Opened in 2003, the USO Warrior Center at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Landstuhl, Germany provides a “home away from home” to wounded service members. In 2014, the USO Warrior Center averaged more than 4,000 warrior visits per month. This includes many troops who visit multiple times daily between medical appointments. A wide spectrum of programs and activities are always going on, but the most popular feature among the troops are the home-cooked meals and family-style cookouts.

On April 1, 2014, we opened the doors to our second USO Warrior and Family Center located at Naval Support Activity Bethesda, home of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Since its grand opening, the center has been visited more than 79,000 times. The facility offers a comprehensive array of specialized services and programs in a supportive and home-like setting. The more than 16,000-square-foot facility includes classrooms, sports lounges, business centers, healing gardens and more, was created expressly for our nation’s healing heroes and their families.

Our USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, with more than 22,000 square feet dedicated to serving our nation’s wounded, ill and injured troops, their families and caregivers, as well as active-duty and military families, has already been visited more than 150,000 times in 2014.

The Fort Belvoir facility is a state-of-the-art, ADA-compliant space offering a place for troops and families to relax, learn and have fun away from the grind of the hospital. The communal kitchen, with its sleek-yet-natural design and bounty of treats, is one of the central traffic points in the USO Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir. Simply put, it’s where everyone wants to be, whether they’re grabbing a snack, fixing a favorite meal, running into old friends—or meeting new ones. Sponsors have hosted dinners in the kitchen, the dining room and the outdoor grill, which has also been popular for barbecues and entertainment. The art studio offers a variety of art programs which can be therapeutic for troops and their families as well as our healing heroes. Some of the classes have included wood carving, creative writing and a Combat Paper Workshop. Another frequently used space has been the Respite Suite, which has offered massage/reiki and yoga. The Business Center is a busy gathering point for service members and families with its computer workstations, places to connect a laptop or iPad, and copy and fax services