Atlanta Branch of the COA Serves at the Atlanta USO

Submitted by: LCDR D. Ross Spears

The Atlanta Branch of the Commissioned Officers Association (ACOA) of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) has supported the USO at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, GA, since 2003. USO is chartered by Congress as a non-profit, charitable organization with the mission to provide morale, welfare, and recreational-type services to uniformed military personnel. The acronym USO stands for United Service Organizations. The enduring style of USO is to extend a ‘touch of home’ to military personnel. Most especially during time of war, military personnel are in transit and reporting to their duty stations and the airport, USO sites are the ideal stopping points to just rest and relax and even sleep. As PHS Commissioned Corps officers, we have an opportunity to be visible in sharing our camaraderie and community service to those who serve in the uniformed military service.

In the past, the ACOA has supported the Atlanta USO by two means: (1) the occasional individual PHS officer volunteering to serve on his/her own time; and (2) an ACOA organized event that consisted of a full day effort to support USO at Christmas time. ACOA's support, at that time, involved a donation of $400 worth of food and a full day of staffing the USO site in Atlanta with PHS officers. Beginning in May 2004, ACOA moved forward with a Special Projects committee committed to expanding the support of USO due to the intensity of the Iraq War Effort.

In June 2004, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport became the east coast point of entry for the Rest and Recuperation (R&R) flights returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Members of the Armed Services were rotated home for 2 weeks of leave from the combat zone. The R&R flights significantly increased the demand on the USO at Atlanta. The USO was already heavily used since Atlanta is one of the world’s busiest airports, serving both a large number of southeastern military bases as well as those connecting here and traveling across the world. In addition to its holiday service and donations, ACOA agreed to staff the USO kitchen the third Saturday of each month, supplying three officers. Volunteers are recruited from its members. Officers willing to serve do so from 1000 hrs to 1400 hrs. PHS officers serve in uniform, and many bring food items.

Service includes providing all kinds of support for the troops passing through. PHS officers provide a thorough cleaning of the kitchen in true public health fashion. Dozens of sandwiches are prepared and served to the troops. Food that is prepared for later shifts is carefully wrapped and dated. Officers look after the troops’ baggage when it must be left outside the USO and escort the troops on their way to the ticket counter for check in. Officers provide little more modest but meaningful services as well, from helping a toddler find the toys in the back room, giving directions to parents of one soldier on their way to the airport, and even finding milk for coffee.

Servicemen and women come from all over as they pass through Atlanta’s busy airport. Besides the R&R flights from Iraq and Afghanistan, many are on their way to new duty stations. Families who were on annual leave traveling Space-A as well as retired officers who were using the USO facility in between flights, have passed through and been served by PHS officers. Troops going to or from Fort Benning frequently visit the USO in Atlanta. At least once in 2004 there was also a group of new Army recruits on their way to Fort Jackson, SC, to begin basic training. During normal months, 100-200 people are served during the 4-hour shift where PHS officers are on duty. One shift averaged about 70 people per hour. At the 12-hour detail during the busy Christmas holidays, the number can reach 400 or more during the shift.

All of these servicemen and women were educated about a branch of the Service of which they were not aware, the PHS. This past 18 June, two PHS officers serving at the USO were approached by an Army Brigadier General and a Colonel. The General was a commander of a unit and the Colonel a Chief Medical Officer. These individuals were not familiar with the PHS and thought the volunteers were naval officers. Both Army officers left with a much better understanding of the PHS and its importance to the USO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and to the country as a whole.

The impact of the ACOA’s service at USO has been considerable. The presence of PHS officers serving in uniform has given many of the troops an opportunity to understand the PHS Commissioned Corps. On every shift, questions were asked about us ‘Navy’ officers, which gave us a wonderful opportunity to explain and promote the PHS. The results have been very positive, based on the letters and comments that ACOA has received from those servicemen and women passing through the USO in Atlanta.

PHS officers often work side by side with civilian volunteers. Officers have served with volunteers from businesses such as Equifax, and from service groups such as the Kiwanis Club. These volunteers have often not heard of the PHS, but have come away from their experience with a new appreciation and understanding of the Commissioned Corps.

The USO itself has been very appreciative. ACOA was recognized by the Infantry Brigade Commander of Fort Benning for its work during the holiday season of 2003. On 22 April, National Volunteer Day, the USO awarded ACOA a plaque for its volunteerism in support of our troops. ACOA is welcomed with open arms by the USO staff each time officers show up at the Atlanta USO, whether as servers or as those using the USO facilities while in transit. PHS retirees are welcomed, and have been served by PHS officers on the monthly rotations.

To date, over 50 PHS officers have worked at USO since May 2004 alone. Working as volunteers helped remind ACOA volunteers of the dedicated service that our troops are providing this country. It gave PHS officers a way to say thank you for the service USO has provided. Finally, this activity gave ACOA members an opportunity to educate, support, and show solidarity with members of our fellow Uniformed Services.

If anyone is interested in working with their local USO and would like to set up a similar program, please contact LCDR Ross Spears at rspears@cdc.gov or by phone at 404-498-2269.

 

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