Airman, wife record memories for deploying servicemember's families

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nora Anton
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  A chaplain's assistant and his wife here have decided to put their video editing skills and altruism to use by videotaping deploying Airmen and Soldiers in the local area while they read bed time stories to their children free of charge.

Staff Sgt. James Warren, 354th Fighter Wing Chapel, and his wife, Shelly, started editing videos as a hobby after several homemade comedy videos done on a whim accrued 15 million views on YouTube.com.

"We enjoyed it so much we bought some professional equipment and software programs," said Sergeant Warren. "Since the military has given us so much we wanted to give back by using what we have for the benefit of other military families."

The couple is offering to record deploying members not only as they read bed time stories to their children, but also special messages to both children and spouses, songs, games, routines, picture slide shows and anything else the servicemember requests that is within their technological capabilities.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Maynard Hinkle, Task Force Saber, 6th Squadron, 17th Calvary, at Fort Wainwright, has been a Soldier for 20 years, has been on numerous deployments and said that every deployment is hard and they never really get easier.

"Every time you deploy it's a missed opportunity with your family," he said. Sergeant Hinkle is staying behind as the rear-detachment first sergeant while 550 of his brothers- and sisters-in arms deploy this summer to a location in South West Asia for 12 to 15 months.

Sergeant Hinkle is the father of three, a 13 year-old girl, Samantha, and two sons aged 2 and 3 years-old, Tommy and Ted.

"During deployments I used to send a cassette tape home to my daughter, who watched me deploy to Bosnia and Afghanistan," he said. "But I never sent video; I read to my sons every night, so something like this would be beneficial to keep our routine."

Sergeant Warren said that he made a DVD for his children before his last deployment and the benefits reaped from the thirty minutes it took him to make the disc were priceless.

"It was the best decision of my deployment and I wish that comfort for every family who has to be separated," said Sergeant Warren, the father of four, aged 9 months to 6 years old. "They watched a bedtime story every night before they went to sleep."

He said that besides just reading a story for each night of the week, he would talk to his kids and his wife would play the video anytime the children asked.

"Whenever I would speak to them on the phone they would tell me how they saw me on TV and that I read them a story last night, it was a comfort to me to know that in their minds, they were still interacting with me on a daily basis."

He said that the biggest benefit from the video was that his daughter, who was only 9 months old at the time he left, remembered him when he came home.

"About 30 to 60 minutes of your time equates into countless hours of entertainment and bonding with your kids, even though you're far away," said Sergeant Warren.

For more information or to contact the Warrens, call 372-3255 or Sergeant Warren at work at 377-2130.