An Ohio Army National Guard member from Cleveland is in the running to become the 2009 Miss Ohio USA.

2nd Lt. Elena Gonzalez will compete for the title against more than 50 contestants from throughout the state during a Nov. 20-22 competition at The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts on the Shawnee State University campus in Portsmouth, Ohio. The winner will go on to represent Ohio in the 2009 Miss USA competition on April 19 at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Gonzalez, a native of Euclid near Cleveland, won the opportunity to represent Ohio after winning the title of Miss Euclid USA in July 2008. The competition marked the second such contest for the 23-year-old medical platoon leader and logistic operations officer for the Cleveland-based 237th Brigade Support Battalion. Gonzalez entered her first pageant when she competed for Miss Teen Ohio USA as a high school student in 2003.

A December 2007 graduate of University of Toledo with a bachelor of science degree in biology, Gonzalez enjoyed a full scholarship through the Army ROTC program. She said the military has helped her prepare for the competitions in several ways.

“It’s pushed me to do things that I never would have done in my civilian life, like rappelling or obstacle courses,” Gonzalez said. “It’s definitely been a confidence builder.”

Although Soldiering and competing in pageants might seem an odd mix, Gonzalez said she likes to push the envelope and do the unexpected.

“I like to break stereotypes. You can paint your nails and put on make up and still be a Soldier,” she said. “It has nothing to do with the internal drive for success. The military is just another avenue for success.”

DVIDS

Miss Ohio USA Pageant

The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts
At Shawnee State University
Portsmouth, Ohio

November 20-22, 2008

UPDATE TWO: If you like this story, you may like our continuing series about women in the military.

UPDATE: It appears that Ms Hodge has has a bit of luck. The reigning Miss England got into a fist fight over a man and had to step aside. Our Combat Barbie was up to the challenge and is now the new Miss England.

Step aside Jill Stevens. The Bits have their own beauty queen hero, Katrina Hodge.

A female soldier who once fought off a suspected Iraqi insurgent has won a place in the final of Miss England.

Katrina Hodge, 21, will participate in the contest in July, having already won the Miss Tunbridge Wells crown.

L/Cpl Hodge was nicknamed Combat Barbie in 2005 after being given a bravery commendation for saving the lives of members of her regiment in Iraq.

They were held at gunpoint when their vehicle overturned but L/Cpl Hodge punched the gunman and took his rifles.

She said: “I was in complete shock at first. The force of the accident caused our vehicle to roll over three times and threw us off guard.

“As I came round, the Iraqi suspect was standing over us with the rifles. I knew if I didn’t act fast then our lives would be in danger.

“I punched him and the force startled him enough for me to retrieve the rifles from him.”

BBC

Private Katrina Hodge, 18, wrestled TWO rifles from a prisoner and then floored him with her bare hands.

The amazing act of bravery came after the vehicle they were both travelling in went out of control and crashed.

Clerk Katrina ” given her nickname because of her love of “pink girlie stuff” ” used her Army training to subdue the insurgent as he tried to flee.

She was rewarded with a commendation from the CO of her unit, the 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment.

And last night she said modestly: “I was surprised when I was given the commendation but also very proud of myself ” I don”t think I”ve ever held my head so high.”

The drama happened after Katrina”s unit had searched a house and were taking a suspected rebel fighter back to Shaibah Logistics Base, near Basra, for questioning.

Their vehicle flipped over three times and as the other soldiers lay stunned the suspect grabbed the rifles and ran for it.

Katrina responded instantly ” grappling with him in hand-to-hand combat, restraining him and checking the loaded weapons were safe.

She said: “After the crash everyone was in a state of shock, then I saw the prisoner had the guns.

“I only had a split second but with the adrenalin pumping it was like slow motion.

“For a moment I thought I was going to die, so I screamed at him to give me the rifles.

The Sun
By RICHARD WHITE
and Tony BONNICI

KINGSTON, R.I. (TRADOC News Service, Nov. 3, 2004) – Believe it or not, turning an about-face is really no more difficult in high heels than in combat boots.

“I don’t have any injuries,” Allison Paganetti said matter-of-factly.

To appreciate her ability to execute military facing maneuvers in both types of shoes, you first have to understand why Paganetti has amassed a diverse footwear collection. The new Miss Rhode Island is an Army ROTC cadet with the University of Rhode Island, where she is, military program leaders say, a blossoming leader.

Before the 20-year-old became the state’s representative in October in next year’s Miss USA pageant, the junior from North Kingstown spent two years regularly donning Army fatigues instead of evening gowns and dolling her face with camouflage paint instead of foundation and blush.

Paganetti relishes the life of a cadet and has committed to become an Army officer after graduation in 2006. Despite her passion for pageants and the demands to stay beautiful, she doesn’t shy away from firing rifles, venturing out on field-training exercises and “rolling around in the mud.”

And she’s good at it. Paganetti typically surpasses the maximum score of 300 on the Army physical-fitness test, something she credits to her dedication to keeping her body in shape for being in either the pageant or military spotlight.

“I do everything to ROTC standards,” she said. “I expect to be treated like a cadet. I don’t put anything else in the way.”

Paganetti was crowned Miss Rhode Island Oct. 10, emerging from a field of 41 women. The finals were held at Rhode Island College in Providence.

Paganetti was surprised and overwhelmed when her name was announced, breaking down in tears. She didn’t expect to win. Then again, she never does because she doesn’t want to be disappointed if she comes up short.

This time, of course, she wasn’t disappointed.

“It’s an extreme goal I’ve been working for so long,” Paganetti said. “I was just shocked to make the top 10. … All my hard work has paid off.

“ROTC encourages us to be motivated to have goals. I was just enforcing one of things they were teaching us,” she said.

Judges warmed to Paganetti’s personality, said Elaine Paolo, regional assistant and parents director for the Miss USA competition that oversees Miss Rhode Island.

“When she came out on stage, she was shining,” she said. “She’s one of the most confident girls I’ve seen in a while.”

Lt. Col. Paul Krajeski, who heads Rhode Island’s Army ROTC department, expects Paganetti’s pageantry success will bring the program much-welcome attention.

“I expect it to bring to light our program to people who don’t even know we exist,” he said. “It can also show that cadets are individuals who have their own hobbies and come together as ROTC cadets for a common purpose – service to the nation.”

Krajeski joined the university two years ago when Paganetti began her freshman year. He described her as an emerging leader who will “capably lead our Soldiers someday.”

Krajeski has seen her develop considerably over that time, becoming more mature and exhibiting a great deal of motivation and initiative. She’ll need those qualities to try and juggle the demands of a cadet and of Miss Rhode Island.

But those who know Paganetti, a kinesiology major who also is pursuing a minor in military science, said they believe she will manage to meet all the obligations.

“She knows her priority as a cadet for the school year is to prepare for LDAC (Leader Development and Assessment Course at Fort Lewis, Wash.),” Krajeski said. “The program is committed to her being all she can be at the competition.”

Being a cadet, Paganetti said, is tougher than competing in pageants because of her inexperience with ROTC. She chose to be part of the program because of its reputation for producing leaders by enhancing management and leadership skills and promoting self-motivation.

That’s where she said ROTC has helped in the pageant realm, driving her push for success.

Paganetti, whose grandfathers served in the armed forces, is eagerly anticipating her military service. She’s not sure yet if she’ll make it a career. If she doesn’t, she plans to return the pageant field, possibly training others for competition.

Paganetti is a relative newcomer to pageants. While many begin taking the stage as toddlers and even infants, her career started at age 12 when she decided to live out a dream.

Paganetti relishes the thrill of competition. Her passion for being on stage was not hurt by the fact she quickly found success, finishing in the top four in her first competition and being invited to participate nationally. Her charm, poise and, of course, beauty, have earned her an array of honors and recognition.

Perhaps her most notable crown, before winning Miss Rhode Island, came last year when she was named Miss U.S. Model at a competition in Nashville, in which she beat out women from around the country.

But competing in other pageants, Paganetti said, doesn’t compare to Miss Rhode Island, a qualifier for Miss USA that comes with considerable visibility and an array of prizes. Among them: cash, jewelry and clothes.

She said she wasn’t nervous being on stage with thousands of people in the audience, including friends, family and ROTC cadre cheering her on.

“When I compete, I feel more at ease. I’ve been preparing for so long,” she said. “It was all or nothing for me, so I put everything I had in to doing it correctly.”

That meant spending countless hours performing physical training, conducting mock interviews and practicing public speaking. She trained with her younger sister, with whom she spends considerable time helping her blossoming pageant career. Briana Paganetti, 14, just won Rhode Island’s Miss U.S. Teen Model.

Allison Paganetti’s platform centers on community service. She volunteers with children and the Special Olympics.

“Those are the things that make me happy,” she said.

Meanwhile, trying to juggle the life of a cadet with the responsibilities of Miss Rhode Island will be no easy feat. As a cadet committed to being a future Army officer, she still has classes to attend, projects to tackle and drills to complete. And as Miss Rhode Island, she will be making many appearances, speaking to various groups and, come April, representing her home state on the national stage in Baltimore.

“I push myself as hard in ROTC as I do in the pageant world,” she said.

Paganetti is used to the grind. She runs on little sleep, getting only four or five hours a night. She gets up around 4:30 a.m. to exercise and doesn’t go to bed until about midnight.

The grueling pace can be tiring, but she said it’s worthwhile.

“I was always raised and told that if you don’t have time, you make time,” Paganetti said. “If that means taking hours out of my sleep, that’s something I have to do.”

For now, many of those waking hours are spent preparing. No Miss USA contestant from Rhode Island has won the competition since it began in the early 1950s. And only Miss Rhode Island 1973 finished in the top five.

State pageant organizers say that could change with Paganetti. She has the looks, the talent and the charisma to win.

But Paganetti, as usual, isn’t building up herself mentally.

“Whatever happens, happens,” she said.

U.S. Army
By Steve Arel/Eastern Region ROTC Public Affairs

When Allison Paganetti joined the Army Reserve Officers Training Program (ROTC) at the University of Rhode Island, her fellow cadets kidded her. Is it true, they asked, that you compete in beauty pageants?

“I pushed myself to the limit during physical training to avoid being stereotyped,” says the sophomore who was crowned Miss U.S. Model this summer. “I think they were really surprised.”

The 19-year-old exercise science major has always been athletic. She runs track and plays some field hockey. A former cheerleader, she now coaches a pre-teen varsity cheerleading league in her hometown of North Kingstown. The team won the state championship last year.

She’s competed in beauty pageants since sixth grade. “I got a pageant flyer in the mail,” she recalls. “Since I was such a tomboy, I thought it would be fun to compete. When I placed in the finals, I decided to enter more contests.” Paganetti has competed in numerous competitions including the Miss Pre-Teen Rhode Island , Miss Pre-Teen USA, Miss Teen Rhode Island (twice), Miss Providence, and the Miss Rhode Island Model contests.

Winning a national title took Paganetti and her 13-year-old sister Briana by surprise. Paganetti only entered the Miss U.S. Model contest so that she could accompany Briana to Tennessee so that she could compete for Miss Young Teen Model.

Paganetti’s decision to join ROTC was influenced by the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

“Many of my friends joined the Marines. I knew I needed to do something.”

Another influence was her grandfathers, both of whom had served in the armed forces.

“The program was hard for me at first,” she says. “I was completely lost. But then, everything came together.”

She says her best friends are the other cadets. “I’m learning to become a leader. I can better manage my time and myself since being in the program,” says the woman who commutes to campus each day, attends classes, studies between them, coaches cheerleading, and scoops ice cream at the Newport Creamery in North Kingstown —something she has done since she was 15.

Her older brothers, Dave and Rob, like to tease her when she’s in her Army uniform. “I know they only do it because they are proud of me,” she says.

She doubts she will be competing in more pageants or visiting many cities wearing her Miss U.S. Model crown next summer since she will have Army commitments.

Told that the cadets once visited Gettysburg, the model soldier recalls visiting that famous Civil War battleground with her family. “I remember re-enacting Pickett’s charge with my brothers,” she says with a smile. “I was leading.”

University of Rhode Island

As the reigning Miss Utah and as a combat medic who has deployed to Afghanistan with her National Guard unit, Sgt. Jill Stevens said her experiences as a soldier have helped her in her civilian life.

In an interview on the “ASY Live” program on BlogTalkRadio.com, Stevens said her experience from November 2003 to April 2005 taking care of up to 40 patients on any given day at the Bagram Air Base medical aid station gave her the determination and adaptability that are paramount to her success in other aspects of her life.

“Being a solider, you are really trained to adapt to any situation,” she said, “and it has really prepared me for civilian life.”

Stevens, who serves in the Utah National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment, joined the National Guard in 2001. She said her military life and her civilian life aren’t as different as some people might think.

“A lot of people think these paths are so different and that I live a dichotomy, but there’s a reason I am involved in both organizations,” she said. “Both the military and the Miss America Association promote education [and] teach you to be a leader, think on your feet and stay in shape and, above all, to serve your country,” she said.

During her service in Afghanistan, Stevens said, she developed a great deal of pride for her country, particularly for the women who serve in the military. During her deployment, she competed in the inaugural marathon race at Bagram and was the first woman to finish. Stevens now has completed 14 marathons, and she said the one in Afghanistan “was one of the toughest.”

“Here I was a woman, running in a country where women were mistreated, defiled and oppressed. … I was angered as I was running, but at the same time proud — proud to be not only an American woman but an American soldier fighting for their worth,” she said.

She said she thought of Afghanistan’s women every step of the way, and it carried her to the finish line.

“We are making a difference,” she said. “I know these women are realizing their worth, and some are taking a stand to determine their place in the world.”

During her deployment, Stevens said, it was important to keep morale high for the continued strength of the force.

“I was there to take care of the physical injuries,” she said, “but I also really saw the emotional side. I saw firsthand that keeping the morale high really helps our soldiers perform better.”

“ASY Live” on BlogTalkRadio.com is part of the Defense Department’s America Supports You program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad. Stevens recalled the touches from home that helped her most during her deployment.

“Thoughtful gifts meant a lot to me — favorite foods or an encouraging e-mail was great, [because] it meant so much that they took time to think about me,” she explained. She took the importance of boosting morale a step further with her own personal cause to encourage her fellow servicemembers.

“Since we had electricity over there, I was like, ‘Mom, send me a bread machine!’ she said. “Whenever I heard they were having a rough day, I baked bread for the soldiers … just to boost their spirits.”

Another important memory of her deployment, Stevens said, was the opportunity to interact with local children despite the language barrier.

“You speak different languages; you’ve grown up in really different cultures,” she said. “We would communicate with the kids by smiling and making funny faces.”

Back in the United States after her deployment, Stevens acknowledged, she had the wrong idea about pageants before she got involved in that aspect of her life.

“All I thought these girls did was just wave their hand and look pretty, and that was not something I wanted to be associated with,” she said.

That was before she learned that pageant titleholders can make a difference by their ability to serve as spokeswomen and form organizations. “I love to serve, I love to give back,” she said. “That’s why I am a soldier and a nurse.”

The realization that a pageant title could help her make a difference, Stevens said, is when she “learned how to put on make-up instead of camouflage paint.”

Stevens said she was impressed by the support she received from other soldiers when she decided to pursue the Miss America title.

“I have brothers and sisters around the world that are so supportive, and I know that whatever it is, they’ve got your back,” she said.

During her pageant, she recalled, 100 soldiers were in the audience, cheering her on. “I didn’t know half of them,” she said, “but they came to support another soldier.

This continued support from her “family” of servicemembers is now an important part of who she is and will help keep her focused toward her next goal, said Stevens, who will hold her Miss Utah title until July.

“There is so much negative publicity on the news today, and optimism is important,” she said. Looking forward, Stevens said, she will rely on her military experience and connection to maintain her optimism and carry her into her next endeavor.

“Wherever you go, if you wear the uniform or sport the military ID card, you connect with people immediately,” she said. “I know that will always be a part of me.”

DoD
By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service

Salt Lake Tribune

There she is, Miss . . . Stevens.
Jill Stevens, the Utah tomboy turned combat medic turned beauty queen, was unable to take another improbable turn into the Miss America crown Saturday night. That honor went to Kirsten Haglund, 19, of Michigan, a more conventional contestant for the stately 87-year-old institution.
But Stevens’ journey to the competition may nonetheless be a clue to how Americans have come to see veterans – and female veterans in particular.
The 24-year-old Utah National Guard soldier, who served a tour of duty in Afghanistan, didn’t make it to a spot on the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino stage alongside 15 other contestants in spite of her veteran’s status, but rather because of it – as an alternate finalist chosen by the viewers of the TLC cable series “Miss America: Reality Check.”
Stevens, a native of Kaysville, had long acknowledged that she didn’t quite fit the model of a pageant queen. A marathon runner and the only contestant to choose a one-piece suit for what is billed as a the “fitness” portion of the competition, she answered to her elimination by dropping to the stage for a set of push-ups, to the cheers of thousands in the audience, including scores of fellow members of the Utah National Guard.

She did not take the competition as seriously as various judges wanted. She was modest and funny and, worst of all, not one of the “cool” kids. She did us proud, and we want her to know that.