European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 7, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday August 1986 the stars and stripes Page 9 Uso aiming More efforts at families it s a time of transition George Blanchard stories by Clint Swift Washington Bureau Washington the trouper Bell ing a song into the microphone comes Courtesy or the Uso but the laughing clapping new York City audience Mem Bers Are elementary school children learning not to fear another military family move a sergeant faced with a death in the family arrives at Kimpo Airport Seoul Korea with his 6-year-old son. Documents for a travelling child Are a prob Lem. Several hours later korean officials pursued by a Uso staffer Issue emergency papers to allow the the Home to go on. In Mannheim Germany a Spanish speak Irig Soldier and his wife Are Trou bled by rules covering their non com Mand sponsored 6 and 8-year-old daughters. The Soldier has been told his daughters Are not eligible to attend defense department schools and he fears Hal objecting Wilt mean his family will be sent Back to the United states. Enter a Uso staffer. School officials apologize for a misunderstanding and the girls Are enrolled. At Uso Headquarters in washing ton d.c., a red while and Blue Bro Chure highlighting Uso programs i their 45lh year leaves celebrity entertainment the Bob Hope shows miss America visits and Rock concerts Lothe last Page it s a time of transition said us president George Blanchard a retired army general and former Usa eur commander it used to be that the Junior enlisted ranks Al through e-4, which is where Uso focuses its serv ices were almost entirely single. Today Many Are married and have children of their own. And they re still  the Uso estimates its clientele to be 5million americans in uniform and their families. Of those 650,000 will be stationed in foreign countries. Forty nine percent will be married a million Are in the lowest four enlisted grades. Four Hundred thousand Are recruits under age20, unfortunately the services Uso pro Vides to that audience Don t win it the publicity that keeps it in the minds of the people who donate the Money that funds Uso. We re Mother Apple pie the Flag an unblemished reputation said Media relations director Pat Elgin. But it s associated with tiie 1940s Bob Hope and  you can still get a free cup of coffe and maybe even a doughnut at some of the Uso s 160 recreation or Airport enters outreach offices or other locations including 80 overseas. And sin Gle soldiers still Are an important tar get of the comics singers and Beauty Queens who perform a dozen limes a year near the demilitarized zone i Korea the Wall in Berlin or on an air Craft Carrier off a Middle East hot  but the Uso also is rest and prob Lem solving centers at 32 Airport around the world pie Side Mobile units meeting sailors and marines and heir families at so foreign ports schools to help prepare korean brides of . Servicemen for the move to America and women s resource Cen ters in Germany Many americans even Many of the troops we try to serve Don t real ize the Uso is relevant in peacetime Elgin said. And Many of them think we re funded by the Federal govern  actually Uso is a civilian Organiza Tion. Uso spent $12.4 million last year. It spent 20 times As much on its centers As on celebrities whose travel is largely funded by the Pentagon about half the annual budget come from pay As you go activities at Uso centers and special celebrity Lund raisers such As a Bob Hope birthday television gala. About $2 million comes from the United Way including the overseas combined Federal Campaign and gifts from corporations and foundations. The largest source of outside funding is direct mail solicitations to Homes around the nation which brought in s2.7 million last year. The Uso also relies on about 20,000 volunteers to provide direct help ing services. If the Uso s budget for 1987 is approved it will spend $14.9 million on such projects As new Airport facilities in Rome and Clark a Philippines a new Center at Gorp Pingon Germany new family support efforts at Camp Kins Erard Camp Courtney Okinawa renovated installations in Southern Europe and new Mobile Fleet centers in the Indi an Ocean to help pay for it Alt the Uso discounting on $1.5 million from the United Way s 520,000 from the combined Federal Campaign and s3.4 million from four direct mail campaigns. Wide variety of facilities offered usop Hott Many enu sponsored by Uso Are fou oriented Washington programs offered by the Uso include korean brides schools. The schools part of Uso efforts to Bridge the culture Gap betwee americans and koreans cover . History and traditions English Money Legal Aid medical care cooking personal Hygiene and Job opportunities said Uso pub Lic relations director Pat Elgin. About 350 students year Lake the classes meeting three times a week for a month. The sessions Are taught in English and korean. Women s resource centers women need a place where they can meet in a sphere not totally dominated by men where they can find help information support and relaxation Elgin said. The enters try to Appeal to All women wives of enlisted men and officers soldiers and civilians and Chil Dren Are Welcome. The centers Are particularly important to Young wives who need a place to meet friends she said. Centers Are operating at Baum older Frank Furt and Shenau Germany. Airport centers. Active duty military used to travel exclusively on military planes flying out of military bases. Bui in recent years most service members and their families Fly on chartered civilian aircraft out of civilian airports. Uso has centers at nine military Airlift come terminals and eight com Mercial  at some airports Uso volunteers work Side by Side with military staff members in the arrival lounge. Atoyan a Korea they offer refreshments and Mars Grams phone Calls to the states by radio that save the Cost of Long distance Calls. At Andrews fab md., the Uso will Call the red Cross 24 hours a Day to help arrange a ticket loan for a passenger on emergency leave with no Money for a connecting flight. When no military flights Are available the Stair will help find a military fare on a commercial flight. At the san Francisco commercial Airport a typical customer is a military wife with two Small children who needs information translated into an asian Lan Guage we also get several awol who decide to turn themselves in to us a staffer said. Fleet programs. More than 210,000 Ameri can military personnel Are afloat around the  they go ashore after a month or two at sea sometimes 5,000 at a time off an aircraft Carrier they have Little idea where logo or what to do. Thueso is there at 50 Pacific and Mediterranean ports to help Wilh hotels for visiting families tips on affordable shopping areas currency Exchange and language prob lems. Uso Fleet centers Are particularly important where there Are no american military bases Elgin said. I Alexandria Egypt when an american ship seams into port Tyso sets up an information Booth on Board and Sells refreshments on the pier. Shows. Uso show Toura in the 1980s have included Volunteer performers such As Lorelta Lynn Kris Kristofferson Lou Rawls Nalio nol football league players the Dallas cowboys cheerleaders. Miss Usa the cast of television s Happy Days Mickey Oil Ley and the 1st Ait Torne Rock v Roll group which brought together stars from several Rock groups. During a Lour of he Pacific in 1984, they played be fore the largest audience to attend a peacetime Uso show. Dragged along and i never know Washington town after town after town we go. I a dragged along and i never  that plaintive therae is know Only Loo Well to the audience. Ils members Are elementary school children of Mili tary families which move from one part of the world to another every two or three years. The complaint is Sung and acted As part of the Story of Joshua Milter son of an air Force member who ones to run away from the pressures of being the new kid in town by hiding in the attic there he meets a Genie who sends him on a magical trip leaching him to overcome his fears. The production put on by new York s floating Hospital children s theater Wilh the cooperation of the Uso of metropolitan new York is being shown to a gradually widening series of military audiences said us spokeswoman Pat Elgin. It is an example of the different fare that Uso shows have come to Means Uso changes to accommodate the changing demographics of the Ameri can military in the 1980s, Elgin said. The play was designed to help Chil Dren of military families Cope with peer pressure overcoming fear Mak ing friends and other pro Temi associated with growing up when your parents Are military she said. First performed in new York and new Jersey the show was successful enough Hal in was invited to be � Parton coast guard Day in Washington d.c., Elgin said. Balloons clowns and a children s party Drew More than 4,000 people. Today inc military family is a unit that goes from place to place said Gail Young Public relations director for the metropolitan new York  feel thai working with children is just As important As working Wilh the enlisted  three years ago Uso staffer called the military to talk about the attic adventure and other services. Now the military bases Are calling us Young said. We would love to have the oppor Lunicy of taking the show 10 International bases floating Hospital director Susan Mon dial whole Uso Bead quarters. Elgin said Uso directors Are consid ering Mondzak s proposal