A Military Family’s Story

November 11, 2014

“When Rex is deployed there is a very large hole in the family dynamic.  He feels like by not being here and being able to do the things he usually does with the kids, he isn’t as connected to them.”

Veronica and Rex Boblett have four children ranging in age from four to 11.  They call their family “a team.” Rex has been in the United States Navy for almost 14 years as a Master at Arms.  He recently left on a 10 month deployment.  For the 10 months of Rex’s deployment his team will miss out on playing with their dad on the playground, roasting marshmallows in the backyard, and the family’s pizza and movie night.

Their team story time each night with mom and dad will also be one member short for 10 months.

However, thanks to United Through Reading, the Bobletts can continue their tradition of reading together while Rex is away.  Through the United Through Reading program, service members can be video-recorded reading books aloud and then send the videos home to their families.  The families watch the videos at home to continue their bedtime story routine, and then, ideally, are able to send a video response back. Through a dynamic partnership with First Book, United Through Reading is able to purchase books at 50-90% off their cover price and put books into the hands of military children all over the country.

“Our family loves to read and it means the world to us that we can still incorporate Daddy into our regular bedtime routine,” says Veronica.  “The kids pile up on the couch with the book that he sent to us and we read along.  He makes silly sounds and voices to keep them engaged.  They love it and we can see the difference that reading has made in their lives.”

The videos they receive help the Bobletts stay connected as a family.  They also help Veronica and Rex reinforce the importance of reading for their kids.  Their 9-year-old, Annaleigh, always loved storytime, but was never one to read on her own.  However, since Rex started reading to her with United Through Reading, Annaleigh is much more interested in reading.  She flies through books and has even asked her dad to read chapter books on the videos.

“The video recordings are so interactive. It’s a piece of their daddy.  They constantly ask  to watch them over and over again,” says Veronica, “If the kids are feeling down or  having a bad day, we put in the United Through Reading video and there is an immediate  smile as soon as they hear his voice.”

When Rex reads the stories on video he feels like he is right there in person—even though he is on a US Navy ship at sea.

United Through Reading is honored to serve our country’s military  families who—like the Bobletts—sacrifice so much every day. We would like to thank all of the veteran’s who have served our country as well as those who are serving our country today.

Want to help United Through Reading continue to serve military families? Text READ to 56512 and support our mission to connect military families through the simple act of reading aloud.

First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 120 million brand new books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada. By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education.