Operation Enduring Care

 

photo creditUSO Photo by Dave Gately

Since Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom began, more than 33,000 service members have been wounded in action. The USO's Operation Enduring Care program was designed to help meet the recovery needs of injured service members and their families as well as support the medical personnel who care for the wounded, funeral escorts, mortuary personnel and honor guards serving fallen troops. Created in 2006, Operation Enduring Care comprises six outreach programs including:

 
  • USO Day Rooms: Provides lounge areas at military hospitals and medical facilities throughout the U.S. and overseas,
  • Operation USO Comfort Kits: Gives duffle bags filled with clothing and toiletries for injured troops coming directly from the battlefield,
  • Operation Connect with Care: Allows wounded troops to check out DVD players, movies, CDs, video gaming systems with games and other entertainment items,
  • Operation USO Outing: Day trips to local sporting events and concerts,
  • USO Grant Fund: Provides special items that do not fit into other Operation enduring Care categories, and
  • USO Emergency Fund: Provides emergency financial assistance for service members and their families to cover transportation and hotel and travel accommodations and other emergency needs.
 


Operation Enduring Care provides benefits at many locations, including:

 
  • The USO Atrium of the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility (CASF), Ramstein, Germany (USO Europe)
  • USO Warrior Center at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany (USO Europe)
  • Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility (CASF), Balad, Iraq (USO Iraq)
  • Warrior Return Unit, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait (USO Kuwait)
  • Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo. (USO Rocky Mountain)
  • Dover Air Force Base Mortuary, Dover, Del. (USO Delaware)
  • Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. (USO of Metropolitan Washington)
  • Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii (USO Hawaii)
  • Wounded Warrior Detachment, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii (USO Hawaii)
  • Wounded Warrior Unit, Fort Benning, Ga. (USO Georgia)
  • Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, Ga. (USO Georgia)
  • The National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. (USO of Metropolitan Washington)
  • Scott Air Force Base Medical Center, Scott Air Force Base, Mo. (USO Missouri)
  • Warrior Transition Battalion, El Paso, Texas (USO El Paso)
  • William Beaumont Army Medical Center, El Paso, Texas (USO El Paso)
  • Darnall Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas, (USO Fort Hood)
  • Warrior Family Support Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas (USO San Antonio)
  • Warrior Transition Unit, Fort Eustis, Va. (USO Hampton Roads)
  • Navy Medical Center, Norfolk, Va. (USO Hampton Roads)
  • Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Wash. (USO Puget Sound)
 


Ride 2 Recovery
In addition, the USO partners with Ride 2 Recovery to help improve the health and wellness of wounded troops through Spinning® and outdoor cycling activities. The Ride 2 Recovery program is produced by the Fitness Challenge Foundation, an independent 501(C)(3), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Voluntary Service Office, to benefit mental and physical rehabilitation programs that feature cycling as the core activity.

USO CarePages
CarePages.com is an online support community for people coping with significant health events and issues and their families. At CarePages.Com, you can create your own personal CarePage - a free, private, personalized Web page that allows you to share updates with family and friends, receive messages of encouragement and support, read stories and tips and meet other in similar situations. Starting a CarePage for yourself or a loved on is easy. Visit CarePages.Com/USO and click on "Create a CarePage."