While volunteering at the United Service Organization's McChord Center preparing hot dogs and sandwiches for hungry Servicemembers who come through, retired C-141 Starlifter navigator Keith Idler rarely has time to chat with his fellow volunteers on his shifts.

In fact, the Air Force veteran and his wife usually take shifts together - often communicating nonverbally to keep things moving while working deployment lines and during busy lunch rushes.

"We can anticipate each other's moves, so we work very well together," said Marie, his wife.

But the Idlers were able to slow down and celebrate their volunteerism efforts during the USO Puget Sound Area's annual volunteer appreciation luncheon Sept. 16 at McChord Field.

"We don't ever get to see each other all at once," said Marie of the gathering of volunteers from the McChord and Sea-Tac Airport USO locations.

More than 120 local volunteers packed a hangar at McChord to enjoy a meal together, talk about taking care of troops and acknowledge those who volunteer the most hours. A C-17 Globemaster III was also parked inside the hangar, and volunteers were given the opportunity to board the aircraft and talk to aircrew members from the 62nd Airlift Wing. Reservists from the 446th Airlift Wing also were inside the aircraft showing off the unit's aeromedical evacuation equipment.

Wing leadership thanked volunteers as well, especially praising the USO's manning of a coffee bar inside the Airman Activities Center near the Airman's dormitories. June Hershey, a USO volunteer who lives in Yelm, started manning the coffee bar in March for four hours on Sunday nights. She's developed quite a following in the dorms, as Airmen routinely come in during her shift to play board games or just chat with her.

"They're coming in there because they like a little piece of home, and that's what we provide," said Hershey, who has one son in the Air Force, another in the Navy and a nephew in the Marines. "It's about giving them some stability in their lives."

And the faces and personalities of volunteers like Hershey is something that helps separate the USO from other organizations that support military members, said Malcolm McClellan, chairman of the Board of Directors.

McClellan praised the success of the setup in the Airman's dorm, citing it as another way volunteers can "dream outside of the box" about ways to support military members.