The interactions aren’t new to Mari Villalobos. But they are impressive every time for the United Service Organizations (USO) Senior Director of Global Entertainment Relations.

Late last month, Villalobos accompanied Paul Skenes and girlfriend Livvy Dunne to Japan to visit with service members and military families.

It’s the second straight year Skenes has done a USO tour — and Villalobos was once again amazed at how the Pirates pitcher handles himself during these interactions.

“Paul will say he gets more out of these experiences than our service members,” Villalobos said over the phone last week. “That’s a testament to who he is as a person.

“He’s very present. He’s genuine. He’s interested. I think service members can really tell that when they meet him.”

Skenes and Dunne started the visit by touring Misawa Air Base in northeastern Japan. A day later: Yokosuka, home of the Navy’s 7th fleet.

True to form in these settings, Skenes ate at the base galley, chatted up students at two nearby schools, held youth baseball clinics and met with members of explosive ordinance disposal teams.

The final stop was Yokota Air Base, home of U.S. forces in western Tokyo.

“There’s always this initial excitement of, ‘Paul Skenes is here!’ ” Villalobos said. “But it’s fun to watch how quickly it moves from a celebrity listing to a conversation.

“Baseball’s an easy connector. Once a ball and a glove come out, that celebrity piece almost disappears. They’re just hanging out. I saw that when [Skenes] was throwing a baseball with another service member.”

A college teammate, in fact.

To plan the Yokota portion, Skenes and the USO worked with Capt. Rob Dau, a former Air Force Academy baseball player who actually hosted Skenes during his recruiting visit.

Efforts to reach Dau via email in Japan were unfortunately unsuccessful, but it was fun for Villalobos to observe the relationship.

“It was really sort of a full-circle moment,” Villalobos said. “I always tell people, there are these six-degrees-of-separation moments that happen on a USO tour, even for celebrities. That was one of them.

“There was a lot of reminiscing. There were a lot of questions. There was another Air Force baseball person at one of the bases. You could see the true admiration and mutual respect for Paul and each of their career paths.”

During his first USO tour in 2025, Skenes and Dunne went aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Mahan. Same sort of community outreach and genuine enjoyment.

USO trips represent something Skenes has always wanted to do given his upbringing, with two uncles having served in the Navy and another actively serving in the Coast Guard.

The same as whenever Skenes does a Pittsburgh event — serving meals to veterans, donating money to a local fire department or randomly visiting a baseball field — it isn’t hard to tell how much this stuff means to him.

And how he seemingly can’t have enough conversations or ask enough questions, inevitably turning the tables on the people wanting to fanboy him.

“Getting to spend time with our service members and their families in Japan was an incredible experience,” Skenes said. “One of the highlights for me was being able to connect with the kids, play some baseball and have fun together.

“Seeing their excitement and getting to know the families who make so many sacrifices alongside those who serve really meant a lot to me. I’m grateful to the USO for giving me the opportunity to be part of something so special and to show my appreciation for everything our military community does.”

The USO is the leading nonprofit dedicated to helping those serving in America’s military, along with their families.

Formed in 1941, there are more than 260 locations worldwide, providing care, entertainment, military spouse and youth programming — support made possible by donors, corporate partners, volunteers and staff.

It’s seemingly become a yearly offseason tradition for Skenes. And something that’s very much appreciated by Villalobos and others with the USO.

“When someone like Paul chooses to spend his offseason with service members and their families, especially those who are far from home, it sends a really powerful message that, ‘We see you. We appreciate you. You have not been forgotten,’ ” Villalobos said. “It’s all about that human connection. That’s what matters most, and it’s kind of at the heart of what the USO does.

“Paul continues to show up for our military community that way. I hope it serves as an example to others who also have a platform, that they can be involved in an organization like the USO. We can be a conduit on behalf of Americans.”

Jason Mackey: [email protected] and @JMackey_PGH on X.