Meet the 2021 USO Southeast Region Volunteer of the Year

USO volunteers play a critical role in strengthening America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation.

In the U.S. Southeast region approximately 3,524 volunteers donated 151,244 hours of their time in Giving More Than Thanks to our service members and their families in 2021.

One of those dedicated volunteers was Judy Hosmer who donated well over 3,273 hours of her time supporting service members and their families over the past ten years.

Hosmer is a volunteer at the USO center at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, and was selected as the 2021 USO Southeast Region Volunteer of the Year. She joins a list of USO volunteers nominated from across the globe to include Korea, Bavaria, Delaware, Kansas, Indiana and Arizona who are also being recognized by their respective regions.

Hosmer began volunteering at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport center in 2010, and regularly serves on the Monday mornings shifts since she started. She has a true passion for the USO and the service members and their families she serves. Her biggest joy is talking to the young men and women who come through the center.

“I have been honored to meet and help many guests, from eager young men and women with their initial papers on their way to basic training to Medal of Honor recipients, a Tuskegee airman with all the young troops around him as he regaled them with his stories, D-Day survivors and so many more,” said Hosmer.

When the Charlotte Douglas International Airport center reopened after being closed for several months following the onset of the COVID pandemic, Hosmer was the first to volunteer to work the first shift.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport USO Center Operations and Program Manager Supervisor Julie Milani explained that Hosmer’s compassion and soft-spoken manner make her an invaluable member of the team.

“Her dedication is exceptional to all our guests, but it’s her tenderness and maternal instincts to the young service members that visit our center that’s obvious,” said Milani. “It’s that kind of attention that makes her a standout volunteer.”

Not only is Hosmer a standout volunteer, she goes above and beyond to support the families of the fallen, and is a longtime member of the center’s Honors Support Team. “It is the very least I can do to offer comfort and assistance to the families of our fallen troops who have given the ultimate sacrifice,” said Hosmer.

When asked what it means to be selected as the USO Southeast Region Volunteer of the Year, Hosmer responded.

“I am very honored and humbled to be selected the USO Southeast Region volunteer of the year. It is a privilege to represent the many wonderful caring volunteers who give so much of themselves to help and honor our active and retired troops,” said Hosmer.

If you’re interested in volunteering at any one of our USO centers or others around the world, please visit volunteers.uso.org to register.