AFFF donates $70k to creation of Mississippi’s first ever permanent USO Center

USO Camp Shelby

Laurel-Hattiesburg DMA – COMING SOON

The Armed Forces Families Foundation and United Service Organization announced plans to open Mississippi’s first permanent brick and mortar USO Center at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg. 

AFFF will donate nearly 3/4 of the $100,000 in funds needed for the creation of the new USO Center, which is expected to open later this year. The $70,000 in funds will be used to cover facility costs including construction and the purchase of upstart supplies. 

The facility is a 6,000 square foot space located in the central hub of the base and conveniently located near the base’s housing.

With creation of the permanent structure, service members and their families will soon have increased access to essential services and programs provided by the USO, like No dough dinners. Service members visiting the new center will also be able to enjoy access to USO Center staples, like arcade gaming systems, televisions, and computers. 

Camp Shelby is the largest state-owned training site in the country and one of the largest mobilization stations of the U.S. Armed Forces Command. Nearly 100,000 service members are trained annually at the installation, which is used by the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, as well as National Guard and Army Reserve teams from Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.