The military regularly trains for rapid deployments – just like any other operational skill – so it is ready to move at any given notice. As the Force Behind the Forces®, the USO, too, is always prepared to support the military when they quickly mobilize for critical missions, thanks to continued support by our donors.

During World War II, the USO was there to serve female service members and military spouses from the very beginning – and continues to serve them today.

Resiliency is often synonymous with being a military child. However, they still need our support, especially when tackling this year’s COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of the time, they look just like the rest of us — going to work, picking the kids up from school or working out in the gym. But roughly once a month, or whenever duty calls, members of the U.S. National Guard voluntarily swap their civilian clothes for a camouflage uniform and head to their other job as a citizen soldier or airman. Here, they’ll prepare for the moments when their nation needs them most. Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, is one of those moments.

Bob Hope knew what it meant to be away from home during the holidays. From World War II to Desert Shield, the legendary star spent scores of December days on the front lines entertaining service members all around the world.

There’s something about AAA Colorado Technician Andre McClure that sets him apart from the crowd. Maybe it’s his in-depth automotive and car battery knowledge, honed over years of working in the industry. Maybe it’s his friendly disposition and dedicated work ethic.

When it opened its doors on February 4, 1941, the USO was created as a physical network of stateside club locations where service members could go to relax, socialize and get a taste of the civilian world. Although USO dances and other center offerings helped fill troops’ recreational time, it didn’t take long for the organization’s leaders to realize the pressing need for live, quality entertainment for the growing number of GIs.

It sounds like a love story made for the movies. He was a Marine. She was a collegiate student-athlete who dreamed of becoming a Navy helicopter pilot. Thanks to a mutual friend and a bit of encouragement, the two agreed to a blind date in 2010 that quickly led to a second date, and a third.

For the past two months, I’ve been working on-and-off shooting a 360 video piece to tell the story of one of the USO’s most popular programs: the care package program. Given the program’s wide geographical footprint, I thought it would be a great opportunity for the USO (and myself!) to dive into the world of immersive video production by taking viewers around the world.

Kristin Rogers may no longer be a soldier, but she’s still a fighter. At 18, she joined the Army. At 23, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Today, the 29-year-old is in remission and building a successful civilian life and career, all thanks to the help she received from the USO Pathfinder program.

After writing one too many stories about troops who had taken off to bomb Germany never to come back, Andy Rooney, along with seven other World War II correspondents, wanted to see the action.

“We were tired of going up to those air bases and interviewing young guys our age that had lost friends in battle and returning to the comforts of London that night,” Rooney said, according to Timothy Gay’s book, “Assignment to Hell.”

So, in a bold move, the reporters requested permission to ride along on an air raid so they could write about the dangers of bombing missions through vivid, firsthand accounts.

Staff Sgt. Megan Smith remembers the first time she made a 550 cord bracelet at USO Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

“I overhead two other people across the table excitedly talking about how they were making their bracelets for their kids,” Smith wrote in an email. “The genuine smiles on both of their faces were really amazing to see.”

That was the point Smith, who also volunteers at USO Camp Buehring, realized why the activity was so special.

The non-dairy “milk” aisle has gotten a lot more crowded lately. Almond milk, in particular, has seen a recent rise in popularity, though not everyone’s on board. Some health experts say that almond milk isn’t a good alternative to cow’s milk because it may contain additives and it lacks protein. There has also been concern that almond farms are a drain the water supply, particularly because California, where all commercially-grown almonds are farmed, is going through an epic drought. However, according to the Almond Board of California, while almond farms make up 13 percent of all California farmland, they require only 9 percent of the H2O designated for agricultural purposes.

When was the last time someone asked you how well you were sleeping? Chances are, unless you just talked to your mom or visited the doctor, it’s been a while since anyone has taken an interest in your nightly shut-eye habits.

But it turns out that for people looking to live a fit-minded lifestyle, proper sleep habits — in addition to a balanced diet and exercise — are crucial to achieving any health and wellness goals, including weight loss. In fact, new studies show that poor sleep habits, like getting too little or too much sleep, can be enough to hamper the positive effects of maintaining a clean diet and regular workout routine.