Your Passion - Q&A’s with USO Employees

Q What made you decide to become a part of the USO team?

A Volunteering for USO GA and watching Mary Lou Austin, my mentor and President of USO GA., work her magic for troops and their families. Spending time in her centers and observing Mary Lou in the community helped me realize the USO is where I wanted to spend my time.

Q What motivates you to come to work every day?

A Knowing that I can make a difference!

Q What does a typical day at the USO look like for you?

A No two days at the USO are the same! The faces and needs of the troops are different every day. There are days we only see 25 troops and other days where we'll see several hundred troops, but for every troop we have the privilege meeting, the USO makes a difference.

Q Have there been any defining moments for you at the USO?

A True story … Met a young soldier that was stranded at the airport due to bad weather. The soldier didn't have any money for a hotel and our center isn't large enough to provide an area for sleeping. Fortunately we have a hotel partner that was willing to provide transportation, dinner, a room and a ride back to the airport the next day for free! As I walked the soldier out to catch his ride to the hotel he leaned over to give me a hug and said his mom always said he would meet an angel at the USO and that angel was me. As the story continued he shared that 18 years earlier he was born in a USO.

Q Have there been any defining moments for you at the USO?

A August 2007, Camp Buehring, Kuwait: watching a young Sergeant perform a 'Tonto: Jump On It!' song and dance routine as part of his United Through Reading session for his 2yr old son in the only space available – my office! It was performed with such joy and abandon. Although a hilarious privilege to watch, the realization that a lot of stars, both unfortunate and fortunate, had to align for me to be able to help him, miles from anywhere, made a lasting impression. I knew then that working at the USO would be more than just my next job.

Q What is a typical day like at the USO?

A It's cliché but there really is no such thing as a typical day at the USO. Whether you are collaborating on a long-term project, reacting to an emergency request for help or assisting with the wide variety of donations the USO receives, there is always something new and challenging to tackle.

Q Can you tell us a little about your colleagues in the Arlington office?

A They're a fun-loving group of people that have a real sense of pride in the work that they do and are always willing to help.

Q What is on the horizon for you at the USO?

A Short term: Completion of the Warrior and Family Center construction projects at Fort Belvoir, VA and NSA Bethesda, MD. Medium Term: Continue my personal development by obtaining a Master's degree in logistics. Long Term: Develop an enterprise-wide resource management system that will improve the USO supply chain.

Q What motivates you to come to work every day?

A We're lucky to have one of the largest and busiest centers in the USO and the Duty Managers here work tirelessly to maintain services, equipment, supplies and maintenance 365 days a year. What motivates me is the responsibility to my staff to help them keep the systems running, the coffee flowing and the phones calling. The logistics of our supplies and the care and upkeep of the center is what allows the soldiers of Kandahar to relax and get some peace

Q What is a typical day like at the USO?

A Days start and end with the "rush hours" as soldiers communicate with family in the States during waking hours. While folks sleep stateside and Afghanistan is awake, we host up to 1600 visitors a day, some for only a few minutes in their bust work day or those passing through Kandahar and have some time to spend with us. Evenings are the time for special programs and events that help give deployed soldiers the chance to socialize and relax in a less serious environment then their duty.

Q Can you tell us a little about your colleagues at the USO?

A For an organization that is flung around the world, the USO can maintain a small company feel because everyone's mission is the same even if our jobs and responsibilities aren't the same. I like that someone's USO working experience in Japan, Germany, Afghanistan or St Louis may be in different continents, but the experience is very similar.

Q Can you tell us a little about your colleagues at the USO?

A They are a dynamic group of individuals! We all bring something different to the table, but work off of the strengths and weaknesses of one another to make sure we are delivering the best programs and services to the troops. We all have the same desire to fulfill the USO Mission to the best of our ability and are constantly striving to find new ways to improve the Mobile USO Program in our efforts to do so.

Q Have there been any defining moments for you at the USO?

A When working as a Duty Manager at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, I was on shift working with the United Through Reading Military Program. One young soldier kept hovering around the area, but wasn't signed up to read, so I started a conversation with him. He was really interested in the program and making a recording for his young children back at home, but he was worried because his reading skills were not very strong. I assured him that his children would be happy to see his face and to hear whatever story he could produce; I told him to just be goofy on the tape and to let his children know that he missed and loved him – everything he had just told me. After he had his turn, he came back out of the recording room looking much happier than when he had entered and said that he would be coming back to record another story before his unit moved on. It is times like this that I will remember most from my time overseas; how something so seemingly small, such as a conversation and a word of encouragement, can make such an impact.

Q Why did you decide to become a part of the USO team?

A To support my generation while they are serving on active duty. These soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen that are being deployed all over the world, not just Afghanistan, are my classmates, friends and neighbors. Their volunteer sacrifice matters and I appreciate them. It’s a joy to know the work I do may make a positive impact on their lives while they work to preserve my way of life. I am overjoyed to learn of someone I went to school with using a USO center and finding comfort there.

Q What's a typical day for you at the USO?

A Is never the same! There is always a new idea, new challenge, or new world issue that has an impact on the field and what they are doing. Some days I am working with my partners in the Development department to raise funds or coordinate a delivery of in-kind products, the next day I could be building budgets, planning a world-wide conference, or passing on good news in Africa that we're renewing internet service and new video games are on the way!

Q Have there been any defining moments for you at the USO?

A Transitioning families of the fallen through the airport on their way to Dover to witness the dignified transfer of their loved one. There is absolutely nothing I can do to take away their pain, but I can make sure they get off their connecting flight and on the next flight with ease. It's the most helpful I've ever felt, to take a family from one terminal to the other, pick up some drinks and snacks for them, and hug them as they board their next flight. As one father once told me, “we couldn't have navigated this airport; we wouldn't have even begun to known how to do this without you.” I'll never forget that moment.

Q Why did you decide to become a part of the USO team?

A I wanted to join the USO to make a difference. I have such a respect for our military and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve in the way I love most, HR.

Q What does a typical day at the USO look like for you?

A No such thing! It's exciting to me to discover what new way I can help develop my fellow co-workers to become better teammates. Whether it's through finding new talent to add to our team or coaching employees through difficult times, my work always varies because people always vary. I love the variety and wouldn't want it any other way.

Q What motivates you to come to work every day?

A Working with such passionate and selfless people who are dedicated to the mission is very humbling and rewarding. I’ve learned so much and continue to grow every day, I can’t wait to see what I’ll experience next!

Q What do you enjoy most about working for the USO?

A I get to do the work I love and with a team that cares about my development every day. Working for the USO continually challenges me to become a better HR professional. I'm proud to be part of something much bigger than myself.