Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit (NEPMU) 5 partnered with Olympic View Elementary School in Chula Vista, California, for their annual Read Across America Day, March 2.

Read Across America Day, an observance on the school day closest to the anniversary of Dr. Seuss's birthday, is part of a year-long program focused on motivating children and teenagers to read. The program, led by the National Education Association (NEA), is celebrating its 21st year of building a nation of readers one story at a time.

Thirteen Sailors from NEPMU 5 traveled to Olympic View Elementary to read Dr. Seuss books to the children. Each of them had an opportunity to visit different classrooms and speak to the children about their experiences in the Navy.

"It's an honor to have the Navy engage with us. NEPMU-5 has been with us for six years," said Olympic View Elementary School Principal Gloria McKearney. "The NEPMU 5 Sailors are amazing because they reach the children. They speak to them and get them interested, so it is more meaningful. Thirty percent of our 800 students come from military families, so it makes them proud to see military personnel come and be looked up to."

Sailors from NEPMU 5 are also involved with different activities within Olympic View Elementary throughout the course of the year, including awards assemblies, Red Ribbon Week and Veterans Day celebrations. A long-standing partnership between the command and local school has been established for a number of years, which provides an opportunity for the military to participate in the community on a consistent basis.

"It's a great experience to be able to be with the kids, to talk to them and read to them, and to provide something different and new," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Diana Camacho.

The mission of NEPMU 5 is to maximize readiness of operational forces and Navy medical commands within the Pacific region by providing specialized public health support. Their main focus is to man, train, equip and deploy forward-deployable preventive medicine units.

"Events like these allow us to engage and educate our community in a positive, family-friendly environment," said Cmdr. Shelton Lyons, officer in charge, NEPMU 5. "These children are our future leaders, Sailors and Marines, so it is important that we show them who we are and what we stand for as leaders in public health."

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For more news from Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, visit www.navy.mil/.