USO and Enterprise Support U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers During 12+ Hour Layover

1/2 Photos

Photo Credit: Peter Borja

2/2 Photos

USO Guam volunteer serves soldiers waiting for their flight

USO Indo-Pacific Mission Partner Enterprise Rent-A-Car partnered with USO Guam staff and volunteers to support U.S. Army Reserve soldiers from the 100th Battalion 442d Infantry Regiment during an extended layover in Guam. The group completed annual training in Hawaii and were on their way home to Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI).

The unit of Guam and CNMI soldiers conduct annual training, and their flight home usually consists of a long layover at the airport due to the flight schedule. “Let’s just say it is not a comfortable setting. Shops are closed, chairs are stiff, and it is just not comfortable,” shared the unit First Sergeant, Alan Pereira. One of Pereira’s responsibilities is maintaining the morale and welfare of soldiers in the unit.

This year, however, was different as Enterprise transported more than twenty service members from the airport to our USO Tumon Bay center and back to the airport the following day at “zero dark thirty.” Peter Borja, operations and marketing director for Enterprise shared, “As one of the USO’s mission partners in the Indo-Pacific region, we are fortunate to have unique opportunities to show our support and appreciation for service members and their families. So when the USO reached out to us for help with transporting soldiers, we were very happy to step up.” Together, the USO and Enterprise created a homecoming welcome for the visiting soldiers. Borja added, “no one cares for the military quite like USO Guam and it is our honor and pleasure to stand with them.”

USO Guam Area Operations Manager, Jadine Lujan, elaborated on the special “mission” with Enterprise saying, “Enterprise enabled the USO to get these soldiers to a living room like setting at USO Tumon Bay.” With Enterprise handling the vital transportation piece, the USO could focus on what they do best- providing a best-in-class center with comfort, connectivity, and food.

“Being at the USO is a better experience than sleeping at the airport; This [massage] chair is amazing, so I really appreciate it. Thank you, USO, and thank you, Enterprise, for giving us a chance to be more comfortable while we wait for our flight home,”, said Army Sergeant Robert Mojica.

While in our center, service members enjoyed USO Tumon Bay’s popular amenities, including fast Wi-Fi and digital TV courtesy of our friends at GTA TeleGuam, our massage chairs, billiards, gaming systems, and snacks and drinks that helped get them through the midnight munchies. This would not have been possible without our Force Behind the Forces®- our USO staff, volunteers, and USO Indo-Pacific Mission Partner Enterprise. The USO in Guam operates three locations including USO Naval Base Guam at Camp Covington in Santa Rita, USO Andersen at Andersen Air Force Base and USO Tumon Bay. For more information, visit USO.org.

For more information about Enterprise, visit www.enterprise.com.

More from USO