“Obviously she is bright and attractive, but most important, she’s a terrific soldier.”
Maj. Gen. Brian Tarbet
Adjutant General of the Utah National Guard
On the Crowning of Jill Stevens as Miss Utah
July 2, 2007
Miss Utah “GI Jill” Stevens needs your vote to help her win Miss America in Atlantic City this Saturday, January 26, 2008.
You can vote for “GI Jill” at the Miss America TLC website— HERE.
Voting will be open on www.tlc.com/missamerica beginning on Friday, January 4, 2008 at 11:00pm Eastern Standard Time and will end on Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 3:00am Eastern Standard Time. There is a one (1) vote per person per day limit during the Voting Period. The Miss America contestant who receives the most eligible and verified votes during the Voting Period and who is not already included as a top 15 finalist in the Miss America Pageant, as chosen by the Miss America Pageant judges (“Top 15”), will be chosen to become the “16th finalist” in the Miss America Pageant.
Here’s more on Miss Utah Jill Stevens…
Miss Utah, Jill Stevens, an Army medic who served in Afghanistan made the rounds recently at Walter Reed.
Army.mil reported:
“To me this was an opportunity to give back,” Sgt. Stevens said during her visit to the hospital. She was accompanied by Sharlene Wells Hawkes, Miss America 1985, and William A. Chatfield, director of Selective Service.
Sgt. Stevens, a self-described “tomboy,” participated in the Miss Southern Utah University pageant because, “I just wanted to do something feminine.” She adapted well, learned to put on makeup and to walk in high heels. She won, and finished third in the Miss Utah 2006 pageant. She was convinced to try again, and was crowned Miss Utah 2007 at the state pageant in June. She will compete against the other Miss America 2008 finalists at the national pageant in Las Vegas Jan. 28, 2008.
“I loved the challenge,” Sgt. Stevens said of participating in the pageants. “After getting into this I realized what this organization (Miss America) brought, why I’m in the military and the link between the Miss America organization and the military.”
Sgt. Stevens said that her fellow contestants appreciate having a combat medic among their ranks and she enjoys incorporating her military life into the pageant world.
“It’s kind of fun,” she said. “Whenever girls get injured walking in high heels they yell, ‘medic!’ and I come running. I say, ‘Grab your battle buddy’ whenever we go anywhere as a group…We do pushups in evening gowns!“
As far as she has traveled as a beauty contest winner, she has traveled even farther as a Soldier. In 2004, she deployed with the 211th Aviation Group to Afghanistan, where she spent one year caring for sick and injured Soldiers. After her return stateside, Sgt. Stevens completed her nursing degree and passed her board examinations to become a registered nurse.
She plans to use her new nursing credentials as an Army nurse, having submitted a application to become a commissioned officer…
** Miss Utah Jill Stevens talked about the good work the troops are doing in Afghanistan earlier last year on FOX News– VIDEO HERE.
Photos from Pageant News and Deseret News.
Sgt. Jill Stevens, Miss Utah 2007 visits with Staff Sgt. John Faulkenberry an infantryman from Midland, Texas, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Oct. 24. (Army.mil)
Previously:
Miss Utah- Sgt. Jill Stevens- Talks About Her Deployment to Afghanistan (Video)
Two US Heroes– An Injured Soldier & A Beauty Queen Re-Enlist
Miss Utah Jill Stevens Awarded Combat Medic Badge
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