Since its founding in 1941, the USO has continued to support troops and their families worldwide. Our mission is to strengthen America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home, and country. One of the most pronounced ways that we perform this mission is by conducting what we refer to as outreach – that is providing USO programs and offerings to patrons who are stationed in remote locations which typically do not have access to these amenities on a continuous basis.

One of the unique features of the US military presence in Korea is that following the Armistice on 27 July 1953, US and United Nations Forces simply went to ground wherever they were on the battlefield and these laagers ultimately became Camps; throughout the 1960s and into the 1990s, the US Military operated several hundred military camps across the Republic of Korea. As part of the Transformation & Restationing Initiatives in the early 2000s, however, the Alliance has reduced this number to roughly 75 camps and air bases. Though now being substantially less than in previous eras, there are still numerous installations with small numbers of US troops on them scattered across Korea.

USO staff and volunteers still have this robust panoply of installations to attempt to service in conducting outreach. We believe outreach to be very important because of the meaning these efforts have upon service members in these remote locations, the engagement our staff and volunteers share with these service members, and also because it is an essential aspect of our mission delivery. Some examples of how we conduct outreach include distribution of USO Holiday Care Packages, morale boost events such as barbeques and holiday meals, opportunities to read books to children and younger family members back home and send the book & video to that child, unit events such as Program in a Box which is a collective activity, and also USO2GO which are pre-programmed kits of athletic equipment or holiday trimmings for these remote locations. To undertake such a daunting endeavor, each of our USO Centers in Korea has assigned installations to which they conduct quarterly outreach missions. I would like to highlight several recent instances of outreach missions to illustrate the reach and impact this has on our troops and their families.

USO Walker

Nestled in the thriving metropolis of Daegu, USO Walker has responsibility for more outreach locations than any other center in Korea. The USO Walker Team covers US Fleet Activities in Chinhae, Naval Forces Korea in Busan, Marines at Camp Mujuk in Pohang, Airmen at K-2 Air Base in Daegu, and Combined Joint Task Force (CTF) Defender at Forward Operating Site (FOS) Carroll. To bring the holiday spirit to service members and their families in Busan and Chinhae, USO Walker supported a delicious Thanksgiving Holiday meal on 25 November 2025 in conjunction with MWR’s Turtle Cove, as well as with Fleet and Family Readiness. These efforts were enjoyed by 185 people, as they celebrated the event with fellow Sailors and their loved ones, as well as our Allies from the ROK Navy. Sailors also received USO Holidays Gift Bags, which include snacks and USO-branded goodies. The event served to highlight the gratitude felt towards our service members and their families, and to our teamwork as committed Allies, for their sacrifice and hard work.

USO Osan

The team at USO Osan provides outreach to the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base [also known as K-8 Air Base] and the USAF element at Gwangju Air Base [K-7 Air Base]. On 22 December 2025, staff and volunteers from USO Osan traveled to Kunsan AB, home to the 8th Fighter Wing, to serve a Christmas meal to 205 Airmen in an unaccompanied environment. The event provided comfort and connection during a season that can be especially difficult for those stationed far from family. Thanks to the 8th FW Chaplain, USO Osan was able to host the event at Son Light Inn, one of the few recreation spaces available to Kunsan Airmen. We catered the holiday meal through the Loring Club, which is operated by the 8th FW Force Support Squadron. USO Staff coordinated this event with 8th Fighter Wing leadership, the 8th Fighter Wing Chapel, Red Cross Kunsan, and University of Maryland Global Campus Kunsan. Airmen gathered in strong numbers, highlighting the importance of connection and community support. The 8th Fighter Wing Commander, Col Kathryn Gaetke (“WOLF”), attended with her two children to show her support for the USO’s efforts to uplift morale. The staff and volunteers also distributed USO Holiday Care Packages, further strengthening service members by keeping them connected to family, home, and country.

USO Humphreys

Despite being the flagship team in Korea, USO Humphreys also conducts outreach to Seoul Air Base [also known as K-16 Air Base] in Seongnam, and Suwon Air Base [K-13 Air Base]. USO Humphreys has maintained a consistent commitment to supporting the servicemembers stationed at Suwon Air Base through quarterly outreach that ensures even the most remote installations feel connected to the broader military community. Historically, USO Humphreys provided care packages to the approximately 180 Soldiers and Airmen of the 6-52 Air Defense Artillery and 607th Combat Weather Squadron stationed there. Following the permanent relocation of Fox Battery, 6-52 ADA to USAG Humphreys in March 2025, the population at Suwon drew down significantly, leaving a small Air Force detachment of roughly 20 servicemembers. USO Humphreys has remained engaged, providing beverages, snacks, and food in support of Detachment 1 of the 51st Munitions Maintenance Squadron activation ceremony on September 29, 2025 — a milestone event that shifted command responsibility for U.S. operations on the base to Osan Air Base, the closest major installation on the peninsula. USO Humphreys continued that momentum by delivering Holiday Care Packages to the Detachment in December 2025, and is currently scheduled to visit Suwon on 25 February to restock their canteen — a particularly meaningful service given that the base has no AAFES Shoppette or MWR facilities available to its service members.

USO Casey

Our northernmost team at USO Casey provides USO programs and offerings to troops in training areas along the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) such as Warrior Base and Rodriguez Life Fire Complex (RLFC), as well as to the United Nations Command Security Battalion – Joint Security Area at Camp Bonifas. On 17 December 2025, USO Casey conducted the 14th Annual JSA Christmas Party at Camp Bonifas in support of UNCSB-JSA troops. The event served 72 service members and 6 family members, representing a holiday morale initiative conducted in a geographically isolated, high-security operational environment. This annual signature event required multi-agency coordination with AAFES, Army Community Service, American Red Cross, Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, and the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to deliver a comprehensive holiday experience. Senior leader engagement included remarks from USFK Chaplain CH (COL) Kim and the CSEL of UNC/CFC/USFK, CSM Bolmer, reinforcing command emphasis on resilience and service during the holiday season. The program featured a full holiday meal, raffle prizes, and USO Holiday Care Package distribution. The event provided critical morale reinforcement during the holiday season for service members stationed in one of the most sensitive mission areas on the peninsula. Visible leadership support and community partnership engagement reinforced to our Soldiers and their families that their service and sacrifices are recognized, appreciated, valued, and supported during the holiday season.

Impact

The Outreach missions that USO Korea Staff and Volunteers deliver address several aspects of importance that collectively result in impact. Impact reflects the positive difference and meaning that USO programs and offerings make upon service and family members. Some of these attributes include the ability to take a break and recharge while deployed away from home, reduction of the feeling of isolation, comraderie among fellow service and family members, support from their respective community, and strengthening of their sense of belonging. The list can go on and impact is a difficult result to measure, but when you see the delight in their faces, you will experience the meaning of outreach in a tangible way.

As we project outreach into the future, USO Korea will remain engaged with the US military leadership in Korea to adjust accordingly to any force structure changes or shifts in priorities.

Summary

These descriptions highlight some of the many outreach opportunities offered by USO Korea. If you are looking for a way to give back to your community, consider volunteering at your local USO; likewise, if you have an idea or an interest in joining an outreach mission, please stop in and discuss it with your local Center Operations Manager. You can continue to exercise your talents before you return to the workforce, or you can learn some new skills – we will even help you to capture these onto your resume. Accumulated volunteer hours assist in promotion points and specific skills that may greatly enhance your marketability for future employment. We also love to recognize our volunteers with appreciation events, USO swag, Mission Awards, and Presidential Volunteer Service Awards (PVSA). Volunteers power community organizations every day by creating solutions for community needs, building bridges between cultures, and being the welcoming face to newcomers and visitors alike!

Camp Casey

USAG Daegu

Osan Air Base

Camp Humphreys

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