USO San Diego

USO San Diego operates local centers that include Neil Ash USO San Diego Airport Center, Liberty Station, San Diego Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), USO Camp Pendleton, and a warehouse facility. With over 140,000 active duty military personnel within 4,526 square miles of San Diego County, it is home to six major military installations and more than 25 smaller installations within the region. In 2020, the military saw an increase of over 7,000 active duty members in this area. There is no doubt that USO San Diego will see an increase in service deliveries, as more military are projected to arrive in San Diego over the next five years. Currently, the United States Navy has 65 warships located in San Diego, an increase of 50 ships just four years ago.

USO’s newest location in San Diego county, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, is the largest military base in California encompassing more than 125,000 acres of diverse terrain between Los Angeles and San Diego. In 2020, the USO served over 60,000 Marines and their families. Camp Pendleton is the Corps’ largest amphibious assault training facility and the largest expeditionary training facility on the West Coast, as well as the largest employer in North San Diego County. There are approximately 40,000 active duty service members reporting to the base each day and another 20,000+ members coming on base for annual training, making Camp Pendleton one of the Department of Defense’s most active installations.

In 2020, USO San Diego jumped into action with COVID-19 relief support and emergency relief support to the devastating fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard and the wildfire at Camp Pendleton where thousands of families were forced to evacuate on Christmas Eve. Throughout the year, USO San Diego extended its mobile programing and provided additional needed support pier side at Naval bases and at command units on board Marine installations. We delivered all programing including Farmers Markets and “Groceries on the Go” drive-thrus to military families across San Diego. In total, USO San Diego delivered 283,733 service instances throughout their geographic service area and will continue to expand their efforts to reach the growing number of military families in the San Diego County in 2021.

Visit SanDiego.USO.org to learn more.