A “home away from home” celebrates

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sarah R. Hall-Kirchner
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing public affairs photojournalist
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Senior Master Sgt. (ret.) Walter Lamerton, USO Tampa Bay CEO and founder, was walking through Tampa International Airport with his wife a few years ago when he saw something which broke his heart.

On the floor, underneath a row of payphones, a service member was asleep, with his backpack under his head.

He turned to his wife and told her that things like that could not happen anymore. He immediately started the push to open the USO Tampa Bay Welcome Center.

Approximately 300,000 military travelers and their families pass through TIA each year, according to Michael Rovinell, USO Tampa Bay executive director.

On the second floor of TIA, about a year ago, a USO was opened to cater to the needs of those travelers.

The welcome center hopes to be a "home away from home" for military members and their families as they travel "until everyone comes home."

At TIA, the USO is also a headquarters for all of the services which they offer to service members and their families at MacDill Air Force Base, reservists, retirees and more.

On Sept. 6, 2013, the USO celebrated their first anniversary. Approximately 70 people gathered to recognize all they have done over the past year.

"The best part of running the USO is knowing that we are meeting our mission," said Rovinell. "Our mission is to lift the spirits of America's troops and their families. The thanks we receive from those who pass through our doors makes it all worth it."

Over the past year, the USO at TIA has served over 13,000 visitors.

"We are averaging over 1,000 per month," said Rovinell. "As more people learn about us those numbers are increasing."

The USO is manned mostly by volunteers who wish to ensure that service members and their families are taken care of in many ways, such as Welcome Home Greetings, the United Through Reading program, the Families of the Fallen program, No Dough Dinners, With You All the Way Deployment Kits and USO Photo Books.

"Remember," said Rovinell, with tears in his eyes, "just remember who we serve."
Volunteers then went upstairs to a gate to welcome approximately 15 members of the 6th Security Forces Squadron home from a 180 day deployment to Southwest Asia.

Staff Sgt. Daniel Iannarelli, 6th Security Forces Squadron technician, was greeted and hugged by Trina, his wife, Preston, 2, and Blake, 3, after returning from his third and most recent deployment.

Iannarelli said, "I gained valuable experience through this deployment and met people from across the Air Force."

Both boys wore shirts that read, "Mission Essential Personnel: Operation Finding DADDY" and smiled as they hugged their daddy's legs.

A USO volunteer gave Iannarelli a bag of goodies to welcome him home as he enjoyed his first moments with his family.

The USO does many things for service members, and more information about their programs can be found at www.usotampabay.org.