On behalf of our veteran community, Got Your Six united notables from film, military, medical, political, and television communities in an event held at the National Geographic Grosvenor Auditorium in DC on January 30. "Got your six" is a military term, based on the positions of the hands of a clock, that means “got your back”.  It is also the name of this campaign uniting nonprofit, Hollywood, and government partners concerned by the extreme portrayal of veterans in media as either homeless or heroes.  Got Your Six advocates the portrayal of the military community- including service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers -as integral parts of our wider communities. The misconceptions and stereotypes our returning veterans face have always created a civilian and military divide. Veterans feel they are often objects of pity instead of respect. Got Your Six believes in the vision of veterans as leaders, team builders, and problem solvers who have the skills to unite and strengthen communities nationally and globally.

For this reason, Got Your Six is launching a “6 Certified” program to recognize film and television programming that portrays veterans and the military community accurately and responsibly, in a more normalized representation.  It is expected that the first film to receive the “6 Certified” designation will be the recently released “American Sniper," telling the story of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history. His struggles to reintegrate into family and civilian life after deployments, and his efforts to help other returning soldiers are the core of this story. It's also the story of Kyle’s family, his wife Taya and their two children.  

The Got Your Six event included First Lady Michelle Obama as the keynote speaker, on behalf of her Joining Forces Initiative, which also brings attention to the unique experiences and strengths of America’s service members, veterans, and their families.  Familiar with the stories of the struggles that military families face, Mrs. Obama spoke of their “complex moral decisions and the stresses of maintaining family ties and love.”  She called for increased civilian understanding of what it means to wear the uniform and her hopes that Got Your 6 efforts will make the transition home a little easier for our veterans.

A panel discussion centered on the premise that storytelling is the most powerful communication to create understanding. To bridge the civilian/military divide, Got Your Six is promoting the expansion of public knowledge of the military experience through positive programming in popular culture.  “As content creators, we have an incredible opportunity to shape perceptions surrounding veterans and military families, who are important assets to our communities,” said Greg Silverman, president of creative development and worldwide production at Warner Bros.

Other members of the Got Your Six discussion panel included Bruce Cohen, Producer (Silver Linings Playbook); Bradley Cooper, Actor (American Sniper); Sarah Schechter, President of Berlanti Productions; Lori McCreary, President of the Producers Guild of America; and Stephanie Drachkovitch, Co-Founder of 44 Blue Productions (The True Story of Black Hawk Down and Married to the Military: Alaska).