| USOverachievers Small staff, large body of volunteers create respite for travel-weary soldiers by Linda Singerle news@thecharlotteweekly.com
Ahart and company staff the Charlotte United Service Organizations, a nonprofit, nongovernment organization that operates a hospitality area and offers support services to military personnel from within its headquarters at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Located beyond the security checkpoints, the site hosts active duty personnel, reservists, military retirees and dependents. Many enter weary from travels, delays or cancellations and often with overexhausted children in tow. Some returning from overseas duty wander in to decompress. Occasionally, the volunteers encounter a mother and child traveling to a fallen soldier’s funeral. The USO greets them all with an opportunity to lift their burdens for a bit. That can mean simply grabbing free refreshments and passing time watching television from a recliner, avoiding a dreary wait at the gate with legs propped on every bag the soldier has lugged across the country. Sometimes it means travelers whose cancelled flights prevent them from having Thanksgiving with relatives can take comfort in a USO-supplied feast with others. Sometimes it means a bereaved wife can rest and be comforted as her exhausted infant naps in the USO’s crib under a volunteer’s careful watch. Relief, great or small, is the USO’s business. Making troops, family feel like VIPs The USO opened 14 weeks ago in space formerly occupied by the British Airways Club. “British Airways quit flying into Charlotte about three years ago,” said Ahart, director of the Charlotte USO center. He and Judy Pitchford, president and CEO of USO of North Carolina, had their eye on the space and had pushed to get a USO into the Charlotte airport for some time. Eventually airport administrators acceded that it would be better to fill the vacant space with a tenant paying discounted rent than to collect no rent while holding out for deeper-pocketed tenants. Ahart, thrilled at the acquisition, set about purchasing comfortable furniture – theater-style seating, tables, chairs and more – to create a welcoming environment that preserved the VIP feel of the British Airways Club. “I want the troops to feel special when they walk in here,” said Ahart. Guests find an upscale lounge with lots of amenities: free refreshments; a children’s area with books, videos and coloring supplies; free PC use; access to the Internet and e-mail; a PlayStation 2; and the opportunity to rest or even snooze in roomy recliners (with an optional wake-up call so connections aren’t missed). Mobilizing troops, resources The Charlotte-based USO serves more than 100 travelers a day. Initially, said Ahart, “we didn’t know what to expect. Now it’s obvious we need to expect more.” At the 13-week mark, Ahart said the facility had served more than 13,000 people. Affable yet officious, Ahart gets things done. Through the USO’s Wounded Warrior program, any wounded soldiers traveling by air are greeted at their gate, made to feel at home in the USO if time permits, and then escorted to their connecting flight. Somehow, Ahart and staff never fail to negotiate an upgrade for the soldier. The Charlotte center secured a local donation of 1,000 stuffed animals for distribution to USO guests who can present the toys to their children or young siblings when they reach home. Ahart and staff recruited volunteers who have wrapped most of the gifts already. With $400, a dozen or so volunteers, and donated or discounted food and beverages, Ahart provided Thanksgiving dinner – deep-fried turkey and all the trimmings – to 190 travelers passing through the USO’s doors that weekend. The USO’s Fallen Angels program ensures respectful transport and handling of remains of fallen soldiers who are being returned to their families through Charlotte. Passengers cannot deplane until the casket and military escort have left the plane to meet the soldier’s family with a flag of honor and a ceremony. Ahart and crew’s next mission is Operation Exodus, a people-moving and appreciation-expressing ordeal to take place Monday, Dec. 18. In Exodus, 1,500-1,800 soldiers from regional bases will be bused to Charlotte Douglas, fed breakfast by volunteers and sent on their way home for the holidays. Buses begin arriving at 3:30 a.m., and most personnel are expected to be on flights by noon. The airport itself has helped to coordinate Exodus in years past, but the USO eagerly steps in to coordinate the event this year. Volunteers, sponsors The USO operates entirely on corporate sponsorships and donations from organizations and individuals. Pitchford emphasized that the USO centers are fully nonprofit organizations that receive no government funding. “Eighty percent of our operating costs come from individual donations,” she said. The Charlotte center currently fields fewer donations than other USO locations because news of the center is just beginning to spread. But volunteers are showing up in force. “When we opened up, we had nine volunteers,” said Ahart. Of the 160 who now take turns manning the facility almost round-the-clock, Ahart says most are prior military or have a family member in current or past service. The remaining volunteers have no military connection, and most of them have retired from other professions. “Our volunteers run the center; they’re its heart and blood,” said Ahart. And running deep in these volunteers’ blood is a drive to serve America’s servicemen and women: “It absorbs you; it’s a passion,” Pitchford said. She and Ahart, although both paid employees of the USO, exemplify that absorption. Both have military experience – Pitchford with the Marines and Ahart as a naval aviator – and take great pleasure in USO work. After retiring from active duty, Ahart plied his MBA to obtain a position as CEO for a finance planning firm in Charlotte, but the money market did not suit him. His move to the USO signified a slash in salary but a big spike in purpose and fulfillment. USO volunteers seem to get similar fulfillment in being able to express appreciation for the country’s defenders. Nan Bauroth views her volunteer opportunities there as “a rare chance to walk up and hug a soldier and tell them ‘Thank you for what you do.’” Want to help? There’s still time to apply your manpower or money to help with Operation Exodus and the sustained travel of service personnel through the holidays, but needs extend far beyond Christmas. For volunteer opportunities or details on how to make tax-deductible donations, visit www.uso-nc.org or call 704-359-5581. |
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