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JBSA News
NEWS | June 11, 2010

Airmen, Soldiers read to school children

By Army Spc. Natalie Sampson 470th Military Intelligence Brigade Public Affairs

A group of Air Force and Army servicemembers, equipped with books from the Pershing Elementary School Library, joined forces May 27 in reading to kindergarten through fifth grade classes.

The Joint Base San Antonio military readers program was organized by Chief Master Sgt. Juan Lewis, 502nd Air Base Wing command chief, and Bill Gaines, 502nd ABW Public Affairs civic outreach chief. Chief Lewis said his passion for reading to school children encouraged him to recruit Airmen and Soldiers from Lackland, Randolph and Fort Sam Houston to join him in his effort to encourage reading in elementary schools. This year's premiere event was the first one to incorporate all three of San Antonio's major military bases.

"We always try to go out to the schools to read for the children when we're deployed, but we shouldn't forget the local schools right here in our communities," Chief Lewis said.

The school's principal and vice principal gave a warm welcome to the servicemembers and thanked them all for their contributions to impacting the life of the children in her school before turning them over to students selected to escort them to their assigned classrooms.

Students from LaDonna Grant's third grade class were treated to a special reading of "Bobby Bear and the Magical Bamboo Forest" written and illustrated by Maj. John W. Howard II, 470th Military Intelligence Brigade assistant operations and training officer and Reserve Affairs liaison. Major Howard presented Ms. Grant with an Air Force commander's coin on behalf of Chief Lewis for affording them the opportunity to read to her class and for being an excellent teacher and role model to her students.

"The kids loved it. They were very interested in learning about the Soldiers and Airmen and enjoyed the readings," said Phyllis Davis, assistant principal. "This was the first time anything like this had ever been done at Pershing, and judging by the positive outcome, it will not be the last."

The next JBSA school reading event is scheduled for October or November.