Alaska Strong

Alaska Strong

They deployed to Okinawa from opposite ends of Alaska: one from Eielson Air Force Base, the other from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Far from their families and familiar routines, the two active duty Airmen found a place to belong at USO Kadena. Over the past year, they made the center their home away from home—and helped make it feel that way for others.

Together, they dedicated nearly 1,000 volunteer hours while balancing grueling deployment schedules and personal challenges back home. On days when they had little time or energy to spare, they still showed up. They supported hundreds of programs and covered shifts that allowed the center to stay open longer for service members and families who needed a place to gather, relax, or simply feel welcome.

They cared for the center as though it were their own. Through self-help projects, they improved the spaces patrons use every day. They also trained countless new volunteers, passing along their knowledge and helping others find the same sense of purpose and connection they had found there. Their impact cannot be measured in hours alone. It lives in the extra evening someone had a place to unwind, the newcomer greeted by a familiar face, and the friendships formed across a table at a program. Through their steady presence, these two Airmen helped USO Kadena serve thousands of members of the local military community.

A deployment can take you far from home. These two Airmen found a second one at USO Kadena, then gave their time and hearts to help others feel at home, too. That is Alaska Strong.