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United Service Organizations, commonly referred to as the USO, was formed in 1941 as a request from President Roosevelt, to unify the organizations that had at the time handled the recreation activities for US Armed Forces personnel while on-leave. The USO became a combination of the Salvation Army, The YMCA, National Travelers Aid Association, the National Jewish Welfare Board and National Catholic Community Service. The USO is chartered by Congress as a nonprofit charitable corporation. It is not part of the US Government and receives no direct federal funding.
The USO's mission is to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to military members. The USO strives to bring a "Touch of Home" to all uniformed personnel often stationed far from family and friends in remote or hostile areas. The USO relies on voluntary, private contributions from the American public and corporate donations from our sponsors. The donations are then used to provide programs and services to military members and their families. A general sample of these services include "newcomer" briefings for troops and families during duty station changes, port calls to support ships with free phone calls and cookouts prior to deployments as well as upon their return, airport service centers, celebrity event, cultural outreach programs with foreign communities, family oriented holiday events, discount tours of local attractions, communication outlets such as free internet service, and USO canteens and centers that provide a relaxed atmosphere for TV viewing, eating, or socializing.
The USO continues to be the conduit between the American public and the military. With the help of employees and volunteers, the USO operates 122 centers worldwide serving over 5,000,000 patrons each year. As long as America's sons and daughters defend our freedom around the world, the USO will be there with support, offering a touch of home in any way possible.
For further information about the United Service Organizations' mission, programs, locations, or to make a donation, visit our website at www.uso.org.
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