Arlington, VA, April 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United Service Organizations (USO) Gala will recognize seven junior enlisted military service members whose extraordinary acts of bravery went above and beyond the call to serve through the 2024 USO Service Member of the Year Awards. The USO Gala, on April 11 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., will also recognize Steve Cannon, Vice Chairman of AMB Sports and Entertainment, Army veteran and member of the USO Global Advisory Council, with the USO Merit Award.
“We are thrilled to honor the USO Service Members of the Year and USO Global Advisory Council member Steve Cannon during our 2024 USO Gala, which is dedicated to raising support for our mission to strengthen the well-being of the people serving in America's military and their families,” said USO CEO and President J.D. Crouch II. “The Service Members of the Year have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to protecting and serving others, from rescuing survivors of the Maui wildfires to shielding a student from a live grenade during a training exercise. Steve Cannon, a West Point graduate, has led efforts to make the Atlanta Falcons’ military outreach the benchmark in the NFL, including spearheading the first NFL team-directed USO Tour.”
This year’s USO Gala will be attended by senior government and military leaders, members of Congress, as well as business and community leaders. Two-time Super Bowl champion Vince Wilfork will host the event and attendees will enjoy performances by four-time Grammy nominated country music artist Mickey Guyton and the Six String Soldiers, a country music group comprised of U.S. Field Army Band members.
Steve Cannon, who will receive the USO Merit Award, serves as Vice Chairman of AMB Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE), a for-profit holding group under the Arthur M. Blank Family of Businesses. Named among Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2019 Most Admired CEOs, Cannon began his career with AMBSE as Chief Executive Officer, assuming the day-to-day leadership of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta Falcons Football Club, United Soccer Properties and PGA TOUR Superstore.
In 2018, Cannon and then-Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn spearheaded the first NFL team-directed USO Tour, visiting service members at various bases throughout Iraq and Kuwait. More recently in the summer of 2023, Cannon took another Falcons delegation on a USO tour to Romania and Bulgaria and was the first sports franchise to visit service members in those remote locations. A tireless supporter of America’s military and military families, Cannon, alongside his fellow West Point classmates, founded the Johnny Mac Soldiers fund in 2014, which honors military service and sacrifice by providing scholarships to veterans and military family members, particularly children of our nation’s fallen and disabled.
The USO Service Members of the Year were nominated by command leadership from each military branch and final selections were made by a USO committee.
The 2024 USO Service Members of the Year are:
Sergeant Tanner Welch—USO Soldier of the Year
U.S. Army Sergeant Tanner Welch’s actions saved the lives of two missing and injured hikers in the remote mountains of Alaska while volunteering as a medic with a search and rescue organization. When the first hiker was found, he conducted a preliminary assessment of the patient and then accompanied a state trooper K9 team to continue the search for the second hiker. Descending down the mountain, Sergeant Welch found the missing hiker, pulled her out of a ravine and onto a trail where an ATV rescue team transported her down the mountain.
Machinist Mate Second Class Royston N. Pitt—USO Sailor of the Year
U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class Royston Pitt prevented a fellow Sailor from accessing a firearm and ammunition, preventing a crisis and ensuring the safety of 2,200 resident students at the Navy Medicine Training Support Center at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. Responding to a report that someone had entered the building with a suspicious package, Petty Officer Pitt reviewed the building’s access card system, narrowed down the list of potential suspects and assisted security officials in locating the room and apprehending the suspect, who was building an assault rifle.
Senior Airman Travis J. Spong—USO Airman of the Year
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Travis Spong saved the life of a car accident victim while stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. He ran across two lanes of traffic, secured the area, contacted emergency services, and administered tactical combat casualty care, including using his belt as a tourniquet for the driver’s amputated leg.
Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Joshua Marzilli—USO Coast Guardsman of the Year
U.S. Coast Guard Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Joshua Marzilli rescued multiple people in and around Lahaina Harbor during the Maui wildfires in August 2023. He swam through strong currents and used surfboards and jet skis to ferry survivors to safety, and he also assisted the fire department in carrying survivors on land.
Sergeant Brett D. Meil—USO Marine of the Year
U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Brett Meil, a combat instructor at the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton in California, saved the life of a student who accidentally activated a grenade during a live-fire range exercise. Sergeant Meil removed the live grenade from the student's hand, tossed it away, and shielded the student with his own body. The subsequent detonation resulted in numerous shrapnel wounds across his body, but he recovered within weeks and resumed his duties as an instructor.
Captain James Horn—USO National Guardsman of the Year
Air National Guard Captain James Horn was helping the victims of a serious car accident when another vehicle collided with the wreckage, propelling him over the car's hood. Despite his injuries, he continued to ensure the safety and care of the accident victims until help arrived. Captain Horn also volunteers at the USO center at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, contributing over 100 hours and assisting more than 4,000 service members and families during weekends and special holidays.
Master Sergeant Louis Perry Jr.—USO Guardian of the Year
U.S. Space Force Master Sergeant Louis Perry saved the lives of four service members who began to experience heat strokes during a combat skills training exercise. As the first responder, he immediately assessed the situation, facilitated the use of ice sheets, provided aid to keep all the service members conscious, and oversaw their transfer into emergency medical care.
For more information about the 2024 USO Service Members of the Year, visit https://www.uso.org/stories/3733-meet-the-2024-uso-service-members-of-the-year
About the USO
The USO is the leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the well-being of the people serving in America's military and their families. Since 1941, the USO has been by the side of service members throughout their military service. Impactful support is provided through our 250+ locations around the world, a robust care package delivery program, global entertainment, military spouse and youth programming, and much more, all made possible by donors, corporate partners, volunteers and staff. To learn more and support our critical mission around the globe, please visit USO.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram and LinkedIn.
David Carrier USO dcarrier@uso.org
