Lunch on The Go at USO Camp Walker

Lunch On the Go is held twice a month – one each at USO Walker and at the USO unstaffed lounge at Camp Carroll. These delicious lunches have taken the form of taco bars, bowls of hot chili, and even pulled chicken sandwiches during special occasions, like the Army’s 250th birthday earlier this year. On October 2, 2025, USO Walker teamed up with Korean Women of the Chapel (KWOC ) to serve up a seasonal meal perfect for the start of fall. The Center’s special guests from KWOC brought a wide variety of homemade Korean dishes for the community to enjoy. The luncheon celebrated the Korean holiday Chuseok, a three-day harvest festival that falls around the full moon. It is a celebration of a bountiful harvest, where Koreans traditionally travel to their hometowns and pay respect to their ancestors. The Korean dishes included japchae (stir-fried glass noodles with meat and vegetables), jeon (various vegetables pan-fried in batter), sikhye (a drink made of malted barley and rice, slightly sweetened), and songpyeon (colorful rice cakes shaped like crescent moons, containing sweet fillings) – a menu that took four days of hard work to prepare. Lunch on the Go has grown in popularity due to the assistance of partners throughout the installation, like Deputy Garrison Chaplain Major Paul J. Roman. In working with USO Walker Center Operations Manager Kristi Johnson, patrons were able to enjoy a home-cooked meal that celebrated and introduced local flavors. Paul said, “The planning for the Chuseok Luncheon was an all-hands-on-deck program for the USAG-Daegu Religious Support Office (RSO) and the Korean Women of the Chapel (KWOC),” said Paul. “This involved reviewing sources of funding, ensuring we were working with Mrs. Kristi Johnson […] and the ladies that make up KWOC. It was very exciting to help the ladies of KWOC to purchase food, plan a menu and then advertising it through the USAG-Daegu command channels.”
Thanks to the efforts of the chapel and USO Walker, news about the meal spread across base, and the line for food wrapped around the center as over 150 participants arrived to enjoy the feast. Before the meal, words were shared on the meaning of Chuseok, which Paul explains here: “[Chuseok] is a purely Korean holiday, one that we call the Korean Thanksgiving, but it really encompasses much more. It represents a time where Korean people, from all walks of life and religions, take time to honor and remember their ancestors through a giving of thanks. It is a fully encompassing time where families are honored and those without family are “adopted” into the celebration of hope and joy-” Paul believes the luncheon served to celebrate the family-like bonds that are fostered here at Camp Walker and within the USO Center, important to all, especially for those stationed here in Korea alone. Strengthening community ties is a mission that USO Walker shares with the KWOC, and this event was a chance to showcase the support, care and sense of community that Camp Walker represents. It was rewarding for all to experience the happiness of the participants and the bonds being forged at the table as service members and families enjoyed the food the KWOC worked so hard to prepare. Creating a welcoming space, especially for those stationed OCONUS, is of invaluable importance in supporting our service members and their families. With collaborative events like this, USO Walker is able to bring a touch of home to those serving overseas.