We’re With Joseph: A Sailor Who Has Leaned on – and Volunteered with – the USO for 12 Years

By Shannon Hamelund

The USO strives to support the well-being of America’s military service members throughout their entire careers – from the moment they join the service to the day they put on their uniform for the last time. This support can range from a simple Center visit to use the free Wi-Fi to receiving a special care package while deployed away from loved ones. The important part is that service members know that they always have the support of the American people through the USO.

For U.S. Navy Sailor Petty Officer Second Class Joseph Bordelon , the USO has been by his side since the very beginning of his military journey. Now, he leverages his experience with the organization to support his local military community, wherever his service takes him.

Twelve Years of USO Support and Service

Joseph, a hospital corpsman hailing from Orlando, Florida, has served in the United States Navy for almost 12 years, with roughly half that time attached to the U.S. Marine Corps. With five duty stations under his belt – two being overseas – he is no stranger to being away from home.

It was after graduation from Naval Boot Camp at Naval Station Great Lakes in Chicago, Illinois, that Joseph found himself exposed to the USO for the very first time. While at the airport in transit, Joesph visited the USO Center there, where he immediately felt at home.

For U.S. Navy Sailor Petty Officer Second Class Joseph Bordelon, the USO has been by his side since the very beginning of his military journey — and now, he gives back by using that experience to support his local military community wherever his service takes him. | Photo credit Courtesy Photo

“[It felt] like it was somewhere that you could go and you could feel appreciated,” Joseph said. “You could feel like even if you’re away, even if you’re across the country or across the world or just down the road, that there’ll be people who will be there to volunteer and who will be there to be able to make sure that you’re taken care of.”

“Seeing [the USO] for the first time really opened my eyes with how much they offered and how much was available. [It] was really cool, especially with all of us leaving right out of boot camp, and that’s your first experience,” said Joseph, noting how much it moved him to discover that USO staff and volunteers regularly attend Naval Bootcamp graduations to cheer on new sailors, even if they don’t know any recruits personally.

Having just finished his initial military training, hearing the gratitude for his service from USO volunteers is something he holds with him - even twelve years later.

“The fact that they’re [USO staff and volunteers] just congratulating you, thanking you for your service … hearing people that really appreciate you and really have sincere acknowledgement for what you do and what you’ve gone through those last eight weeks. It really, really feels good and [is] humbling.”

Joseph’s first impression of USO volunteers was a lasting one, and would eventually bring him back to the USO as a volunteer himself. In what he describes as a full-circle moment, Joseph returned to Naval Station Great Lakes as his first permanent duty station. After realizing that he was visiting the USO Center almost daily, he decided to transition from a USO visitor to a USO volunteer. It is here that Joseph’s passion for supporting his fellow service members truly began.

During his time in Chicago, Joseph served more than 350 volunteer hours and was ultimately awarded the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. His volunteer journey continued during his first overseas tour in Okinawa, Japan, where he received the President’s Volunteer Service Award and was followed by a stint in Quantico, Virginia, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Joseph is now a valuable member of the volunteer team at the USO Center in Stuttgart, Germany, In total, Joseph has amassed almost 1,000 USO volunteer hours.

Joseph’s years of dedication was recently acknowledged as he was named the Volunteer of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2025 for the entire USO Europe, Middle East, Africa Region, with both USO EMEA Regional Vice President Grant McCormick and U.S. Marine Forces Europe and Africa Commander Major General Daniel Shipley attending his award ceremony.

Despite facing a heavy workload and supporting a real-world mission at U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Joseph still aims to prioritize his USO volunteer service. Like many of the USO’s volunteers, his work is often done behind the scenes. After a long day of work, Joseph is usually found helping clean the Center or assisting with program preparations for the next day, all tasks that alleviate duties so that the USO Stuttgart team can focus on other aspects of mission delivery.

Though he has a routine in his volunteer work, Joseph is adamant that it’s never boring: “It’s kind of a set consistency, but really, no two days are ever the same.”

This change of pace allows Joseph to unwind while giving back and connecting directly with fellow service members and military families, especially when volunteering with the USO takes him out of the Center for events or programs that provide direct support to his military community. This past 4th of July, Joseph helped distribute more than 2,000 ice pops to community members, and he is already looking forward to helping celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary this upcoming summer.

Ultimately, though, it has been his connection with the staff members at USO Stuttgart – Renee, Lisa and Grace – as well as the rest of the volunteer team, that has helped to make his current overseas tour so special.

“They become like extended family … You go through those highs and lows and those transitions with them. So, it really does feel like a big sense of family and community,” said Joseph. “[It’s] a really tight-knit group as we know what we have to do, [we can] be there and confide in one another. Being able to lean on each other is definitely good when you’re so far away from home. [USO staff and volunteers are] strangers that become like a second family.”

What has made Joseph’s overseas tour especially meaningful is the strong connection he’s built with the team at USO Stuttgart — staff members who have become like an extended family. | Photo credit Courtesy Photo

Understanding the importance of found family and purpose, especially while being stationed so far from home, Joseph never stops trying to encourage fellow service members to step outside of their comfort zone and join him as a USO volunteer.

“No matter how much or how little time [you have], you’re able to make an impact. Definitely do it. You never know what kind of impact [you will have] or how [you’re] going to make someone feel when they’re coming through [the USO’s] door,” said Joseph.

Holidays at the USO

The USO’s impact can be even more significant during the holiday season. For service members and military families deployed or stationed overseas, it can be difficult to be apart from your loved ones in a time when most people are coming together to celebrate the season.

To help ease this strain of separation, USO Centers strive to bring spirited cheer to military families through holiday-themed events and programs, ranging from cookie decorating and ornament crafts to special holiday care packages and homecooked meals, to help make the distance from home easier.

“The USO truly becomes a beacon of comfort and connection during the holiday season, making it feel like home, even when you’re far away. I experienced this firsthand in 2023 when I was deployed and our ship docked in Souda Bay. The holidays can feel especially hard when you’re separated from loved ones, but the USO stepped in and made the season feel a little brighter,” Joseph said.

However, it’s not only the distance from loved ones that can be challenging during the holiday season – it is also the distance from holiday traditions. When deployed or stationed in locations far from home, the idea of the holidays can be a lonely one. That is why these USO holiday activities are so helpful to connecting service members to the celebrations they love and miss the most.

“For me, some of the most cherished Christmas traditions involve driving around, sipping on eggnog and soaking in the glow of Christmas lights while listening to festive music. So, when I stepped off the ship to a warm cup of cocoa and little holiday gifts from the USO, it was like a piece of home had been brought to me,” Joseph said. “In that moment, it felt less like being away and more like being surrounded by family – a family that understands what it means to miss home during the holidays. The USO has a way of making you feel welcomed and cared for, no matter where you are.”

This past holiday season, service members and military family members – both at home and abroad – received this sense of welcome and holiday joy through the many programs and events hosted by the USO.

As Joseph’s career continues to take him around the world, he hopes to be able to continue his USO volunteer service. And the USO will be right by his side, as we are for all of our nation’s service members and military families.

“I absolutely love what I do!” Joseph said. “I hope that I continue to be able to [volunteer] long after I leave.”