At Joint Base Langley-Eustis, USO Canine Volunteers Offer Service Members a Consistent Source of Morale and Support

The stress of military life shows up in long shifts that blur together, disrupted routines that never fully reset and the quiet distance from home that doesn’t turn off when the workday ends. Service members step into the USO Center carrying all of that with them — often without saying much, but never without feeling it. At the USO, the tension of the outside world doesn’t disappear, but it can certainly lift when a service member has a place to forget about the everyday pressures of military life. These everyday stressors of military life – including the pressures of deployment – can contribute to mental health challenges such as depression, PTSD and isolation. With this in mind, the USO continues to develop meaningful and innovative ways to support the people who serve and aid in their wellbeing.

One method of support: dogs. Working alongside traditional USO volunteers are USO Canine volunteers, supporting service members on all four paws. USO Centers around the world bring certified therapy dogs and their handlers into their Centers through the USO Canine Program, where these dogs are trained to provide emotional comfort, giving service members a moment where nothing is required of them besides recharging from a long day.

At Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE), visits from these therapy dogs have turned into a consistent program offered to service members and their families, during which they can spend time with the USO Canine Volunteers while sharing a meal.

Certified therapy dogs and their handlers visit the USO Center at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, offering service members and their families comfort, connection and a chance to recharge. | Photo credit DVIDS/Airman 1st Class Chloe Goodman

“It was the instant, obvious feedback we got from service members when we brought our own dogs into the office that really started the program,” said Kristen Celiceo, USO center operations supervisor. She explained that the feedback about the USO Canine Program from their local military community was immensely positive, and they wanted to find ways to continue providing a safe and lighthearted atmosphere for them to spend time with the dogs in.

What began as occasional visits from therapy dogs evolved into a monthly, structured effort to make therapy dogs a regular part of the Center’s environment, giving service members and their families a reliable place to decompress, even briefly, from the demands they carry from military life.

The impact seen inside the USO Center reflects what broader research has also found about the role animals can play in reducing stress and supporting emotional wellbeing. Research shows that interacting with animals can have measurable effects on one’s physical and mental health. Studies have also found that petting an animal can lower blood pressure and release hormones such as phenylethylamine, an anti-depressant.

Other studies have shown that after petting animals, people were found to have increased levels of serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin – all hormones that can play a part in elevating moods and decreasing anxiety and the feeling of loneliness. In fact, according to the Blue Star Families 2025 Military Family Lifestyles Survey, 39% of active-duty service members and military spouses surveyed reported that the amount of time spent apart from their families due to military service was the #3 issue facing military families today.

“[Rocky Road, a registered therapy dog] brings a smile to my face, along with other airmen,” said Senior Airman Mystee Faircloth, First Operation Support Squadron airfield management shift lead.

Another service member, Senior Airman Paul Alvarez, First Maintenance Squadron technician, has attended the program with remarks of it feeling heart-warming and like home. He explained that even though you can always count on fellow airmen to be inside the USO Center, this program has created its own unique atmosphere that encourages a boost in morale.

“The program is impactful because we always see people leave smiling and happy after connecting with the therapy dogs,” Kristen explained. “It’s a way to bring a little joy into people’s lives and it’s a program that supports everyone who wants to be a part of it.”

For many service members, those moments of joy found at USO Centers are one of the few spaces where the pace of military life briefly slows down. In those moments, the presence of therapy dogs offers something simple but steady — a chance to step away from routine, reset and return to the day a little lighter than before.

-This story was originally published on DVIDShub.net. It has been edited and expanded upon for USO.org.