European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 30, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                July 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 Uso caters to a different client today global network of 160 outposts change since 1941 Washington a the Uso has come a Long Way from Bob Hope leering at Martha Raye on a make shift stage in the Pacific or a Motherly Volunteer dispensing doughnuts and cheery smiles to lonely gis thronging a train station far from the 160 outposts of the United service organizations Are just As Likely to be helping Young i wives learn to speak a foreign change a diaper or balance the family two Uso women centers in in Are off limits to the now spanning the from ice to was founded in february 1941 As a nonprofit Volunteer organization dedicated to boosting the morale of millions of americans who fought in world War in those most of the gis were single and the big Deal was to give you a Home away from a place to go in your of duty where the first ser Geant  get says retired army George president of the now that Many gis Are and there Are a Tot More women in the weve got a different client Blanchard said in his office in the newly dedicated Bob Hope Uso building in downtown Wash the Uso has evolved into a Multi service family Agen said Uso executive vice president Michael who estimated that about half of All Uso facilities Cater to the needs of military wives and about 10 percent of today million uniformed Mili tary personnel Are Blanchard estimates that half the total Are with million and Many take their families along on overseas the troop ships of 40 years ago have Given Way to giant military transport planes or commercial airliners for travel there Are Uso centers at 31 and foreign offering military travellers everything from baby cribs to help with missing baggage and lost plane a special Center catering exclusively to army women needs has been opened in and two More Are planned in that at Frankfurt and the Uso also pays a lot of attention to easing cultural a korean girl newly married to an american Serviceman attends a Uso brides school in Seoul to prepare for entry into the United gis spend off duty weekends living in the Homes of foreign one of the most popular activities of the Stuttgart which Blanchard helped establish in Germany in when he was the commander of the army Vii is a visit to City Hall to meet lord mayor Manfred son of German Field marshal Erwin Rommel and a local Uso Board the usos evolution in the past 40plus years is seen in microcosm in the basement of a Lawrent family housing High Rise at fort an army base in the Washington suburb of a Uso outreach Center is jammed with noisy contestants in a childrens fashion with coloured rib Bons and gifts awarded for Best poise and Lacy one of the judges is Carolyn of the wife of a sergeant in the army ceremonial old guard Drill before i got involved i didst know i just sat at Home and watched said a Mother of two Small she moved Here 18 months ago from fort where she met her a new acquaintance took Wingerter to the Uso for woman a weekly rap session attended by a female army Counselor where depressed or lonely service wives who talk things we Call it an hour away from the she i got i made a lot of that was the Best in an everyday its Worth meeting people and knowing youre helping other Wingerter is one of about two dozen volunteers who help a paid Uso staff member run the its july Calendar is crowded with free Field ice Cream classes on cooking tips and swimming Pool Safe teen dances and Bingo a Michael Jackson look alike a think thin a dangers with strangers session for a grocery Coupon Exchange and a bicycle in theres a permanent lending a used clothing and furniture a food pantry for the child care services and hotline help for marital childbearing Legal consumer hous ing needs and language the army provides rent free space for the fort Mcyr in keeping with the military tradition of providing support services for Uso this inking support by the armed services is included in the worldwide usos million budget this Al though the Uso is chartered by it is a privately financed corporation that does not receive any Federal taxpayers Menster said the Uso suffered a devastating Finan Cial backlash in the As Public revulsion Over the just ended Vietnam War resulted in a drastic cutback in contributions from the usos principal source of the United Way charitable fundraising organizations across the the message we got from the Public Why dont they take care of themselves let the government do Menster with a million loss in United Way funds from about million the Uso was forced to slash its head quarters staff by on half in close 10 of its 60 Domestic postpone needed renovations and serve notice that Domestic usos must become self sufficient with local ten years the War proved to be a very Good Menster Vietnam taught us we must have a balanced fundraising instead of relying almost exclusively on the United As a the Uso diversified its financial base to include direct mail appeals to foundations and and celebrity shows and other special fundraising As Well As proceeds from Uso Center snack bars and souvenir United Way now accounts for on third instead of 95 percent of Uso while so much else is changing at the Only Bob Hope seems to remain the at Hes still perform ing and raising Money for his favorite who staged his first Uso show at March one month after the organization was founded in took his last Christmas show to the Fleet off the lebanese coast in Uso gives women a special place in Baum older by Ellen Ridge staff writer Germany for Young military the Uso women Center Here Means they have a place to go with their children while their husbands Are for soldiers in the usos service Mem ers it Means peace and the women Center is a place where women can come with their preschool age children during the instead of going to the a a fes cafeteria or the service members said Janet executive director of the Baum older the soldiers really dont want the children hanging they want their peace and we get Young wives Over Here who dont understand the the the Laws they just got married and often Are not command sponsored and there absolutely we try to provide a place where they can go and feel the Baum older women the first in sprang from a Community initiative three years it was when the army was beginning to put More emphasis on the military fam Bandows the Baum older Community got together and helped design a place for women with Young children to go while on they can breastfeed or change a dirty diaper Here without offend ing she the idea was such a Success that the army Community services program took the usos Lead and created a similar women Center in the bad Kreuz Nach Mil itary Frankfurt Uso Chris said two More Uso women centers Are scheduled to open this fall in the Frank Furt and Hanau military photo Sharon Watkns watches her 20monthold enjoy lunch at the Baum older women Linda Sparks its a special area for women to they Are physically so the women can have a special class on breast feeding without men walking through Sachs in Baum older the facilities Are open from 9 to 6 during the in the evenings and on the which includes a a classroom and a conference can be rented out for baby showers or other of Bandows on the off men Are allowed into the women Center to attend classes or she during the the women Center runs programs ranging from classes which teach potty training to Bingo on Friday although men Are not allowed to stay in the Center during the Hus bands Are allowed to come there to pick up their wives after some men whose wives Are regulars at the Center will help straighten up the area or take out the garbage while waiting for their Bandows i Call it the Disneyland she if you enjoy an you want to keep it clean and we dont really have a problem with people leaving a everyone works to Gether at the that includes deciding what programs the Center Bandows because the Uso is a civilian she her program director has free reign to implement new programs the Community decides what kind of Center they Bandows its their so if they want to have a Drivers License study session or a Spades tournament we try to arrange if a pro Gram int we can just drop