USO, Carolina Panthers host troops

USO of N.C.

photo courtesy of the USO of N.C. Jake Delong, left, and Julius Peppers, right, of the Carolina Panthers sign autographs for Soldiers at the PantherÕs training camp at Wofford College Aug. 4. This is one of the many activities planned by the Carolina Panthers, USO of North Carolina and Bank of America to recognize and thank servicemembers for their duty to the nation. Servicemembers also toured the training facilities, the locker room and enjoyed a sit down meal with the players.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers, Bank of America and the USO of North Carolina have teamed up to support the troops.

Servicemembers and veterans from the Carolinas visited the Panthers’ training camp this month, allowing the Panthers and Bank of America to recognize and thank military personnel for their duty to our nation. Soldiers from Fort Bragg were the first to visit the Panther training camp at Wofford College Aug. 4, followed by Marines from Cherry Point, N.C. Aug. 11 and Soldiers from Fort Jackson, S.C. Aug. 13. Each group enjoyed watching a team practice from the field and each member was given an array of Panthers souvenirs, including a white Panthers shirt to get autographed by the players. Following practice, the military VIPs toured the training facility, stopped by the locker room for a quick visit and ended the day by sitting down for a meal with the players.

“We were right on the field … so close that we even had to get out of the way of a play,” said Harvey Auger, USO of N.C. center administrator for the Charlotte Douglas International Airport who accompanied the military VIPs. “This was an unbelievable, unforgettable experience.”
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of four centers operated by the USO of N.C. as it supports more than 220,000 active and retired military and their families who annually either live or travel in the Carolinas.

One of the many highlights of each day was the surprise presentation of a Panthers ‘challenge coin’ to each service member. A long tradition in the military, a challenge coin is a small coin or medallion bearing the insignia or crest of a branch of service that all members are to carry at all times. Members good-naturedly challenge each other to produce the coin. If the challenged service member can’t produce the coin, he/she is good-heartedly required to buy a drink of choice for the challenger.

“America’s military – the Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen – lay it on the line every day. There is a natural bond between these warriors and the professional football player,” said retired Carolina Panther Mike Rucker, who serves as a USO of N.C. ambassador. “It is amazing to see the interaction between them – each in awe of the other,” he said.

“We are excited that our troops are able to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said John W. Falkenbury, USO of N.C. president. “These special events help us maintain our mission of providing a ‘home away from home’ environment for our military members that supports, among other things, their positive spirit and high morale. Most of these troops have had multiple deployments into combat zones. The efforts of the Carolina Panthers and Bank of America to bring them to the camps helps their transition back to normality and reflects the strong commitment to and respect for our troops.”

The USO was established in 1941 to meet a presidential request for civilian support of the military. The first USO facility opened that year in Fayetteville, home to Fort Bragg, and the USO center in Jacksonville, N.C., home to Camp Lejeune, is the longest continuously operating USO facility in the world. The organization that later became the USO of N.C. was officially established in 1987, a separate entity from the national USO.

Bank of America will be hosting 40 military personnel and area veterans, some of whom are wounded warriors, to the Saturday pre-season game as the Carolina Panthers battle the Baltimore Ravens. In addition, the Panthers, in conjunction with an NFL military support program, are also donating 40 tickets to the USO of NC and are inviting military members or a Family member to the Ravens game.

With help from over 700 dedicated volunteers, USO of N.C. provides valuable services and programs to members and their Families of the America’s military. USO of N.C. is there to greet the nation’s warriors when they depart and come home, links children and their military parents through special reading and outreach programs, gives travel assistance, and properly cares for the fallen heroes and Families passing through its airport centers.