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Babette Maxwell of ‘Military Spouse Magazine’ shares common issues facing today’s military community
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We want to get things start without a lot of military.
Topics to get to today and our first one.
Comes to us from Dallas in our Dallas bureau we want -- too bad that Maxwell.
The executive editor and founder of military spouse magazine.
Thank you so much for being with us here today.
How I thanks for having me how are -- today I am great and I'm so excited to talk to him because I've been reading all about what.
This is -- you've got a lot of things going on with your organizations so first tell us about military spouse magazine.
What it is how first got started bring us all up to speak.
Okay military spouse of the -- military spouse magazine -- a monthly.
Publication parent publication.
For military spouses of all ranks -- all service says.
We talk about issues friend dated daylight -- hard hitting news -- says.
The publication I was founded shortly after nine less then that in response to a growing need for -- is -- information and -- our military spouses.
In 2006 we began -- military spouse of the year award.
Which is the only -- national merit based award program for all military spouses.
That is so exciting I was reading about some of the criteria for that what is what is the criteria explain to people who -- want to nominate for you know next year.
Well first we encourage all Americans to go to insulate.
Dot military spouse dot com and submit a deserving military spouse between now and January 4.
It said the only merit based award program for all military -- regardless of -- -- service affiliation.
We have branch winners from the army navy air force Marine Corps Coast Guard and a National Guard.
And in each of those -- spouses go on to compete for the overall military spouse of the year award.
Now what we've added this year is an installation -- so every military installation now there will have its own spouse of the year.
Which will they compete for those -- titles.
That is so cool are right in this is this atmosphere very exciting yes visited here this has been going on all right.
So for people who want to pick up this magazine the military spouse magazine.
Obviously there's a lot in there that can help people.
Who have families in the military we'll kind of articles guidance columns can people expect to find when they pick this up.
Anything that relates to military life we talk about raising children in the military navigating military life -- as a single parent.
We also talk about the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell we've talked about military families living on food stamps.
We've talked about anything relating to career choices career advancement for military spouses.
Any news pieces we talked about -- frustration.
We've talked about anything that relates to military day to day life is something that we address in the magazine pages and -- must be so nice for people working people buy this or pick it up.
Military exchanges.
Around the world -- -- series around the world Barnes & Noble borders books and Wal-Mart.
Okay great and what the military what are they saying about the award about the magazine what kind of feedback you get from that.
I was all been positive we've had wonderful support from the Department of Defense.
We've had a great deal of support from the joint chiefs spouses they've been this huge support advocates for us the entire red.
And we're very honored to have that that happened support -- And eat when you talk about the upcoming military spouse of the year award and -- envisioning of grand.
Ballroom where this takes this is there a trophy is there a trip.
Tell us have been a little bit more about the award -- what people can expect if they if they do what.
Sure at the -- itself is is invitation only luncheon and we have members of obviously the bridge winners come with there service spouses we have a lot of Department of Defense said the IP officials that come attend.
And it's it's usually a -- so it's not -- formal light evening affair.
-- we've had it at a number of buildings in Washington DC area but it is always in Washington DC.
We'd bring our branch miners to DC along with their spouses to attend the luncheon.
Precursor to the award luncheon we also have what we call the military spouse of the year alumni luncheon.
Where we bring all of our past -- winners in the past winners together with the current year's winners so that we can share best practices.
Compound on information and knowledge sharing so that we can continue to build the program and all the platforms that these -- winners -- throughout their years.
And that and I understand.
What the magazine aside you are a very sought after.
Speaker succumbed to disagree with the -- families and you've been a lot of variety you've been on of course here Fox News NBC nightly news CBS evening news CNN.
-- time magazine Chicago trillion in New York Times Washington Post the Associated Press could no big deal.
Nice -- points there I'll pick you brain to these two these talks to these articles.
What is -- people are really craving I understand that you know you talk about the the bullet points that we.
Just just spoke but what more do you bring there must be so many questions you get.
We get all kinds of questions a lot of people want to know right now.
What we feel about the topic of sex restriction and how our families are preparing to deal without potential.
We -- anything its military related diet seems like in the last five or six years -- the news in general have really stepped up and I offered to include our perspective.
On the issues which we're very grateful for that.
Because I think it brings up a level of humanity to the stories that I think has -- it may -- didn't exist before.
So it's a really great chance for people to hear from the military perspective -- it particularly the military spouse perspective.
That is so excellent and what I -- and you have you have a history yourself tells -- we asked you how the magazine started as several years ago but you come you come to the plate here with a lot of knowledge because this has been your life -- It has -- been somebody's last for my dad my entire life.
My father is retired army and I'm married into the eighty.
I'm also my hat my my husband has a better and my man my brother is a veteran my uncle is a -- -- But my grandfathers are veterans and three of my great grandfathers are veterans wow well that's terrific well I look forward to hearing more from UN hearing about the how the military spouse awards go and of course we want encourage everyone.
Let's let's go through how ways people can find you on the web site which is www.
Based guide dot com.
Correct yes that is that's the perfect location to finance.
If you're going to nominate and insulate -- military spouse dot com.
And again now we can't encourage Americans enough to get out there and nominated deserving military spouse all right terrific what terrific to talk too bad that an -- executive editor.
And founder of military spouse magazine an all clear on Twitter as well right.
Everyone's on Twitter half I thought yanks would have still learning whatever well we'll encourage -- will encourage our audience to.
Scoot over and out following you and follow the developments of the magazine in the awards and then -- gradually saint.
On really good work that you're doing thank you so much for being with us here today.
Thank you have a great -- are.
