USO Center Spotlight |
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The Mobile USO Program
The Mobile USO program has become a staple offering of the USO – providing access to services and vital outreach to troops and their families located in areas not convenient to centers. Created in 2006, the program consists of three, region-specific mobile canteens that are headquartered out of Hampton Roads, Va. (East Coast region), Dallas (Central region) and Las Vegas (Western region). To date, these units have collectively traveled more than 130,000 miles in support of the troops across the country.
A “USO center on wheels,” each mobile is equipped with many of the same comforting amenities found in traditional centers. Visitors can enjoy multiple flat screen televisions, laptops with wireless Internet, Xbox® 360 gaming systems, a state of the art sound system and a kitchen equipped with microwaves, refrigerators and coffeemakers. These features make it easy for the mobiles to provide exceptional programs and services to those they serve. In addition to service member outreach, the Mobile USO program is committed to reaching out to the communities they visit, especially during times of need. In 2008, the units aided Texas Gulf Coast residents affected by Hurricane Ike and military communities in Southern California during the wildfires.
Hello From the Homefront
Each Mobile USO allows for local communities to demonstrate their support of troops in each city it visits. The Hello From the Homefront program gives the public a tangible way to say “thank you” to service members. Participants can record DVDs and sign banners that are sent overseas to deployed troops. Each personalized greeting boosts service member morale, with the banners often displayed at central locations, such as dining facilities, on overseas bases.
As this program develops, the messages, especially the recorded versions, have evolved from simple “hellos” to very poignant channels of communication between family members back home and their deployed relatives. On occasion, mothers have brought their young children into the Mobile so USO staff and volunteers can record their new son or daughter’s first few steps. The deployed fathers are thrilled to witness this emotional family occurrence, despite the thousands of miles that separate them.
For more information on the Mobile USO program, please contact a USO representative.