David Boreanaz Boosts Morale Among Service Members Throughout the Midwest on USO Entertainment Tour

By Danielle DeSimone

For service members all around the globe, USO Entertainment tours provide a welcome respite, as well as a reminder that their work, and the sacrifices that they make, are not forgotten. Having an artist, musician, comedian, athlete or other public figure visit troops both at home and on the front lines is so much more than the thrill of meeting a celebrity – it is also a gesture of support from the American people, and from the entertainers themselves.

Recently, service members stationed in Missouri and Illinois had the chance to meet actor David Boreanaz on his first in-person USO Tour. This experience was especially exciting for both service members and for David himself, as the actor plays a special warfare operator on the Paramount+ TV show “SEAL Team.” For the service members in attendance, it was a chance to meet an actor who has strived to accurately portray the military world on screen. And for David, it was a chance to get a firsthand glimpse into the lives of the people who serve.

David Boreanaz’s Connection to, and Appreciation for, the Service Members and Veterans in His Life

Actor David Boreanaz is no stranger to the military. Even before he played special operator Jason Hayes on “SEAL Team,” or Army veteran Seely Booth in “Bones,” David’s childhood was spent listening to his father – a radio broadcaster – on American Forces Network (AFN), the television and radio broadcast service for U.S. military stationed or deployed overseas.

But now, after seven seasons of having starred in a military drama focusing on the lives of U.S. Navy SEALs, David has an even greater appreciation for the military. In fact, the show is well-known for having hired veterans and former special ops members to work as part of the crew, which helps make the show all the more realistic in its portrayal of service members and their duties.

“Working with this magnitude of military personnel – whether it’s special operators or veterans in front of the camera, behind the camera, in the writers’ room, the production office, etc. – we pride ourselves on that,” David said. “I didn’t really have a perception of [the military lifestyle] beforehand, but I do now know that their sense of discipline and efficiency of getting the job done is quite remarkable and unparalleled to anything.”

That’s why, when presented with the opportunity to join a USO Entertainment tour, David jumped at the chance. He had previously participated in TV show screenings and virtual USO tours during the COVID-19 pandemic through the organization’s USO MVP events – but this was his first in-person, multi-day USO tour.

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to really visit these bases and to visit with more service members,” David said. “Just to be able to put on the USO T-shirt – I loved it.”

David Boreanaz Visits Service Members Stationed Across Missouri and Illinois

Throughout his USO Tour, David visited service members stationed on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Here, he met with service members one-on-one, shared meals with them at the military dining facility on base, hosted an advance screening of the first episode of season seven of “SEAL Team,” ahead of the season premiere, toured working areas, underwent a Security Forces K9 training session, tried on an Explosive Ordnance Disposal suit and so much more.

But through it all, the experience that stood out the most to David was simply being able to interact and speak with service members from all walks of life.

“To travel with the people there, with the USO, and to really get to the humanity of these men and women, was very humbling for me. I just enjoyed the process really, from the sun-up to sun-down. It was long, but it was very gratifying in a way that you were able to hear their stories, connect with them, give them some inspiration and get some inspiration back,” he said.

David also enjoyed getting a firsthand look at how different military units operated, the type of work they did and even just how large these military installations were. It was an eye-opening look into the daily lives of service members all around this country.

The tour also included a stop at USO Fort Leonard Wood, where some of the USO’s most famous USO Canine Volunteers serve as therapy dogs. Maverick, who was named the inaugural USO Canine Volunteer of the Year in 2023, and his brother Apache are both Great Danes and work alongside their owner, USO Center Operations Manager Kelly Brownfield, at the USO Center. The dogs offer emotional support and comfort to the service members who visit the USO Center, as well as to service members on suicide watch, or children attending their military parent’s funeral.

Having certified therapy dogs such as Maverick and Apache in USO Centers can have a profound, positive impact on the well-being of the service members and military families there. Research shows that interacting with animals can make an incredible difference – and improvement – in one’s physical and mental health. From lowering blood pressure and releasing anti-depressant hormones, to increasing mood-elevating hormones and decreasing anxiety and feelings of loneliness, the benefits of therapy dogs are numerous.

David, who has a dog himself, was especially moved to see how much of an impact that Maverick and Apache have on the service members of Fort Leonard Wood.

“What Kelly does with those dogs is just a remarkable, and her story, and the people in that community who have been touched and healed by those dogs, is quite an achievement. Just to hear the stories of how they’ve affected the men and women there on the base …” David said, explaining that hearing about the positive effect of the therapy dogs brought him close to tears.

This emphasis on supporting mental health through innovative programs such as the USO Canine Program is an important one. At the USO, our mission is to strengthen the well-being of America’s service members and their military families through our more than 250 Centers, as well as programs and events. And while mental health is an issue that is not easily solves, we do believe that it is something that should be addressed. Similarly, the mental health of the people who serve in elite, special operations units is also a recurring theme throughout “SEAL Team.”

David explained how he and others on the “SEAL Team” show knew when they first started in season one that mental health and the military would be a focus of the series.

“It was something that we leaned into and something that we wanted to expose,” David said. “We wanted to be authentic with it - not only the battlefield, but most importantly, what they go through back home.”

David explained how important it was to the showrunners to delve into how service members navigate their return home after being deployed overseas.

“It was healing at times, and it was gratifying in moments of finding that peace and that light through all the darkness.”

One of the many ways the USO attempts to provide support to members of the military community in order to strengthen their mental well-being is through USO Entertainment tours. When actors such as David Boreanaz take time out of their hectic schedules to spend time with service members and military families, it reminds our military community members that they are appreciated and remembered.

“[Service members] just do an extraordinary job under extraordinary stress and anxiety, and to take time to be out to be in that energy by sitting down and having a meal and talking – it’s amazing,” David said.

“Something that hit me strong was being able to talk to this group of men and women when they’re out in the field and inspire them to continue on. To be able to share your experiences in the arts and what you do, to pay that forward, is remarkable. To be able to take pictures with them or sign a picture for them and ask them about their lives and what they’re studying and what their desires and passions are beyond the military … it’s human to human interaction, and that’s the way life should be.”

David explained that he firmly believes that other artists should give back to the military community as well.

“I encourage those that are in the arts to take a moment to understand the military community and visit them,” he said. “And you can’t do it any better than with the USO … I just love holding that USO flag.”

Thanks to artists like David Boreanaz and the generosity of our supporters, the USO will continue to stand by the side of our nation’s service members and military spouses through our global reach and innovative entertainment programs, bringing the people who serve a boost, just when they need it most.