Ceremonial Groundbreaking for First-Ever USO Wounded Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir

USO Launches Operation Enduring Care to support wounded warriors and their families, largest initiative since its inception in 1941

ARLINGTON, VA. (June 27, 2011) – On Monday, June 27th, the USO held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the first day of construction of the new USO Wounded Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir. This is the first stateside USO Center that will provide non-critical care and support for the wounded, injured and ill, as well as their families and caregivers as they transition from inpatient to outpatient care.

The architecturally innovative building, developed by Huffman Development and Turner Construction, will encompass 25,000 square feet and feature spaces that reflect the specific needs of Wounded Warriors and their loved ones. Family friendly rooms, classrooms, movie theaters, and healing gardens were researched and designed by STUDIOS Architecture in Washington DC. From the natural materials used in construction to the lighting, flooring, furniture and climate, the entire design focuses on the healing of body, mind, and spirit.

“This building will stand as a testament of America’s promise that together with our wounded warriors and their families, the battle will be fought and won.” said Sloan Gibson, USO President.

The USO vision is for the Center is to become a state of the art community of care completely dedicated to the emotion, intent and essentials of our nation’s wounded warriors from the battlefield to their journey through recovery. The experienced staff and volunteers of the USO of Metropolitan Washington DC will run the new center when it opens in 2012.

The groundbreaking also underscores the public launch of Operation Enduring Care (OEC), the USO’s $100 million capital fundraising campaign that will help build the Center at Fort Belvoir and a Wounded Warrior and Family Center at the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. OEC funds will endow the two Centers, as well as fund USO programs supporting wounded warriors at the Centers and at USO locations worldwide.

The USO’s Commitment to Wounded Service Men and Women

With more than 160 locations around the world, the USO is in a unique position to listen to the troops and families and respond to those who need us the most. Since 2001 there are more than 40,000 injured service members in need of support and a comforting place to begin their journey of recovery.   The USO heard the urgent call from our nation’s wounded warriors answered with powerful network of global support.

In 2003, the USO began its care for the wounded warrior community in Germany by embedding a USO Center within the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility (CASF) at Ramstein Air Base to provide a critical home away from home environment for wounded begin staged there for transport to the US following medical treatment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC). In 2008, the USO Warrior Center was built at LRMC to better serve the outpatient wounded being treated there. The USO Warrior Center also provides a touch of home for troops until they are cleared to return to their unit in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2010, the USO formally launched comprehensive long-term programs designed to create a continuum of care and ensure that Americans returning from combat zones have every possibility of leading fulfilling lives by meeting their needs directly or through best-in-class partnerships. The help needed includes physical health/recreation, mental health support, family strengthening, education, employment and community integration.

A Collaborative Effort

The USO is building the Wounded Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir in collaboration with an extraordinary group of partners.  Generous support from these partners included private donor gifts, corporate donations, foundation grants, and in-kind support from suppliers and contractors.

“We are so grateful to our OEC Committee, Donors and Corporate Partners for being a part of this USO historic effort. They clearly see the need and hope that their contributions are a catalyst for other best in class organizations to step up and show their support and gratitude to these men and women who have made such deep sacrifices. Every bit helps and relieves the heavy financial and emotional burden off another warrior, caretaker or son or daughter,” said Kelli Seely, USO senior vice president and chief development officer.  

The following is a list of key partners for the Wounded Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir:

• Northrup Grumman Foundation
• The Anschutz foundation
• Kuwait-America Foundation
• Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
• News Corporation
• Ambassador & Mrs. William R. Timken, Jr.
• The Timken Company
• Timken Foundation of Canton
• Turner Construction
• Anheuser-Busch
• Express Scripts
• Mr. and Mrs. Stanley C. Gault
• Mr. and Mrs. Sloan D. Gibson
• Newman’s Own Foundation
• Procter & Gamble

The Wounded Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir is scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2012. For more information, images and press materials please use the multimedia links below:

Multimedia:

###

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. We rely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors. In addition to individual donors and other corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners: American Airlines, AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission and to learn more about the USO, please visit www.uso.org.

Gayle Fishel

703-908-6433

gfishel@uso.org

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide.  We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. We rely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors.  In addition to individual donors and other corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners: American Airlines, AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381).  To join us in this patriotic mission and to learn more about the USO, please visit www.uso.org.

Tags: