USO - For the Troops

Every soldier that is killed in the combat Area of Responsibility returns to the United States at Dover Air Force Base. These soldiers are honored through the Dignified Transfer ceremony, conducted by an elite Honor Guard. Behind the scenes, the USO aids the Honor Guard every step of the way.

After the war in Vietnam many soldiers returned to a climate in which their service was denigrated, and they were seen as villains. The USO provided a space for them to escape this controversy. Today, the USO still provides spaces for connection, whether with other soldiers or family members.

See how the USO has strengthened U.S. service personnel for more than 75 years by keeping them connected to everything they fight to protect: family, home and country.

Though the USO was founded by FDR just prior to the beginning of WWII, its mission in the present remains the same. The organization brings a bit of home to our armed forces no matter where they are stationed. Just prior to takeoff, this year's USO tour crew prepares to visit seven countries in eight days.

In 2011, Army Sergeant 1st Class Aaron Causey lost both of his legs in an IED blast. Kat Causey, his wife and a USO volunteer, speaks on the support that the USO provided for her family every step of the way.

Despite pervasive racism in the American South during WWII, the USO adhered to its policy to provide a home away from home for all soldiers. In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, black soldiers at Camp Shelby could find a safe place to relax, socialize and let their guard down at the East 6th Street USO.