There are just a few days left until Christmas and as hard as it is to believe, a week later, we all will be celebrating a new year!! Yet, before we celebrate Christmas and New Year’s, I think it is important to reflect on what a great year 2022 has been. Since January, my USO Northwest Staff and Volunteers have been where needed to support our local military and their family members. If you have received my previous newsletters, you will recall that each month, we feature a number of these events such as Pizza Days, Macho Nacho and Wing Wednesdays. I last sent a newsletter in November, but since then, the USO Northwest has supported a number of other festive events at our USO Centers – from Thanksgiving events, including a Sea-Tac USO Thanksgiving Meal for over 100 guests who were stranded, err waiting for their next flight to Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies on JBLM, Whidbey and Fairchild. Additionally, we have provided Holiday Cookie Decorating for children, Painting with Santa and Gold Star Children events. Collectively, your USO Northwest has been there to support thousands of our guests in 2022. But please know that none of these events would occur without the support we receive from so many of you. For your kindness, I personally thank you!
So, what would a Holiday Newsletter be without a Shopping Tip? Well – here is mine! Do you have a family member that has or is serving and when you ask them, “What would you like for Christmas?” and their answer is “I don’t know” or “Bah, Humbug”. Well, the USO Northwest has a USO Brick Program that is guaranteed to make a brick recipient’s heart grow three sizes – at least!!”. Click below to see more about the USO Northwest Commemorative Brick Program, including the form where you can personalize a brick, to include adding a logo of their service branch. Email contact Susan Schlaitzer at usonwbrickorders@gmail.com or 206.227.7905 so she can ensure you have the certificate to share in time for Christmas! https://northwest.uso.org/support/commemorative-brick-program
For those individuals desiring to make an “End of the Year Gift” in support of the military, you will see a red DONATE button at the following link: https://northwest.uso.org. Additionally, for those that like to personalize their gift, I always enjoy hearing from you. Cards can be mailed to me at the following:
USO Northwest
17801 International Blvd, PMB 313
Seattle, WA 98158
Finally, after reading a few of these newsletters and viewing many of the monthly photos, I hope some of you are inspired to get involved with the USO. We are always in need of Advisory Board Members or Volunteers that want to give back to a community that never asks for anything yet gives so much. All we ask is that you reach out to the appropriate Center Manager (see emails below) or any USO Northwest Volunteer for information. Your support makes a difference every day to our military, or their family members so thank you for taking that first step to reach out. Until next month…
Donald Leingang – Dleingang@uso.org for inquiries about a brick certificate or Advisory Board Membership.
Matt Sult – volunteering at the Sea-Tac USO Center – msult@uso.org
David Dutcher – volunteering at the Camp Lewis USO Center – ddutcher@uso.org
Dan Lochner – volunteering at the Shali & Mobile USO Centers – dlochner@uso.org
Jeff Keller – volunteering at the Portland USO Center – jkeller@uso.org
Cheers, Don Leingang
Commander, US Navy (retired)
Executive Director, USO Northwest
USO Northwest Volunteer Appreciation Holiday Party
USO Northwest hosted a holiday appreciation luncheon for our family of volunteers to show our gratitude for their selfless dedication and commitment of the USO Mission. We were honored to have Command Sergeant Major LaVaughn Brown of the 53rd Transportation Battalion as our Guest Speaker. Without our volunteers, military service members and their families would not receive the same warm gestures of appreciation. These meaningful connections inspire our troops and remind them why they serve our country.
The Portland Center had our “Lunch with the Wing Commander” event at the Portland Air National Guard Base. Colonel Hofford, the Wing Commander and Colonel Lantange, Vice Wing Commander hosted our winners from our 2022 PDX Stars & Stripes Golf Tournament Auction with a lunch from Olive Garden, then had a tour and up-close experience with the F-15’s and the main Command Center.
'Tis the season!
Santa and his Elves arrived at the USO Shali Center for a holiday painting party with military service members and their families. Children had their picture taken with Santa and each received a new Beanie Baby to take home! This festive event was sponsored by Joan Shalikashvili, Home Depot and Debra & Mark Widdowson.
Volunteer chefs Jennie and Ted served one of the centers favorite lunches, Macho Nachos, at the Camp Lewis Center on JBLM.
USO Northwest talented volunteer Becki, taught a Holiday Decorations Workshop where the spouses created fancy bows for their holiday gifts.
USO Camp Lewis volunteer chefs Junko and Mary are joined by our Wings Wednesday sponsor this month, Omni Financial. They served up hot wings, celery sticks and ranch dipping sauce to service members and their families on JBLM.
The USO NW Sea-Tac Center partnered with American Airlines and the Port of Seattle to ensure over 50 local Gold Star Children participating in this year’s Snowball Express received an extra special first-class send-off. Arriving as early as 0230, Santa, his Elves, and over 100 other supporters gathered to sing carols and send the families off properly. USO NW Volunteers provided escort services from the American Airlines Ticketing Counter to Security, then from Security to the Gate.
A fun time was had by all. Thank you, USO NW Sea-Tac Center Volunteers for being Escorts and Elves! We also appreciate our Executive Director, Don Leingang, who looks suspiciously like Santa...
USO Northwest celebrated USO Cookie week with the Children's Museum at JBLM. Military families enjoyed decorating cookies together and holiday cheer!
U.S. service members are currently deployed to Eastern Europe in response to Russia's war in Ukraine. As tens of thousands of American troops support NATO allies and protect our freedoms, the USO is working hard to provide them with critical support on the ground. The USO launched the European Expansion and Family Support Campaign to expand our operations and provide support to the increased number of service members in the region for the foreseeable future.
Your support is needed for us to carry out this mission. Please join us.
Brigadier General Jeremy C. Horn, Washington Air National Guard (Ret) - Managing Director, Safety, Horizon Air
Master Chief Petty Officer George A. Knobloch, USNR (Ret) - Chair, Stars & Stripes Golf Tournament (Portland); Former VP, Maintenance and Engineering, Horizon Air
Keith Leverkuhn - Chair, Programs/Facilities and Red, White and Blue Golf Classic; Former Vice President/General Manager, Propulsion Systems, The Boeing Company
Senior Master Sgt Barry W. Sherman, USAF (Ret) - Chair, Security; Executive Director, Puget Sound Chapter NECA
Colonel Greg Allen, USA (Ret) - Founder, Highlander Six Consulting
Jeanette Brennan - Executive Community Association Manager, The Management Trust
Major General Thomas F. Cole, USA (Ret) - Major General, US Army Retired
Nathan Fahrer - Real Estate Practice, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP
TJ Fase - Director of Sales Development and Co-Chair, Red, White and Blue Golf Classic, Heritage Distilling Company, Inc.
Tammy Hemmie - Branch Manager, Veterans United Home Loans of Puget Sound
Jackie Higgins - Auburn WA Area Philanthropist, Auburn Young Life Board
Lauren LaRoche - Branch Sales Manager, Fairway Independent Mortgage Company
The USO Pathfinder Transitions Program supports military spouses and service members at every stage of their military career. From taking your oath, to well into your journey to civilian life. Let’s face it; military families are constantly in transition. Moving, being between PCS’s, leaving friends and family, prepping to move, deployments, training, remote tours, TDY’s, new additions to the family, graduates heading to college, and everything in between! Having support is a beautiful thing. That’s what the USO is all about!
USO Transitions provides professional development services. Your USO Transition Specialist connects you to the resources you need, no matter where you call home. Core areas of support: employment, education, financial readiness, VA benefits, and mentoring. USO Transitions is a focused, tailored experience. Our objective is to provide you with a detailed action plan for the resources you need to obtain your personal and professional goals. Everything we do is free of charge!
Our program is a fantastic fit for spouses who focus on their families and those transitioning out of the military, preparing to pivot and join the civilian workforce. The USO Transitions Program is not just for active duty Service Members. In fact, one in five JBLM Action Plans created were actually to assist a military spouse. Schedule time on your calendar to dedicate to your future success and register at www.uso.org/transition.
The USO 1941 Legacy Society recognizes those friends of the USO who make a gift through a will, trust or other estate plans to continue the USO's long tradition of connecting service members back to family, home, and country.
The generosity, dedication, and patriotism of our 1941 Legacy Society members allow the USO to continue its mission. We deliver critical programs and services that promote a healthy, resilient, confident, and prepared military as our dedicated service members continue to deploy far from their communities and family.
Among the benefits of membership include:
Exclusive invitations to VIP events
Exclusive invitations to USO educational and programmatic seminars
Recognition on the USO's planned giving website
Subscription to the USO eNewsletter
Special USO Legacy Society pin
For more information, please contact Mike Welling at mwelling@uso.org or mail a copy of your estate planning paperwork to our address: USO Northwest, 17801 International Blvd., PMB 313, Seattle WA, 98158.
THE USO IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND NOT PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD). THE APPEARANCE OF DOD VISUAL INFORMATION DOES NOT IMPLY OR CONSTITUTE DOD ENDORSEMENT.
