Arlington, Va., Nov. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, more than 20,000 U.S. military service members have deployed to Eastern Europe. With little notice, they left behind the people and home they love to support our NATO allies overseas.
New survey data from the United Service Organizations (USO) – America’s leading nonprofit organization supporting service members and their families – and Morning Consult reveals that many Americans are unaware of these brave military members’ service.
Nearly two-in-three (62%) American adults say they are not knowledgeable about what U.S. military service members are doing in Eastern Europe. As the USO expands its operations to reach larger numbers of service members across the Eastern European region, the organization is offering the public an opportunity to learn more and give back to our Armed Forces this holiday season and year-round.
“When our military members answer the call to serve – whether they are deployed to Eastern Europe or elsewhere in the world – we are there to support them,” said USO CEO and President J.D. Crouch II.
The holiday season is an especially important time to support our nation’s heroes in uniform. U.S. military service members in Eastern Europe and many others around the globe are spending what is traditionally a time for family and togetherness far from those they hold dear.
The good news is that Americans are up to the task: Nearly all Americans (86%) believe it is important to support individual U.S. military service members and their families.
“All Americans benefit from our military members’ service and the sacrifices they make to protect our freedoms,” said Crouch. “We recently launched an initiative to significantly expand our operations in Eastern Europe to ensure we keep every service member in the region connected to everything that gives meaning to their service: family, home, and country. We encourage Americans to join us in this mission so that our troops in Eastern Europe and around the world never feel forgotten.”
USO staff and volunteers are working tirelessly to support service members in Eastern Europe and their families back home. This includes but is not limited to:
- Providing Wi-Fi and call centers to keep service members connected to family, home, and country. This is particularly important for the thousands of troops in Eastern Europe who otherwise have no access to cell phones and laptops.
- Distributing USO Care Packages, which come in two varieties: Hygiene Kits with essential toiletries and Snack Packs with food that will remind them of home. These packages ensure service members feel supported and valued by their country.
- Sending USO2GO and portable boxed programs to military units on the move. These packages include snacks, toiletries, games, and sports equipment to keep troops entertained while giving them much-needed opportunities for relaxation.
- Providing hot meals to deployed service members, as well as their families at home.
- Giving service members a place to relax at physical USO locations throughout Europe, including a newly opened center in Poland and unstaffed centers in Eastern Europe.
- Delivering thousands of blankets, beanies, and hand warmers to those operating in extremely cold environments.
- Supporting military families on the home front with community-building activities, opportunities to communicate with deployed loved ones, and other essential resources.
To learn how you can support U.S. military service members deployed in Eastern Europe, visit www.uso.org/support.
Follow the USO on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates. Join the conversation using #USOSupport on social media.
About the USO
The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort and support. The USO is a private nonprofit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, the support of our corporate partners, and the dedication of our volunteers and staff. To join us in this important mission and learn more about the USO, please visit USO.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Poll Methodology
This poll was conducted between October 7-October 9, 2022 among a sample of 2,210 Adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data was weighted to approximate a target sample of Adults based on gender, age, race, educational attainment, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
