By Trey Smith
As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, we also celebrate the diverse narratives that shape the United States Armed Forces. Hispanic Americans have continued to show resilience while overcoming challenges in order to serve our country for generations, including Staff Sgt. Raul Corral, a service member in the U.S. Army.
Raul has always felt a deep sense of pride in his heritage and an equal sense of duty to give back to his military community. Raul was born in Los Angeles and was raised in Mexico. By the time he decided to return to the United States, he had already earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree. However, according to Raul, there was one big challenge – he didn’t speak English, and he felt that this language barrier would make it challenging to find a professional job.
To help himself become more proficient in speaking English, Raul decided to join the U.S. Army, where he not only became more proficient at speaking English, but was also able to expand his professional career.
Today, Raul is stationed at USAG Baumholder in Germany, where he works as a fueler. From working with fuel trucks and ensuring equipment is always mission-ready, to overseeing operations and making sure his soldiers are ready for any deployments or missions that may come their way, Raul has become a major asset for his military community at Baumholder. And since being stationed at Baumholder, there was also something else that became important to him: volunteering at his local USO Center.
Raul first began volunteering with the USO when he was deployed to Kuwait, where he realized how the USO could serve as a lifeline to service members who are from home and their families, where, depending on where they are stationed, can make a simple phone call back home difficult.
“One of the challenges [of military life] is that you’re so far from your family. And it’s not just the distance, it’s also the time change,” Raul said. “Giving to the USO community is a way to feel that you’re at home.”
During his lunch breaks, and sometimes after work, Raul heads to USO Baumholder where service members and military families can find him providing support for his Center. From stocking snacks and drinks to bonding with other service members stationed at Baumholder, Raul has been a consistent presence for his local military community who are far from home and loved ones.
And thanks to USO Volunteers like Raul, soldiers stationed at Baumholder can rest assured knowing that they have a home away from home at the USO. While many service members bring their families when assigned Baumholder as their duty station, some families of service members decide to stay stateside. These service members, whose families are on the other side of the world, may find themselves missing their loved ones back home. USO Baumholder offers these members of the military community a place where they can lean on one another and connect with people who are going through the same experiences as they are.
But for military families who followed their service member to Germany, they are in a foreign country and far away from their friends and family as well. This can prove to be even more difficult when their loved one in uniform has to spend much of their time tending to their military duties and working long shifts. Luckily, USO Baumholder, like many USO Centers, regularly hosts interactive crafts, game nights, cooking classes and much more.
“We have a lot of events for families, there’s something to do here. And I think that’s good for everybody, being away for their families, because you create a new one here.”
And thanks to Raul and his consistent dedication to giving back to his military community, the people who serve will continue to be able to attest to the USO’s support just as he has. This is thanks in large part to volunteers like Raul, who understand the USO’s mission and make our Centers a space where military community members can have a moment of respite from the everyday stresses that comes with military life. Whether stateside or deployed to the other side of the world, when service members and military families walk through the doors of a USO Center and are greeted with volunteers like Raul, they can rest assured knowing they are in good hands.
Are you interested in giving back to the people who serve and volunteering with the USO? Learn more about what it means to be a USO Volunteer and if there’s a USO Center near you by clicking here!
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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.