Troops Home For The Holidays

Around 4,000 troops heading home for the holidays passed through CLT in mid-December as part of the annual Operation Victory Block Exodus 2025.

The recruits arrived via 80 buses from Fort Jackson in Columbia, SC, the U.S. Army’s main Basic Combat Training center.

CLT collaborated with the U.S. Army, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the USO Center—the busiest among over 250 USO Centers worldwide—along with many volunteers and sponsors, including HMSHost by Avolta and Paradies Lagardère, to facilitate troop movement over three days from December 16-18, 2025.

The Airport’s Piedmont Room was decorated and served as a gathering area for recruits to “run the line” and pick up food, drinks, snacks, and other treats before catching flights to reunite with family and friends. Santa and Mrs. Claus even made a guest appearance!

“I believe it is meaningful to all of us in our way of showing gratitude for these young Service Members returning home on a break from boot camp,” said USO Center Operations Specialist Peter Amendola. “These fine young men and women are our future and have committed themselves to serve our country. The least we can do is give them a warm smile, a welcoming greeting and a snack for their return trip home.”

Airline partners included American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, Frontier, and United Airlines.