by Christine Pesout

You may associate the USO with the WWII-era centers that proffered coffee and donuts to soldiers in need of respite. While today’s USO (United Service Organizations) still provides active military personnel and their families with that feeling of comfort, it has significantly expanded the number and types of services it offers to ease the burdens of traveling far from home. A strong partnership with many of the area’s top companies makes St. Louis’ James S. McDonnell USO one of the premier USO facilities in the world.

Located on the lower level of the main terminal at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, the James S. McDonnell USO features a media lounge, sleeping area, nursery/playroom and luggage storage center. The organization also offers its guests free books, calling cards, MetroLink tickets and other transportation assistance, and toiletry items. In addition, services including e-mail capabilities, video messaging, dataports for laptops and DSN phone lines keep travelers in touch with their loved ones.

Serving more than 120,000 military personnel and their families each year takes more than 500 volunteers who staff the facility 365 days a year, 24-hours-a-day. It also takes monetary support through private donations. Opportunities for corporate involvement in the USO are numerous. Sponsorships are available for various areas within the facility (lounges, canteen, library) and for many USO events throughout the year. These include the Bob Hardy Memorial Golf Classic, USO Night at the Ballpark, USO Night with Blues Hockey, the Salute to Heroes gala, troop appreciation golf tournaments and Summer Surge – the period when thousands of new high school and college graduates choose military-related jobs and careers. Funding is also needed for EXODUS, an annual December event (and biggest military party of the year) when more than 5,000 service men and women pass through the St. Louis USO on their way home from Fort Leonard Wood on holiday leave.

Contributions are also welcome for Patriot Paks, which contain disposable cameras, stationery, greetings and personal care items, Patriot Paks for Kids, MetroLink tickets and the No. 1 requested item at the USO – calling cards, both domestic and international.

Mike Stewart, manager advertising services, Anheuser-Busch Inc., and USO board member, says one of the greatest rewards of corporate contribution to the USO is the ease with which it makes an impact. “It’s the kind of support you know is going directly to the source – those men and women who are served by the organization,” he says. Stewart notes that a corporation’s long history of supporting troops, and an association with an organization of such stature as the USO, is also a source of civic pride.

While traveling to and from home often holds the promise of adventure, it also can leave one feeling a bit unsettled. The James S. McDonnell USO provides comfort and support to individuals through its mission of serving “the needs of the United States Armed Forces personnel and their families as they transit the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport facility, and [providing] those services in a ‘home-like’ environment.” For more information, visit www.usostl.org.

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