Army and Air Force Come Together To Serve

As you know, I have been volunteering at the USO at SeaTac Airport for a few years, so when we moved to our new house in Lacey, WA I liked for a USO that was closer to home than driving the nearly 100 miles round trip for a 6am-noon shift.  The manager at SeaTac, LTC Matt Sult (USA Ret.) put me in contact with Christine Vu, the manager at Camp Lewis USO.

Camp Lewis was the first name of what is now Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) and is the location of the Camp Lewis USO which is less than a 25 mile round trip.  I’ve done several shifts there, usually in the morning.  Our customers are different than at SeaTac as they are mostly active duty troops stationed at JBLM.  Those at SeaTac are generally individuals and families on PCS status or retired military who are taking a plane somewhere to get away from the gray skies of Puget Sound.

My neighbor here in Lacey is Ed Logan, a retired USAF Senior Master Sergeant, has also become a USO volunteer; he and I covered the 9am-1pm shift last Monday.  It was a typical day of us checking IDs, directing new troops to the other areas of the facility, Ed making 40+ ham or turkey sandwiches, both of us replenishing supplies for the next shift, and anything else that needed to be done.  

Camp Lewis USO dining room

"Chef" Ed Logan, USAF Ret.

With Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency, all of USO Northwest’s facilities (at SeaTac, McChord AFB, Ft Lewis and Portland International Airport have closed or on very limited specific schedules.  So Ed and I won’t be volunteering at JBLM in the near future until this emergency runs its course.

Stay safe everyone!  Those of us who are in that vulnerable category (probably that includes the majority of you reading this right now) should be following common sense about hand hygiene and social distancing.