George H. W. Bush Hosts United Through Reading Mother's Day Event

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW/AW) Ben Kelly

ARABIAN SEA (NNS) -- Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) hosted a United Through Reading (UTR) event, May 9. The event was a celebration of Mother's Day in honor of all mothers currently serving aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).

Legalman 2nd Class Ilecia Moses, president of CSADD, opened the event by thanking everyone who came out to participate.

"I want to thank all of the mothers coming out today for this special Mother's Day UTR event," said Moses. "This event today is for mothers to show appreciation to their kids and let them know that 'yes Mommy is out to sea, but she is still thinking about you and wants you to know that she loves you.'"

The UTR program is designed to allow families with young children to stay connected by allowing them to see their parent's face and hear their voice. Even though the Sailor and their child are not able to be physically united, this is a way to show that they are appreciated and not forgotten.

"This is my second time utilizing the UTR program," said Electrician's Mate 1st Class Latoya Mitchell. "But, this is my first deployment that's kept me away from home on Mother's Day. I have two small children at home - Justice, 4, and Jacob, 3. This is more for them to just see my face. This event makes me very happy just knowing that I'm doing something for my kids."

UTR is an outlet available to all Sailors aboard George H.W. Bush. Sailors read a book of their choice in front of a video camera. That video is then put onto a DVD and mailed home for their children to watch.

Mothers who participated in the event enjoyed cake and punch, light-hearted conversation about each other's children, and a time slot reserved only for them.

"I wanted to do something for my child this Mother's Day," said Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Paulina Shelley, air department's V-2 division visual landing aid (VLA) leading petty officer (LPO). "I wanted to come make a video anyway, so I figured what better time than today. I can come and celebrate, enjoy some cake, and make a video."

Moses said that CSADD members participate in UTR monthly, and saw this event as a good opportunity to help out.

"We all work so hard every day," said Moses. "A lot of times we might feel like people forget about us when we're out here. We may not be able to speak with them every day, so we just want to let them know we are still here for them. I think that helps out the morale, even though we miss our family, and it's not only for them, it's something for us to look forward to as well."