Staff Sgt. Megan Smith remembers the first time she made a 550 cord bracelet at USO Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

“I overhead two other people across the table excitedly talking about how they were making their bracelets for their kids,” Smith wrote in an email. “The genuine smiles on both of their faces were really amazing to see.”

That was the point Smith, who also volunteers at USO Camp Buehring, realized why the activity was so special.