History of Military Mom Talk Radio
In January 2009, Sandra Beck was visiting some friends at Camp Pendleton and was shocked when she saw the materials being shared between the moms about post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). The papers had been copied a few times and were hard to read, and the information was technical, confusing and not at all practical. These moms were trying to make sense of their households being affected by PTSD. Given the transient nature of the military and the many time zones served by military installations, Beck made the connection between Internet Radio and the Military Lifestyle.
“I knew something had to be done. Being a journalist and an internet specialist I knew that we could get information into the hands of hundreds of thousands of military personnel and their family through internet radio,” Beck said.“The beauty is that if you don’t hear the live broadcast, you can download it later from websites like iTunes -- and if the material is presented properly and it is timely, it can reach an enormous audience via viral marketing, word of mouth, and internet brand strategies. Taking a show on your iPod wherever you go is a blessing to the military family.”
On her drive back to Los Angeles, Sandra made calls to her friends at the Pentagon, in the Armed Services, and in every philanthropic branch she could think of until she was offered airtime for a show called, Motherhood Talk Radio on Toginet.com. Before she agreed to do the radio show, she contacted John Martin, owner of Toginet Radio Network, who agreed there needed to be a program to provide essential, timely and accurate information to our service members and their families. With a joint effort between Motherhood Incorporated owned by Sandra Beck and Toginet Radio Network, Military Mom Talk Radio was formed.
“We saw a need and we agreed that we needed to do our part in serving our military service members and their families,” Martin said. “We fully support Military Mom Talk Radio and are proud of our contribution to our country.”
Military Mom Talk Radio provides a powerful platform for women to discuss their ideas, issues, and concerns with respect to the military lifestyle. It encourages women to share their experiences as a military wife and mother. The program has hosted more than 110 shows over three years, and has interviewed medical specialists, military brass, military charities, military contractors and providers along with military authors.
“We have had everyone who is anyone on the show,” Beck said. “One of our first shows was at Wounded Warriors Battalion West. Our guest was trying to get a secure quiet location for the interview but the helicopters kept doing their maneuvers! It was noisy but realistic for our listeners.”
This show educates military families on the resources that are available in both the public and private sector and shares helpful information from women around the world.
Topics range from helping a family member cope with PTSD, navigating government programs, and dealing with family issues, to the struggles of deployment along with being a working mother both in and out of the home.
Military Mom Talk Radio is co-hosted by Sandra Beck and Robin Boyd with contributions by Doris Rivas Brekke.
“Being the wife and mother-in-law to Army and Marine veterans I understand many of the special needs and concerns of the military family,” said Robin Boyd. “The military lifestyle is unlike any other and same for the military relationships. I have talked to many military wives and girlfriends helping them realize that their relationships are different. They aren’t traditional.They are unique, and if you don’t realize and accept that, life is very hard. That’s why we need to share our experiences on Military Talk Radio to help each other find our way.”
Military Mom Talk Radio brings the perspective of its three hosts – Beck as a military contractor, Boyd as a military wife of a Vietnam Vet and military mom and Brekke who served in the US Army.
"I do not have children and I am the oldest woman on the show's panel. I served in the 1970s when it was still considered not too cool to be in the armed forces, especially for a woman,” Brekke said. “But I loved serving my country, and being a voice on this show gives me a chance to share my insights and my love of my country! This show needs to be heard by today's military women. And I am very proud to be a part of this great team of women!”
Military Mom Talk Radio airs every Monday from 2-3 PST on www.toginet.com. The shows are also available on iTunes under Military Mom Talk Radio. They are rebroadcast on many other radio networks, including the Rock Star Radio Network.