Soldiers in Afghanistan receive first 'USO in a Box'

Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, received a special delivery on Memorial Day - the first USO in a Box.

The USO in a Box program converts the expandable tactical operation centers used by the military into unmanned USO centers that can be transported by truck or helicopter into austere operating environments. The units allow the USO to continue delivering services and support to a highly mobile military serving in the most remote regions.

Each unit features wireless Internet access, two ruggedized laptop computers, three 23-inch, high-definition, flat-screen televisions, three video gaming systems and two voice-over-Internet phones.
The movie theater area features a 42-inch HD, flat-screen television with a DVD player and surround sound. Each unit also has a self-contained diesel generator and climate control system with heating and air conditioning.

Designed to be operational in 20 minutes, the mobile nature of the USO in a Box program allows for quick movement from one location to another.

"While we can't build a USO center everywhere the troops serve, [this] program allows us to deliver much of the goodness of a fixed center," said Sloan Gibson, USO president.
The first three USO in a Box units left Fort Belvoir in early March and were delivered to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

"This is one of our homes away from home that's not a brick-and-mortar center," said Juston Reynolds, manager, USO in a Box Program. Reynolds said when he was on active duty he could not imagine something like this was possible.

"I still think there are some troops out there who don't know what we're doing. Once they get them they're going to be blown away," he said.

"We had a couple of troops from fort Belvoir ... check them out; and, they said they wished they'd had these," Reynolds said.

For more information on the USO and its programs, visit www.USO.org.