RDU Airport, NC – The USO at Raleigh-Durham International Airport is celebrating its first year in operation and the more than 21,000 visitors it has welcomed. On Saturday, August 13, 2005 from 1-3 p.m. the USO will host an open house with refreshments and live music by country singer, Hank Brake. The event is open to the public.
The USO will also hold a Salute to Freedom Gala at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 13, in the Raleigh Woman’s Club. This black tie event is held to honor one service member from each branch of the Armed Forces. The recipients of the USO of North Carolina Heroes of the Year designation are Sergeant First Class Gerald Wolford, USA; Corporal Christopher E. Zimny, USMC; Petty Officer 1st Class Scott A. Geist, USN; Lieutenant Colonel Peter A. Donnelly, USAF; Petty Officer 1st Class Mario Vitone, USCG; and Captain Brent A. Orr, NCNG.
RDU’s USO is North Carolina ‘s first airport-based USO center. In its first year, the USO extended their hours to 24 hours a day and seven days a week with a mostly-volunteer staff to better serve traveling military personnel. Located on the second floor of Terminal A, the 1,500-square-foot lounge offers service members and their families a place to rest and relax while waiting for their flight or for transportation to a military base.
The USO has recruited not only dedicated volunteers but also thousands of dollars worth of donations. From food and beverages to greeting cards and free cell phone minutes, many individuals and corporations have made donations to help support our troops.
In addition to the daily services of the USO centers, servicemen and women have access to the following programs without charge: deployment support programs, delivery of birthday cakes to single service members, family style outings for service members away from home, holiday meals in a family/homelike environment, Internet access and emergency phone calls and lodging.
The USO center is essential at RDU because the airport is the arrival and departure point for service members from the state’s six major bases. Each month over 2,000 military men and women travel through the airport. There are also numerous military units located in the Triangle, including the National Guard and Navy, Marine and Coast Guard reservists, who will benefit from the USO’s outreach programs and services.
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