civilian.

Through the year, OEF/OIF veterans and wounded warrior-led workshops are held at various military installations. They focus on resume writing, mock interviews with actual employers, professional work practices and translating prior military experience into a civilian career – invaluable tools for transitioning service members!

Career Opportunity Days (COD) are another transition program for wounded, ill and injured troops, spouses and caregivers. A COD is a non-traditional career fair where employers connect with seven to 10 troops based on interest and background. Employers conduct mock interviews and provide feedback, providing an additional level of support for transitioning service members to meet with employers offering jobs. These CODs are limited to 25 employers and 100 service member attendees to maximize impact and ensure the attendees don’t get overwhelmed.

“They’re small… but to us that’s an advantage. It means putting employers that want to hire transitioning service members and unemployed veterans in a room. With just a small number, but typically better prepared, soldier, marines and veterans, the effectiveness of this type of venue has been very good,” said Nate Smith, Executive Director, Hire Heroes USA. “Typically we see participants walking away with a 25% job offer rate. So its good for the companies, its good for the participants and this is helping to solve one of the significant problems in America right now.”

Learn more about the USO’s many programs and services at USO.org and find upcoming events and resources at Hire Heroes USA.

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Posted in Support, Troops, USO Warrior & Family Care

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