What is You Served?
You Served (www.YouServed.com) is a popular military blog and home to the You Served Military Podcast, one of the most listened to military podcasts available. It is hosted by active duty Army Senior NCO, CJ Grisham (cj@youserved.com), retired Army Senior NCO Troy Steward (troy@youserved.com) and produced by former Marine NCO Marcus Penn (mpenn@vu.com)
It has quickly become a trusted forum to discuss military issues, promote new initiatives, and has helped raise thousands of dollars for military supporting causes.
Stats
- Over a million visitors have been to the site.
- You Served has been mentioned thousands of times on news websites, blogs, military sites and print publications.
- Over 7,500 people listen to the show each week live.
- You Served supplied all coverage of the 2010 Milblog Conference via Live Streaming over the internet
- You Served supplied all coverage of the 2010 BlogWorldExpo in Las Vegas via Live Streaming over the internet
Show Format
Hosted through BlogTalkRadio every Tuesday evening from 8-10pm EST, the show has a running time of approximately 2 hours. Guests are scheduled for air time in pre-set time blocks (usually 30-40 minutes) and can call in from wherever they are to the toll-free guest line (866-696-9150). Guests will be able to coordinate topics with the host about which they would like to speak.
Listeners to the show can listen live over the web at the show website, or by calling into the guest line. Questions can also be asked of the guests by listeners via the show’s chat room or by calling in.
Pre-recorded interviews and features are also incorporated when scheduling conflicts.
Notable Episodes
- Episode #12- On Veteran’s Day 2008, You Served was simulcast on KFBK radio in 11 states to over 1 million listeners.
- In Episode #24, entitled “Threat Closer to Home and 10th Amendment Rights”, two state representatives from New Hampshire came on the show to discuss their feelings about the 10th Amendment resolution being submitted to Congress as a declaration of sovereignty. The episode spread virally prompting thousands of downloads of the episode highlighted the progress of You Served to a legitimate medium for public attention and discourse.
- Episode #43 when Army Vice Chief of Staff, Gen Chiarelli joined us to talk about the on-going problem in the army with Suicides, how the Army is trying to prevent them and the PTSD problems the Army faces today.
- Episode #55, 9/11 Tribute Special
- During Episode #159, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld appeared to discuss the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks in New York, Washington DC, and Shanksville, PA which lead to the Global War on Terror.
Some of You Served Radio Guests
Active Military
- Army Vice Chief of Staff, Gen. Chiarelli
- Afghanistan ETT, Maj. Troy Scott
- ODA 574 SF Team Commander, Maj. Jason Amermine
- Lieutenant General Benjamin C. Freakley, Commander of U.S. Army Accessions Command
- Special Forces Member, SFC Gregory Strube
- National Training Center Commander, Brigadier General Abe Abrams
- Army Major JG Wideman
- Army Chaplain (MAJ) Charles Popov
- Air Force Veteran Tech Sgt Chris Short
- Silver Star Recipient, SPC David Hutchinson
- Marine Lt. Col Mitchell “Taco” Bell, OIC of the South Central Texas Marine 4 Life program
- Afghanistan Veteran CPT Roger Hill
- Two Time Afghanistan Veteran, CSM David Oliver
- Afghanistan Veteran and NY Army National Guard LT, Amy Bonanno
- Silver start Recipient, Staff Sgt. Omar Hernandez
- Army Reserve SGT Josiah Greene, founder of Tribute Fund for Auburn-bound students
- Captain Glen C. Busch of the Hillside, IL Fire Department, involved with a home build project for Iraq amputee SGT Sergio Lopez
- SFC Michael Hertig, Silver Star recipient
- Maj. Gen. David Blackledge U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne)
- U.S. Marine Tim Gallagher, SoCal Connected
- Adam Gordon, soldier featured in the book Landigal by James Christ
Veteran Guests
- Iwo Jima Veteran, Major General (ret) Fred Haynes
- Lieutenant General (ret) William Boykin
- Military Channel Star Wil Willis
- Medal of Honor Recipient Paul Bucha
- Medal of Honor Recipient Leo Thorsness
- Medal of Honor Nominee David Bellavia
- Retired Marine Aaron Moore
- WWII veteran and Bataan Death March survivor, Ben Steele
- Iraq and Afghanistan Army Veteran and creator of Milblogging.com, JP Borda
- Marine LTC (ret) and famed Defense Attorney for military members, Neal Puckett
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran, Michael Tumminelli
- Former SF vet and independent candidate for US Senate from Arkansas Trevor Drown
- Bryan Stowe, former Marine and mixologist for Bacardi USA’s “60 Second Cocktail Program.”
- Former Marine, Mark Dolfini, Standing for the Fallen which culminated in a 24 hour stand on 4 July
- Nathan Webster, freelance embedded journalist/photojournalist and Desert Storm Army veteran
- Marine Maj. Norm Hatch combat cameraman veteran
- SGT Sergio Lopez, a combat engineer at Fort Hood in Killeen
- Former Army veteran Doug Mullen, creator of RAMP
- Mack Sigman, Retired Navy Officer, SharePoint expert
- Brigadier General Gary M. Profit Senior Director, Military Recruiting
- Retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant John Stewart
- SM Sergeant Veteran, Lee Thomas
Musicians
- Country Music Superstar Mark Wills
- Geoff Tate from the Rock Band Queensryche
- Musician and Patriot, James Hooker
- Stevie Benton & CJ Pierce of the Rock Band Drowning Pool
- Sean Danielson of the Rock Band Smile Empty Soul
- Singer Bryan Ragsdale
- Singer Perk
- Rock Band, Bridge of Sighs
- Singer Brett Randell
- Country singer Derek Scholl
- Vegas Singer Matt Goss
- Grammy Award-Winner Kenny Gamble
- Music Producer Thad Nauden
- Country Singer Amanda Nagurney
- Country Music Artists, Cowboy Crush
- Michael and Sophie Darwin of the band Michael Darwin’s Theory
- Pop Singer, Kim Cameron
- Folk/Country Artist Walt Cronin
- Musician Joe Brucato
- Country music artist and Army veteran Craig Morgan
- Sergeant Leo Dunson, a combat veteran of the U.S. Army that puts his experiences from the military into music
- Singer/songwriter and former Army veteran, Hank Brake
- Rock band Edisun, tours in Europe and the Middle East
- Rockie Lynne, country music Universal Records recording artist
- Jim Davidson, founder of (www.forthewarrior.com)
Authors
- Special Forces Veteran, Milblogger, 41st Congressional District of Illinois Candidate, and Author of The Blog of War, Matt Burden
- S.E. Cupp, author of the book “Why You’re Wrong About The Right”
- Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau
- Jim Sheeler, author “Final Salute”
- Marine Veteran Andrew Lubin, author of “Charlie Battery”
- Marine Veteran Thomas Daly, author of “Rage Company”
- Col (ret) Charles Hoge, author of “Once a Warrior-Always a Warrior”
- Milblogger and Veteran Matt Gallagher, author of “Kaboom”
- Betty Kilbride, Author of “Soul of American Warrior”
- Eric Blehm, author of “The Only Thing Worth Dying For”
- James Christ, Author of a 10-book series on Afghanistan ETTs
- Iraq Veteran Steve Valley, author of “Inside the Fortress”
- Army Veteran Chuck Grist, author of “My Last War – A Vietnam Veteran’s Tour in Iraq”
- Blue Start Father Darrell Griffith, author of “Last Journey”
- Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing winner Gerhard L. Weinberg
- Mr. Dana Harbaugh author of “Pearls of Honor: Their Duty to Remember”
- Marine Veteran and Author Steven Pressfield
- Christian Davenport author of “As You Were: To War and Back with the Black Hawk Battalion of the Virginia National Guard”
- Jennifer MackInday author of “Friends for Life”
- Army CPT (ret) Jason Meszaro, author of “Interrogation of Morals”
- P.W. Singer, author of “Wired For War”
- Iraqi Veteran and “Private Murphy” Cartoonist, Mark Baker
- Wesley Gray, author of “EMBEDDED: A Marine Corps Advisor Inside the Iraqi Army”
- Ed Darack, author of “Victory Point”
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran Brandon Friedman, author of “The War I Always Wanted: The Illusion of Glory and the Reality of War”
- Clint Van Winkle, author of “Soft Spots: A Marine’s Memoir of Combat and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”
- Dana Canedy, author of “A Journal For Jordan”
- British Royal Air Force Veteran Howard M. Layton, author of “Love and Sand”
- MAJ Eric Egland, author of “The Troops Need You, America: Six Ways to Help Them Win”
- Bill Murphy Jr., author “In A Time of War”
- Pulitzer Prize winner, Jim Sheeler, author of “Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives”
- Janis Galatas, author of “A Soldier’s Courage”
- Gary Winkler, author of “TORTURED: Lynndie England, Abu Ghraib and the Photographs that Shocked the World”
- Former Navy Flight Officer in F-14s and author, James W. Huston
- Lindy Kyzer, former head of DoA social media, freelance PA, http://www.lindykyzer.com
- Sebastian Junger, author of “The Perfect Storm” and “War”
- Richard Lowry, author of “New Dawn: The Battles for Fallujah,” “The Gulf War Chronicles”, “US Marine in Iraq: Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2003″ and the award winning “”Marines in the Garden of Eden”
- Andrew Lubin, professor, author, embedded journalist and proud member of the distinguished USMC Combat Correspondents Association
- Tom Kratman, Army veteran and author of “Yellow Eyes” and “A Desert Called Peace”
- Veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Michael Z. Williamson, currently an author of many military connected books
- Scott Beauchamp, author of three controversial New Republic articles about serving at FOB Falcon
Film Industry
- Army Veteran and Emmy Award Winner Scott Kesterson, Director of “At War”
- Marine Veteran Mike Scotti, Filmmaker of “Severe Clear”
- Aaron Gaudet, Director of the film “The Way We Get By”
- Brian Delate, a Vietnam Veteran and writer, director and actor in the film “Soldier’s Heart”
- K. Lowel Manning, Writer & Director of “Happy New Year”
- Michael Cuomo, Actor in “Happy New Year”
- Danfung Dennis, Director of “Hell and Back Again”
- Kim Coates and Theo Rossi, cast members in “Sons of Anarchy”
- Issac Goeckeritz, filmmaker and creator of the “Street Vets Documentary”
- Filmmaker, best-selling author and U. S. Navy veteran Scott Mactavish
Troop Supporters
- Ken Fisher from the Fisher House
- Matt Daniels of Great Americans
- Artist Phil Taylor of The American Fallen Soldiers Project
- Barry Hull of HuntForVets.com
- Members from The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
- Fundraiser and Pin-Up Girl, Gina Elise
- Iraq Veteran Toby Nunn and Military wife Greta Perry from Soldiers Angels
- Tom Aiello from Sears Heroes at Home program
- Retired Navy Admiral Steve Abbot, President and CEO of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
- Blue Star Mothers of America
- Brian Gallagher of Jim Beam Corporation’s Operation Homefront Initiative
- Katie Glenn, creator of MilitaryBlogKids.com
- Members from The American Widow Project
- Todd and Derek from Vision Strike Wear
- Dom from Hooah Radio (www.hooahradio.com)
- Mr. Doug Eldridge of the 10-12-100 Campaign
- Pete Hegseth, Chairman of Vets For Freedom
- Eli Williamson, Executive Director of Leave No Veteran Behind
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran Mike Jones, Founder of Not Alone (www.notalone.com)
- Afghanistan Veteran, Ms. Eve Chase of the group, American Women Veterans
- Tony Canzonieri and Abel Moreno from Vets4Vets.com
- Bob Woodruff, American television journalist who leads the Bob Woodruff foundation (www.remind.org)
- Jennifer Robinson, Director of Assistance at USA Cares
- Karl Monger, founder of Gallant Few (http://www.gallantfew.org) dedicated to easing the transition of a warrior from active military service to a peaceful and fulfilling civilian life
- Jan Scruggs, founder and president of Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
- Ted Carney, founder of “The Honor Buckle” a gift for military service men and women (www.honorbuckle.com)
- Dorine Fletcher, started Jacobs Light Foundation (http://www.jacobsprogram.org/)
- Vicki Behenna, creator of (www.defendmichael.com)
- Veteran Outdoors (www.veteranoutdoors.com)
- Bryan Watson and Daryl Hill, NYC nonprofit workers who train underprivileged students in IT and place them in jobs. Doing a similar program for Vets
- Ellen Adams, host of Red Hot Dish
- Blake Powers, Cooking with the Troops (http://cwtt.org/) and Blog World Expo Milblog track organizer
- Jamie Kaler, actor and stand up comedian
- Bubba, 2nd Amendment advocate from WhatBubbaKnows.net
- Blake Hall, Co-Founder of (http://www.troopswap.com)
- Bill Billik, a NFL game analyst for Fox
- Nathan Tierney runs “The Frontlines” website at (www.thefrontlines.com)
- Todd Hawk, the president of H2 Builders, Inc
- Brig Arnold, creator of Dinner With Warriors, a cookbook with a unique collection of recipes and inspirational stories from heroes of the War on Terror
- David Emerson, uses (www.traumacenter.org) to inform how to overcome trauma with yoga
- Teresa Jacobson, innkeeper at Azalea Inn & Gardens
- Colby Donaldson, Host of The History Channel show Top Shot
Political Figures
- Pennsylvania’s 163rd District Candidate Shannon Meehan
- Utah State Senate Candidate Sam Fiddler
- New York Congressional candidate Dan Maloney
- New Mexico’s 3rd district candidate, Marine Veteran Adam Kokesh
- San Diego Congressional 51st District candidate William “Bud” McLeroy
- New Hampshire’s Rockhingham District 9 Representatives Tim Comerford and Dan Itse
- Grafton District 5 Representative Paul Ingbretson
- Virginia’s 1st District Representative Rob Wittman
- New York Congressional Candidate David Bellavia
Contacts
Members of the press and parties interested in being featured on You Served can contact Marcus Penn at mpenn@vu.com.
You can contact the show staff at troy@youserved.com, cj@youserved.com, or mpenn@vu.com
Other show sources
1.You can follow the blog and radio show on twitter at www.twitter.com/youserved
2.Members of Facebook can become fans of the show at www.facebook.com/youserved
Last Updated May 31st, 2011
Dear Troy, CJ and Marcus,
A couple of months ago I was on your show talking about how I used my GI Bill to attend culinary school and now have a successful personal chef business. At the end of the segment you gave me the contact info for “Cooking with the Troops”. I just wanted to let you know that I have volunteered with them at Walter Reed and we are now planning another event at Landstuhl Medical Center in January. The event is called “Operation Beat the Post Holiday Blues”. I want to thank you for connecting me with this group. The event at W. Reed was wonderful and emotional and I am so very glad to be a part of that group now. I have attached the press release about the January event. I hope you will find it newsworthy.
Thanks for your show and the connections you are making.
Sincerely,
Ellen Adams
“A Red Hot Dish”
I would like to call your attention to Operation Fight the Post Holiday Blues sponsored by the non-profit group “Cooking with the Troops” (CWTT). They will be sponsoring a cooking event at the Landstuhl Military Hospital in January 2011 in order to help our recuperating soldiers deal with Post Holiday Depression. I will be leading the culinary team there and am honored to have been selected to prepare some comfort foods for our troops.
Feel free to call me at 585-455-7513 or email me at redhotdish@msn.com if you have any questions.
Below is the press release…
Pin-Ups For Vets And Cooking With The Troops Partner For Operation Fight Post Holiday Blues The post-holiday blues can be bad enough on those who are healthy, and fully engaged in their normal activities. Stop for a moment and consider what it might be like for a member of the U.S. or Allied forces who find themselves evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s has been like a fire-hose of attention, visits, and more. Then, suddenly, it’s gone. They are alone in a hospital, in a foreign country, and away from friends, family, and normal support networks. Despite the dedicated efforts of staff and volunteers, the blues can hit hard. Recognizing that, Gina Elise of the non-profit Pin-Ups for Vets (pinupsforvets.com) and Cooking with the Troops (cwtt.org) have partnered to create Operation Fight Post Holiday Blues. This special event, timed for mid-January to have maximum effect, will combine a special dinner for a planned 150 people cooked by Guest Chef Ellen Adams (redhotdish.com), with hospital and other visits by Gina to help drive the blues away. To aid this effort, the team is being joined by author Michael Z. Williamson (michaelzwilliamson.com), who will also do visits, autographs, and give away books. Full details on the event can be found at http://cwtt.org/opfphblues.html and all participants are available for interviews. To do this event, Pin-Ups for Vets and Cooking with the Troops are looking to raise $15,000. Donations can be made by mail, or online at http://cwtt.org/donations.html via PayPal. Donors can note on the donation that it is for Operation Fight Post-Holiday Blues. Any funds raised that are not used will be used to support future operations at Pin-Ups for Vets and Cooking with the Troops. Larger versions of the attached images are available at http://cwtt.org/opfphblues.html or through the contacts listed below. Links: http://cwtt.org/opfphblues.html http://cwtt.org http://pinupsforvets.com/ http://www.redhotdish.com/index.html http://www.michaelzwilliamson.com/index.php Cooking with the Troops is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to supporting U.S. and Allied Troops, their families, and caregivers through special food events, culinary careers, front line support, and homefront support. For more information, please contact Susan Katz Keating, Director of Communications, at skeating@cwtt.org or C. Blake Powers, CEO, at ceo@cwtt.org. If you want to receive only certain types of releases from Cooking with the Troops, or to be removed from our distribution list, please contact us at media@cwtt.org and let us know your preference. If you would like to be added to our distribution list, contact us at media@cwtt.org and we will be happy to add you.
Thx.
I served in the U.S Army from 1974-77 and thanks to the President, I was not sent Viet Nam even though my Basic Training Class were about to recieve stepped up AIT to be deployed to S.E Asia. My heart truly goes out to those who are serving for if they do not serve until retirement, they may find themselves being screwed by the Veterans Administration. I was told and swore an oath that if I was willing to take care of my country, my country was willing to take care of me and to me that include health benifits and medications free of charge. Late in 1976 a shrink at Ft. Polk, La. Diagnois me with Maniac depression, I was told their was no medical treatment for it at that time and that I could have gotten out of the military, but I wasn’t told about a medical discharge on medical conditions nor compension. The drug \Lithum\ didn’t come on the scene until until after my discharge in late 1977 to 78. The year was 1986 and I went from your friendly drunk to a crack head, from that point I went from rehab to rehab, before even entering the V.A system. I was given many drugs for my depression including Prozac, which I found some years later it was the worst thing in the world for a person with bi-polar. (The name which came from Maniac Depression). 1996 I was living in a V.A shelter in Long Island City New York after my second divorce, even though I was a trained Surgical Tech, and able to make a good living it went up in smoke. I manage to get clean for several months but always fall again. I finally was able to maintain mental stability and soberiety while in a now closed MICA program in Montross New York. (Mental Illness and Chemical Addicted). During that time I was recieving non-service connected disability and SSD, at the time I didn’t know that I could get both. The V.A stopped the NSC, and three years later they told me I owed over $20,000.00. I was told to file a waiver but they said its been too long since I should have filed three years prior when I was first cut off. Now I recieve 10% compensation for a back injury, which includes 3 bad lower disc. But the $123.00 is taken to pay the debt. I am on a fixed income and the Debt Management Division of the VA (which is worst than the IRS) won’t negotigate a settlement. My friends I have been sober and mentally stable for several years now, I work 10 days a month on the Social Security Back to Work Program as a Surgical Tech, I am recently married back in Dec and have been a License Minister for a few years. God forgave me and restored me, but I haven’t been forgiven by the gov’t I honorably served. I honestly feel sorry for future veterans because I know Korean Vets who have not been properly dealt with as well as the Viet Nam era Veterans. Our current crop of Veterans must unite together. The VFW boys did their thing and they are long in tooth and their current influence only has a trickle down effect. God Bless you all and keep up the good work. You guys know something that I don’t know please point a Brother Vet in the Right direction. You know I never recieved anything unless another Brother Veteran told me about it first.
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Dear Sir I,have a friend who is 93 years old and has served in the European Thearter of Operation.To my understanding he is eligible for the Bronze Star for serving.Is this true and where my he apply for this medal. Thank you