Poorly run at the top and HQ is a challenging work environment - Anonymous employee USO Employee Review

2.0
Mar 23, 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great mission of supporting our service members, good and hardworking staff. Wonderful volunteers in the field.

Cons

Poor leadership and work environment at HQ in Arlington. (Note that many of the positive reviews are from the field offices and volunteers outside of HQ.) , Revenue for the organization has been declining, donor base is aging and not being replaced, organization has done a poor job in conveying relevancy and continues to hang its hat on the declining conflicts in the Southwest Asia. A sound strategy for turning the organization around is elusive as they focus fully on short-term wins and how to get dollars in quickly. Not sustainable or smart. The CEO has made two massive staffing cuts in his brief tenor -- people are expendable as they cut staff to mask revenue declines. Talent and innovative thinking is less important than keeping your head down. The environment has become one of fear. Staff report that senior leadership does not "live the values". All very sad given the underlying mission of the organization and its rich heritage.

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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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