NAS Jax hosts USO 'Toast to the Troops' care package stuffing party and concert

The volunteers spent several hours assembling 10,400 care packages for the troops serving overseas. The event called the USO "Toast to the Troops Stuffing Party" was sponsored by Jack Daniels Distillery. The company also put on a special barbeque for volunteers and a free concert by country singer Craig Morgan later that evening.

"This is an awesome day! I was in this hangar last Saturday (April 5) and distributed 450-500 care packages to reservists who were getting ready to deploy to Iraq. To be back in this hangar today and to pull our military community together to put together these packages is just phenomenal," remarked Greater Jacksonville Area USO Executive Director K.C. McCarthy, excitedly.

Country singer Craig Morgan performs one of his hit singles, "What I Love About Sundays" in Hangar 117 at NAS Jacksonville. Photo by QM2 Nicole Beatty

"The care packages are funded by individual contributions of $25 per package. The items in the care packages are things the troops have specifically communicated to the USO that they would like. Each package can be a little different but all have standard elements such as a prepaid international phone card and hygiene kit. Others items may include baby wipes, popcorn, playing cards, gum, coffee and sunscreen," she continued.

While most of the packages were to be shipped directly to the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, some were used to replenish the stock at the NAS Jax USO for the troops departing from the base.

Before the stuffing event, Elaine Rogers, president of the USO in Washington, D.C. and coordinator of the event, told the volunteers how Operation USO Care Package came about and introduced Amy Vazquez, who came to participate in the stuffing party. Vazquez is the mother of local fallen hero Cpl. Joshua Watkins who was completing his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was fatally wounded near Fallujah in 2006.

Elaine Rogers, USO president in Washington D.C. and coordinator of the USO Care Package Program, gets the volunteers motivated before the USO "Toast to the Troops" campaign April 10.

"I'm here today because I love this country and my son loved this country and I so appreciate anyone who puts on a uniform," said Amy Vazquez.

As the volunteers formed lines down the tables, the bags were stuffed with goodies and passed along until they were full. They were then packed into boxes, sealed and placed on pallets. As each pallet was loaded with 500 care packages, a siren went off letting the volunteers know their progress.

"This is a great event to support the troops. Anything we can do for welfare and morale is good," said ACC(AW/SW) Chris Simmons of Air Ops who is going to Iraq on an individual augmentee tour later this month. "I'm ready to go and do my part and look forward to receiving packages like this when I'm over there."

After the stuffing party, volunteers were treated to a barbecue dinner and free concert by Morgan who sang some of his hits from his latest CD, "Little Bit of Life."

NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Jack Scorby Jr. and Elaine Rogers, USO president in Washington D.C. and coordinator of the USO Care Package Program listen as Volunteer Amy Watkins Vazquez explains why she volunteered for the event. "I'm here because I love my country," said Vazquez, who's son Cpl. Joshua Watkins was killed in Iraq in October 2006.

"I'm here today to support the troops, the men and women of the Armed Forces. We teamed up with Jack Daniels and have been doing these events for about five years now. This is a privilege for us to be part of this. Jack Daniels spends a lot of effort and money to help the men and women of the armed forces and believe in what they are doing," said Morgan. "I was in the Army for 10 years and in the Reserves for almost seven years, so I know what they are experiencing. I've also been to Iraq four times as an entertainer. I really appreciate all they are doing. It's important to support them and this is our way of doing that."

After the concert, members of the audience voiced how thrilled they were to see Morgan perform here. "His performance was amazing. I was just totally blown out of the water. I never expected a big country star like Craig Morgan to come out to the base to perform for us," said OS3 Tasha Newton of VP-30.

Operation USO Care Package enables the public to show their support of our men and women in uniform. Due to the threat of anthrax following Sept. 11, 2001, the Department of Defense suspended its practice of forwarding correspondence and individual care packages addressed to "Any Service Member." In response, the USO of Metropolitan Washington created the Operation USO Care Package program to boost morale and provide a safe and secure way for the public to show their support. The Operation USO Care Package program is the best way to send a message of encouragement directly to a service member and provide "a touch of home."

For more information on Operation USO Care Package program and how to participate, go to www.usocares.org.