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Reading connects troops, family members during deployments
Claudette Roulo Rearing America’s youth is a “com- ticularly those with children, the and two copies of the book to the
munity affair,” Battaglia said. sergeant major said. And reunions soldier’s family, and the boys im-
DoD News, Defense Media Activity can be just as trying, he added. mediately reacted to the video as if
There is empirical evidence that their father was in the room reading
SAN DIEGO — No matter how reading aloud is the “single most For many toddlers and young to them, the sergeant major said.
far deployed service members are important act for building early children, the returned parent is a
from their families, they still can reading skills,” said Sally Ann Zoll, “stranger in the household,” Batta- Books and videos arrived every
take an active role in the care of the chief executive officer of United glia said. Over the years, United month for the duration of the sol-
their children, the military’s top Through Reading. Through Reading has played a key dier’s deployment, and the happi-
noncommissioned officer said here role in making separations and ness they provided went both ways,
yesterday. The Battaglias have been involved homecomings a bit easier through Battaglia said. The soldier’s monthly
with United Through Reading for their storybook reading program, visits to the USO tent to record the
“United Through Reading has nearly 30 years, the sergeant major the sergeant major said. videos became a way for him to de-
made it possible for every parent, said. His wife, Lisa, became a volun- compress from his hazardous job as
teacher, mentor and leader in our teer shortly after the organization In 2014 alone, service members an explosive ordnance technician,
all-volunteer force to instill a keen formed -- at a time when it was ex- recorded more than 25,000 videos he said.
appetite for literacy and enable the tremely difficult for families to re- through United Through Reading at
empowerment and impact that main in contact with their deployed locations around the world -- at sea This is just one example of the tens
reading brings to every kid,” Ma- service members, the sergeant ma- and on six continents -- Zoll said. of thousands of military families
rine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Batta- jor said. helped by United Through Reading,
glia, the senior enlisted advisor to Connecting Families the sergeant major said. “Connect-
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of “With the exception of letters, a Battaglia related the story of a sol- ing families, educating, and raising
Staff, said in his keynote address at sporadic short phone call from the dier who deployed to Iraq in 2009, the spirits of our military and fami-
the organization’s seventh annual USO pay phone or maybe a MARS- leaving behind his wife and two lies is what UTR does and its what
Storybook Ball. gram, family connectivity was less young boys. A few months into his they are good at,” Battaglia said.
hit and more miss,” Battaglia said. deployment, United Through Read-
Reading should remain a priority ing helped the soldier record a video The sergeant major told the audi-
for every parent, teacher and guard- While technology has made stay- of himself reading “Green Eggs and ence that he is proud to call United
ian, he said, and it’s the job of every ing in touch easier, separations are Ham.” The organization sent a CD
leader to encourage this attitude. still trying times for families -- par- See READING, Page 29
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