Boy Scout organizes project for KMC USO

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Amber Bressler
  • 435th Air Base Wing, public affairs
Ramstein High School freshman and Boy Scout, Kevin Stewart, recently reached out to the community to help servicemembers and their families in the Kaiserslautern Military Community area.

While waiting for a space available flight in the Air Mobility Command passenger terminal at Ramstein he decided to watch a movie. To his dismay, there were hardly any titles available.

"That was when the idea hit me that it would be a great Eagle Scout project to collect DVDs for the United Service Organizations," said Kevin.

Kevin began getting approval from the USO, Boy Scouts of America, and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service to put his service project idea into action.

His goal was to collect 50 DVDs per day over a three-day span.

Then, he set up teams of Boy Scouts to collect DVD donations from people walking in and out of the AAFES Power Zones and Shoppettes on Ramstein and Vogelweh.

Kevin and his fellow scouts greatly exceeded their goal by collecting 330 DVDs valued at more that $3,000.

"I'd like to thank everyone in the KMC for donating and I would like to thank Troop 232 for volunteering their time," said Kevin. "Without them, none of this would have been possible."

Kevin's father watched the progress of the project from downrange.

"I'm especially proud of Kevin because he did so much of the work himself and I wasn't there to guide him along," said Kevin's deployed father, Army Lt. Col. Eric Stewart. "I'm also proud of the Scouts and leaders of Troop 232 who pitched in to make sure that our service members and their families had a little more comfort while they are using the USO facilities in Germany."

The DVDs will be distributed to the AMC Terminal, to wounded Soldiers at the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility and to the new USO opening at the Medical Transient Detachment located at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

According to Amanda Malloy, USO special events and volunteer coordinator, the USO will help support service projects ideas, even if it does not directly benefit the USO.

"I was very impressed how Kevin involved the community and troops in his service project," said Amanda. "It's the little things that make a big impact."

For more information about getting involved in service projects in the area, contact the Kaiserslautern USO at 493-4403, or commercial 0631-34064403.