How the USO Bridged the Gap Between Service Members and Civilians Through the Human to Human Project

Each May, this nation celebrates Military Appreciation Month. As the USO honors the people who serve our country, we also recognize their humanity, their sacrifices and their resilience. Through shared experiences and stories, the USO brings people together to build bridges of empathy and support.

As part of the Human to Human project, the USO quite literally brought together seven pairs of strangers at the Atlanta International Airport. Each pair consisted of one service member and one civilian, asking each other questions printed on cards that the USO provided. As they sat across from one another with both excitement and nervousness, neither knew what role the other played. These facts would later be discovered — not with the “big reveal” of a reality show, but through the natural connections they made.

The conversations were surprising, powerful and unifying — there were moments of realization, connection and even a few tears. The civilians saw their service member partners in a different light, with a new understanding that even the toughest among us find strength in the support of others.

Watch the feature Human to Human video and learn more about our Military Appreciation Month campaign.

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Every day, America’s service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice.

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