USO programs help lift spirits

Story and photo by Senior Airman Jose L. Leon
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Noel Meader, Stronger Families executive director, instructs facilitators on how to assist with troubled relationships Oct. 2 on Ramstein. Members from the chapel, Family Advocacy, the Airman & Family Readiness Center and other organizations from the KMC attended the facilitator training in order to sharpen their couple counseling skills.
Noel Meader, Stronger Families executive director, instructs facilitators on how to assist with troubled relationships Oct. 2 on Ramstein. Members from the chapel, Family Advocacy, the Airman & Family Readiness Center and other organizations from the KMC attended the facilitator training in order to sharpen their couple counseling skills.

The USO hosted a Stronger Families Seminar for couples looking for help with their relationships
Oct. 3 and 4 on Ramstein.

Service members encounter diverse conditions, and often, they are affected physically and emotionally. The seminar included several topics designed to help service members and their families cope with some of the negative effects the military life style can have on loved ones, such as different personality types, handling arguments, compromising and many techniques that can be helpful in improving household dynamics.

“Our nation’s military families face unprecedented stressors, extended deployments, invisible and visible wounds and the challenges of reintegration,” said Andrea Sok, USO communications manager.

These barriers pose a challenge for many within our ranks. Sok reiterated how the USO makes itself available to anyone in need through programs and services.

“The USO has made a commitment to be always by the side of these men and women and their families by providing best-in-class programs and services to help them face these challenges,” Sok said.

Overcoming these issues is not a simple task and may require outside help. There are many volunteers within the USO who make themselves readily available.

“Delivering the program, the enthusiasm of the recipients; that’s where I get the joy,” said Michael Lewis, USO Europe director of operations.

In 2012, the local USO reached approximately 480,000 military members and their families through approximately 520 events.

“USO staff and volunteers make incredible moments happen for our troops and military families every day,” Sok said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it.”

To contact the USO, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kaiserslautern.uso or visit them online at www.uso.org.