USO Celebrates Month of the Military Child

Although they don’t wear a uniform, military children still serve in their own way. We often forget the challenges they face. Frequent moves can disrupt a sense of home, and much of childhood can happen away from the comfort of a parent on deployment.

Being a military kid takes incredible resilience. That’s why supporting our military children is integral to the mission of the USO. Our centers host events for military kids around the globe every day, but during April, The Month of the Military Child, we take special care to celebrate their unique sacrifices.

Check out what the USO did across the National Capital District to support our nation’s smallest heroes.

Military Families join First Lady Jill Biden for White House Lawn workout

Photo by Carolyn Kaster/AP

The USO sent military families to the White House lawn to join First Lady Jill Biden for a a special workout as part of her initiative Joining Forces. The national program supports military families in a variety of ways such as employment and entrepreneurship, military child education, and health and well-being.

“How can we hope to keep our military strong if we don’t give our families, survivors, and caregivers what they need to thrive? That’s what Joining Forces is about,” says Dr. Biden.

It was an incredibly unique opportunity for our members to explore Washington DC, meet other locally-stationed military families, and most of all get active.

House of Nerf returns to Fort Belvoir for full day of action

Photo by Southern Maryland House of Nerf

Southern Maryland House of Nerf joined the USO Mobile Center to host military kids and parents alike for a day of high-action nerf battles outside of the USO Warrior & Family Center at Fort Belvoir.

Southern MD House of Nerf, a member of the Maryland Foam Alliance, specializes in hosting full-scale Nerf battles enjoyable for all ages. To celebrate the Month of the Military Child, they donated their time to entertain our nation’s smallest heroes.

With lunch provided by our incredibly generous partner McDonalds Mateos, we had a high-octane full day of fun with some of our incredible US Army kids.

Superheroes and Princesses take over USO for Mighty Military Kids celebration

Photo by the USO

The USO Warrior & Family Center at Fort Belvoir helped our military children feel extra special with their Mighty Military Kids “Capes and Tiaras” event. Army families joined for a full day of fun to honor the resilience of our youngest heroes, and recognize them for their incredible strength.

Pursuit for Peace, a nonprofit partner that supports kids facing unique challenges through entertainment, hosted an elegant princess story time. Their incredible work and wonderful volunteer gave our military kids a truly extraordinary experience.

The American Red Cross of the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region brought everyone’s favorite service dogs Duke and Junior, gave out more than 100 prizes to children and families, and taught how the Red Cross supports military families.

USO Volunteers served a delicious family-style lunch cooked by the beloved MGySgt Jeremiah Burns that ensured every kid left will a full belly and a full heart.

The USO provides familiar and comfortable environments in which military children can relax, enjoy themselves, and meet other kids in their unique situation. By supporting our military kids, we can help them overcome extraordinary challenges, like frequent moves and parental deployment, and instead keep them connected to family, home, and country, just as we do for all members of our honored military community.

If you wish to help strengthen our nation’s youngest heroes, you can join our mission, and our family, at uso.org/volunteer