Read Across the World: USO Reading Program

Did you know March is National Reading Month?

With programs like the USO Reading Program (BHLRP), the USO helps military families stay connected through reading, no matter the distance. Military parents separated from their loved ones either due to deployment or TAD orders can still partake in the bedtime story ritual. Service members can visit a participating USO center to schedule a reading recording session. The military parent can choose from a variety of popular, well-loved children’s books to find his or her child’s favorite story.

“The great thing about this program is that’s it’s not just for young kids,” said Elan Enriquez, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the USOHRCV. “I remember one time, a father of teenage boys decided to read the Driver’s Ed manual to his kids. He insisted on being involved in that process.”

After the recording session, the video is saved to an SD card. The service member is then able to write a message on the book he or she read, then both the recording and book are sent to the service member’s family.

“The advantage of the video recording is you can watch it anytime you need,” added Enriquez. “Different time zones, slow internet connectivity, and unpredictable duty and training schedules mean you can’t always rely on facetime or video chat.”

To schedule a recording session, please contact your nearest USOHRCV center to schedule an appointment! Commands preparing for an upcoming deployment can also request a USO representative to record sessions in your shop. Email ContactUs@USOHRCV.org for more information!