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WINTER2012

TheUSOisprobablybestknownforentertainmenttoursthatdeploycelebritiesaroundtheworldtoliftthespiritsofourtroopsandtheirfamilies.Since1941,USOentertainmenttourshavebeenaconstantsourceofcomfortforourwartimeandhomefrontheroes.That’swhy,whetherintimesofwarorpeace,theUSOandourcelebrityvolunteersreadilyextendAmerica’sthankstoourtroopsandtheirfamiliesfortheirserviceandsacrifice.JustthreemonthsaftertheUSOwasfoundedin1941,thelegendaryBobHopeledagroupofcelebritiestoperformforairmenstationedatMarchFieldinCalifornia.Sevenyearslater,USOCampShowsdeliveredanamazing428,521performances,withmorethan7,000entertainershavingtraveledoverseas.BythetimeofhisretirementHopehadappearedinorhostedhundredsofUSOperformances,including35consecutiveChristmastours.AmongthoseearlyentertainerstosetoutonUSOtourswereMarilynMonroe,LouRawls,DiahannCarol,JohnWayne,GingerRogers,AlJolsonandSammyDavisJr.,tonameafew.Today,theUSOcontinuestosupporttroopsandtheirfamiliesaroundtheglobebydeliveringgoodnessandcheeraroundtheglobe.AmongthoseentertainerstoparticipateinthefirstofmanyUSOtourstotheMiddleEastwereBenAffleck,Aerosmith,BruceWillis,TobyKeith,JenniferLopez,JessicaSimpson,Coolio,RobinWilliams,DrowningPoolandMariahCarey,tonameafew.Since2003,theUSOhasdeployed167toursto95locationsinAfghanistan,129locationsinIraqand19locationsinKuwaittosupportourmenandwomenservingonthefrontlines.TheUSOdeploysawiderangeofcelebrityentertainersfromwell‐knownsportsfiguresandcomedianstopopularmusicians,actorsandmodels.EachoftheseentertainersservesastheUSO’smostvisiblevolunteers.TheUSOalsodeployscelebrityentertainersallovertheworld.Tourlocationsinclude,Germany,Belgium,Italy,Turkey,Japan,Guam,SouthKorea,Hawaii,U.S.,Alaska,theUnitedKingdom,Afghanistan,Iraq,Kuwait,Bahrain,Greenland,theNetherlands,DjiboutiandQatar,amongotherlocations.USOtoursincludeanythingfrombig‐bandperformancesandintimateacousticshowstohandshaketours,moviescreeningsandhospitalvisits.Suchtoursoftentakeplaceinuniquelocations,likeaircrafthangars,flatbedtrucks,militarytents,bunkersandforwardoperatingbases.PlanningUSOtoursisadetailedprocessworkedincoordinationwithmanyindividuals,includingmilitarypersonnel,talentrepresentativesandUSOstaff.TheUSOisalongtimeentertainmentpartnerwithsuchorganizationsastheNFL,whowehaveamorethan46‐yearhistorywith,aswellastheDallasCowboysCheerleaders,theMissUniverseOrganizationandSesameWorkshop.In2011,theUSOdeployed136celebrityentertainersto25countriesand19states,entertaininghundredsofthousandsofservicemenandwomenandtheirfamilies.Inthatsameyear,theUSOproducedmorethan80tourswithmorethan500specialentertainmenteventstoincludeconcerts,

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autographsignings,hospitalvisitsandmoviescreenings.EntertainerswhorecentlyparticipatedinmoraleboostingUSOtoursincludeTobyKeith,CarlosMencia,GarySinise,JonStewart,Babyface,Train,NFLcoachesGaryKubiak,JimMoraJr.,JimMoraSr.,KenWhisenhuntandotherNFLgreats,KarlMalone,NBAPlayersincludingTyrekeEvansandDerreckRose,NASCARdriversJoeyLoganoandBradKeselowski,acclaimedthrillerwritersincludingCliveCusslerandKathyReichs,andtheDallasCowboyCheerleaders.MinkaKelly,JordinSparks,RobertHorry,andThomas“NephewTommy”MilesaccompaniedGeneralMartinDempseyonhisfirstUSOholidaytourtotheMiddleEastasChairmanoftheJointChiefsofStaff.TheUSOcontinuouslylooksforinnovativewaystoentertainourtroopsandtheirfamilies.In2009,ComedyCentralmadeUSOhistorybyproducingandbroadcastingoneweekof"TheColbertReport"overseasinfrontoftroopsstationedinBaghdad,Iraq.In2010,theUSOteamedupwithVH1Divasforthe"SalutetheTroopsConcert"heldatMarineCorpsAirStationMiramar.TheconcertfeaturedKatyPerry,NickiMinaj,KeriHilson,ParamoreandSugarlandandwashostedbyKathyGriffin.Alwaysadaptingtomeettheuniqueneedsoftoday’smilitary,theUSOpartneredwithSesameWorkshoptobetterfocusandtargetmilitaryfamilies:• TheSesameStreet/USOExperienceforMilitaryFamiliesmadeitsdebutinJuly2008tohelpmilitary

familiesdealwiththechallengesofdeploymentandhomecomings,andisthelongest‐runningtourintheUSO’s71‐yearhistory.

• Sincethetour’sinceptionfouryearsago,thetourhastakenitsmessagetomorethan248,000troopsandmilitaryfamilies,andperformed433showson131militarybasesin33statesandelevencountries.Additionally,thetourhasloggedmorethan106,500milesanddistributedmorethan1.6milliongiveaways.

• In2011alone,thetourperformed118showson52basesinAlaska,Hawaii,Guam,Korea,Turkey,Italy,Germany,theNetherlands,Belgium,theUnitedKingdom,SpainandJapanfor55,455servicemembersandtheirfamilies.

• PhaseVofthetourunveiledabrandnewSesameStreetcharacternamed“Katie“ataJoiningForcesrallyhostedbyFirstLadyMichelleObamaandDr.JillBideninApril2011.Representativeofsomanymilitaryfamiliestodayanddesignedexclusivelyforthistour,‘Katie”isamilitarychildwhoisrelocatingtoanewbasewithherfamily.

• In2012,theUSOwilllaunchPhaseVIoftheSesameStreet/USOExperienceforMilitaryFamilies,

whichhopestodelivermorethan280showsandvisitmorethan75statesidemilitarybases.TolearnmoreabouttheUSOortofindoutaboutupcomingUSOtoursandeventspleasevisitourwebsiteUSO.org