VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Singer Edwin McCain will be the headliner for the USO Experience Virginia Beach at the Oceanfront's 17th Street Stage Saturday night.
The free concert is one of around 50 planned events over five days this week, hosted by United Service Organizations (USO).
The event also includes different activities such as horseback riding, skydiving, yoga, adaptive water skiing, surfing, disc golf and paintball. It's all to fulfill the USO credo: "always by their side."
"The USO's mission is to keep service members connected to family, home and country throughout their service to nation," said Paula Moran, the CEO of USO of Hampton Roads and Central Virginia. "And that's what's so exciting about this, we can join the civilian community and the military community together, so they can better understand each other."
The USO Experience isn't simply about entertaining people, it's also about helping veterans with service-connected disabilities: wounded warriors and those with PTSD, Moran said.
"The things that people want to do that sometimes they're terrified to do, they feel safer and empowered to do it under these conditions, so that is very exciting to watch," she said.
The USO Experience continues through June 5.
USO is a private, non-profit organization chartered by Congress. Founded in 1941 during World War II, the USO sought to be the troops' "home away from home.'"
The USO has more than 200 locations around the world in 14 countries and 27 states including local locations such as: Naval Station Norfolk, Little Creek, Langley Air Force Base, Fort Eustis, Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown, Fort Lee, Norfolk International Airport, Newport News-Williamsburg Airport and Richmond International Airport.