Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Richard Frost | Army Pfc. Jonathan Chavez shares a special moment with his son back in Chicago by...... read more read more
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq -- "I do not like them here or there, I do not like them anywhere. I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam I am," read Petty Officer 2nd Class Bobby Joe Holland, an information specialist, to his daughter McKenzie back in the United States.
Holland's reading was done via the "United Through Reading" program, a service being offered to service members at Camp Victory, as well as many other forward areas all over the world.
"I'm just fearful of getting home and my little girl not knowing me," said Holland as tears welled in his eyes. "I'm fearful of her not recognizing who I am."
The program addresses some of these concerns by allowing service members to read from a variety books in front of a portable camera system, which then burns the video to a disc. Coordinators then package the disc along with the book and ship it to family members back home.
There are no fees for the service or the shipping.
"The program is designed so we can keep a constant face-to-face with our families back home," said Sgt. Michael Campbell, a program coordinator at the Chaplain's Office here. "In this way, they can not only hear our voice, but see our face. It helps the kids not lose contact, not forget how their parents look, not forget how their parents sound," Campbell added.
Campbell said keeping service members in contact with family members is something that the program has effectively achieved. He gets great satisfaction from seeing the positive reaction on people's faces when they have completed their session.
The "United Through Reading" program is hosted at the Chaplains Office, Building 24F across from the Hope Chapel. Their hours are from 0900 to 2000 daily. They operate on donations and are always in need of padded shipping envelopes, mini-dvd's, jewel cases and books.
| Date Taken: | 07.21.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 07.21.2009 09:19 |
| Story ID: | 36615 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 187 |
| Downloads: | 168 |
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