United Through Reading® Military Program |
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In 2006, the USO and United Through Reading® partnered to extend the nationally recognized United Through Reading's Military Program to service members at select USO centers worldwide. Today, in addition to recording sites on Navy ships worldwide and remote operating bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, service men and women can visit more than 60 USO centers in airports, community locations, military medical facilities, and overseas bases to read a book aloud while being recorded on DVD.
Children continually express the emotion of having their deployed parent right there in their own living room! Since 1990, United Through Reading®, a California-based
nonprofit organization, has been uniting military families facing physical separation by having the deployed service member read a children's book aloud while being recorded on DVD to send home to their children.
In September 2009, The USO marked the 50,000th United Through Reading's Military Program recording at the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport USO center. Watch the video below of a father reading a book to his two sons!
For a complete United Through Reading® availability list, click here.
The USO enables service members to participate in the United Through Reading's Military Program free of charge. The DVD, a copy of the book, instructions,
as well as information on the program, are mailed to the child and family back home. All recording equipment, books and packing and shipping materials are supplied by the USO.
The parent or caregiver is encouraged to photograph and/or videotape the child’s excitement as they watch the DVD and follow along with the book. The photograph
and/or DVD is sent to the deployed family members to encourage them to participate again.
“A child has a hard time understanding that mom or dad is okay from an e-mail or a letter. A video image reassures the child that his or her parent is doing well. To me, the reassurance of the child is the primary benefit of the United Through Reading® program.”
- Chaplain LCDR Charles S. Thompson III, Marine Wing Support Group 27
To support this program, please make a donation to the USO.
“My wife wrote me that my daughter watches her video everyday and that she answers my questions each time as though I were right [there] asking them. Apparently she has been missing her Daddy pretty badly, and my wife said that now when she mentions me that she just puts in the movie and that it seems to help.” - United Through Reading Participant, USS O’Kane (DDG 77)