Photo By Staff Sgt. Matthew Gilmore | Airmen from the 374th Medical Support Squadron carry a gurney in demonstration of the...... read more read more
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Home. A place we all have, a place that is each entirely our own. To some a city, a state, to others a state of mind. Home is where the heart is, family, friends, community. It is familiarity. Home is the comfort of knowing the inner intricacies of everything around you. Home has a feel, a smell, an aura that exudes piece of mind. When away from home, there are a million things that will remind you exactly what you miss about it.
An unfortunate reality is homes are unique. They are not easily recreated. A truth known all too well for those who serve in the U.S. military. With that difficulty in mind, the United Service Organizations mission of “strengthening America’s service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country throughout their service” can make all the difference when it comes to maintaining morale.
In an effort to bring service members their own piece of home, family and country, the USO Spring Tour officially kicked off April 22, 2018 at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
The tour, hosted by Gen. Paul Selva, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, included performances by comedian and writer Jon Stewart, country music artist and U.S. Army veteran Craig Morgan, celebrity chef and talk show host Robert Irvine, UFC fighters Paige VanZant and Max Holloway, and retired NBA player Richard “Rip” Hamilton.
“Yokota is an excellent place to begin this year’s USO tour around the world,” said Selva. “The men and women stationed here and throughout Japan are absolutely vital in maintaining stability in the region. Today’s visit is all about thanking them and their families for what they do every day in defense of our nation and allies. We look forward to visiting America’s sons and daughters serving in the distant reaches of the world and reminding them they’ll always have the support of those they serve.”
With the help of some of our country’s biggest stars, the USO is able to show support through the staging of comedy shows, concerts, meet-and-greets, unit visits and other interactive events for service members and their families while promoting stability throughout the world in both stateside and overseas locations.
“In 2017 the USO deployed 95 celebrity entertainers on 36 tours to 20 countries and 17 states, entertaining 55,023 service members and military families,” said Nathan Evans, USO Yokota program manager. “Five of those tours were to a combat zone.”
Bringing that support to the ends of the earth would not be possible without the support from the stars donating their time for tours, but the help of all of the individuals who volunteer their time to help out at USO centers around the globe.
“This tour and the USO’s operation on a day-to-day basis are first and foremost about thanking the men and women in uniform and their families for what they do every day for our nation,” said Kiyana Kemp, USO Yokota center manager. “Without the help of our volunteers we would not be able to show the support or provide the services we do.”
The stars and individuals who volunteer their time to the USO are a prime example of what the USO hopes to achieve with its Force Behind the Forces campaign.
“The Force Behind the Forces campaign encourages Americans to demonstrate their appreciation for and support of those who selflessly serve our nation,” said Kemp. “The USO stands behind “The Force”, as a community of supporters committed to connecting armed forces members to the things they hold dear. Join us in being this Force Behind the Forces.”
To learn more about the USO and the Force Behind the Forces campaign, view the USO tour schedule or find more programs that support service members and their families, visit USO.org.
| Date Taken: | 04.22.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2018 01:18 |
| Story ID: | 274353 |
| Location: | YOKOTA AIR BASE, TOKYO, JP |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, USO Spring Tour Kicks Off at Yokota, by SSgt Matthew Gilmore, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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