6. The USO helps to keep the phones lines open. In 2013, the USO connected families with more than 2 million free phone calls and millions of emails from Afghanistan and Kuwait through Operation Phone Home®. Those 2 million phone calls from the frontlines used more than 20 million minutes of talk time. Operation Phone Home® continues to be one of the most requested services by deployed troops and military families
7. The USO is more than free cookies and Wi-Fi in airports. So you might think the USO are in a few airports, but they are actually EVERYWHERE. – more than 160 USO locations worldwide – The USO provides programs, entertainment and services at more than 160 USO locations worldwide, including Afghanistan, Kuwait, UAE, Germany, Italy, Japan, Guam, South Korea and the United States. Last year the USO delivered more than 2,300 family events to nearly 395,000 military family members through our USO centers. No other organization does more for military families.
As a matter of fact, In 2013, troops and their families visited USO centers more than 8 million times. Some of the families visit centers to participate in a wide range of events including special family-focused programming and fun opportunities.
8. The USO is laser focused on our wounded warriors. The USO has three state of the art Warrior Centers located inside or near our nations largest military hospitals. Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany is the first stop in their medical evacuation back home to the United States and the first time they become aware of their wounds and the new, uncertain future before them. The USO Warrior Center at Landstuhl provides a comforting shoulder to lean on in the difficult days and weeks after sustaining those injuries.
The Warrior Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center offers a comprehensive array of specialized services and programs in a supportive and home-like setting. The more than 16,000 square foot center includes classrooms, sports lounges, business centers, healing gardens and more, created expressly for our nation’s healing heroes and their families.
The USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir, VA celebrated the second anniversary of its February 2013 opening. To date, more than 172,000 visitors have used the more than 22,000-square-foot facility which is dedicated to serving our nation’s wounded, ill and injured troops, their families and caregivers as well as the active duty and military families. This falicity is amazing by offering everything a warrior needs to feel safe and at home while they heal, including a Respite Suite which has offered massage/reiki and yoga.
9. The USO and Elmo love our military kids. The Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families made its debut in July 2008, to help families deal with the challenges of deployment and homecomings. As of May 2014, the tour has taken its message to more than 445,200 troops and military families and performed more than 798 shows on 145 military installations in 33 states and 11 countries. Additionally, the tour has logged more than 172,000 miles and distributed more than 2.3 million giveaways.
