Deployments and frequent separations are a reality for military families. In fact, every year, more than 100,000 military parents deploy leaving nearly 250,000 children at home. That's millions of bedtime stories missed each year by military children.

At UTR, what we do is simple. Stories are read aloud by service members and captured on video to be sent home to military children. Through these simple stories children see their loved ones face, hear their familiar voice, and as they read along in their book something profound takes place:

• The anxiety and stress, caused by separation, fades
• Service members become part of the family’s daily life at home again
• Caregivers at home are supported because the parenting responsibility is shared
• Homecomings begin with a child welcoming a familiar parent, not a stranger
• A love of reading and books is sparked in the child