How the USO Pivoted Support for Service Members in Response to Super Typhoon Bavi

By Aliciana Santos, USO Guam Area Operations Specialist

U.S. service members are currently deployed to Saipan and Tinian – two of the most populous islands within the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CMNI) – on a mission to repair the islands’ infrastructure and to provide resources to the locals. While here, these service members must navigate a hot climate, limited connectivity and sparse home comforts – as well as the threat of natural disasters, such as the recent typhoons that hit the islands. It was because of these typhoons that the nearby USO team had to quickly pivot its support to troops from a planned holiday morale boost to unplanned and crucial storm relief.

Each year, the CMNI – an unincorporated U.S. territory made up of 14 islands located in northwestern Pacific Ocean – celebrates their Liberation Day on July 4, honoring the resilience and sacrifices of their ancestors. For the USO team in nearby Guam – a separate U.S. territory with a major U.S. military presence – the holiday is an opportunity it to provide support and connect with military leadership, service members and the local community as they all come together for one of the islands’ significant celebrations. Though they arrived in Saipan with plans to provide relationship-building USO programming, the USO team’s established presence proved vital when the mission quickly shifted from community to direct response with the incoming Super Typhoon Bavi, just eight weeks after the CMNI had been hit by Typhoon Sinlaku.

As Super Typhoon Bavi tracked toward the Marianas, the Liberation Day events were postponed and so the USO team pivoted and turned their focus to providing assistance to the service members supporting recovery efforts instead.

The USO team coordinated the delivery of 180 meals to service members across Tinian, ensuring the meals arrived safely despite the ever-evolving priorities and situation on the ground.

But the USO team didn’t just send the meals - they traveled directly to multiple locations across the island, delivering crucial supplies to service members at multiple work sites - meeting them wherever the mission required them to be. Deployed Army Engineers worked around the clock in rotating shifts to restore power to the island, and Air Force and Navy personnel prepared equipment and secured supplies in preparation for Typhoon Bavi. Along the flight line, other service members continued clearing debris from Typhoon Sinlaku. Through it all, the USO was there – providing a much-needed meal and morale boost as service members recovered from one typhoon and prepared for the arrival of the next.

For many service members, the meal was more than just something to eat - it was a reminder that the USO – and the American people – are with them through every mission.

“As we’ve been working long hours preparing for the approaching storm, that small act of kindness made a huge difference. It wasn’t just the food, it was the reminder that someone was thinking about us and appreciated what we’re doing out here. Please know your generosity lifted the morale of our entire team and put smiles on a lot of tired faces. Thank you for your service, compassion and for always finding ways to support those of us serving in these remote locations,” said U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Latoya Duhart.

Sometimes the greatest impact comes from a simple morale boost – an unexpected warm meal, familiar conversations and a few moments to pause and remind service members that someone was thinking of them. Between recovery efforts, deployment missions and regional exercises, service members were able to take a quick break from demanding operations.

While holiday celebrations were postponed and recovery efforts and typhoon preparation became the priority, the USO’s purpose remained unchanged – stand with our service members as the mission shifts, no matter what it demands of them.