USO Hawaii soldiering on with mission of aloha for our troops

Ask any veteran about the USO, and you’ll likely get an earful of happy memories.

We’ve all had a chance to laugh and cheer as movie stars and other wonderful entertainers lifted our spirits in far-flung corners of the world — sometimes within earshot of gunfire — as we’ve served the United States in peace and in war.

And, I feel sure, most of those who have not been privileged to wear our country’s uniform have at least heard of those wonderful USO front-line performances. Or seen the signs at airports here in Hawaii and around the country, directing servicemen and — women on their way to or from an overseas deployment to a quiet place where they can put down their duffel bags, have some refreshments and chat with supportive, sympathetic volunteers.

So, as USO Hawaii prepares to present its gala tribute to our active duty military at the new Pearl Harbor Visitors Center this Saturday, it seems a great time to remind our community about how the USO helps our young men and women in uniform.

A nonprofit organization chartered by Congress, the USO — United Service Organizations — is not a part of the U.S. government, although every president has been honorary chairman since it was founded during World War II. Here are just a few of the many ways the USO supports our troops:

» Deployment/redeployment support program: Through this program, USO Hawaii volunteers and staff provide aloha to military personnel — Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy — both when they are deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan and when they come home.

Volunteers and staff provide refreshments, encouragement and support while the troops await their flights overseas and again en route home to their families as they arrive back on U.S. soil in Hawaii.

USO Hawaii works closely with all branches of the military, and dedicated volunteers and staff remain on call as flight arrivals and departures change at a moment’s notice. This USO program reaches nearly 20,000 troops each year.

The United Through Reading Program allows military moms and dads to read aloud to their children, even though they’re thousands of miles apart. The USO videos service members reading a favorite book and then sends the DVDs and books to their kids back home. Troops overseas often wait in line for hours for a chance to do this.

The Wounded Warriors program helps meet the special needs of troops wounded in the war on terror. It supplies clothing and toiletries for injured soldiers and sponsors "USO Day Rooms" in military hospitals, where injured troops can relax and be entertained. It also provides financial assistance so relatives of injured soldiers can travel to be with their loved ones.

» Airport centers: Like our facilities at Honolulu Airport and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam AMC Terminal, these centers are open day and night at major airports worldwide to assist military personnel and their families on long and tiring trips. Last year, the two Hawaii centers served 64,000 people. We have playrooms for kids, snacks, beverages, videos, books, magazines and computers. Troops can even shower and take a nap.

» Operation Phone Home: What do GIs want most? To phone home. So the USO has set up a private telephone network to connect troops in Southwest Asia with their loved ones back home. We also buy and distribute prepaid phone cards so our troops can call home free.

» USO entertainment tours: The music has changed over the years, but the USO still goes right to the front so our troops can hear "Thank you!" directly from America’s stars.

Anyone interested in volunteering or donating is invited to visit USO Hawaii at http://affiliates.uso.org/ hawaii.