The United Services Organization

I recently had the opportunity to meet with the regional director of the United Services Organization, the USO, and as well had a recent visit by the director here in Hawaii.

We often attribute USO to entertainment for the troops. We think about, in the olden days Bob Hope leading an entertainment group forward to entertain the troops overseas, and this occurs even today in Iraq and Afghanistan where USO troops do, in fact, travel forward to provide entertainment.

But the USO. does much more. In fact, as you go into major hubs, airports and seaports where our troops either embark or debark from their overseas travel, you'll very often, almost always, see a USO office there, and they'll be providing assistance to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Marines as they are moving about this AOR, here in the Pacific or elsewhere in the world.

Other services include Operation Care Package, United through Reading, Operation Phone Home, as well as entertainment tours, and the USO, wants to do more.

I would encourage the leadership across the fleet - chief petty officers, senior enlisted leaders, our junior officers and senior officers - to embrace the USO leadership near you, to ensure that you know what programs they provide, to ensure that you are doing your utmost to give them the venues to enable what they provide for troops, and that we show our appreciation periodically to the USO for everything that they do.

Thank you, USO, for your contributions to our military.