Rotarians visit Camp Pendleton’s United Service Organization (USO)!
Rotarians received a first-rate tour of the United Service Organization (USO) from the Center Operations and Programs Manager Crystal Gates. (Pictured L-R) Cindy Gobrecht, Jim Rietkerk, Jen Weeks, Kathye Rietkerk, Crystal Gates, Mike Bett, Steve Achard, Sally Bett, Erica Williams and Don Weeks.
The USO’s mission meets the needs of service members and has evolved from the days of handling Bob Hope tours. Officially opening in 2019, Camp Pendleton has the first USO office on a US Marine base. There are laptops for personnel to contact family, and the center offers a sense of home resulting in increased morale. The Camp Pendleton USO Center needs volunteers to be open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (If anyone is interested in volunteering, check out volunteers.uso.org. The next orientation is on August 19th and a volunteer would be able to get a base pass once they commit to a shift or two.)
The USO sets up programs for military personnel and provides transition readiness with resume writing, interview skills and methods for transferring military skills into civilian life. Military spouses and Reserve & National Guard can also participate in readiness programs. The USO App provides personnel with a dashboard with a timeline to manage the transfer.
Military personnel arrive at the USO and drop a pin in their hometown.
The USO provides a fun respite from military life. Crystal Gates explained that these vans and trucks bring supplies to military working in the field. After serving snacks, Crystal also met a another vital need in the field ---- extra roles of toilet paper! Other fun events include National S'mores Day, Craft & Coffee, Coffee Connections, July Freedom Floats with flag straws, and National Book Lovers Day. The Country Jamboree occurs in September with fun bands, food baths, and games for the military families.