Sarah Blansett

Sarah Blansett creates cultural and lifestyle content for the military audience and their families. A Regular contributor to the Off-Duty section and Under the Radar, she leverages her two decades of service as a Navy Public Affairs Officer and retired Commander to shine a light on all things funny, entertaining and germane to the military experience. Sarah also works closely with Veterans Service Organizations and non-profits in the military and veteran spaces to surface important information on how those entities are serving the community and how military and veteran audience can connect with them.

Email: sarah.blansett@monster.com

Latest Articles

A spectator of the Leonardtown Veterans Day Parade holds a small American flag after the parade in downtown Leonardtown, Md. Nov. 11, 2016. (U.S. Navy photo/Patrick Gordon)

Military Appreciation and Giving Back to Veterans on Veterans Day

Veterans Day is also a day where Americans can work with organizations who support the military, veterans and their families.

TRICARE Retiree Dental Program Ending - Retirees Have New Dental and Vision Choices

The change from TRICARE to FEDVIP may be overwhelming at first, but users will find they have many options for both their den...

Active Duty Military Families Now Have Access to Vision Coverage

Military families will be able to sign up for a vision plan this fall through FEDVIP. Aetna's FEDVIP plans offer in-network c...

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen can't keep a straight face during "Operation Steadfast Jazz."

Worst Military Operation Names EVER

Some operation names in military history were, well…lacking.

Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester stands at attention before receiving the Silver Star. (U.S. Army/Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp)

5 Truly Badass Female Veterans

Veterans Day is the perfect time to pause and recognize all who served with honor. But we can’t help using the opportunity to...

A transitioning soldier gets advice from a company recruiter at a Hire Our Heroes job fair.

Celebrating "National Hire a Veteran Day": Career Fair for Veterans

July 25 is National Hire a Veteran Day -- read on for more details on the day, and resources on veteran careers for transitio...

U.S. Military Purple Heart medal. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Dennis Sloan)

What to Do If You Find a Purple Heart

What should you do if you find a Purple Heart medal? This organization can help.

It’s Almost 4th of July: Here Are the Movies You Need to Watch This Week

They may be untraditional, but these movies are perfect for celebrating our FREEDOM!

Here's Some Other Stuff That Happened on July 4

July 4 is like a magnet for big deal events

Over 1,800 Soldiers attending AIT at Fort Huachuca departed for Holiday Block Leave on Dec. 18, 2017. (Photo Credit: Randall Baucom/U.S. Army)

4 Things All Troops Hear When Going On Holiday Leave

Remember when going on leave for the holidays got you a hearty "have fun!" from your fellow military personnel or command? Th...

Tom Hanks as "Forrest Gump." (Paramount Pictures)

Here Are the Top 4 Military Moments From 'Forrest Gump' (Now on 4K!)

The 1995 Best Picture winner has just been reissued in 4K UHD and we've made a list of the top four military moments from "Fo...

The Long, Greasy Climb to the Top

Ah, spring…when the sun shines upon our skin and a thousand or so of United States Naval Academy plebes try to climb a grease...

How to Write an Email in the Civilian Business World

So we sat down with author Danny Rubin and asked some of the questions veterans face when wondering what to write in a civili...

Mystery Military Photos from the Kennedy Years

The National Archives is looking for help identifying people in several photos taken during John F. Kennedy’s presidency.

Spartan Race Returns to Military Locations in 2018

Spartan will host their 2018 “Honor Series” races with sponsor USAA at four military installations and three satellite locati...

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Most Popular Military News

The Sea Hunter, a 132-foot-long self-driving ship, made history by traveling from San Diego to Hawaii's Pearl Harbor and back again without sailors aboard to guide its way. DARPA photo

A Navy Ship Sailed to Hawaii and Back With No One on Board

When the Navy christened the Sea Hunter in 2016, officials said it could change the nature of U.S. maritime operations.

In this Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, file photo, members of the U.S. military install multiple tiers of concertina wire along the banks of the Rio Grande near the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge at the U.S.-Mexico border, in Laredo, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

These Military Construction Projects Could Be Cut to Fund a Border Wall

"Some generals thinks this is more important," Trump said of funding a wall rather than military construction projects.

The official greeting party stand by on the flightline as the president, first lady and their family depart on Air Force One from Joint Base Andrews, Md., June 29, 2018. (Tech. Sgt. Robert Cloys/U.S. Air Force)

If This Plane Could Talk: A US President's Plane Rests in Georgia

The jet that served as Air Force One during the Johnson Administration sits at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Ga.

In this Feb. 14, 2018, file photo, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., speaks on Capitol Hill, in Washington. D.C. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

Duckworth Says Senate Has Enough Votes to Rescind Trump's National Emergency

Sen. Tammy Duckworth says her colleagues are prepared to block President Trump's declaration of a national emergency.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed, left, and Adm. John Aquilino, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, watch as the crew of the Navy's newest littoral combat ship, USS Tulsa (LCS 16), brings the ship to life during the ship's commissioning ceremony. LCS 16 is the second Navy combat ship named after Tulsa, the second largest city in Oklahoma. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jacob I. Allison/U.S. Navy)

USS Tulsa Commissioned as the US Navy's Newest Warship

The USS Tulsa was commissioned on Saturday at a pier in San Francisco.

Latest Military Videos

Army News

BAE Systems' Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle will replace the Army’s M113 vehicle. BAE Systems Inc. photo

Planning Advances for Army’s Rugged New Personnel Carrier

The Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle will replace the Vietnam War-era M113 armored personnel carrier.

Guardsmen with the 207th Engineer Utilities Detachment, with UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter transportation support from 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment, participate in Arctic skills training in Snowhawk Valley near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, on Feb. 9, 2019. The Army has contracted with Raytheon Co. to supply new aviation radios. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Michael Risinger)

Army Taps Raytheon to Build Enhanced Radios for Black Hawks, Apaches

ARC-231A are "software-defined" so they can be rapidly updated without requiring the radio to be removed from the aircraft.

A U.S. Army soldier with the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team delivers the American flag at the beginning of the 2018 Atlantic City International Airshow “16th Annual Thunder Over The Boardwalk” at Atlantic City, N.J., Aug. 22, 2018. (New Jersey National Guard photo/Mark C. Olsen)

Injured Army Golden Knight Released from Hospital

The U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team plans to resume training on Tuesday.

Navy News

An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to the "Swordsmen" of Strike Fighter Squadron 32, approaches USS Gerald R. Ford's Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching System (EMALS) during flight deck operations on Nov. 6, 2017, as part of testing and evaluations on the ship. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Ruiz)

Navy's Maintenance Boss Defends New Supercarrier Despite Tech Bugs

The Navy is working through a series of problems that have left the Ford behind schedule and over budget.

Seabee divers with Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 2 Construction Dive Detachment (CDD) Alpha prepare to descend at a work site at Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on May 13, 2016. (U.S. Navy combat camera photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Charles E. White)

Navy Won’t Resurrect Decommissioned Ships for 355-Fleet Buildup, Admiral Says

Inactive frigates, destroyers and other mothballed vessels won't be making their way back to the fleet, Navy leaders decided.

Florida Man Faces DUI Charges After Crash that Injured 8 Navy Sailors

Authorities say Eric Watt drifted off a street in 2017 and hit a group of Navy sailors from Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Air Force News

820th Base Defense Group Airmen pick up the pace during a Comprehensive Airman Fitness Day ruck march at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Jon an. 25, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Faith Brodkorb)

Air Force Deploy-or-Out Rules Start Now: Here’s How the Policy Works

Former Apollo 17 astronaut Jack Schmitt hands a figurine to President Donald Trump after he signed a policy directive to send American astronauts back to the moon, and eventually Mars, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Dec. 11, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump Signs Directive That Would Place Space Force Within Air Force

The Space Force will fall within the Department of the Air Force if approved by Congress, according to a new directive.

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 317th Airlift Wing walk to waiting family members and friends after stepping off of a C-130J Super Hercules at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Sept. 17, 2018 (U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Mercedes Porter)

Air Force Releases Deploy-or-Out Policy Guidelines

Those who have been unable to deploy for 12 consecutive months will be flagged for separation consideration.

Marine Corps News

Heckler & Koch wrote on Facebook Feb. 19, 2019, "A fresh batch of M27 rifles leaving Georgia headed to the Devil Dogs. If any of you crayon eaters are reading this, please treat them nice, even though we built them to be Marine proof." Heckler & Koch photo via Facebook

Gun Maker Calls Marines 'Crayon Eaters' in Viral Facebook Post

Marines love H&K's rifles, but do they love the company's sense of humor too?

Several hundred injured U.S. Marines and international wounded warrior athletes are set to compete in eight different sports March 2 to March 9 at Camp Pendleton in the Marine Corps Trials. (Courtesy U.S. Marine Corps)

Wounded Warriors to Compete in Marine Corps Trials at Camp Pendleton

The competitions include archery, cycling, rowing, shooting, power lifting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and field, wh...

A U.S. Marine drinks the blood of a king cobra as part of jungle survival training during exercise Cobra Gold at Ban Chan Krem, Feb. 14, 2019, in Chanta Buri, Kingdom of Thailand. (Matthew J. Bragg/Marine Corps)

Marines Guzzle Snake Blood Once Again in Gnarliest Training Exercise

The annual exercise Cobra Gold is not for the faint of heart.

Coast Guard News

The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star breaks ice in McMurdo Sound near Antarctica on Jan. 13, 2018, in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2018, the U.S. military’s contribution to the National Science Foundation-managed U.S. Antarctic Program. Chief Petty Officer Nick Ameen/Coast Guard

Congress Finally Funds New Icebreaker for Coast Guard

The legislation that avoided a second government shutdown included $655 million for a new Coast Guard icebreaker.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans medevaced a 60-year-old man who was experiencing stroke-like symptoms approximately 4 nautical miles south of Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana, April 18, 2017. (Coast Guard imagery courtesy of Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans)

Coast Guard Rescues 2 People, Dog from Louisiana Bay

They were lifted from the marsh and taken to Acadiana Regional Airport.

A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, conducts pre-flight checks before departing the air station, Jan. 8, 2019. The crew embarked on a training flight during which mission system operators practiced using the airplane's camera, radar and other sensory equipment. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Corinne Zilnicki/U.S. Coast Guard))

Coast Guard Teams up with University in Quest for More Pilots

Elizabeth City State University could help the Coast Guard increase its number of pilots.