Library service records messages for deploying Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kiley Olds
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  While on active duty, Tech. Sgt. Jim Callahan wished that there was a way his wife and children could see and hear his voice, even though he was deployed thousands of miles away.

Now retired and working as a computer systems analyst at the base library, Mr. Callahan and the rest of the library staff are working to ensure that families of deployed Airmen here have a way to see and hear their deployed loved one by means of a video service, no matter how far apart they are separated.

Titled “Goodnight Son, Goodnight Daughter,” the free service lets Airmen record messages their loved ones can watch on DVD or video tape while they are deployed.

“(Airmen) have recorded themselves reading bedtime stories, birthday greetings, anniversary wishes, holiday wishes, evening prayers and special messages for loved ones,” said Cheryl Smith, library director here.

The end result is a professional-looking DVD, complete with a main menu listing the name of each story or message found on the disc.

Although the service allows deploying Airmen to record a video message for anyone, most of the focus has been on recording messages for children.

“(This service) really gives parents a chance to leave a thoughtful gift for their kids -- it’s not like a toy that can get lost,” said Maj. Anne Marie Fenton, 7th Mission Support Squadron commander here.

Major Fenton took advantage of the new service to record a video for her two daughters.

“I thought this would be a good way to keep them in touch with me while I’m gone,” Major Fenton said. “Time zone differences and limited telephone opportunities would make it difficult to read them a bedtime story at their normal time, so this is a great substitute.

“A lot of times, individual families might think about doing it, but they don’t have access to the right equipment, software, or frankly, time to make it happen,” she said. “This is a neat opportunity for deploying Airmen to make a lasting memory for their families. About an hour invested will earn lots of dividends.”

While a library staff member is available to operate the camera and perform functions such as zooming in and out, Mr. Callahan said that most people prefer to be left in private while recording their videos.

“Some of the books dealt directly with military deployments and what children experience, so they were a little more emotional (to read),” Major Fenton said. “I also read some other books that are bedtime standards in our family, so there is (still) an element of routine for the kids.”

Mr. Callahan, himself a veteran of five deployments, said that the younger the child, the more important having a service like this becomes for the children of deployed Airmen.

“A child needs to be able to hear mommy or daddy’s voice,” Mr. Callahan said. “Especially after not seeing them for a couple months, they need to be able to see their face again.”

Major Fenton agrees.

“This is something that kids can play and watch over and over,” Major Fenton said. “Plus, for younger kids, it re-enforces that the missing parent is still present and still cares about their kids’ lives.”