[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H231-H234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE USO TO OUR ARMED
FORCES
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 322) expressing the
Sense of Congress regarding the contribution of the USO to the morale
and welfare of our servicemen and women of our armed forces and their
families, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 322
Whereas the United Service Organizations, Incorporated (the
USO), a nonprofit, charitable organization, was founded in
1941 to provide morale and recreation services to military
personnel and in 2006 is celebrating its 65th anniversary of
service to United States servicemembers around the world;
Whereas the USO is chartered by Congress and is endorsed by
the President and the Department of Defense to provide
morale, welfare, and recreation-type services to members of
the Armed Forces and their families;
Whereas the USO operates 124 centers around the world,
including six mobile canteens, through which support is
provided to members of the Armed Forces and their families,
who visit those facilities more than 5,000,000 times per
year;
Whereas the USO relies on over 33,000 volunteers providing
approximately 400,000 hours of service per year, in both
peacetime and time of conflict;
Whereas the USO plays an important role in contributing to
the success of the Nation's military mission by providing a
reliable private connection directly supporting the morale,
welfare, and recreational needs of the members of the Armed
Forces; and
Whereas the crucial link to home provided by the USO is
made possible through the generous contributions of more than
1,000,000 American citizens and scores of corporations: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress extends its appreciation to the
United Service Organizations, Incorporated (the USO), on its
65th anniversary and recognizes that the work of that
organization in supporting the members of the Armed Forces
and their families is a valued contribution to the success
and mission of the Armed Forces.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Miller) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution
currently under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, the United Service Organizations, established on
February 4 of 1941, has become a national treasure. In every war and
every theater of operation since World War II where Americans have been
deployed, the USO has been there to entertain and to increase the
morale and welfare of the men and women in the military and their
families. As the chairman of the USO Caucus it is my pleasure to bring
this resolution to the floor today.
When the organization was formed, the military was expanding rapidly
for the impending conflict. Between 1940 and 1944 the size of our
military grew from 50,000 to over 12 million. At its high point during
the Second World War the USO had over 3,000 clubs and 1.5 million
volunteers to provide services to military personnel. On the
entertainment side, the U.S. provided 428,521 shows and performances.
To put this figure into perspective around the world, the USO would do
sometimes 700 shows a day. It estimates that over 7,000 entertainers
were sent overseas to entertain our troops.
Today, USO facilities are visited over 5 million times a year; and
although the USO does have a paid staff, the bulk of the service that
they provide is through 12,000 volunteers who donate over 450,000 hours
annually.
In 2005, the USO sent out over 50 celebrity entertainment tours.
Almost
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200,000 servicemembers in some 30 countries were visited by these
tours. The USO has distributed over 750,000 care packages to deploying
servicemembers, and last year they had three care package stuffing
parts right here on Capitol Hill for troops deploying to Iraq and
Afghanistan. I have helped stuff packages myself, as have many other
Members of Congress and their staff. We have to date stuffed and sent
12,000 care packages. My goal is to increase that number to 20,000 a
year. It is the least that we as Members of Congress can do.
H. Con. Res. 322 will recognize the thousands of men and women,
mostly volunteers, who have made the USO possible, for without them the
USO would not be half of what it is.
Every time I have the opportunity to go overseas to Iraq,
Afghanistan, to Bosnia and other areas of operation around the world,
the men and women tell me all the time, send us more USO shows.
{time} 1430
Send us more of those USO care packages. To me, Mr. Speaker, that
says that our USO continues to be the single most important morale
booster to our men and women serving overseas. From the Second World
War to Iraq, the USO has been there and is there today, and we are here
for the men and women of the USO.
God bless them and the incredible work that they do.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the USO Congressional Caucus, I join my
colleague and good friend, Congressman Miller, on the House Armed
Services Committee, who is our founding co-chair of the USO Caucus, in
support of House Concurrent Resolution 322. This resolution recognizes
the 65th anniversary of the United Service Organizations and extends
Congress's appreciation to the USO for 65 years of dedicated service in
support of our Armed Forces and their families.
I have personally seen the impact of the USO on the lives of our
Nation's military during visits, as my colleague mentioned, to Iraq,
Afghanistan, and military facilities around the world. I have also seen
the work of the USO closer to home. The congressional care package
stuffing party, which was held in the Rayburn foyer last September,
helped provide care packages stuffed by Members of Congress and our
staffs for soldiers deploying from the Continental United States
Replacement Center in my district at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Also at Fort Bliss in December, the USO established a Wounded Warrior
Room at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, providing soldiers
recovering from combat injuries a place to relax during their
treatment. And later this spring, the USO will open a new center on the
main post of Fort Bliss to serve both those currently stationed at Fort
Bliss and also the nearly 20,000 soldiers who will be coming to El Paso
as part of the decision of BRAC and the overseas rebasing troop
movements.
While we see every day the good things that the USO does for our
soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, many Americans may not remember
how the USO came into existence. The year was 1941, and President
Franklin D. Roosevelt challenged six private organizations to take
responsibility for the leave recreation of the armed services. The six
organizations were the Salvation Army; the Young Men's Christian
Association, the YMCA; the Young Women's Christian Association, the
YWCA; the National Catholic Community Services; National Travelers Aid
Association; and the National Jewish Welfare Board. These six
organizations pooled their resources together and became known as the
United Service Organizations, or more commonly referred to today as the
USO. The USO incorporated on February 4, 1941, and remains a private
nonprofit organization that is supported entirely by over 1 million
American citizens and hundreds of corporations.
Back in its early days, USO facilities were opened in such unlikely
places as churches, log cabins, museums, castles, barns, beach clubs
and yacht clubs, railroad sleeping cars, and even some storefronts.
These USO facilities were many things to so many people, a place to see
movies or a place to dance and meet people, a quiet place to talk or
write letters back home, a place to find religious counsel, and always
a place to go for free coffee and doughnuts. By 1944, the USO had more
than 3,000 clubs across the country. However, by 1947 the USO had all
but disbanded.
During the Korean war, the USO eventually reopened 24 clubs
worldwide; and during the conflict in Vietnam, the first USO opened in
a combat zone. It is here where I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that I
have personal knowledge of just what the USO means to a young soldier
far away from home, bringing a little bit of home to a combat zone.
As the draw-down in Vietnam ended, the USO began to provide new
programs to help servicemembers and their families transition back into
civilian life. With the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the
USO opened its first center in Afghanistan, the Pat Tillman USO Center,
at Bagram Air Base in 2005. Today there are more than 124 airport and
family centers worldwide, located in 10 countries and 21 States.
The USO is also recognized for its entertainment effort on behalf of
our servicemembers and their families. In fact, one cannot recognize
the USO and not remember that the most beloved and recognized
entertainer, the great Bob Hope, was part of the heart and soul of the
USO. Bob Hope began his first USO tour in 1942 and continued to
entertain and support our troops for more than five decades. Bob Hope
brought laughter and joy to thousands of men and women deployed around
the world, and he and other entertainers volunteered to entertain the
troops both in the United States and abroad, often under some of the
most trying situations and conditions.
Today that same commitment and dedicated spirit lives on in the
hundreds of entertainers that have volunteered and continue to support
our deployed troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring
Freedom, as well as other bases around the world.
Today the USO continues its outstanding achievement under the
leadership of president and chief executive officer Ned Powell; chief
of staff Sarah Farnsworth; and senior staff, Michael Farley, John
Hanson, Keith Weaver, Bruce Townsend, and Hilary Welch; and the
contributions from the USO World Board of Governors. These great people
continue to help build and sustain the USO. But the most critical
component of the USO and what makes it so special and what makes it so
unique are the over 33,000 volunteers and paid staff members who
contribute over 400,000 hours of service annually. These are people
that are the heart and soul of the USO and provide direct comfort and
assistance to our troops and their families, and I want to thank them
all and honor them for their service to our troops and their families.
Congress also recognizes the important role that the USO plays in
support of our servicemembers and their families; and to further
provide support to the USO, it established the USO Congressional
Caucus. As co-chair of the caucus, I am pleased that over 150 of my
colleagues have joined that effort to enhance the outreach to our
soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen, and their
families.
So today, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of
this great resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), a gentleman
who has three sons serving in our Armed Forces today, one of whom
returned from service in Iraq last year.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for House
Concurrent Resolution 322, and I appreciate the leadership of my Armed
Services Committee seatmate Jeff Miller for authoring the resolution.
He and his wife, Vicky, are tireless advocates for our military heroes
who protect American families. I am also grateful for the USO Caucus
leadership of Congressman Jeff Miller and Sylvestre Reyes, two of the
most dedicated Members of Congress.
Created in 1941 by the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt,
the United Service Organizations delivers
[[Page H233]]
encouragement and optimism to our brave men and women in uniform. The
USO is ably led by president and CEO Ned Powell, who is a distinguished
graduate of Washington and Lee University in Virginia.
Throughout the past six decades, the USO has evolved continuously to
meet our soldiers' needs during wartime and peacetime. From operating
clubs where troops can meet, to sponsoring Bob Hope's historic shows,
the organization has a tremendous record of providing critical comfort
and aid to our servicemembers. Today, with the help of 12,000
volunteers providing nearly 450,000 hours of service per year, the USO
operates 124 centers and six mobile canteens around the world. On the
State level, we have had outstanding programs such as in South Carolina
with Redd Reynolds entertaining National Guard troops.
I am proud to join Congressman Jeff Miller and Congressman Sylvestre
Reyes in congratulating the USO for its 65th anniversary of dedicated
service. As American soldiers risk their lives in the war on terrorism
to protect American families, the USO's mission is more important than
ever. I appreciate the USO firsthand from my knowledge as a Member of
Congress, a 31-year veteran, and as the parent of three sons currently
serving in the military.
In conclusion, God bless our troops and we will never forget
September 11.
Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution
and thank my colleagues from Florida and Texas for introducing it.
Established on February 4, 1941, at the direction of President
Roosevelt and chartered by Congress in 1979, the USO has long provided
generously for the morale and welfare of our troops. Through their
various programs, events and campaigns, the USO extends a touch of home
to the men and women of our nation's military. The USO benefits from
the generosity of many Americans, as the bulk of the service delivery
is provided by 12,000 volunteers who donate over 450,000 hours
annually.
Funded through the generous contributions of the American people,
organizations and corporations, the USO operates 124 centers worldwide
and 6 mobile canteens. With overseas centers located in Germany, Italy,
France, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iceland, Bosnia, Japan,
Qatar, Korea and Kuwait; the USO has built an extensive network--with
service members and their families visiting USO centers more than 5
million times each year.
Many of us in this Chamber have participated in or witnessed
firsthand the good work done by the USO for many of our constituents.
Since 2003 the USO has distributed over 1 million prepaid phone cards
as part of Operation Phone Home. The cards have been distributed in
Iraq, Afghanistan, hospitals, and even to service members impacted by
Hurricane Katrina. In 2005 the USO sent out over 50 celebrity
entertainment tours. Almost 200,000 service members in 30 countries
were visited by these tours. Additionally, over 750,000 care packages
were delivered to deploying service members. Last year the USO held
three care package stuffing parties on Capitol Hill for troops
deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, where Members of Congress and Staff
were able to assemble about 12,000 care packages.
More than just entertainment, the USO also provides critical services
such as ``newcomer'' briefings for troops and family members and new
spouses; family crisis counseling and support groups for families
separated by deployments; housing assistance; and nursery facilities.
Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the House USO Caucus, it gives me great
pride to rise in strong support of this resolution and in support of
the USO for all of the work they have done for our military community
and our nation.
Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con.
Res. 322, acknowledging the contributions of the United Service
Organization to the morale and welfare of the servicemen and women of
our armed forces and their families.
It is with great honor I join Congressman Reyes and my fellow
colleagues in supporting the United Service Organization (USO), an
organization I know well as a Vietnam-era Marine. The USO was formed in
response to a 1941 request from President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the
purpose of providing the men and women of the Armed Forces with
comfort, hospitality, and recreation. The USO continues to successfully
fulfill this mission in collaboration with the U.S. government and
numerous private organizations.
Since the opening of the first center in 1963, the USO has grown to
over 120 centers worldwide, ranging from Seattle, Washington to Seoul,
Korea. Annually, 12,000 volunteers donate 450,000 hours of their time
assembling and delivering over 750,000 care packages to deployed
service members. Last year, Members of Congress and their staff
participated in three care package stuffing events that assembled about
12,000 packages for troops deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.
As our military continues to grow and change, the mission of the USO
also continues to expand and incorporate new ideas to better serve our
servicemen and women. In 2003, the USO began ``Operation Phone Home,''
which distributed over one million prepaid phone cards to our troops,
enabling them to communicate with family members while stationed
overseas.
The most well-known programs sponsored by the USO are the Celebrity
Entertainment shows, which have proven to be an effective morale
booster. In 2005, the USO sent over 50 celebrity entertainment tours in
30 countries, which were attended by almost 200,000 service members.
Longtime USO entertainer, Bob Hope, is perhaps the most memorable
advocate of the USO. His legacy continues to inspire and attract
celebrities, entertainers, and the American people to donate their time
and talents in support of the troops.
The USO provides a channel for American citizens to express
appreciation and admiration to those who bravely defend the United
States overseas, and to let our military men and women know they are
cared for and not forgotten. The USO embodies the generous spirit of
the American people and their unwavering support for our servicemen and
women. On the 65th Birthday of the USO, I, sincerely extend my thanks
for providing so much support and comfort to our Armed Forces.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con.
Res. 322, recognizing the importance of the United Service
Organization's (USO) many contributions and to their vital role in the
betterment of the lives of our servicemen and women.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
February 14, 2006--On Page H233 the following appeared: Ms.
Jackson Lee of Texas...
The online version should be corrected to read: Ms. Jackson-Lee
of Texas.
========================= END NOTE =========================
We are sending an increasing number of soldiers, both enlisted and
reserve, to serve in locations far from home, which shows that the
USO's work is just as necessary today as it was 65 years ago. In 1941,
President Franklin D. Roosevelt challenged 6 private organizations to
provide morale boosting support for our servicemen and women. The USO
has met that challenge head-on.
As a member of the congressional USO Caucus, and a member who has
visited war zones around the world throughout my years in Congress, I
have seen evidence of the services they provide our soldiers and the
value of these welcoming facilities.
The organization is well-know for inviting Hollywood entertainers to
perform concerts, boosting morale, and providing temporary reprieve
from the daily stresses of their profession. However, the USO provides
more than just mere entertainment for the armed services, offering less
publicly known programs, such as crisis counseling and support groups
for both military personnel and their families.
The USO operates 124 of these facilities around the world, including
49 overseas. As a testament of their good work and its commitment to
expanding its efforts, the USO just opened its newest facility in
Kuwait, just two weeks shy of the organization's 65th birthday. This
center is the 6th in the Persian Gulf region, showing that the
organization has continued with its tradition of providing support
where support is needed, be that at home, or halfway around the world.
For soldiers unable to meet their families at a facility, the
organization reaches out providing phone cards and care packages, so
that at the very least, they can hear a familiar and soothing voice,
and enjoys a taste of home.
The USO's charter may be signed into law, but it still operates as a
non-profit, charitable organization relying on both private
contributions and support of volunteers. Thankfully, the organization
is in no short supply of either with scores of companies and 33,000
volunteers offering their support. The USO serves as the bridge between
concerned citizens wanting to make a difference, and our servicemen in
need of assistance. With that said, I can not understate the value of
the organization's work in enhancing both the lives of soldiers on the
ground, and their families' safe at home. For all of the aforementioned
reasons I hope my colleagues will vote to recognize the many
contributions the USO has made in enhancing the lives of our soldiers.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to today in support of House
Concurrent Resolution 322 to recognize the outstanding contributions of
the United Service Organization (USO) to the morale and welfare of our
servicemen and women in the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. I
also take this occasion to commend the USO upon their 65th anniversary.
The USO has served as a source of support, entertainment, and morale
for American troops since its chartering in 1941. Established at the
request of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the USO has served our
Nation's
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servicemen and women ever since. I commend the efforts of those six
civilian agencies--the Salvation Army, Young Men's Christian
Association, Young Women's Christian Association, National Catholic
Community Service, National Travelers Aid Association and the National
Jewish Welfare Board--that came together in support of our troops in
creating the USO, bringing about its official incorporation in New York
on February 4, 1941.
The USO has strong ties to Guam. Burgeoning with U.S. military
personnel following the liberation of the island, the USO first came to
Guam in the early 1950s. Delivering entertainment and laughs to those
serving on Guam, the USO's work on Guam was but a small glimpse of its
work lifting the morale of servicemen and women around the world.
The combat zones of the past included Korea, Vietnam and Kuwait.
Today the USO brings entertainment to our men and women serving in
Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa among many other places. For
65 years, wherever you found America's military, you found the USO, no
matter the location or the danger.
The USO not only brings entertainment, a piece of home and a smile to
troops deployed abroad through its shows, but serves as a ``home away
from home'' for servicemen and women in 124 centers around the world. I
am pleased to state that this proud tradition will soon be resurrected
on Guam. The USO will re-open its Guam branch on March 23, 2006. With
the military presence on Guam steadily growing, the USO has once more
answered the call to service. With growing unease in Asia, the
strategic location of Guam is increasingly valued. The men and women
who serve on the island provide stability to the region and security to
our Nation. The USO will once again ensure that these men and women,
their families and their guests nonetheless always have the support
they need. No doubt this branch will also bring to Guam many of the
USO's trademark shows.
Let me take this chance to say, on behalf of the people of Guam,
welcome back to the USO. As we say on Guam, Hafa Adai and Si Yu'os
Ma'ase (thank you) for their work.
Our Nation enjoys a spirit of brotherhood, of service and of charity
that is a reflection of a national value of selfless service. The USO
embodies this national value. And the people who are the USO live this
national value. Over 12,000 volunteers donate over 450,000 hours
annually thereby allowing the USO to serve our Nation's greatest
servants. Not to be forgotten are the celebrities and entertainers that
often headline USO tours, lending their time and talents to honor those
people who provide them the very opportunity to live the American dream
they have realized. And providing the foundation upon which the USO can
operate are countless thousands of U.S. donors, both private and
corporate, who make giving a centerpiece of their lives.
I join my colleagues in commending the USO and all of the men and
women who over time and who now make up this great organization for the
service they provide to those who serve our Nation in uniform. Like our
military men and women, you too are heroes. You are what makes America
great. God Bless the USO, God Bless our men and women serving around
the world today and God Bless America.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to
the United Service Organizations, whose world headquarters are located
in my district and this year will celebrate its 65th anniversary of
serving the men and women of our armed forces.
At the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt the USO was
formed in 1941 as a means of promoting troop morale by providing
entertainment, recreation and support. Relying solely on charitable
contributions and the generosity of individuals, the USO has served
troops in each American conflict since World War II.
Perhaps at its most well known during World War II, the USO provided
over 400,000 shows and performances to our armed forces, sending 7,000
performers overseas and performing as many as 700 shows in a single
day. It was during this time that the great Bob Hope first performed
for our soldiers. His famous USO career spanned six decades, headlining
over 60 tours and delivering countless one-liners. In 1997, the USO
successfully worked with Congress to designate Bob Hope the first
honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces.
Today the USO is still going strong. In 2005, the USO sponsored over
50 celebrity entertainment tours, visiting nearly 200,000 service
members in over 30 countries. The volunteer base has grown to over
12,000 people who donate over 450,000 hours of service each year.
The USO, however, provides more than just uplifting entertainment to
our troops. Over 750,000 handmade care packages were sent to service
members deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan last year. Additionally, the
USO has made communication to the home front more affordable and
accessible through the Operation Phone Home which distributed over one
million prepaid phone cards to deployed troops.
All of this would not be possible were it not for the dedication of
the USO staff and volunteers who so graciously give their time and
energy to help those who are defending our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I ask
that you join me in commending the USO and its members for all of their
work and in congratulating them on 65 years of dedicated services to
our troops.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Issa). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res.
322, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.
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