Newly renovated USO opens in downtown San Antonio

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III
  • Defense Media Activity-San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) --  USO officials unveiled a newly renovated, state-of-the-art facility for military members and their families April 7 at the USO San Antonio Riverwalk Center.

The renovated facility features a children's play area, a computer area with six new stations, free Wi-Fi, refurbished pools tables, an eight-man gaming battle station and four individual gaming rooms with Nintendo Wiis and Xbox 360s, a reading room and a theater room. There is also a snack bar area with an ice cream sundae station, and snacks and beverages are also available.

"It's been a labor of love refurbishing the center," said Shari Jenson, the director of USO San Antonio at the Riverwalk Center that accommodates more than 3,000 patrons a month. "It's been tough seeing the troops standing outside the doors, especially on the weekends and not being able to let them to come in."

The center closed its doors Dec. 1, 2009 and reopened two months ahead of schedule. For 68 years, USO officials have been providing morale-boosting programs and services to enhance the quality of life for military personnel in the downtown San Antonio area.


Although it's a new center, the USO mission remains unchanged: to support the troops and their family members providing a home away from home for all of them.

The renovated USO San Antonio Riverwalk Center serves military members and families stationed Lackland, Laughlin and Randolph Air Force bases, Brooks City-Base, Fort Sam Houston, Camp Bullis and wounded warriors recovering at San Antonio Military Medical Center.

"Week after week, thousands of men and woman come from around the United States to watch their military trainees graduate from Lackland Air Force Base, this gives them a place to come and relax away from the hot San Antonio days, said Brig. Gen. Leonard A. "Len" Patrick, the commander of the 502nd Air Base Wing at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. "This truly is military city USA and we are only growing,"

One of the new programs USO officials at the center will provide is United Through Reading. Servicemembers can come in and read a story to a child or loved one back home and the USO officials will send the recording and the book to the family free of charge.
 
When the center is full of troops having fun and relaxing that's when we'll be happy, Ms. Jenson said. I love it when I walk in and I see a servicemember laying down on a couch sleeping, because I know they feel comfortable, safe and at home. To me is why we are here.
 
For more information about the USO San Antonio Riverwalk Center, call (210) 227-9373.