Specialist Matthew E. Bresley, an automated logistical specialist, assigned to Operations Group Charlie, Mission Command Training Program, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. reads his recently published book entitled "The Adventures of Princess Stinkerdoodles an...
Specialist Matthew E. Bresley, an automated logistical specialist, assigned to Operations Group Charlie, Mission Command Training Program, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. reads his recently published book entitled "The Adventures of Princess Stinkerdoodles an...
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- Between deployments, temporary duty assignments, schools, and extended work days, children of military service members experience long periods of separation from one and in some cases both of their parents.
For Army Specialist Matthew E. Bresley, an automated logistical specialist, assigned to Operations Group Charlie, Mission Command Training Program, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., finding a way to help his daughter deal with his deployment to Afghanistan in 2011 turned from something as simple as stories in his "green book", a small book Soldiers use to take detailed notes, into a published book that's available on Amazon.com today.
On April 12, 2014 Bresley became Mission Command Training Program's newest published author. His book is entitled "The Adventures of Princess Stinkerdoodles and Mr. Fuzzy: A story of a little girl's undying love and courage".
The book started back in 2011 in Afghanistan while he was deployed from Fort Hood, Texas. It started as an idea to help his daughter, Brooklynn, deal with the separation she was experiencing during his time away from the family. It's based on the stories and interactions that he had with his daughter and her magic teddy bear named Mr. Fuzzy, which has been in her life from the moment she was born.
"Nobody ever thinks that they can do anything like this [write a book]," says Bresley. "It doesn't happen to real people."
Soldiers in his old unit at Fort Hood would tease him all the time about the short stories that he was writing. But he continued to write the stories that he shared with Brooklynn down in his Army "green book". After a while a Soldier in his unit asked if he could send the stories home to his spouse so that she could read them to his children.
Soon after that other Soldiers began getting involved with the "green book" and they too wanted to send the stories to their spouses to read to their children back home. A female Soldier within his unit took his green book and decorated it with clip art and colors so it would appear more kid friendly for his daughter. Bresley then sent the book home to his wife back at Fort Hood so she could read it to their daughter and Brooklynn would also have something to sleep with at night along with Mr. Fuzzy, her teddy bear.
Brooklynn, whom Princess Stinkerdoodles is based on, was Bresley's inspiration behind the book. She was very grateful that her dad wrote this book while he was in Afghanistan.
"I was very sad when my dad went away," Brooklynn says. "But when I got that book I wasn't sad anymore. It let me know that no matter what your family is with you even if they are not really there."
Several Soldiers within Bresley's current unit, Operations Group Charlie, Mission Command Training Program, believe that although the book was written with children in mind that there are valuable lessons throughout the book that also speak to adults.
"I think that the greatest thing [about this book] is that it touches so many since the last decade because we have all been deployed," says Sgt. 1st Class Kurt Casselman, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of Operations Group Charlie. "We all have children out there that can learn from this [book]. It presents a unique opportunity for families and Soldiers to get together to read the book and see what they can make out of it. There are a lot of kids out there that this book can help."
Lt. Col. Zaid Abdul-Rahmaan, deputy chief of the group for Operations Group Charlie, who owns two copies of the book, uses it as a bridge to communicate with his young daughters.
"Bresley's book is a good vehicle for communication," says Abdul-Rahmaan. "It helps daughters deal with deployed dads or just deal with tough issues in general that a daughter faces. We use it at my house as a tool to teach my daughters how to read also."
Bresley plans to write more books as Princess Stinkerdoodles ages and goes on more adventures with Mr. Fuzzy. He intends to donate all the funds that are generated from the Princess Stinkerdoodles book sales and royalties to the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund and to purchase copies of the book and donate them to hospitals to help children that are hospitalized for long periods of time.
The Bresley family hopes that this book will offer families hope and help them realize that they are not alone in what they are going through and to always know that your family loves you.
If you are interested in learning more about Specialist Matthew Bresley and his published book, The Adventures of Princess Stinkerdoodles Mr. Fuzzy, please visit the following site online at http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Bresley/e/B00JO0SYE6/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
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