Armed Services YMCA of the USA

Headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, we provide hands-on, innovative, specialized programs and support services to military service members and their families with a particular focus on junior-enlisted men and women — the individuals on the front lines of defending our nation. Programs are offered at no or low cost and require no dues or membership fees. The beginning of YMCA service in the military setting usually is associated with the year 1861, when 5,000 dedicated YMCA volunteers took to the battlefields of the Civil War alongside America's uniformed young men. It was the year that Abraham Lincoln commended YMCA for the “benevolent undertaking for the benefit of the soldiers.” The tradition of “following the flag” has continued in every war and conflict in which the United States has been involved.