Daily Archives: October 14, 2010

“Military Wives (And Moms) Are Heroes, Too”

 

Military wife and mom Kelly Walker gets ready for the gala. (Photo by Kelly Wallace)

 

There was a special pre-party event that occurred before the 2010 USO Gala this year: P&G (our newest Worldwide Strategic Partner) set up a beauty suite for the wives of the Service Member Honorees of the Year!

iVillage’s Kelly Wallace was there to capture the moment, and spent time with Kelly Walker, the wife of Sgt. Eric Walker, the USO’s Marine of the Year.  “I very much enjoyed it,” Walker, a mother or two, told Wallace after her beauty sessions. “I don’t get pampering, I guess, very much, so it was quite enjoyable to have someone do my hair and my makeup.”

But, as Wallace points out, none of these women do what they do for attention or awards.  Walker concluded, “I’m just very proud of (my husband) and what he does, and so I’m honored for what I get to do for him.”

We’re proud of all of these military wives and moms (and their Service Member Honoree spouses!) and hope you’ll take a minute to watch the video below, then say “Thank You” to the military wife or mom in your life…

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Navy!

Group of Navy men leave the Wailuku USO club for a tour of the scenic sights on Maui. These tours are arranged by USO. WWII era 1942 - 1947 (Photo from USO archives)

We’re so sorry, Navy!  We meant to wish you Happy 235th Birthday yesterday.  Really, we did!  We hope we can make it up to you with this rarely seen vintage photo from WWII.

ADM Gary Roughead, CNO delivered a special message on the US Navy’s Birthday and we wanted to share that with you, too.  Here’s to another great 235 years…

VH1 Divas Salute The Troops

(Clockwise from top left) Music stars Katy Perry, Sugarland, Keri Hilson, Paramore, and Nicky Minaj will all perform as part of The USO Presents "VH1 Divas Salute The Troops." (Image courtesy of blog.VH1.com)

We couldn’t WAIT to share this with you!  Get ready to join Katy Perry, Sugarland, Keri Hilson, Nicki Minaj, and Paramore for an amazing concert experience this December!  The USO Presents VH1 Divas Salute The Troops premieres on Sunday, December 5 at 9:00 PM ET/PT on VH1.

This year VH1 is giving the Divas franchise a military makeover by partnering with the USO to bring the iconic event to America’s troops and their families. Drawing from the tone of the original USO shows and using Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in San Diego as home base, this year’s VH1 Divas Salute The Troops show will be a unique and uplifting version of VH1’s high profile signature event. Katy Perry, Sugarland, Keri Hilson and Nicki Minaj will perform in front of thousands of men and women in uniform at MCAS Miramar. Taking the effort overseas to thank troops serving in remote locations, Paramore will visit Marines, soldiers, airmen, sailors, coastguardsmen and reservists stationed at an undisclosed military base in the Middle East.

“I get to be among so many other influential women, groundbreaking women, strong, powerful, confident women, not only on that day, but just to be a part of the legacy of ‘VH1 Divas,’” Hilson told the Washington Post.  Hilson said she embraces the positive characteristics of being a diva.  ”Strong woman, yes I am. Leader, yes I am. Innovative, creative, all those things, yes, I am that,” said Hilson.

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland has a similar definition for the modern day diva.  ”All of these women definitely have a larger than life persona, be it on stage or who they are or what they wear,” she said. “I think there’s something to be said for celebrating that.”

Hilson and Nettles love the idea of supporting the troops through the show. Hilson’s dad served in the Army before she was born, and Nettles has a brother in the Air Force.

The USO Presents VH1 Divas Salute The Troops will be an event unlike anything seen before featuring a night of unforgettable performances from various performers, presenters and special guests as well as commentary from troops stationed on the front lines and “exclusive” USO tour footage shot overseas. This year’s show is a female-fronted superstar spectacle that is fun, irreverent and will also include a “few good men.” Additional information about the show and the featured artists will be released in the upcoming weeks and can be found at Divas.VH1.com and USO.org.