With 40,000 military nonprofits, you can do better - Anonymous employee USO Employee Review

1.0
Mar 31, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

30 days of vacation (though you can't take advantage of it because there's always too much work to do so you never feel comfortable taking it). Convenient to metro. Opportunity to serve and meet some great people who serve our country. Compensation is generally a little better than comparable nonprofits.

Cons

Cold-hearted leadership team at HQs don't care about the employees, except for Operations where there's a great leader at the helm (former military). If you're going to work here, work in the field at a center - people are much happier there as they are closer to the mission delivery and far away from HQs. Several employees have left to go to Operation Homefront, a kinder, gentler, more down-to-earth military nonprofit. People are working on top of each other since they are busting out of the space and management won't address the space problems. The organization touts 8 core values but leadership ignores them.

Explore other reviews about USO

5.0
Jul 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

~Professional Development Opportunities ~No experience needed to start ~Fun work environment ~Low stress job

Cons

~High turn around rate (military spouses) ~Potentially odd working hours

1.0
Jun 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- The mission is genuinely compelling. - Frontline staff, volunteers, and managers perform miracles with limited resources. - You will meet some of the most dedicated people you may ever encounter in your career. - Excellent place to develop skills in: change management, risk management, stakeholder management, emotional regulation, and archaeology; you will spend a surprising amount of time conducting excavations to determine why something exists and who promised it to a donor in 2018.

Cons

- HQ Culture: Imagine watching a group of people dismantle an airplane while simultaneously debating the best paint color for the replacement aircraft. - Leadership: Frequently expresses a desire for innovation, and has addressed this challenge through repeated reductions in operational capacity and institutional knowledge. - Talent Strategy: The organization appears committed to transforming itself into a modern, agile nonprofit while drawing heavily from leadership talent pools whose formative experience was gained in organizations that were not required to be either modern or agile. - Technology: Several systems are simultaneously mission critical, underfunded, being replaced, not being replaced, going away, and required forever. The status depends on which meeting you attended. - Operational Strategy: Announcements, initiatives, and reorganizations arrive with impressive speed. The supporting operational plans occasionally arrive later.

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