FORT HOOD, Texas — Fathers and their little ones came out to have fun June 12 at the USO for their annual Home Tweet Home: A Father’s Day Build event, enjoying an afternoon of creativity and connection building birdhouses. The event brought together dads and their children for a rare moment of uninterrupted bonding.
Julie Mendez, center operations manager for USO Fort Hood, said the goal of the event is simple but meaningful — to give military families a chance to slow down and make memories.
“Today’s event is just a fun bonding moment for dads and their kids to build a birdhouse and have some great afternoon togetherness,” she said.
For many families, opportunities like this are especially valuable, with many just coming back from deployments. Spc. Austin Payne, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, shared that his demanding schedule often keeps him from his children. Once he heard from his wife about the event, he knew it would be a good way to spend time with his children.
“I don’t really get to spend that much time with the kids anymore,” Payne said. “I’m always gone, always away … I thought that it would be fun just to spend some quality time together.”
He felt these were the type of events families needed to grow stronger together.
“… It just helps to give more family time along with the work/family (balance) relationship that you don’t really get whenever you’re away from your kids all the time,” Payne said.
The USO’s mission is rooted in supporting that kind of connection. Mendez emphasized that morale and family well-being are central to their purpose.
“The morale of our military community is a raison d’être (reason of being),” Mendez said. “Our mission is literally to support our military Soldiers and their families.”
Inside the center, dads, moms and children huddled over markers, wood pieces and wood glue, giggled and fully invested in the bond they were creating. Mendez said watching that collaboration unfold is her favorite part.
“They take it very seriously, and it’s just hilarious, but also a joy to see how seriously they take decorating,” she said. “It really builds a better moment of communication and connection between them.”
For the Payne family, the birdhouses will become a lasting reminder of the day. Payne, preparing to transition out of the military, wanted to make sure that everybody sees his little ones’ creations.
“We’re going to hang them up from our front porch … and just let the world see all the amazing work the kids can do,” he said.
Even the youngest participants had their own creative spark. When his son Jorge Payne, 9 and daughter Kataleya Payne, 6, were asked what they liked most about the event, they agreed drawing and coloring were at the top of the list.
As the event wrapped up, Mendez expressed her hope that families walked away with more than just a finished project.
“I hope that all of the dads and the kids walk away with this really fun memory and moment of connection that will hopefully build and grow in the future,” Mendez said.
For the Fort Hood community, the event was more than a craft session — it was about creating special moments families can remember for a lifetime. For upcoming USO events, visit their Facebook page at http://facebook.com/USOFortHood.