Each year, the USO recognizes deserving service members from each military branch for carrying out extraordinary acts of bravery.
From rescuing hurricane survivors to helping their own comrades in need, each service member highlighted below went above and beyond the call to serve. Each has earned the 2025 USO Service Member of the Year Award and will be honored, May 29 at a USO gala in Washington.
Here are this year's eight recipients:
Soldier of the Year
During a special forces operation in Iraq, Army Sgt. 1st Class Ross Robertson of Oak Grove, Missouri, rescued two service members who were seriously wounded by enemy fire. Robertson ran directly into the line of fire to pull them to safety before providing emergency medical care to treat their injuries.
"In these types of experiences, there often isn't much time to process the situation fully, which is why we train for similar situations repeatedly prior to each deployment," Robertson told the USO. "My teammates and I are fortunate enough to have some of the best training available and are all alive because of it."
Further details of the incident haven't been publicly released, but medical personnel determined the injured men might not have survived if it hadn't been for Robertson's bravery and quick actions in the face of deadly enemy force.
Sailor of the Year
Navy Chief Petty Officer Pearce Decker of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is stationed on Oahu, Hawaii. His heroic actions took place on the water when a teammate was ejected into the ocean during a nighttime mission that took place on rough seas.
Without hesitating, Decker jumped into action. Despite having to deal with 8-foot waves, he located the operator in the water and directed a rescue swimmer to the person. After two and a half hours, his teammate was safely rescued.
Decker was part of a special operations mission at the time, so no additional details are publicly available.
Aside from this USO honor, Decker also received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the Navy's highest noncombat award for heroism.
Marine of the Year
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Justin Marty, a Washoe, Nevada, native, had just completed a nine-hour drive from his home state to Camp Pendleton, California, his new duty station, when he saw a vehicle veer off the road, roll into a ditch and catch fire.
Marty immediately jumped out of his car to help, joining a team of Marines in extracting the two victims, who were also Marines, from the burning wreckage.
"The strong smell of fuel immediately raised concerns," Marty recalled. "My first thought was, 'We need to get them out now before this brush goes up.'"
Marty helped move the Marines to safety and provided critical care until first responders arrived. He also helped redirect traffic, creating a clear path for emergency crews to reach the burning vehicle that erupted into flames minutes after the injured Marines were rescued.
The USO said Marty's calm demeanor and decisive leadership in the high-pressure situation were instrumental in saving the injured Marines and preventing further harm.
Airman of the Year
Air Force Senior Airman Anthony Palacios said it's surreal to have been chosen as the USO Airman of the Year.
In February 2024, Palacios, 27, was working at Ramstein Air Base in Germany when he noticed a fellow airman, Senior Airman Austin Irving, 22, not acting like his usual cheerful self.
"Usually, this guy is, like, all smiles, radiating energy. And at the time that I saw him, that was not the case," Palacios remembered.
Palacios pulled Irving aside to ask how he was doing. At that moment, Irving broke down and confided in his comrade that he was planning to kill himself that evening. Palacios knew he needed support quickly, so he helped the airman get into a suicide prevention program.
Irving, who credits Palacios for saving his life, is now a suicide prevention advocate and often uses Palacios as an example of how airmen can be advocates for those who are struggling by simply paying attention and listening. You can read more about their story here.
Palacios has always had a special connection to the USO, and he is excited to attend the gala in Washington, where Irving will join him as his guest.
While Palacios was deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in 2024, he volunteered at the base's USO center to pass the time. When he learned about a new USO site being built for soldiers at an undermanned Army missile site, he offered his help.
"The USO has always been the saving grace for my family and I, so I was like, 'If I can help out, I can help out,'" he said.
He worked with eight soldiers to build the site.
"Whenever you see people who are in a much more strict and demanding location, the camaraderie that they have is insane," Palacios said. "They all helped each other. That camaraderie was awesome to witness. I thought, 'We're building this for the right people.'"
Guardian of the Year
Space Force Tech. Sgt. Isabel Childress spent four years in the Air Force before transferring to the Space Force in 2021. The Middletown, Delaware, native is currently a support flight chief at Joint Base San Antonio.
While off duty, Childress was about 10 minutes from her home when she witnessed a three-car crash. She quickly jumped into first responder mode, checking the victims' injuries and making sure they stayed conscious until emergency services arrived.
"My first instinct was to just jump in and try to help the people, but all of the training I have had reminded me to ensure the scene is safe before going in," she later explained.
On a different occasion, Childress was on base when someone flagged her down after finding a man slumped over the wheel of his vehicle. She recognized the signs of a heart attack and swiftly took control by securing the scene, learning the victim's symptoms and making sure he stayed conscious. She was able to relay that information to EMTs when they arrived, helping to save the victim's life.
Childress said her medical training helped her stay calm and respond appropriately — something that doesn't always come naturally to her.
"In my day-to-day life, staying perfectly calm might not always be my default setting. However, I truly believe that one of the most important lessons the Air and Space Forces have instilled in me is the ability to find a sense of calm amidst high-stress situations," she said. "That … has become an integral part of how I approach things, both professionally and personally."
She said being named the USO Guardian of the Year is a humbling experience that has inspired her to continue giving back.
"It's an incredible honor to be recognized for something that comes from the heart, something that honestly feels like a deeply rewarding part of my duty," Childress said. "It's also an opportunity to remind my teammates to trust their instincts and to remember the courage it takes to be bold."
National Guardsmen of the Year
This year, two members of the Tennessee National Guard will receive the top USO award. Army Spc. Brandon Moore and Spc. Ethan Ward earned the honor while responding to Hurricane Helene in Erwin, Tennessee, in September 2024.
While on the way to a hospital to evacuate patients, Moore and Ward's military vehicle was struck by debris and knocked over in flash flooding. The cab quickly filled with water.
"I kept myself as calm as possible and affirmed to my teammate that we had to get out and save ourselves," Ward, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, told the USO. "It was only when the vehicle and cab were completely submerged that we escaped."
The soldiers swam to a pile of debris and held on, but as they waited to be rescued, they saw six people being swept down the river. Despite the risks, Moore and Ward reached into the water and pulled all six civilians to safety. Then, using hand and arm signals, they got the attention of first responders on land and coordinated a helicopter rescue. They made sure all the civilians were safely in the helicopter before they, too, got in.
"It was a very life-changing experience, [and I would never] change what happened because I was there for a reason," said Moore, who is from Portsmouth, Virginia.
Both men currently serve with the 776th Maintenance Company in Elizabethton, Tennessee.
Coast Guardsman of the Year
In the fall of 2024, Coast Guard Boatswain Mate 3rd Class Logan Boyd and his unit at Station Destin, Florida, were heading out on a mission when they received a call for help along a peninsula called Noriega Point.
Boyd, 29, of Sunbury, Ohio, said they motored a few minutes away and beached their boat near several people who were crowded around a girl under the age of 1 who had been found in the water and wasn't breathing. Boyd said he immediately reacted.
"I ran over, started doing CPR and talked to the family," he said. As he continued to give the girl CPR, Boyd, his crew and the girl's parents reboarded the boat and went back to their station to meet with emergency management services.
"It seemed like a long time, but it was probably 10-15 minutes," Boyd recalled. "Ten minutes that felt like two hours."
When the girl began to breathe again, she was taken by EMTs for further treatment. Those workers told his crew the next day that the victim had made a full recovery.
"Luckily, I was able to do what I was trained to do. But after the fact, when all the smoke settles, it's definitely very emotional," Boyd said, looking back on the incident. "My nephew was roughly the same age, so it definitely resonates."
Boyd's calm demeanor under pressure was instrumental in saving the girl's life. For his actions, he earned the USO honor — something he was shocked by but grateful for. Boyd said the incident was the first major rescue he'd been part of in his Coast Guard career.