Category Archives: Podcast

VAMC at Blog World Expo

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Troy| Leave a comment

The great crew at VAMC is stepping up again and showing how much they support the troops and more importantly showing how much they support getting the word out via milblogs. They are sponsoring CJ and myself at Blog World Expo in Las Vegas where both of us are speaking on a panel Thursday afternoon. We will be conducting a lot of interviews (both audio and video) with people, talking with many in the milblog community, and rubbing elbows with the who’s who of the blogging world (which I think will all be milbloggers or milblog fans, but I could be biased). I must say however that we will miss our “red-shirt” producer Marcus who won’t be able to attend this year. We will do our best to carry on the tradition of the You Served crew from last year.

In addition to getting CJ and myself to Blog World Expo, VAMC is also sponsoring the milblog track of panels which happen all day on Thursday. Through the contributions of VAMC, there will be refreshments available all day for the milblog track. This great contribution has earned VAMC publicity on at Blog World Expo and on their website. It has also earned VAMC kudos and thanks from the most popular milblog on the internet, Blackfive (http://www.blackfive.net/main/2009/10/thank-you-va-mortgage-center.html).

If you are in the Vegas area starting on Thursday, be sure to stop by or drop a line to blake@blakepowers.net and he can set you up with a free membership to the milblog track. This gets you in to the milblog panels and to the exhibit hall for the entire conference. If you want to see a schedule for the conference, go here.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Milblog Conference, MilBlogger Interviews, Podcast, You Served Radio

Tonight on You Served 1 Year Anniversary Show

Posted on August 27, 2009 by Troy| Leave a comment

Troy, CJ and Marcus are so happy to be celebrating our 1 year anniversary of You Served Radio tonight and we really hope you join us for this awesome event. Troy has been testing different microphone screens to cut down on the heavy breathing, Marcus has been sleeping since yesterday so he can be super-quick on the switchboard and CJ may have actually read the script so he knows what is going on.

We have three great guests tonight and if we could add another hour, we would have added a couple more guests to the line-up. First up is Air Force Reserves Major Eric Egland who was a former Republican candidate in a 2008 congressional run. Eric is a counter-terrorism consultant to the Department of Defense and is an active military reservist. His experience in national security includes working to defeat terrorism, insurgency and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in operational, analytical, and advisory roles.  He was in Saudi Arabia on September 11th, 2001 and has since served in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.  His experiences in the Middle East are featured in a Fox News documentary on Iran.
He is the founder of Troops Need You, a non-profit organization that continues the American tradition of mobilizing citizens to directly support the troops in Iraq, bypassing the bureaucracies in Washington and Baghdad. The project is part of a plan for victory in Iraq detailed in a book authored by Major Egland, titled The Troops Need You, America: Six Ways to Help Them Win.(www.troopsneedyou.com)

After Eric we will have Gary Winkler who is the author of the new book about Abu Ghraib and Lynndie England "TORTURED: Lynndie England, Abu Ghraib and the Photographs that Shocked the World" – LYNNDIE ENGLAND’S ONLY AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY. In addition to revealing the young Army Reservist’s thoughts and feelings about her role in the abuse, Gary delves deeper into England’s twisted relationship with Corporal Charles Graner, the questionable conduct of the war and the Bush-era torture policies that contributed to the culture of abuse that came to exist at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

And Last but in no way least, we have Country Superstar Mark Wills. Mark has released six studio albums and six compilation albums. He has also received an Academy of Country Music award for Top New Male Vocalist, as well as three Country Music Association nominations. We will talk about his new album, "2nd Time Around" and his support of USA Cares. USA Cares exists to provide military families with financial support and other critical resources in their time of need. www.usacares.org

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Charities/Contests, Podcast, You Served Radio

You Served Spouse and Family Radio Guest Honored for Volunteerism

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Claire| Leave a comment

Back in May, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ruth. Ruth is a recent recipient of President Bush’s Volunteer Service Award. She is a life long volunteer and troop supporter extraordinaire. In the interview linked above, Ruth shares her memories of being a little girl during World War II, and watching the changes in culture through the years.

Ruth’s love for our soldiers is contagious and inspiring.

Ruth received her service award in a ceremony where she had asked some Vietnam Vetearns to participate. Below is an excerpt of her award ceremony and some pictures:

Local volunteer honored
By Dustin Pangonis
Monday, June 22, 2009 9:27 AM

EDTSCHUYLKILL HAVEN — When Ruth Ray, 71, of Port Carbon, was given the President’s Volunteer Service Award on Sunday, she held it for just a few seconds before changing the focus and presenting a gift of her own.

“Thank you for serving, Vietnam vets,” Ray said as she handed a statuette of an American flag and a bald eagle to the Veterans of the Vietnam War Post 29.

Ray, whose history of volunteer work on behalf of U.S. troops stretches back to World War II, was honored in a short ceremony at the Schuylkill County Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

She said her first priority, even when accepting the award, was to thank the troops. Her second priority: to spread the message of volunteerism.

Most recently, Ray has been sending small care packages to soldiers. She gave a “shout-out” to the Pottsville and Port Carbon post offices, which must fill out five pages of customs paperwork for each package.

David Fessler, of both the Veterans and the Schuylkill County Veterans Affairs Office, presented Ray with the award, which is given through the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation established by President George W. Bush.

“One of the reasons we’re having it at the Vietnam Memorial is because this leads to what we’ve been saying all along,” Fessler said. “We’re not going to let the troops go through what we did. We’re going to take care of them.” LINK to entire story

Here are a few pictures:

Ruth with her family

Ruth Honored

Ruth with Veterans

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Patriotism, Podcast, Spouse and Family

Tagged ,

Join Us Monday for a Special You Served Blog Talk Radio Show

Posted on May 23, 2009 by Claire| 3 Comments

Join me Monday, Memorial Day (observed), at 1:00pm EST, for a special You Served Blog Talk Radio show.

Bob Parks, a Navy Veteran, owner of the website Black & Right.com, an “African American leader” according to the Washington Times, conservative activist, and co-founder of New Media Alliance Television will join us Monday to talk about Memorial Day, what it means to him and any how we can observe it respectfully.

Also joining me on the show is Jim Spiri. Jim and his wife of 35-years, Candi, are both Gold and Blue star parents. The Spiri’s lost their beloved son, 2nd Lieutenant Jesse James Spiri to a brain tumor. Lt. Spiri served in the USMC.

A battle with Tri-Care followed the death of their son that led them to Congress and the passing of the “2nd Lt. Jesse James Spiri Military Medical Coverage Act of 2004″ signed by former President George W. Bush, on November 25, 2003.

The Spiri’s youngest son joined the Army in 2000 and is currently serving in his 5th deployment. He is an Army Aviator flying CH47 helicopters. Jim and Candi have joined their son in Iraq on several occasions filling various jobs and roles. Jim traveled with the USMC Infantry and US Army Infantry as a combat photographer during the Surge.

Jim will join us and talk about the trips he has been on to Iraq, his love for America’s sons and daughters who are in harms way in that war zone, and what he is doing to try and go back again.

I also have a few Memorial Day write ups submitted by listeners and readers that I will read off at the end of the show.

It’s sure to be a great show! Please join us if you can. I will have the chat room open right before the show. I hope to see you there!

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Patriotism, Podcast, Spouse and Family

Tomorrow on You Served Spouse and Family Radio

Posted on May 8, 2009 by Claire| Leave a comment

Tomorrow, Saturday May 9th at 1:00pm (EST) I will air an interview with troop support wonder-worker, Ruth Ray! Ruth is a well deserving recipient of President Bush’s Volunteer Service Award. Ruth shares what life as a little girl during WWII was like while her father served, and the attitude of citizens then. She shares about the changes she saw in our culture to the current day. She talks about our troops with much love, affection and immense respect and support.

I know I am richer for having had the opportunity to hear her story, and you will be blessed too!

Tune in tomorrow at You Served Spouse and Family Blog Talk Radio, HERE. I am opening a chat room that will be visible 10 minutes before the show airs. Ruth plans on joining us in chat, and it’s sure to be a lively and fun time. Please join us as we celebrate our brave and wonderful troops, and congratulate Ruth for her outstanding years of giving.

Also, don’t forget to send in your shout outs to claire@kneedeepinthehooah.com  I will read off your mother’s day greetings on the air.

Let me know your first name, military affiliation (retired, active, reserves, currently deployed, veteran, branch, spouse, child, etc), your mother’s first name, and a short message you would like for me to read on the air to her. I will read these at the close of the radio show on Saturday, so you can have mom listen then, or she can listen to the archived show on demand to hear your wish, salute or shout out to her on her special day!

I have received a handful, but I still have room for more.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Podcast, Spouse and Family

Tonight on You Served Radio

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Troy| Leave a comment

Tonight we will be catching up with film-maker and embedded freelance journalist/blogger, Scott Kesterson, live from Afghanistan. Scott’s film, At War, was just shown at the Annual Milblog Conference last weekend and is showing at the Buffalo-Niagara Film Festival this weekend. He has been out on missions the last few days and will be giving us a fresh perspective of how things are going on the front lines of the Global War on Terror.

We are also talking with Mark Baker, creator of the popular Army Times cartoon “PVT Murphy’s Law” (http://www.pvtmurphy.com/). Mark and CJ are old friends so it should be a good time to find out any dirt on CJ from the past. We will be talking about his very famous comic strip, the feedback he gets about it and how Murphy has grown over the years from a Private to a Sergeant.

Last but not least, Wesley Gray, author of “EMBEDDED: A Marine Corps Advisor Inside the Iraqi Army” will join CJ and Troy to talk about his book and the story he is trying to tell the world through this book.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in MilBlogger Interviews, Military Life, Podcast

Conduct a Letter Writing Campaign for Operation Gratitude

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Claire| 2 Comments

CONDUCT A LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN FOR OPERATION GRATITUDE

American troops are deployed in hostile and remote regions of the world, including the Middle East, Afghanistan, Africa and on ships throughout international waters. The physical conditions they must endure are difficult and they may be separated from loved ones for long periods of time. OPERATION GRATITUDE seeks to lift troops’ morale, and bring a smile to their faces by sending care packages addressed to individual service members deployed overseas.  These care packages contain food, toiletries, entertainment items, and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support.
Operation Gratitude sends 100,000+ packages per year.

PURPOSE

The purpose of a ‘Letters to Heroes’ letter writing campaign is to provide quality, heartfelt letters to include in each Operation Gratitude care package.

HEART

The Heart of this program is to bring a smile to the faces of the Service Members who receive and 
read the letters and cards.

WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT

Be thankful ~~ share a little bit of yourself with them. Ask questions (but not about death or killing). 
Avoid politics completely and religion in excess. Saying you pray for them is OK – don’t over do it.
It’s all about heart, appreciation and respect.
Ask yourself:  “Will this letter bring a smile to someone’s face?”

BE CREATIVE

Involve your whole organization or school ~ award prizes for the most letters turned in.  Students or group members can conduct their own campaign with family and friends. Feel free to include your child’s artwork, but bear in mind our boxes are only 8″ x 10″ so please keep them under that size to avoid folding.  
Please avoid glitter.

MORE HELPFUL INFORMATION

No stamps are needed. ~~ Do not seal the envelopes.
Sample salutations include: Dear Service Member, Dear Hero, Dear Brave One, etc. 
Please include your own contact information (mail or email) so recipients can choose to reply. 
A self addressed envelope included with the letter is thoughtful… no stamps needed. 
Hand Written letters or cards with nice notes are most appreciated. 
All letters will be screened by Operation Gratitude, so don’t seal them.  
Don’t be concerned about how many you send, but about the heart in each letter.
 If you do not receive a reply, don’t be discouraged – remember they are busy.

WHERE TO SEND
OPERATION GRATITUDE
16444 Refugio Road
Encino, California 91436

For more information: www.operationgratitude.com

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Podcast, Spouse and Family

Join me tomorrow on Blog Talk Radio

Posted on April 24, 2009 by Claire| Leave a comment

Tomorrow I will be airing an interview with Operation Gratitude Founder Carolyn Blashek along with service member volunteer SSG Cowie and Blue Star mom Marty Martin. SSG Cowie saw the morale building of Operation Gratitude box delivery up close during a tour in Iraq, and Marty Martin recalls her son’s report of how Operation Gratitude touched the Sailors he was deployed with. Many have been touched by this wonderful, Troop supporting organization. To date Operation Gratitude has mailed out over 417,000+ care packages to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other places our service members are deployed. Nearly a half-million packages sent and counting!

Join us at 1:00pm EDT, to hear Carolyn’s story about what compelled her to support the troops in both word and deed tomorrow HERE at the Show Homepage. I will have a chat room open, but the folks from Operation Gratitude will not be able to join us for the chat session. They will be… well, packing boxes tomorrow!

and, if you would like more information about Operation Gratitude visit their Home Page HERE.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Podcast, Spouse and Family

4/16/09 You Served Radio Show

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Troy| Leave a comment

Tonight on You Served Radio, we will be talking with Ed Darack, Author of the new book Victory Point which tells the enthralling and much broader story of Operation Red Wings and the follow-up mission, Operation Whalers. Missions that ultimately led to enabling free elections in Afghanistan.

We will also be speaking with Pete Hegseth, Chairman of Vets For Freedom. He will be on to discuss how contrary to the Administration’s rhetoric, the President’s budget request does NOT grow our military to meet the needs of our obligations. In addition to that we will be talking with Pete about the recently leaked DHS report classifying returning war veterans as possible terrorists.

Last by not least, we will talk with Eric from Tygrrr Express blog, who will talk about his new book “Ideological Bigotry.”

All of that plus our new special feature of starting the show with the Pledge of Allegiance from a very awesome group of kids. Of course, there will also be no shortage of Troy and CJ ranting about many other military related topics, and playing of some new music by bands stepping up to support America’s Military.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Podcast, Why We Serve

April 9th You Served Radio

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Troy| Leave a comment

Tonight we’re speaking with Eli Williamson who is the Executive Director of “Leave No Veteran Behind” (www.leavenoveteranbehind.org). They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit service run by veterans that works to relieve the educational debt of veterans who are serving and have served in the US Military.

Currently, many service members who receive higher education during, before, or after their service have to take out costly loans to pay for their education. While there are military educational programs that help relieve this educational debt, not all veterans are covered under these programs. Leave No Veteran Behind addresses this issue by taking private donations and applying them directly to veterans’ student loan accounts. After receiving aid veterans are required to give back 100 hours of community service. “While our main goal is to give veterans what they deserve; free access to an education, we also want to allow these same veterans the ability to give back to their community. Providing them educational debt relief will remove any roadblocks that may impact their ability to use the skills that they learned in the military and higher education to improve the lives of others.”

We will also be talking with Brittany McKee who is a military spouse and also works for the Sierra Club. She will be discussing the world premiere of a new documentary called Red, White & Green at the DC Environmental Film Festival. The film highlights children of military families as our nation’s youngest heroes and showcases the benefits of outdoor experiences. The documentary shows the journey of military kids who came together last summer at Operation Purple® summer camps, which are designed to provide a bit of brief outdoor respite and support-building for military kids dealing with the deployment of a parent. The film tells moving stories of kids learning to cope with a parent’s deployment, and also highlights the ways in which the healing power of nature helps the children grow and bond. Together with the National Military Family Association, they will provide over 9000 military kids with a free week of summer camp at over 60 different week-long camps across the country this summer. http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/films.php?FilmID=362

So be sure and join CJ and Troy tonight at www.blogtalkradio.com/youserved for another jam-packed and exciting show.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Podcast, Spouse and Family, Veteran Benefits