USO Center Spotlight |
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Camp Walker USO
One of the newest additions to the USO family, Camp Walker USO serves a military population of more than 35,000 service members and their families. The 5,000 square-foot, expanded center opened on March 31, 2009, and is providing meaningful support to South Korea’s military community. Center staff and volunteers happily welcome an average of 550 visits per month.
Since the grand opening, Camp Walker USO has been a hit among center visitors. Service members can relax in the lounge, which features a 60" plasma television and leather reclining chairs; watch a movie in the 14-seat mini-theater; or have a Nintendo® Wii™ gaming tournament in the competition room. The center’s Internet café is Wi-Fi enabled, featuring a 4-person workstation for virtual gaming and free worldwide phone access for service members and their families to connect with loved ones back home. Camp Walker USO also has a recording area and library of children's books for troops to participate in the United Through Reading® Military Program.
Birthday Surprise
The Camp Walker USO “Birthday Surprise” program recognizes the birthdays of service members who visit the center. Each service member with a birthday within the specific month receives a free birthday hot dog, drink and bag of chips. In addition to the free dinner, the names of the “birthday troops” are entered into a special drawing that is held on the last day of the month. The winner gets the grand birthday prize, which is a hand-delivered card and special treat from the USO staff.
This program boosts morale and reassures troops that they have not been forgotten. Since troops can’t always be with their loved ones during their special day, the Camp Walker USO staff steps in, making the day memorable. To learn more about the programs and services at Camp Walker USO, contact Yolanda Johnson, center manager, at yjohnson@uso.org.