Service Members and Military Families Celebrate and Find Support at USO Fort Cavazos

By Janecze Wright

Since 2001, USO Fort Cavazos has been a steadfast source of support for its local military community, when it became the first USO Center to open on a military installation. Since then, it has remained a pillar of support for the people who serve on Fort Cavazos, and the community there recently recognized the USO Center’s 23 years of support with a celebratory anniversary week.

More than 250 USO Centers are located around the world, offering service members and their families programs and support, some of which are unique to their local military community, but all with the same goal in mind: to ensure these military families have a place of respite and a place to connect with other members of the military community.

The USO’s mission of strengthening the well-being of service members and their families wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated staff and volunteers, including Patti Reece, a USO Fort Cavazos center operations specialist who took part in organizing the week of celebrations.

“We decided that we wanted to celebrate the entire week and have everybody come in each day to experience what the USO is all about,” said Patti.

The celebration kicked off the week of Aug. 5, 2024, with service members and military families enjoying everything from games and playtime activities to free snow cones to beat the Texas heat.

Aside from the fun and joy these activities bring, they also provide a way for military families to connect with other families on base, and provide a way for service members to have a fun break outside of their everyday military duties on base.

Robin Mikel, who came out for the start of the week’s activities with her sons Darren and Dean, ages 7 and 2, explained that the USO provides a place to connect, while stressing the importance of bonding with other military spouses, especially now that her spouse, Cpl. Michael Cabrera, is deployed.

“It helps you connect and get to know other military spouses,” Robin said. “You get to know what other families are going through so you’re not so isolated and alone.”

“It helps with my mental health,” she added. “[My children] forget [my husband’s] gone if they’re busy and it helps time go by faster.”

Aside from the Center’s anniversary celebration, military spouses like Robin can utilize the USO Coffee Connections Program at USO Fort Cavazos, which is a global program for military spouses to connect with each other, and aims to address some of the challenges that military spouses face by providing them with a comfortable, casual environment in which they can share advice with one another, learn about local events, make new friends and feel a sense of community.

Grace Fuchs, a military spouse whose husband, Staff Sgt. Jacob Fuchs, is deployed, remains grateful for the support the USO provides, as this is her family’s first duty station.

“I miss him a lot, they miss him a lot, so this helps keep their spirits up,” she said of her sons Alaric and Wolfric, ages, 8 and 6.

“I’ve also made friends,” Grace continued. “Just having someone to talk to is important. And it’s always nice to know the USO is here.”

Patti noted that the anniversary takes place the last week of summer before school starts, and she wanted youngsters to come in and enjoy themselves before embarking upon a new year.

Freedom Mortgage also joined the USO in providing military kids with backpacks full of school supplies during the “Rucksacks to Backpacks” event, so that children on Fort Cavazos had the supplies they needed just in time for the new school year.

This support for the youngest members of the military community is crucial during this time of year, also known as PCS season, when military families are often moving to their next duty station and settling into a new home. While these moves are crucial for our nation’s defense and the readiness of our Armed Forces, they also bring unique challenges for military families, especially the youngest members. These moves mean military children must attend a new school, make new friends and adjust to a new home. The USO tries to make this transition easier for military children, offering them programs and activities that can help them feel connected to their new community, such as this week of celebration at USO Fort Cavazos.

At USO Fort Cavazos specifically, military kids can partake in Story Time, which is also filled with fun crafts, snacks and furry friends, as well as Movies on the Lawn and Family Game Night, where they can enjoy time with not just their peers but also their entire family.

The festivities continued with soldiers enjoying some friendly competition at the end of the week with the Soldier Showdown Night pool tournament, where more than a dozen soldiers competed in the tournament while enjoying pizza, drinks and snacks.

Spc. Sydney Cavanagh, a member of the Fort Cavazos Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU), shared that he and a fellow SRU soldier decided to participate because they thought the pool tournament would be a good way to get out and do something they enjoy.

He shared that he was injured while deployed and has been convalescing at the SRU.

“You get down on yourself, so it’s a good way to joke around and meet new people,” Sydney expressed.

Sydney noted he was an experienced pool player and was excited to show off his skills and he praised the USO for lifting his spirits through this event.

Staff Sgt. Pasang Sherpa didn’t come to compete, but he welcomed the opportunity to connect with a few new four-legged friends, that is, USO Canine Volunteers.

Members of the GO TEAM Therapy Dogs made a special appearance at the event, much to the delight of visitors and USO staff. In many USO Centers, the USO Canine Program brings certified therapy dogs into our Centers so that service members like Pasang can spend time with them.

These therapy dog visits can be quite beneficial to service members, as research shows that interacting with animals can make an incredible difference – and improvement – in one’s physical and mental health. Studies have found that petting an animal can lower blood pressure and release hormones such as phenylethylamine, an anti-depressant.

Other studies have shown that after petting animals, people were found to have increased levels of serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin – all hormones that can play a part in elevating moods and decreasing anxiety and the feeling of loneliness.

Pasang, who is originally from Nepal, shared that the USO provides the opportunity to meet others from across the globe.

“It’s a great place to hang out and meet people from every part of the world,” he said. “It’s nice to meet other single soldiers like [yourself], have fun and hang out, get to know each other and share experiences.”

Although the festivities wrapped up at the end of the week, the unwavering support provided by USO Fort Cavazos will continue, just as it has for the last 23 years. Thanks to our USO volunteers, who are committed to carrying out the USO’s mission, as well as our supporters, who ensure that mission is made possible, the people who serve always know that they have the support of the USO and the American public.

-This story was originally published on DVIDShub.net. It has been edited and expanded upon for USO.org.