Dedication Beyond Duty: Sgt. Dale’s Impact on USO PTA

Photo By Lani Pascual | Sgt. Michael "Jay" Dale, U.S. Marine with 3d Littoral Combat Team, recently trained at Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawai‘i Island where he volunteered at the USO.  

HILO, HAWAII, UNITED STATES

03.13.2025

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Garrison Pohakuloa Training Area

by Vicki Genna, Center Operations Specialist, USO Pohakuloa Training Area

Sgt. Michael "Jay" Dale, a U.S. Marine with 3d Littoral Combat Team, recently trained at Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawai‘i Island where he volunteered at the USO. Jay and his team, which included Soldiers from Schofield Barracks and fellow Marines from Marine Corps Base Hawai’i, ensured the USO center remained open seven days a week for up to 12 hours daily. After closing, Dale, along with Cpl. Corbin Parker, Lance Cpl. Dominick Virola, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kamal Kandel, Lance Cpl. Dylan Watkins, Seaman Apprentice Andrew Wright, Lance Cpl. Pedro Perez, and others, would spend an additional hour or two cleaning the center to ensure it was spotless for the next day.

Each morning, the active-duty volunteers brewed a 100-cup pot of coffee; set up the coffee bar with cups, creamer, sugar, tea, and hot chocolate; and prepared gallons of Gatorade. They restocked the center with chips, cookies, and other snacks throughout the day and took out the trash as needed.

USO PTA is housed in a 4,500-square-foot building next to the quonset hut chapel and situated among the barracks. In January 2025, USO PTA hosted the highest number of service members in a single month since its opening in 2016. Remarkably, USO PTA achieved 83% of its 2024 foot traffic in just the first seven weeks of 2025. This feat would not have been possible without Dale's dedication. His initiative, professionalism, and devotion to duty reflected credit upon him and are in keeping with the highest values and traditions of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Pohakuloa Training Area is located on a part of Hawai’i Island that is vastly different from Oahu, from its terrain, weather, and lack of available amenities. USO PTA serves as a welcoming place to relax, watch TV, play games, and enjoy something to eat other than an MRE. Dale and the other volunteers helped with USO PTA's programming, including cooking meals for Surprise Sundays, baking for We-bakes-day Wednesdays, and managing the viewing party for the football championship game. They also served cake on the USO's 84th birthday and Valentine's Day.

Upon returning to MCBH, Dale expressed to staff members that while he was excited to return home, leaving USO PTA was bittersweet. It was his fifth and likely final rotation at PTA. Fellow service members were deeply grateful to Sgt. Dale and his team of USO volunteers for keeping the center open, providing a place to unwind, and helping them stay connected to family, home, and country.

• Date Taken: 03.13.2025
• Date Posted: 03.13.2025 20:42
• Story ID: 492828
• Location: HILO, HAWAII, US