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380AEW Article

Deployed Airmen begin participation in reading program for children

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Staff Sgt. Gavin Ramos was as animated as he could be in front of a camera recording his every word and action while reading "Tikki Tikki Tembo," a story set in ancient China that is about a boy named "Tikki tikki tembo no-sa-rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo" who gets caught in a well.

On April 8, Sergeant Ramos read the book for his children as the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's first participant in the United Service Organization's United Through Reading Military Program. According to the program's Web site, www.unitedthroughreading.org/military, the program "helps ease the stress of separation for military families by having deployed parents read children's books aloud via DVD for their child to watch at home."

"It's a good way for me to read to my children while I'm away," said Sergeant Ramos, a services journeyman with the 380th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. He is deployed from the 154th Force Support Squadron at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and his hometown is Kapolei, Hawaii.

"I'm a single parent and this allows me to do something I love to do for my kids - read them a book," Sergeant Ramos added. "The added bonus is they get to see the book I read to them."

Deployed service members with the 380th AEW participate by going to the 380th EFSS' Learning Resources Center. While there Tech. Sgt. Oswald Steley, LRC manager, assists them in completing the reading program process.

"There have been many programs like this over the years," said Sergeant Steley, who is deployed from the 60th FSS at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and whose hometown is Metter, Ga. "In this program, the service member is recorded by a DVD recorder while reading the book and the DVD and the book are shipped to this child for free. It's a program that I think helps both the parent and the children communicate."

The program's Web site states that deploying commands normally request United Through Reading Military Program several months before deployment. From there national program managers train volunteers and "provide promotional tools and offer options for getting necessary equipment."

According to Department of Defense officials, there are 1.7 million American children and youth under 18 with a parent serving in the military and about 900,000 with one or both parents deployed multiple times.

"April is designated as the Month of the Military Child, underscoring the important role military children play in the armed forces community," the DOD's Web site for the monthly observance shows. "The Month of the Military Child is an opportunity to recognize military children and youth for their heroism, character, courage, sacrifices and continued resilience."

Sergeant Steley said this program participation follows in the ideals set in the monthly observance.

"Deploying is hard enough," Sergeant Steley said. "This program is one small part of something to help children and their deployed parents maintain an important communication link."

Sergeant Ramos would agree.

"When I learned about the program, I immediately said I would do it," he said. "My kids are going to love hearing me read that book."

The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance, and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.