Category Archives: US

And a Rivalry is Born

Posted on May 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

“A-R-M-Y might stand for Aren’t Ready to beat the Marines Yet,” explained an anonymous Team Marine fan at the 2012 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs on Tuesday.

After a narrow Marine victory over Army in the first seated volleyball match, Marine Corps pride filled the room from wall to wall.

We all know about the rivalry between the two services, but the fan-induced Red vs. Black inferno that lit up the opening match was white hot.

The gym was packed with what seemed to be every fan and family member at the Games. Hundreds of red and black t-shirts filled the bleachers from wall to wall—sharply separated, of course—to witness what was both a first day rematch from the previous year and a tiebreaker to settle a medal stalemate from earlier in the day.

Team Army and Team Marine left the windy cycling course tied with six medals each. Day one bragging rights would surely go to the winner of this volleyball match.

Led by flag-waving, face-painted motivators, each team’s fans erupted in waves of grunts and cheers to egg on their side.  When the Marine crowd would chant, “U-S-M-C,” Army fans would interrupt after “U-S-“ and overpower with, “ARMY!”

By the end of the match, the rivalry had escalated to the point that each team was attempting to encroach into the other’s section with their flag.  After a grueling battle, perhaps one of the closest in Warrior Games volleyball history, the Marines came out on top.

“It was a nail-biter, especially there at the end,” said Army Col. Gregory D. Gadson, Director of the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2), who sat front-and-center to lead the Army cheering section. “I was sure we would beat the Marines on day one, but this thing is far from over.”

Each team competes for three nights before playing for medals. The gold/silver medal game is scheduled for Friday night, May 4.

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For more information, medal updates and stories about some of the athletes competing in this year’s games, follow Warrior Games and the USO on Facebook. And see more images on our Warrior Games Flickr set. - Joseph Andrew Lee, USO Staff Writer

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Posted in Support, Troops, US, USO Warrior & Family Care, Warrior Games

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Warrior Spirit Revealed on First Day of Games

Posted on May 3, 2012 by | 4 Comments

Despite his tire blowing out, Retired Navy Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Jim Castaneda pushed his way to the finish line

The Warrior Games kicked off Tuesday with five cycling events here at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Both the Army and Marine teams finished with six medals. Army with two gold, one silver and three bronze, and the Marines with two gold, three silver and one bronze.

But the day was clearly not about medals. It was about teamwork and the warrior spirit, prominently demonstrated by the sea services after a couple of their athletes encountered mechanical woes.

After the first run of the course, Retired Navy Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Jim Castaneda had his left tire blow out on his recumbent bicycle.

With miles left to go, Castaneda kept on pedaling and pushed to the finish line, with his coach and teammates cheering him on.  He could have stopped when the tire blew, but says he wanted to show his son, “We don’t quit.”

For his determination to succeed, Castaneda was selected as “Athlete of the Day” by the U.S. Paralympics Committee and is profiled on their website.

Earlier, a cable snapped on another athlete’s bike, and the Navy/Coast Guard team couldn’t fix it.

“We didn’t have the parts, we didn’t have a cable, and we didn’t have a mechanic there,” said Master Chief Will Wilson, the team’s cycling coach.  “So we rolled down to the Marine Corps cadre and without hesitation they jumped on it, got the parts, fixed the bike and got the kid in the race.”

“That says it all,” said Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Michael Barrett to the Commandant of the Marine Corps after hearing what happened. “We’re doing it right.”

“Those [medals] you see hanging from the table over there, that’s not Warrior Games,” said Wilson. “What just happened down there, fixing that bike—that’s Warrior Games.”

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- Joseph Andrew Lee, USO Staff Writer

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Posted in Troops, US, USO Warrior & Family Care, Warrior Games

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Children Illustrate their Support for Troops

Posted on May 2, 2012 by | 1 Comment

A young girl shows her winning artwork at Ft. Lee.

The patriotic pictures on the walls of Ft. Lee and the Richmond International Airport are no ordinary images. Drawn by children, the artwork illustrates their support and respect for the troops that keep them safe.

In honor of April’s ‘Month of the Military Child,’ the USO of Hampton Roads and Central Virginia (USO HRCV) has created a unique contest to engage local children and raise awareness of the USO’s mission.

For the second year, the USO HRCV called on all school-age children in the area to compete in an art contest that uses the winning artworks to decorate the walls of USO HRCV’s two local USO centers, Richmond International Airport and Ft. Lee.

The children, ages 5 to 18, were instructed to create a patriotic artwork that incorporated the USO HRCV logo and a branch of service or military families.

Once the winning artwork was selected, USO HRCV turned the patriotic images into wallpaper for their two locations.

USO HRCV and the winning artists gather for an unveiling at Richmond International Airport.

Last week USO HRCV held unveilings for the winners at their two locations, where their patriotic art work was on display.

Surrounded by support from proud family members and even art teachers, the winners enjoyed a light meal and cake to celebrate. USO HRCV also presented the children with certificates of appreciation.

USO Director of the Richmond International Airport Center, Tricia Riggs, said the children were very excited and appreciative of the opportunity to have their artwork on display.  Riggs also received numerous calls from parents telling her how meaningful this opportunity has been for both them and their child.

One girl’s grandfather, a Navy Vet, had recently passed away. Riggs said the girl and her family were very thankful and humbled to have her artwork on display and sending a lasting message of thanks to the troops who will visit the center.

Since children are our future military members and volunteers, Riggs stressed how important it is for USO HRCV to work them. Before this event, many of the children had not heard about USO HRCV.

Now, these children know how they can help our nation’s troops, and they have an exciting experience to share with their family and friends.

“Each child left not only with a better understanding of the USO, but a new sense of pride and patriotism for their country and those who serve,” said Riggs.

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Check out USO HRCV’s Snapfish album to see more pictures of the children’s winning artwork. – Sarah Camille Hipp, Communications Specialist

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Posted in Centers, Families, US

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USO April Hot Jobs

Posted on April 25, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Here at the USO we’re often asked, “How can I get more involved?” Surprisingly, many don’t consider what could be considered the ultimate in getting involved: working full-time at the USO! Here are just a few positions open right now:

United States

Director, Major Gifts (can be based in Virginia or Texas) – The Director, Major Gifts is responsible for implementation of fundraising efforts targeted to individuals who are capable of donating $25,000 or more to support USO programs and services.

Intern for Information Technology – Listed  under Career Development Positions – The Career Development Program (CDP) is designed to provide current students or recent graduates with a hands-on experience to learn more about non-profits and the various roles we play in lifting the spirits of America’s troops and their families.

Pacific

Area Operations Manager, Seoul, Korea –The Area Operations Manager will be responsible for the management, operation and delivery of programs and services at the USO centers within the Seoul, Korea area.

Because why spend your days toiling away at a thankless job? Working at the USO is a truly rewarding experience where you do amazing work with passionate people and day in and day out you get messages of gratitude from the troops and their families. But, in the end, you are simply thankful for being able to do what you can. – Vyque Elessar, USO Director of New Media

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Posted in Centers, Pacific, Support, US

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Supporting Military Families at USO Ft. Hood

Posted on April 19, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Families gather to enjoy USO Fort Hood’s “Movies on the Lawn.”

There is a good reason the staff at USO Fort Hood know how important a sense of community is for our troops and their families.

Many of them are military wives.

They know firsthand what it is like to be away from their husbands and see their children coping with long deployments.

Their experiences have inspired the passionate crew to create two programs that help foster a stronger sense of community for the 46,000 service members and families at Fort Hood.

Their signature event for families, “Movies on the Lawn,” gives parents and their children the opportunity to enjoy a monthly movie on the big screen without the cost of tickets, food, and refreshments.

Director of USO Fort Hood, Robin Crouse, knows going to the movies is a luxury many military families cannot afford, and that was one of these reasons Crouse and her team were inspired to create the program last year.

Thanks to Crouse’s efforts, sponsors, and generous in-kind donations, USO Fort Hood is able to provide families a complete outdoor movie experience with popcorn, candy, nachos, sidewalk chalk, drinks, and more.

With so many components to this program, Crouse said it took some trial and error at first to work out the logistics of “Movies on the Lawn.”

But from the beginning, it was a treasure enjoyed by military families throughout Fort Hood.

It did not take long for news about the USO’s amazing program to spread. When the final movie aired last year, over 750 parents and children gathered to watch.

USO Fort Hood is excited to kick off their movie extravaganza this April, and they will continue playing movies into the fall.

Military children at USO Fort Hood enjoy “StoryTime”

While “Movies on the Lawn” has been a wonderful success for military families, Crouse says there is one program that is the favorite of moms with preschool-age children – “Story Time.”

Held twice a month in the 1st Cavalry Soldier, Family Readiness Center, this program serves 50 families each session and has become so popular that USO Fort Hood has to keep a waiting list.

Created for pre-school children up to four years old, “Story Time” begins with a small breakfast of muffins and cheerios for everyone.

Then, a special guest reads the story out loud to the mothers and children, who have books in-hand to follow along.

Once the story is finished children have an activity or time to socialize together.

Crouse knows from her own experience as a military wife, that mothers and children need an outlet, and time away from their homes to socialize.

For military families at Fort Hood, “Story Time” is more than just a way to promote early reading.

It’s a time for military children and mothers to connect with each other and establish relationships with people who are going through the same struggles that come with the military lifestyle.

Like the many amazing USO programs around the world, USO Fort Hood’s “Movies on the Lawn” and “Story Time” are a prime example of the USO’s commitment to supporting our nation’s troops and their families.

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For more pictures, visit USO Fort Hood’s Facebook page.

- Sarah Camille Hipp, Communications Specialist

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Posted in Families, Programs, US

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The USO Family

Posted on April 10, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Air Force Major Phil Ambard and his wife, Linda. Courtesy photo.

Air Force Major Phil Ambard was a family man.

“From the time he was a young Airman Basic through his commission as an officer 16 years later, he has been warmly greeted and taken care of at each USO,” said his wife of 23 years, Linda Ambard. “When we flew to Germany for the first time, we had five children under the age of ten, but we were made to feel like the USO was ours—that we were family.”

“This USO family has never meant more to me than when my Phil was killed in action on 27 April 2011.”

Her Phil was among eight Air Force officers shot and killed at Kabul International Airport by a 50-year-old Afghan Air Corps pilot.

Linda was left devastated and in a fog.

Their five children, including three Air Force Academy graduates and one who was attending West Point, flew to Dover Air Force Base from all around the world to meet their mother and repatriate the remains of their father.

The pain was so fresh; Linda couldn’t coordinate any of her own travel. She had trouble remembering the gates and felt dizzy navigating the crowds.

“At every single airport where there was a USO, we were each met by USO staff who walked us to our gate, brought us drinks, and who stayed with us the entire time,” she said. “They didn’t know us, yet they stood with each and every one of us.”

In Texas, while buying a magazine, she learned that all of her bank accounts had been frozen due to Phil’s death. The USO representative was quick to offer her some money, pay for her purchase and even spoke to the bank on her behalf.

“When we arrived at Dover, the USO came out with many volunteers,” said Linda. “Once again they had representatives for each of us. They allowed us to talk, make jokes—our family’s way of dealing with the stress—and they sat with me as I broke down yet again.”

Afterward, the family returned to Colorado Springs for the funeral.

“The USO ensured we were all seated together and near the front of the airplane,” she said. “This was no easy feat to get seven of us together, yet they did it for us.”

Eight months later, Linda knew that she couldn’t celebrate Christmas at home, so the family flew to Hawaii.  On the return trip, she and her cadet son spent 10 hours in the USO where their story eventually got out.

“The USO staff once again bent over backwards to make sure that we knew that people were walking with us and that we were still important to the USO family,” said Linda, “and I just want you to know that the USO was important to him and since his passing, the USO has meant so much to the Ambard and Short families.”

“He started as an immigrant boy,” she said, “but died as a man willing to stand up for the freedoms of all. He truly was an American hero.” — By Joseph Andrew Lee, USO Staff Writer

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Phil Ambard, 44, was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He didn’t speak a word of English when he moved to the United States at the age of 12. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force as an Airman Basic. He rose to the rank of Senior Master Sergeant (select) before he was commissioned as an officer and then rose to the rank of Major before he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.  He had recently graduated from Denver University with a Ph.D and his second master’s degree.

He is survived by his children Patrick, Emily, Alex, Tim and Josh, his daughter-in-law Karla and his wife Linda.

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Posted in Centers, Families, Pacific, Southwest Asia, Troops, US, Volunteers

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