Military Leaders, Entertainers and Washington Elite Salute the USO’s 70 Years of Service at the 2011 Gala

USO honors five Service Members, Volunteer of the Year and Spirit of the USO Recipients Gen. James Jones and Diane Jones

Washington D.C. (Oct. 6, 2011) At the 2011 USO Gala, First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed the more than 1,000 esteemed guests who among them included Washington dignitaries, service members and USO volunteers. The taped message from the First Lady kicked off the annual event held to pay tribute to extraordinary service members and the dedicated volunteers that care for them. The First Lady saluted the USO for its 70 years of service and said she and Dr. Jill Biden are proud to work with the USO in support of their White House initiative, Joining Forces, to strengthen military families nationwide.

Top military leaders and entertainers attended the event at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, in the nation’s capital, including Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III, General Martin Dempsey, newly appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Raymond Odierno, Chief of Staff of the Army, General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Admiral Mark E. Ferguson III, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, General Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force and Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr., Commandant of the Coast Guard. Former national security advisor Gen. James Jones and his wife Diane who were honored as the Spirit of the USO award recipients. Actor and comedian Carlos Mencia lifted the spirits of the room, as the Master of Ceremonies and country music legend Randy Travis performed some of his iconic hits including Forever and Ever, Amen. Special guests Hall of Famer Karl “The Mailman” Malone and Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella were also in attendance.

The USO also highlighted its partnership with the United States Olympic Committee and the Department of Defense with its second year of supporting the Warrior Games. The USO provided celebrity entertainment, respite and morale for the athletes and spectators with USO staff and Mobile Canteen.

Sponsors of the 2011 USO Gala helped make the evening possible. TriWest Healthcare Alliance sponsored the Chairman’s Reception. ITT Corporation sponsored the USO Volunteer of the Year Award. The entertainment was brought to guests by Proctor and Gamble. The Red Carpet Reception was presented by Express Scripts Inc. USA Today and Huntington Ingalls Industries were also major sponsors. Military.com provided the after party lounge and streamed the gala live.

Details:

2011 USO Gala honorees included:

Service Member Honorees

• o   Corporal David J. Bixler, United States Army
• o   Sergeant Lucas J. Chaffins, United States Marine Corps
• o   EOD1 Chad R. Regelin, United States Navy
• o   Senior Airman James A. Baynard, United States Air Force
• o   AST3 Christopher R. Austin, United States Coast Guard

USO Volunteer of the Year

• o   Sergeant Milfred Shane Williams, USO Kaiserslautern- Warrior Center

Spirit of the USO Award Recipients

• o   General James L. Jones, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), and Diane Jones

As a token of appreciation for their service and sacrifice, hours before the gala, the USO provided service member honorees and award recipients with beauty treatments. Their mothers and wives were treated to makeovers and the men with free shaves. The well-deserved day of pampering was brought to honorees by Procter and Gamble.  

Quotes:

Attributed to USO President and CEO Sloan Gibson: “Tonight we are celebrating more than 70 years of service to U.S. troops and military families. We are here because of you. You make it possible for us to continue to lift the spirits of troops and families serving around the world and to meet their changing needs. Thank you for joining us and thank you for your unwavering support in times of peace and war.”

Attributed to First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama: “Whether you’re one of tonight’s honorees, whether you wear our uniform or a family of someone who does or whether you work every day to advance the mission of the USO, I want to say thank you. Thank you for everything that you do. For seven decades, this organization has lifted the spirits of our troops and their families through programs and services that address the unique challenges that they face. From providing the comforts of home to troops on remote outposts to sending entertainers and celebrities overseas, to working with our wounded warriors and military families here at home, the USO continues to set the standard for how we as Americans show our gratitude for our troops and their families.”

 Attributed to General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: “I’ve had a great fondness for the USO for many years. And I’ll tell you what, many of us in this room and all of the folks that are going to wander out here in a moment have been in and out of harms way over the last decade and the USO has always been there for us, as they will always be there for soldiers, sailors, airman, marines and coast guardsman. They will.”

“And finally just remember this, as we’re sitting here tonight, because of the time difference and the time zones its’ nearly sunrise in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hundreds and thousands of young men and women, America’s sons and daughters, are going to get up and strap it on and go out and do the nation’s bidding. And we owe them, all of us in uniform, in the departments civilian structures, the American people, we owe them the very, very best we can provide them, to make sure that they get what they need to get the job done.”

Attributed to Karl Malone:  “As I accepted the opportunity to go to tour with the USO you always get these feelings.  What would you say to a troop at 18 years old?  And the only thing that I thought was- ‘thanks for being a hero.’  Thanks for everyday that you’re out there.  It’s not about you.” 

“It don’t matter to me why our soldiers sign up to do what they do.  It don’t matter to me.  What I will tell you, they signed up.  They volunteered.  To do something that I wish I had the guts to do.”

Attributed to Randy Travis:  "There is no audience quite like that group of guys and ladies when you are playing on a military base. We've gone everywhere they'd let a civilian go and it's very, very humbling."

Attributed to Carlos Mencia:  “I am humbled by this man, I truly, truly am. I am humbled by the fact that they asked me to do this. I am humbled by the fact that I get to be an American. I only wish that my resume didn’t have that I worked with the troops or for the troops or the USO. I only wish that when I was younger I would have known the responsibility that I should have taken on and joined the military for at least 4 years and you know I’m 43 so that can’t happen, but hey, if you guys start recruiting 44 year olds, I’m totally in.”

Attributed to General Richard Myers:  “The USO of course creates smiles and more often than not those smiles are the result of some simple act of a USO volunteer. There are countless ways volunteers support the USO but they all share in the mighty dedication of our troops and their families… Volunteers are the reason our military personnel know they can count on the USO.”

Multimedia:

Social Media and Other Web Sites:

Twitter:          Twitter.com/The_USO (hashtag #USOGala)

Facebook:     Facebook.com/TheUSO

Blog:              Blog.uso.org

Web:               uso.org

Flickr:            Flickr.com/photos/theuso

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 corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Procter & Gamble. 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 http://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.

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