Thursday, Jul. 30, 2009

Soldiers’ stopover gets USO status

New center will cater to military travelers

The USO will open a new center at Columbia Metropolitan Airport for military travelers and their families this fall, the organization announced Wednesday.

The center will serve more than 146,000 service personnel and their families, the organization said. It will move into the 1,200-square-foot Armed Forces Lounge, which opened in late April.

“We were delighted to find out this morning that the lounge has been given USO status,” said Ike McLeese, president of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber’s Military Affairs Committee worked with the Airport Authority and local military and city officials to open the lounge and recruit the USO.

The United Services Organization operates 135 centers worldwide and is readily recognized by members of the U.S. military, supporters said.

“The USO is the gold standard for service organizations dedicated to helping men and women in the military,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. said in a news release announcing the center.

“The Columbia airport has a high volume of military-related travel and this new USO facility will provide a welcome break and opportunity for our servicemen and women to relax and spend time with their families,” added Graham, who is a colonel in the Air Force Reserve.

The USO, a nonprofit, charitable organization, will take over management of center and handle fundraising, McLeese said.

But the center will need local volunteers to care for the troops, he said.

Located on the airport’s concourse, the center will include an entertainment lounge with large-screen television and video gaming systems, a library and kitchen with snacks and beverages for travel-weary troops. There also will be an Internet connection so visitors can check e-mail.

Military bases the center will serve include Fort Jackson in Columbia, Fort Gordon in Augusta, Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, and the McEntire Joint National Guard Station near Eastover.

Military traffic should grow even more by 2011, when the 3rd Army headquarters move to Shaw from Atlanta. The 3rd Army will bring about 1,400 soldiers and their families to the Midlands.

Reach Crumbo at (803) 771-8503.

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