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.

Tomorrow is the big night. Here are some of the latest links about GI Jill:

The Spectrum: Jill Stevens tries to relax before Miss America finale

Film.com: The Missed Potential of Miss America Reality Check

Davis County Clipper: Next battle for Stevens: Miss America

My Sunshine: Let the Games Begin

The Dougherty Family: There He Is

Utah State VA Blog: Miss Utah not your Stereotypical Pageant Contestant

Karly Staples: Exciting Utah News

worse, the Miss America Pageant.

Southern Utah University reports:

To show appreciation and support for Jill Stevens, a send-off party will take place Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall at the R. Haze Hunter Conference Center. The send-off party is sponsored by SUU Public Relations, Alumni & Friends, administration and SUUSA.

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