Normally I detest beauty pageants. They are usually nothing more than thinly-veiled soft-core voyeurism. The women watch it and say, “Wow, I wish I could be hot like her,” while the men watch it and say, “Wow, I wish I could be inside of her.”
But tonight’s Miss America Pageant contains a tiny slimmer of realism in Miss Utah Jill Stevens. Jill is a former Miss Southern Utah University and Miss Utah. She’s talented and beautiful.
She is also a former Army medic who served in Afghanistan. A soldier, a warrior, a life-saver.
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.
From the Salt Lake Tribune:
Two years into her career as a pageant contestant, Jill Stevens says she still feels more comfortable in combat boots than high heels.
So if Utah’s soldier-turned-beauty queen is feeling at all out of place tonight as she competes in the final round of the Miss America competition, she might just want to sneak a peek at the audience.
Nearly 100 soldiers are expected to be in the crowd at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino - including dozens of Stevens’ fellow National Guard members from neighboring Utah.
Yes, there are bound to be plenty of “hooahs” in the audience tonight. And that’s not the only factor leading to speculation that the Afghanistan war veteran - who most here say is a shoo-in when the 16 finalists are announced tonight - might just walk away whistling “There She Is” to the tune of “The Caissons Song.”
The annual Miss America Pageant will be shown on TLC cable at 8:00pm tonight.
