(Photo courtesy of USO Okinawa)
In the summer of 2024, USO Futenma hosted its 7th Annual Pig Pickin’, welcoming over 170 service members and their families to their center to take part in a traditional American celebration centered around Independence Day! This event is not only mouthwateringly delicious, a camp favorite, and a momentous success, but it came to fruition with a heartwarming backstory.
Growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, Will Stanley, USO Futenma Center Operations Manager, was raised in a community where pig pickins’ were a common activity! Folks came together to enjoy great food and to build lasting memories with friends, family, and neighbors.
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(Photo courtesy of USO Okinawa)
“We had a spot carved out on top of the mountain called Hog Heaven! I remember everyone in the neighborhood would meet there, enjoy a good bonfire, good company of our community, and smoke a pig!” No matter the occasion, a pig pickin’ was and still is a go-to theme to connect people around the community strengthening bonds with one another,” Will fondly shares with his team.
Will’s high school graduation party featured a pig pickin’ shared with his closest friends and family and is now a memory held near and dear as he raises his own family here in Okinawa, Japan, thousands of miles from his home. When Will first became a Center Operations Manager with USO Okinawa, he wanted to instill the same sense and theme of tradition reminiscent of family, home, and country and share his pig pickin’ celebrations with service members stationed overseas. The first annual pig pickin’ made its Okinawa debut at USO Camp Schwab, where Will and his team hosted a program for Marines aboard Camp Schwab in 2011. This program is a definite success, and he upholds a strong Mission First mentality as he shares his knowledge of smoking pigs across the island with other centers as well as military units seeking his expertise. Some have even been known to lovingly call Will, “Pig Man,” in recognition of such efforts.
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(Photo courtesy of USO Okinawa)
In July 2017, USO Futenma hosted its first annual pig pickin’ centered around Independence Day. A 60-pound hog was smoked for over 10+ hours for service members, their families, and the MCAS Futenma community to enjoy at the USO! Since then, as the team has evolved, USO Futenma has helped over 800 patrons celebrate the holiday in this fashion. Over the years, the program has steadily grown- building a strong sense of camaraderie and a warm community.
When Mike Oliwek began to volunteer at the center, he only added more gusto to the grilling and smoking niche of USO Futenma. Close to reaching his first anniversary as full-time staff, he was recently featured in a USO Staff Spotlight, Mr. Michael Oliwek in Stars and Stripes and described how he is thrilled to share his hobby with service members:
“Through his love for all things grill and smoker-related, he’s had the pleasure to contribute to the already established foundation of support USO Futenma brings to their camp community and loves being able to share his hobby with the center and patrons!”
The USO mission of strengthening the well-being of service members in America’s military and their families is truly exemplified in annual programs like Futenma’s Pig Pickin’ which are only possible due to the selfless dedication and commitment from staff and volunteers alike.
(Photo courtesy of USO Okinawa)
Uplifting the morale of American military members so far from home is a constant goal of the USO globally. Each year, seeing the numbers in attendance rising exponentially is all the proof needed to display the success and meaningfulness behind programs such as the Annual Fourth of July Pig Pickin’ at USO Futenma. Mina Fisher, USO Futenma’s newest full-time staff member was already excited to begin her USO journey in July and attended the program with her father a week prior to her first workday! Attending the pig pickin’ and witnessing the celebration, camaraderie, and warm atmosphere only added to her eagerness to join the Futenma Family. All the way from the East Coast of the United States to overseas military installations such as MCAS Futenma in the Pacific, USO Futenma aims to help service members, and their families feel one step closer to home no matter where they are stationed. Stories such as the repeated annual event of a summer pig pickin’ are major achievements toward putting strong emphasis on gathering around a home-cooked meal to build lasting memories. Please stop by USO MCAS Futenma and check out our center operations and the many programs offered to our service members and their families!
