Soldiers Working in Intense Conditions During Sword 26 Receive Expeditionary Support from the USO

By Brittany Laursen

Picture this: you’re a USO staff member selected for a unique mission, one that takes you to an austere military site to support service members living and working in the field during an exercise.

The day finally arrives. Wake-up time: 0300.

You get ready, still half asleep but energized by what’s ahead. You meet your USO teammates, load into the van, and head out into the dark toward the staging area. As you arrive, rows and rows of military vehicles stretch out in front of you — and the temperature is below freezing. You can see your breath in front of you as you set up a USO tent, tables and cornhole boards. You lay out the tablecloths – the red, white and blue logo on each a familiar sight to passersby – and start brewing coffee.

By 0430, engines start turning over. Soldiers begin climbing out of their trucks — many of them having slept there overnight because the tents were too cold.

You and your team move quickly walking through the rows of military vehicles and letting the soldiers know that hot coffee is ready. One by one, people start to make their way over to the USO tent. And just like that, you see it — the shift. Faces light up at the sight of the USO logo. Shoulders relax for a moment after days of tension. Cold hands wrap around warm cups of coffee, topped with French vanilla creamer. A taste and reminder of home, even all the way out here.

One soldier approaches you and asks, “Did you really come all this way for us?”

It’s a small moment, but it changes everything.

How the USO Supports Service Members During Military Exercises

This is what the USO’s support looked like during one week in the field for Exercise SWORD 26. Led by the U.S. Army, it is a multinational exercise with several U.S. allies that tests warfare capabilities with more than 15,000 personnel participating. This exercise is crucial for both our Armed Forces’ training, as well as for deterrence along our allies’ eastern flank in Europe.

USO staff members spent a full week in the field supporting thousands of U.S. Army soldiers operating along the German-Polish border throughout the exercise. In this remote, wooded area with no infrastructure, our troops faced long days of maintenance and travel with limited resources, which can take a toll on their physical and mental well-being. That is why support like the USO’s is so crucial.

“It’s really cold out here and the hot coffee really helps,” said one Army lieutenant as his troops formed a line to pour a cup for themselves. “As you can see, this is really helping boost their morale. Early mornings mean you have to get up and going and we’re really happy you’re here.”

As part of expeditionary support efforts, USO staff members regularly travel to bring support and connection directly to men and women who are serving far from a traditional military installation and brick-and-mortar USO Centers. Whether it’s a desert environment or below freezing conditions, the USO’s priority is to meet service members where they are and provide support that helps ensure they can recharge and prepare for the next mission ahead.

From day one of this exercise, the USO provided immediate relief in various forms. Throughout their time in the field, the USO team handed out USO Care Packages to service members, filled with fueling snacks or essential toiletries for those far from resources. When unloading the van (affectionately called “Big Blue”), USO staff members Joe Duran and Gemma Hickson – who are based permanently in Germany – brought out USO Rapid Response Gaming Kits. These kits, outfitted with Nintendo Switches and games, are durable and built to travel to service members in remote and austere locations, allowing everything from one-on-one games to entire gaming tournaments.

Throughout the week, the USO team also hosted a series of events, games and competitions for service members to participate in during their downtime. On the last day, USO staff members brought out the grills and all the ingredients for a full barbecue. Service members quickly raised their hands to volunteer to be grillmaster for a day.

“Grilling like this for my battle buddies makes me feel like I’m in my own backyard,” said one soldier as he flipped hot dogs.

Barbecue on the last day of Exercise SWORD 26 brought service members and USO staff together around the grills, turning a demanding field exercise into a brief moment of connection, comfort and home. | Photo credit USO Photo

These moments of respite are more than just lighthearted fun – in the midst of a challenging mission, where the stakes and threats to safety are real, this kind of support allows our troops to take a moment to themselves, recharge and prepare for the next day ahead. For just a moment, they can forget about the stressors of their duty and feel connected to home again – and that can make all the difference in their well-being.

“It’s honestly very humbling to be here supporting service members. It’s freezing, but their spirit is strong and we’re here to boost morale,” said Gemma. “Today, we brought the best coffee in the world and cornhole. Imagine waking up in the middle of the woods, and you see an entire gaming kit with Mario Kart! It’s great.”

But this USO support goes beyond morale-boosting moments – it also allows service members to connect with their loved ones back home. USO team member Anca Alton set up a USO Reading Program station in the back of a USO vehicle. With the USO Reading Program, service members can record themselves reading bedtime stories to the child in their life – whether it be their son, daughter, younger sister or brother, niece or nephew – and have that recording and a copy of the book sent home to that child so they can have the comfort of hearing their voice. It is one of the USO’s most popular programs for service members deployed overseas.

Service members typically utilize the USO Reading Program in a designated room or corner within a USO Center; however, when in the field, USO teams must adapt quickly to make support possible wherever service members are located. Sometimes, that means pivoting and making it work with the equipment on hand, such as service members reading bedtime stories in the back of a USO van. But after months of separation from family, these moments of connection matter, as seen when one soldier read a story to his nine-month-old son and got emotional when talking about him with the USO team.

After enduring freezing temperatures, exhaustion and the weight of being far from home, many service members felt a much-needed lift to their spirits when the USO arrived.

“The music, hot coffee, games and time spent together with battle buddies really turned a few difficult days into ones filled with comfort,” said USO team member Joe. “One soldier came up to me while holding a cup of warm coffee and a cookie and said ‘Man, I really needed this right now.’”

By the end of the mission, some soldiers were so excited by the USO’s programs and support that they signed up to become USO volunteers when they returned to their home station in Germany.

“We see the USO at the airport, but you’re so much more than that,” said U.S. Army Maj. Frechette, who participated in the USO Reading Program for the first time this week. “We’re such a remote location out here … but the USO has shown us we’re just as valuable.”