USO Georgia Receives Air Force Reserve Command's Citizen Airman's Award for 2008
USO Photo by David
The USO congratulates Mary Lou Austin and the staff and volunteers of USO Georgia on receiving the Air Force Reserve Command's Citizen Airman's Award for 2008. The team at USO Georgia is being recognized for their efforts in welcoming Airmen and other service members home.
Mary Lou Austin, president and CEO of the USO of Georgia, recently celebrated her 40th anniversary working for the USO. At the height of the Vietnam War in 1969, Austin of Pennsylvania left her career in education to join the USO. Today, she leads an organization that supports nearly 300,000 service members and their families annually. She oversees the operations of four USO centers throughout Georgia in Atlanta, Columbus, Savannah and at Robins Air Force Base.
"Congratulations to Mary Lou Austin and the staff and volunteers of USO Georgia for being recognized for the terrific work you are doing on behalf of our troops. Your support of our men and women in uniform and their families epitomizes the spirit of the USO."
– Sloan Gibson, USO president.
Most notable are her efforts at the Jean R. Amos USO Center at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. There, Austin and her dedicated volunteers support troops arriving stateside and returning to overseas locations on rest and recuperation (R&R) flights, providing a safe haven complete with welcoming smiles, USO care packages and hot food in America's busiest airport.
One of her 400 volunteers, Mary Nelson Adams, was named the 2008 USO Volunteer of the Year, and was recently honored by the City of Savannah, Georgia. For her tireless work on behalf of America's service members, the Savannah City Council declared February 12, 2009, as "Mary Nelson Adams Day" in Savannah.
To learn more about USO Georgia, click here.