Sailors underway aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) are staying connected with family through the United Through Reading program.

The program allows service members around the world the opportunity to record themselves reading books to their children and mail the digital recordings as well as the book as a way to stay connected.

Sonar Technician (Surface) 1st Class Marta Perciado, from San Francisco, the United Through Reading coordinator aboard Spruance, explained why she wanted to be part of the program.

“I got involved with United Through Reading during our 2016 deployment,” said Perciado. “It was my first deployment as a parent. They were looking for volunteers, and I knew I wanted to participate in the program because I wanted to be able to send videos home. I jumped at the opportunity to be one of the volunteers so that I could make sure that I would be able to send videos home.”

A common misunderstanding of United Through Reading is that you need to be a parent to participate.

 “You don’t have to be a parent at all to participate,” said Perciado. “You can record a video of yourself reading a book, and send it home to nieces or nephews, if you have younger siblings or god-children as well.”

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