For Immediate Release
February 3, 2021
Contact:
Office of Policy and Communications
(678) 920-0857
Hartsfield-Jackson and USO Georgia to Celebrate USO 80th Anniversary
Veterans, active-duty service personnel, Airport officials to mark organization’s 80th anniversary
ATLANTA – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) officials join local USO (United Service Organization) leaders to celebrate the USO’s 80th anniversary on Thursday, Feb. 4. The small celebration will include veterans, active-duty personnel, USO leaders, and members of the public.
“As a U.S. Navy veteran, I know firsthand how important the USO organization has been for military servicewomen and men, and their families,” said Airport General Manager John Selden. “For many military service members, the USO facility is the first place they visit before heading home from deployments overseas. Here at ATL, for the past 41 years, we’ve shown members of the U.S. Armed Forces that we truly appreciate their service. We believe they deserve first-class treatment in a first-class facility.”
For 80 years, the USO has been strengthening America’s military service members by connecting them to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation. Since its founding in 1941, the USO has adapted to the military’s evolving needs and has always been by their side. It has been there to provide morale-boosting entertainment to delivering millions of care packages. It has been there in offering impactful career transitions programming to facilitating connections with loved ones. USO has been a valuable resource for the 40 million-plus brave individuals who have served our country.
“From our flagship USO Center at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, USO Georgia is proud to be part of the USO’s legacy of serving America’s Armed Forces,” said Mary Lou Austin, President and CEO of USO Georgia, Inc.
Through its family of volunteers and generosity of partners and donors, USO Georgia has helped advance the USO’s mission of connection in various ways since its establishment, hosting millions of service members and their families each year.
To aid in supporting our military service members and their families, the USO invites the public to join Force Behind the Forces® and Give More Than Thanks. They welcome donations, sponsorship, volunteering, sharing USO stories online, or providing in-kind items to USO Georgia (https://georgia.uso.org). For more ways to give, visit https://www.uso.org/campaign/morethanthanks and join the social media campaign using the hashtag #morethanthanks.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) is the world’s busiest and most efficient airport, serving more than 110 million passengers annually with nonstop service to more than 150 U.S. destinations and 70 international destinations in more than 50 countries. ATL boasts a direct economic impact of $51.5 billion in metro Atlanta and a total direct economic impact of $82 billion across the Southeast. The Airport is the largest employer in Georgia, with more than 63,000 individuals working on-site. The Airport is a frequent recipient of awards of excellence for concessions, operations, sustainability, architectural engineering and construction. In 2016, ATL set in motion a multibillion-dollar capital improvement program, ATLNext, which will modernize the Domestic Terminal, extend two concourses, construct several parking decks, add a sixth runway, expand cargo facilities and pave the way for a 440-room hotel with Class A office space. For more information, visit www.atl.com.
