United Service Organizations Inc

Public awareness and outreach - the uso's marketing and communications outreach programs aim to address the civilian-military drift - a natural disconnect and lack of understanding between those who have served in the military and those whom they defend who have never served and may not know or be related to anyone who has. In september 2023, the uso launched a national broadcast psa campaign reaching the general public that is still ongoing today. The campaign also has a highly targeted media effort designed to reach and build awareness with a younger cohort of potential supporters that can help sustain the uso mission into the future. See schedule o for more details of the accomplishments during 2024.the uso's marketing and communications outreach programs aim to address the civilian-military drift - a natural disconnect and lack of understanding between those who have served in the military and those whom they defend who have never served and may not know or be related to anyone who has. The uso launched a national broadcast psa campaign reaching the general public beginning in september 2023 that has, to date, garnered more than one billion impressions across thousands of stations, leveraging media channels like broadcast tv, outdoor billboards, and radio. The campaign also has a highly targeted effort designed to reach and build awareness with a younger cohort of potential donors and supporters that can help sustain the uso mission into the future. To date, this effort has generated more than 280 million impressions across digital and linear television.in addition, through its website and mail, the uso collected more than 1.3 million messages of appreciation from the american public in 2024 which are being distributed or displayed at uso locations across the globe.

Service member, military family, and expeditionary programs - uso provides a suite of programs focused on wellness and resiliency for service members and their families. These programs include the uso reading program which keeps service members connected to their children through story-time; uso holidays which provides programming to help service members feel connected and supported during the holidays throughout the year; uso care packages, uso2go and program in a box kits ensure service members deployed to remote locations can enjoy essentials, recreation and comforts of home. See schedule o for more information about the programs offered and accomplishments during 2024. Service member and military family programs uso's military and military family programs provide support and comfort to service members and their families, whether they are deployed, transitioning to civilian life, wounded, ill or injured, or have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Uso reading program the uso reading program keeps service members connected to their children through story-time. Service members can visit a uso center or expeditionary location offering the program, record themselves reading their child's favorite story and have that recording and a copy of the book sent to their home - ensuring that they can read their child a bedtime story from anywhere in the world. Recognizing the challenges military children often face when dealing with separation, the uso reading program also makes it possible for military kids to add a new book to their own library and share story time with someone they love by recording themselves reading. The program has evolved to include digital recording delivery and automated book delivery to allow loved ones to receive both in an expedited timeframe. Uso holidaysuso holidays offers both programming and special care packages to help service members feel connected and supported during holidays throughout the year. Uso centers and teams activate around the globe to bring a piece of home to service members and their families, no matter where they are called to serve during the holidays. Whether it is delivering care packages, hosting holiday events, providing free entertainment, or enabling technology that brings loved ones together, the uso helps service members and their families stay connected to the comforts of home during the holiday seasons. Service members have shared that through uso holidays, they were given the opportunity to celebrate the holidays they would not have had otherwise. In 2024, the uso delivered 50,000 holiday care packages to military service members serving in remote operating and training bases, reaching service members in 55 countries. Each special care package is delivered in a festive uso branded bag and includes a snack pack and a variety of partner-provided items donated in-kind. In addition, uso centers around the world hosted holiday events with nearly 700,000 participants.uso gamingthe uso gaming program focuses on creating opportunities for service members and their families to engage in a variety of different gaming activities, regardless of their location. The program includes local, regional and global events varying from tournaments and leagues to casual trivia and community nights and everything in between. The gaming program captures both online and in person experiences to better serve our audience and those around them. Throughout 2024, uso's gaming program delivered broader services to a global audience through programs, accessibility, and expeditionary support. Over 4,000 programs took place at local uso centers resulting in over 200,000 service member engagements. Access to gaming equipment continues to be a key priority for the uso. Over 800,000 visits to uso centers marked gaming as the reason for their visit. Not only did the uso continue to provide access and equipment to service members throughout the world, we continued to invest in rapid response gaming kits that provide service members with access to gaming in locations where no uso center exists. These kits are deployed across the globe, notably in places like somalia, aboard aircraft carriers, and with our service members deployed to eastern europe.uso canine programthe uso understands the strong bond between humans and animals, and the critical roles dogs can play within the military community to help address mental, emotional, and physical needs. The uso canine program includes therapy dogs, family pets and military working dog programs. Interacting with therapy dogs can reduce stress and provide a unique morale boost for service members and their families. Including canine family members in programs enables families to participate more fully in uso activities and feel connected to their community. Uso's support of military working dogs honors their contribution, as well as that of their human handlers, who also feel cared for as their canine battle buddy is acknowledged.uso special deliverycombining baby shower games, local guest speakers and drawings for traditional baby shower gifts, these popular showers hosted by uso centers provide a touch of home for parents-to-be who are often away from their families, friends and support networks during their pregnancies. Uso special delivery is also offered virtually, with virtual baby showers that can reach remote military communities located far from a uso center, where a traditional, in-person baby shower might not be possible. 70% of participants report that the uso special delivery baby shower is the only shower they will have to celebrate this life milestone. In 2024, the uso hosted 140 showers, including virtual showers, and reached more than 1,800 expectant families. Uso coffee connectionsmilitary spouses are invited to attend uso coffee connections gatherings at their local uso center to connect with new friends or reconnect with old ones. These events allow spouses to relax in a comfortable setting, share advice, learn about local events and make new friends over a cup of coffee, a craft, local outing and more. Through uso coffee connections, military spouses stay connected to their communities no matter where they are stationed. In 2024, the uso hosted more than 900 events - both in-person and virtually - connecting over 2,800 military spouses around the world. Uso coffee connections live supports military spouses who might not have ready access to a uso center. This virtual event is an hour-long "coffee chat" with an influential guest, in which they discuss topics that are relevant and trending within the military spouse community. Topics such as community, health, wellness, marriage and the military, station changes and deployments, employment and many others have been discussed. Expeditionary programsthe uso delivers support to service members stationed abroad who are training in isolated locations or on arduous missions in remote parts of the world. Uso care packagesthe uso care package program provides service members with two different types of care packages - a snack pack and toiletry pack. Both are constructed with a durable nylon material with a modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (molle) system on the back of the pouch for easy attachment on most military-issued gear. The snack pack is assembled with a mixture of healthy and sweet treats, while the standard toiletry pack comes equipped with a wide range of travel-sized hygiene products. There is also a special version of the pack that provides feminine hygiene and self-care products. Uso centers also distribute specialized care packages meeting a variety of needs in the military community. In 2024, over 350,000 care packages were delivered to service members and family members across the united states and in 90 countries around the globe.uso2gofor service members stationed in remote locations where no uso center exists, uso2go kits offer fun diversions and comforts of home for units serving around the globe. Developed using feedback from deployed service members, these customizable kits include everything from snacks and toiletries to electronics and gaming equipment. The intent of uso2go is designed to create opportunities for service members to relax and recharge while deployed to remote and difficult locations.for more than a decade, uso2go boxes have been delivered to remote places across afghanistan, angola, australia, colombia, djibouti, egypt, haiti, honduras, india, indonesia, iraq, jordan, kazakhstan, kuwait, libya, lithuania, mali, micronesia, nicaragua, niger, the philippines, poland, singapore and more. In 2024, the uso supported more than 470 individual military units deployed to far reaching expeditionary locations in 120 countries.

Entertaining troops and families since its founding in 1941, the uso's global entertainment department delivers first-class entertainment programming to u.s. Military service members and their families. Partnering with the department of defense and the entertainment and sports industries, the uso brings a wide variety of high visibility celebrities and athletes to military locations worldwide. Through one of a kind, in-person tours and its military virtual programming (mvp) series, online sessions providing celebrities and service members the chance to interact virtually, the uso creates meaningful interactions that uplift and strengthen service members and their families. In 2024, the uso global entertainment team engaged 100 talented individuals for in-person tours and military virtual programming (mvp) sessions. The uso had the honor of working with an incredible range of talent, including jennifer lopez, tyler perry, kevin bacon, chris pratt, and jessica alba - just to name a few.for the first time in history, uso global entertainment hosted a groundbreaking mvp live session with astronauts aboard the international space station, connecting over 3,000 dodea students to an inspiring conversation about science and space exploration. The broadcast was part of the space force's stemtospace initiative to spark student interest in stem careers. This historic event reflects the uso's continued commitment to innovation and creating meaningful opportunities for military families and future leaders.in 2024, service members and military families participated in the uso entertainment program more than 124,400 times through in-person tours, digital engagements, including the mvp series, and ticket opportunities. Uso entertainment delivered entertainment to 448 military sites, including 23 in-person tours with 141 events traveling to 34 countries and seven ships at sea. Uso transition program the uso transition program, which compliments existing military transition programs, empowers service members and military spouses throughout their time in the military and as they transition back to civilian life. Beyond practical support and resource connection, this program pairs individuals with a uso transition specialist who offers personalized action plans focusing on employment, education, financial wellness and mentorship, instilling confidence and a sense of purpose during the pivotal phases experienced throughout active duty. By addressing both the emotional and practical needs, we ensure a smoother career journey for service members and spouses, and a more fulfilling transition into civilian life.by leveraging our global reach, the uso is able to engage with transition-focused programming earlier in the service members' career, resulting in more prepared, more financially stable and better-connected service members and military spouses. In 2024, new offerings to the program included a specialized focus on military spouses, a resume writer on staff, and specific interview preparation offerings. The program served more than 10,000 individuals with action plans and resources, resulting in more than 283,000 touch points. In addition to the programs listed above, uso local teams design and produce programs that are tailored to the specific needs of service members and their families in their geographic area. This flexibility in programing is critical due to the significant geographic scope of uso operations as well as the diverse needs of service members and their families. These locally developed programs also serve as an innovation laboratory for future uso-wide core programing.