USO, Army Leaders Celebrate Fort Polk Center Grand Opening

By Clinton Firstbrook

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From left to right: Command Sgt. Maj. Antonio Paparella, garrison command sergeant major; Col. Adam J. Barlow, Fort Polk garrison commander; Logan Morris, CEO of the Greater Vernon Parish Chamber of Commerce; David Thompson of the United Service Organizations Board of Governors; Jason Burkett, executive director of USO Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida; Lisa Marie Riggins, USO regional president for the Southeast; commanding general Maj. Gen. Jason A. Curl and John Lum, USO Center operations specialist, cut the ribbon to Fort Polk's brand new USO Center. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)

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Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, celebrate a touchdown pass while playing "EA Sports College Football 26" at the USO Fort Polk Grand Opening on March 3, 2026.

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Jason Burkett, United Service Organizations executive director for Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida, fist-pumps during a speech by Lisa Marie Riggins, USO regional president for the Southeast, at the new USO Center at Fort Polk, La., on March 3, 2026. (U.S. Army photo by Porsha Auzenne)

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Hundreds of service members, veterans, and military families celebrated the grand opening of the United Service Organizations’ newest center at Fort Polk, La., March 3, 2026.

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Located in the North Fort area of the Joint Readiness Training Center, and established through a robust partnership between Army and USO leadership, the new center will deliver essential programs, resources, and support services to more than 40,000 active duty service members and military families throughout the region.

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The USO Fort Polk center will serve as a home away from home where service members and their families can attend special programs, offering a warm, welcoming, alcohol-free lounge; internet connectivity for guests; healthy drinks and snacks; and various forms of entertainment such as board games, books, and video games.

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USO center staff will provide additional programming during special observances and holidays, and outreach support to the surrounding local community throughout the year.

FORT POLK, La. — Leaders from the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Polk, and the United Service Organizations (USO) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 3, 2026, to mark the official opening of the USO’s newest center on a military installation.

Established through a robust partnership between Army and USO leadership, this new center will deliver essential programs, resources, and support services to more than 40,000 active duty service members and military families throughout the region.

“The USO opening this center on North Fort, right in the training area, is a direct investment in readiness, both for our rotational training units and our tenant units,” said Maj. Gen. Jason Curl, commanding general of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk. “When our Soldiers train hard at JRTC, the USO helps them recharge and stay connected. We’re grateful for their commitment to Fort Polk and America’s warfighters.”

The JRTC and Fort Polk Garrison Commander Army Col. J. Adam Barlow officiated the ceremony, joined by USO Southeast Regional President Lisa Marie Riggins, and several other military and civilian officials.

“Fort Polk is where our troops endure some of the toughest training environments our military can create, preparing for combat under intense and unforgiving conditions,” said Jason Burkett, Executive Director of the USO for Louisiana and Mississippi. “This new USO center strengthens morale and resilience while honoring a legacy that began just miles away in DeRidder, Louisiana, where the nation’s first off-base USO center opened in 1941. It is a powerful reminder that caring for our service members is both a timeless commitment and a present-day responsibility.”

The USO Fort Polk center will serve as a home away from home where service members and their families can attend special programs, offering a warm, welcoming, alcohol-free lounge; internet connectivity for guests; healthy drinks and snacks; and various forms of entertainment such as board games, books, and video games.

“The building is just another structure here on Fort Polk, but when you add the Soldiers that we serve and the volunteers who work tirelessly to bring it to life it truly becomes the USO,” said USO Fort Polk Center Operations Specialist John Lum. “I look forward to supporting each and every one of you as we continue this mission together.”

USO center staff will also provide additional programming during special observances and holidays, and outreach support to the surrounding local community throughout the year.

“We know that resilience is not accidental, it’s built,” said Riggins. “We are honored to be a part of building whatever we can in resilience for our warfighters here on Fort Polk.”

To learn about how you can volunteer or support USO Fort Polk, visit lams.uso.org/fortpolk.

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