USO Stays the Course

Sigonella USO Stays the Course

Story by Megan Mills, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

The United Service Organizations, more commonly known as the USO, has been alongside America’s military through a variety of challenges since its founding during World War II, so the speed and capability with which it has adapted to the new normal of COVID-19 is not surprising.

As Italy, followed by the rest of the world, imposed restrictions to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus, the USO quickly found new ways to continue its mission of keeping service members “connected to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation.”

A non-profit organization that works closely with the United States Department of Defense, the USO has more than 250 locations around the world. Here at NAS Sigonella, the USO center has been providing valuable programming since 2016. In addition to regular flight support at the terminal, they have hosted weekly free lunches, the Taste of Home meal event for unaccompanied service members, trivia and game nights at Umberto’s, the Teddy Bear Club for families with young children, and more.

As USO Center Director Brian Coyle puts it, “We do things to put a smile on people’s faces and lift their spirits.” Their work relies on the efforts of a dedicated and trained volunteer force, mostly made up of active duty military members, as well as three full time staff members.

Changing with the Times

Many of these activities were halted when the lockdown was enforced, but that didn’t stop the USO from finding ways to support NAS Sigonella’s community.

First, the USO Italy Area began presenting virtual programming, followed by the higher levels of the organization. This initiative quickly took off; in the month of July alone, the USO has hosted virtual events with Jeff Gordon, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Tamron Hall, David Boreanaz, Charlize Theron and Kiki Layne, Stephanie Quayle, Chef Joel Gamoran, Craig Morgan, and a star-studded Independence Day special online event and recently a Call of Duty tournament.

Many of our local USO programs have adapted with virtual components as well. USO Sigonella began hosting daily cyber challenges, weekly meditation, online trivia and bingo with winners picking up prizes in person, and the Teddy Bear Club became a live video event for families to follow at home with craft kits available from the office. USO Italy has also been hosting Speed Friending online with great success.

Now, as restrictions have eased, several in-person programs have resumed with new safety measures in place. Before the pandemic, the USO hosted a weekly Tuesday lunch that served upwards of 70 people with free hot dogs, chili Photo by Jaymi Schap dogs, chips, drinks, and chance to relax and connect with fellow service members. These weekly lunches have resumed, but are now grab and go out of the Air Terminal on NAS II.

Some new initiatives borne of the pandemic are quite creative. You may have seen a dinosaur roaming NAS II; that was the USO premiering Insta-Trivia, in which Programs and Volunteer Coordinator Jaymi Schap and her prehistoric helper brightened unsuspecting sailors’ days by surprising them with tricky questions to win fun prizes. A twice-monthly Cup of Joe with coffee and breakfast treats outside the barracks is a new event that has also proven popular, as well as the Appreciation Drops in which they surprise various commands with gift baskets.

Flight Support Continues

One program USO Sigonella maintained throughout the pandemic has been its flight support program. “We have seen six or seven flights a week since March,” said Coyle. “We’re the only center that has stayed open the entire lockdown, though with modified hours of course,” he added.

For arrivals at the air terminal, the USO provides snacks, water, WiFi, and a place to relax. With the new restrictions, the USO continued this program in a “contactless” fashion. In just one weekend, they provided this support more than 600 in-transit military members.

Volunteers Return

The USO has thrived thanks to the amazing efforts of its volunteers. Unlike in the United States, where USO volunteers are often retirees or other non-military members, here at NAS Sigonella, many of the volunteers are active duty service members.

According to Schap, USO Sigonella has nearly 60 volunteers on the books, and that number has stayed constant throughout this year. While many were on standby during the strictest lockdown, they are now gradually rejoining the efforts when possible to do so safely, most often with flight support and Appreciation Drops. “Our primary concern in bringing volunteers back is that nobody gets sick. We have a hand-washing station, gloves, and masks for people to use,” said Coyle.

Challenges and Successes

Adapting to a world with COVID-19 hasn’t been easy, but the USO has demonstrated how an organization can pivot effectively. “We’ve had to reimagine and modify things going forward,” said Coyle. “We are building connections in new and different ways with both service members and volunteers.”

“Not being able to provide our in-person programs was a challenge,” said Schap. “We really thrive off being able to see the smiles on people’s faces and connect with those attending our programs, so it will be great to connect with our service members and their families, even at social distance. We are starting to bring some programs back in August and some new ones as well, in compliance of the health and safety standards set by the Command.”

Some initiatives, such as virtual trivia and bingo, may be here for the long haul. “Going all virtual was such a hit we are continuing to keep some of our virtual programs going, even with us being in-person again,” added Schap.

A Star Rises to the Occasion and Earns an Ovation

Though the USO Sigonella office is supposed to have three full time staff members, by the time June rolled around, they were unexpectedly down to one. Jaymi Schap joined the team in July 2019 as the programs and volunteer coordinator, but took on more than just that role when the need arose. And while she was the only one left in the office, she also had three school-age children who were embarking on distance learning at home.

According to Coyle, the USO employed a very liberal work from home policy early in the pandemic, and Jaymi was able to take the reins and run with the new rules and restrictions.

“Jaymi’s efforts in creating the virtual programming went above and beyond what was in her job description before,” he said. “She maintained a great repertoire, including all of the live programming.”

That, according to Schap, was a particular challenge. “It can be very intimidating getting on Facebook Live and inviting people into your home,” she said, “but after a while it became very natural and it was fun to see people connect with me on there and have fun with the programs.”

In addition to the early virtual pivot, starting in June when she was the only staff member for more than six weeks, Schap handled all of the Center Manager duties, including reporting, keeping the center open, and continuing the contactless flight support, which included transporting large amounts of water and snacks and being available at difficult hours, depending on flight schedules and delays.

Considering Schap’s background, her success isn’t a surprise. She has a background in community health and developing programs to serve diverse communities, which perfectly fits the USO’s mission. “We work hard to provide each demographic we serve here in Sigonella programs that can help them meet new people, boost morale along with serving as a familiar place to go where they know they will always be welcomed with open arms,” she said.

Nevertheless, she faced the same challenges that many working families did during this pandemic. “I have been a military wife for 17 years, so adapting to situations thrown at me is something I have become accustomed to,” she said. “It was almost like I didn’t have time to think about it; I had my kids to take care of and a job to do for our community.”

She added, “I may have been on autopilot there for a while. I would do a live, then help my 2nd grader with math, then it’d be time to plan or jump on a call, and then look over history for my 4th grader.”

Schap’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. She recently won the USO’s Ovation Award in recognition of her work. “I couldn’t be more proud of the way that she has stepped up and taken on the leadership role and done a great job in serving our service member and their families,” Coyle said.

Both Schap and the USO will continue to adapt as needed to continue to serve the NAS Sigonella community. As Schap says, “Our mission is to strengthen America’s service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation, and we truly are dedicated to achieving that any way we can.”