Families will gather to celebrate the holidays. However, some of them will be absent – their parents, siblings, brothers, and sisters won’t be there.
Service members often feel the distance between them and their loved ones on holidays, which is why military service involves sacrifice. Family traditions include holiday dinners and gift-giving, but they should also remember to support those serving in the military. They are often deployed overseas, including Afghanistan, Korea Japan, Germany, and Iraq.
The USO (United Service Organizations), provides support for troops all year. Although many people don’t realize it, the USO relies on donations from individuals and corporations. This funding comes from grassroots and the support of 44,000 volunteers. It is this that allows the USO to alleviate the financial burden on the families of the troops.
“Meeting these brave young men and women, I’m amazed at the great job they do, serving so far from home, family and friends, working tirelessly for months on end,”Sloan D. Gibson is the USO President. “As I visited with them and learned more about their lives, their children and their families, the sacrifices they make on our behalf, their stories become even more remarkable.”
The USO runs centers around the globe to support military personnel and their families. Over 7 million soldiers and their families received support from 135 centers worldwide in 2007. To lift troops’ spirits, the USO sends entertainment tours abroad.
“We have created expeditionary programs to deliver to our troops serving in the most remote locations,”Gibson. “Programs like our new ‘USO in a Box’ provide them with the feeling of home away from home.”
The USO gives out prepaid telephone cards as well as care packages. The USO volunteers greet troops at airports when they return home. This ensures that they arrive home as heroes. Another program allows deployed troops to record videos of their children reading to them.
Visit this page to learn more about how you can brighten the holiday season for military personnel and their families. www.uso.org.
