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By Pfc. Alicia Torbush
20th Public Affairs Detachment
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Service members at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, celebrated the reopening of a new state-of-the-art United Services Organizations facility.
The ceremony began with the entrance of the official party, posting of the colors and playing of both the Kuwaiti and U.S. national anthems. The invocation was given by Air Force Maj. Stuart A. King, post chaplain.
Sarah McConnell, USO director, Camp Buehring, welcomed guests and presented tokens of appreciation to those who helped make the new USO possible.
The guest speaker was Maj. Gen. Charles Anderson, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Central. Remarks were given by Kevin Meade, vice president of operations, Southwest Asia, and Lt. Col. Edward Amato, commander, Base Support Battalion-North.
"Today we will cut the ribbon and open the doors to one of the largest centers in the USO inventory, and definitely the largest USO in Southwest Asia," said Meade.
The USO is a private non-profit organization that supports U.S. service members around the world. For more than 60 years the USO has supported troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation services to service members. The USO at Camp Buehring first opened in July 2006.
"We are so proud of what the USO has accomplished here," said Amato. "Our goal is to try to bring a state-of-the-art, brighter, warmer, homier type of environment for our troops to come to because this center is a home to approximately 144,000 troops per year."
Camp Buehring serves as a training and staging camp for troops moving into Iraq or Afghanistan.
The staff at the USO does their part to give the troops the comforts of home while they are in Kuwait.
The ribbon cutting was completed by the official party and closing remarks were given by McConnell.
All attendees were invited to tour the new facility that includes a bistro, gaming center, internet café, music room, three big screen televisions, sound-proof movie theater and two United Through Reading rooms, where service members can record themselves reading a story to their children to send home.
"No matter who you are, you are going to stop sometime in your lifetime and ask yourself what was my investment in others," said Anderson. "The people in the USO don't have that problem. They are always there investing in others."
| Date Taken: | 12.31.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2008 09:45 |
| Story ID: | 28315 |
| Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
| Web Views: | 310 |
| Downloads: | 259 |
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