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USO, Executive V.P., John Pray, Jr., on helping military service members and veterans throughout the year but particularly during the holidays.
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All right.
From helping those in new town to helping our military heroes at home.
I'm joined by John Creighton junior executive vice president and chief of staff at the US so.
John thanks for joining us you know we -- they act happy story in the charity area.
And your certainly providing that tonight I know everybody's heard the US so I don't think everybody knows exactly what you do help us understand.
Well you know the dad's great to be here tonight here in so thank you for having -- on that Iraq the US -- was founded now over -- years ago by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and with the express purpose of lifting the spirits of our troops -- her family's.
I'm now while we tend to focus on our our constituents which is two million -- military members -- are several million family members.
We focus on to a large degree on four groups -- -- -- most man and I think everybody would recognize -- -- are deployed troops those certain troops that are serving in harm's way.
Taking care of and protecting the freedoms that we enjoy daily.
The second group whether we take care of -- and really focus on of the families of the deployed and particularly those items you know had to deal with multiple deployments.
-- we also a focus on our wounded ill and injured service members and their families and caregivers.
As well as our families of the fallen so those are the people we work so hard being -- -- you have to take care.
Well you know we're just showing pictures of -- of your many good works -- giving people a sense of what you do.
There's also though you know the big problem veterans can't find jobs there's also counseling a veterans tell us what you're doing to help people get back in the workforce after they've served in the military.
What we have we are really focused with regards to our wounded on injured at least initially -- and we stood up and you know what we have been taking care of this particular population ever since after World War II.
We continue to stay focused on this and we have a wonderful partnership with an organization called hire heroes USA.
And what we have -- as we started back in 2011 with only ten pilot programs.
And we have grown that over the last two years.
Two to me very significant -- -- where we're gonna do about.
Ninety to a hundred workshops in in 2013.
To basically try to get our our wounded ill and injured service members those are coming back and and looking to back to -- integrate into the workforce.
Actually in in a meaningful job and and I can't say enough and or doing -- so important.
Yes coming -- -- -- operation enduring -- not operation enduring freedom but enduring care to tell us about that.
Operation during care is our largest campaign ever to take care of our wounded ill and injured.
There are three components of our our our campaign and the first one is -- to help build two senators that are -- -- be co located with.
Are the hospitals the new hospital at the Fort Belvoir.
And now the new hospital at at the Bethesda we're gonna have.
Two facilities.
That are there to take care of the the needs of the wounded.
As you can imagine it's awfully difficult to be in -- hospital room for possibly up to two years -- you recover.
So one of our major projects is -- within the -- -- care campaign is to build these two senators.
To take care of their needs in addition we're raising funds -- to develop programming.
That will help the the wounded -- and injured.
Essentially transition all the way from the battlefield.
I'm going to to be a civilian sector and so we've.
We've worked really hard to identify -- six domains we -- that every service member will probably have to.
Two students go through as a journey to back into their communities.
John how can we help you help the troops.
Well this is the biggest Tommy here with regards to fund raising for the US so we generate about 40% of our our and it resources.
In December and and the way we've really help.
Is is is donate to the United States and US.
Oh.
We have a website I'd love to have people learn more about its tell us cents.
It's the united -- she was so -- -- -- -- That's EV US so dot OR GF from the troops perspective.
What do you think this holiday season they're most concerned about.
Well of course you know the particularly those troops that are deployed they're they're concerned about their loved ones back home com and maintaining that connection with them it is hard at this particular time -- -- to be away from loved ones -- we don't know.
And world millions of Americans are going to be traveling to see their loved ones they don't have that opportunity to do so.
So we have a lot of programs that are designed to basically connect those service members who -- deployed back with their families home.
So that they -- share and some holiday experiences.
-- -- great work.
-- really appreciate your coming on its US so dot org if you look ever really great organization that really helps that the people who served us every single day and even on the holidays.
John thank you so much -- have a great and add Merry Christmas and a great holiday week.
Thank -- Gerri thanks -- -- thank you.
