USO News

USO of North Carolina Feeds Thousands Prior to President Obama Visit to Fort Bragg

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

By Joseph Andrew Lee

President Obama traveled to Fort Bragg, N.C., to personally welcome home nearly 3,000 troops and share the homecoming with their families as the country concludes its nearly nine-year war in Iraq. And with this terrific event came a terrific challenge.

The request came to the USO from the local commands, who realized the logistical difficulty of feeding and providing morning refreshments to so many troops as they are transferred directly from Pope Army Air Field to where President Obama would be giving his speech. Volunteers from USO of North Carolina responded and, assisted by Kangaroo Express, were in place at 5 a.m. to provide breakfast.

“The USO was in a good position to fill the need because we can move quickly,” said Renee Lane, USO of North Carolina Fort Bragg Center Director. “It takes a single phone call to a good partner like Kangaroo (Express) to make something like this possible. It makes it easy when you have both their (Kangaroo) employees and our volunteers from our Fort Bragg center stepping up to help deliver a warm sandwich, a cup of coffee and a morning smile to every single person in attendance. It gives you a good feeling to know they appreciate it and we can see the appreciation in their eyes and in their smiles.”

USO and Kangaroo Express provided Bean Street Coffee, Subway and Hardee's breakfast sandwiches and refreshments from Lance, Pepsi, Kellogg's, McLane and Bon Appétit. With more than half of its stores located within 25 miles of a military installation, Kangaroo Express has supported the military and their families for many years, most recently raising $2.5 million for the USO and other military support organizations as part of its “Salute Our Troops” fundraising campaign this summer.

“Providing breakfast to these brave service men and women is just a small token of our appreciation for their service to our country and time spent overseas,” said John Fisher, senior vice president of marketing at Kangaroo Express, to a CSP Daily News reporter. “We are honored to be even a small part of what promises to be a memorable day for each of the returning personnel.”

By the end of the event, the USO and Kangaroo Express delivered more than 2,000 breakfast sandwiches and more than 100 pots of coffee to troops and their families before President Obama gave his address.

“The war in Iraq will soon belong to history and your service belongs to the ages,” Obama said. “Never forget that you are part of an unbroken line of heroes spanning two centuries -- from the colonists who overthrew an empire; to your grandparents and parents, who faced down fascism and communism; to you – men and women who fought for the same principles in Fallujah and Kandahar and delivered justice to those who attacked us on 9/11.”

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Photo: From left to right, Volunteer Katherine Lane, Director Renee Lane, Program Assistant Amanda Bundy, Volunteer Brenda Ortega, Assistant Director Bev Jackson, and Rec Aide Emily Tifft.