Rotarians visit Camp Pendleton's United Service Organization

FALLBROOK – Members of the Fallbrook Village Rotary received a first-rate tour of the United Service Organization (USO) from the Center Operations and Programs Manager, Crystal Gates, Aug. 8.

The USO's mission is to meet the needs of service members and that has evolved since the days of handling Bob Hope tours. Officially opened in 2019, Camp Pendleton had the first USO on a U.S. military base. There are services available to military members, such as laptops to contact family, and the center offers a sense of home, resulting in increased morale.

The USO sets up programs for military personnel and provides transition readiness with resume writing, interview skills and methods for transferring military skills into civilian life. Military spouses and Reserve & National Guard can also participate in readiness programs. The USO App provides personnel with a dashboard with a timeline to manage the transfer.

In addition, the USO provides a fun respite from military life with events such as National S'mores Day, Craft & Coffee, Coffee Connections, July Freedom Floats with flag straws and National Book Lovers Day. The Country Jamboree occurs in September with fun bands, food baths and games for military families.

The USO Center needs volunteers to open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If interested in volunteering, check out volunteers.uso.org.

Submitted by Fallbrook Village Rotary.