Beforehand I did not know much about the USO or their purpose. However, after listening to their presentation I better understand and respect them for what they do to help the military. The USO's main goal is in providing entertainment to military members during times of despair. While it is not a required service for the military members, many use it to revitalize themselves.
Speaking about the relationships between the U.S. military and Korean communities, there are multiple perspectives. The older generation tends to appreciate the U.S. military presence because they understand how much help the U.S. were during previous wars. However, the younger generation dislike U.S. military presence because they feel they are infringing upon their land/home. This presents challenges in developing positive relations between U.S. and Korea, which hopefully can be alleviated in the future.
In the meantime, the USO works to keep the spirits of the military up within Korea and various other parts of the world. The USO provides areas for the military to relax and enjoy entertainment, along with welcoming them home with a big shebang. Another service the USO provides is helping U.S. soldiers learn about the culture of the area they are residing within. This can help both the U.S. and home culture groups develop better relationships with one another, rather than being two entirely separate groups. The KATUSA program is another example within which we can see Korean citizens join the U.S. army to help them; in the meantime, relationships are also being developed. In relation to myself, things I've taken away from this presentation include: learning about cultures before visiting them so that I can better understand the community I am within, and actively intermingling with the home community to develop meaningful relationships.
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