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ATLANTIC OCEAN (Feb. 25, 2021) – Sailors and Marines aboard USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) are able to stay better connected with family members, especially children, thanks to the United Through Reading Program (UTR) kickoff on February 23, 2021.
The program provides a meaningful opportunity for service members to keep an active relationship with their children during deployment, even at times when they can’t call home, by making video recordings of them reading from a selection of books they can mail home.
“We have a lot of [early reading] books for first graders and second graders when they are learning their reading levels. We also have short stories and lullabies, which are generally for ages from a few months through one to two years of age,” said Religious Specialist Abigail Tillman, Iwo Jima’s UTR coordinator from Menifee, Cal.
The program is available for every Sailor, Marine and civilian aboard Iwo Jima and it is intended to foster literacy through stories and books regardless of the distance.
“Anyone can sign up for the program; if you have a niece, nephew, grandkid or if you have a kid who you love, you can participate,” said Tillman.
The goal is for crew members to mentally take off the uniform and to be themselves when reading to their loved one. Iwo Jima’s Chaplains’ Office has set up the ship’s chapel exclusively for members to read any book to anyone they would like in private.
“I have a nine year old, soon-to-be 10 year old, and I’ve been on deployments before and have always heard about the program but have never actually looked into it until now that my daughter is older. She’s more vocal about how much she misses me and wants me to come home,” said Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 2nd Class Lazintina Black, from Americas, Ga. “Talking to her and reading to her is still a very emotional experience. The way our chaplains’ office sets it up is very private and it allows you to say what you need to say, in an intimate environment.”
UTR was founded in 1989 by a Navy spouse when her husband, a flight surgeon, deployed to Vietnam leaving his infant daughter at home. UTR’s mission is to connect military families through the read-aloud experience, and is able to deliver many of these stories each year. In 2016 the program delivered more than eight million recordings from deployed Service Members. This year they are working to close the gap and ensure that every military child can reap the benefits of story-time with their far-away loved one.
For more information about UTR visit unitedthroughreading.org/about/our-impact/.
For more news and information about USS Iwo Jima www.facebook.com/USSIwoJimaLHD7.
| Date Taken: | 02.25.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.26.2021 20:06 |
| Story ID: | 392429 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Iwo Jima Sailors Stay Connected with United Through Reading, by PO1 Pedro Rodriguez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
