Really?? Sign of things getting quite off track at the academies.
From Task & Purpose: The women who wear the crowns of the two premiere U.S. beauty pageants are now both active-duty service members after Army 2nd Lt. Alma Cooper, a West Point graduate and intelligence officer, was crowned Miss USA on Sunday.
Cooper’s title comes eight months into the reign of Air Force 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh as Miss America. Both graduated from their respective service academies in 2023.
“Lt. Cooper’s accomplishments are truly inspiring and a testament to her discipline and work ethic,” said Army Col. Terence M. Kelley, director of communications for the U.S. Military Academy. “Her selection as Miss USA is a great example to young people about the importance of character and the opportunities of military service.”
An honor graduate from West Point, Cooper used her personal statement in the pageant to highlight her journey to the Army.
“As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro Latina woman and an officer of the United States Army, I am living the American dream,” she told the pageant’s judges on Sunday. “If there’s anything that my life and my mother have taught me, it’s that your circumstances never define your destiny: You can make success accessible through demanding excellence.” . . . .
. . . As a cadet, Cooper served as the brigade adjutant at West Point, for which she led and implemented accountability systems for 4,400 cadets in emergencies. She also traveled the country with West Point’s Leadership, Ethics, and Diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), during which she led STEM modules and discussions about ethical leadership with middle school and high school students.
Her undergraduate thesis focused on how body mass index – a measurement of body fat based on a person’s height and weight – is connected to the Army’s recent recruiting challenges.
“To be a woman of color in that situation was challenging,” Cooper recalled in the video. “It was incredibly rewarding to find moments to elevate the voices of other minority high-potential cadets.” . . . (read more)
Comments on the article:
“Man, the Army (and USAF) have really different career paths than the Navy. I was never even advised that being in a beauty pageant was option; I was just told to get my butt to a ship.”
“Why are we letting academy graduates – who are supposed to be the military’s key contributors to the flag ranks – to go on these silly side show distractions? Don’t we want these folks to be the leaders of dedicated war fighters for the next couple decades – and not glorified support staff given plenty of time off to engage in PR junkets?”
“I guess with war in Europe, war in the Levant, war in the Middle East, war in Africa, Cold War in Asia and strife and unrest in Latin America and throughout the globe it’s nice to have a little diversion once in a while. So congrats. Now ditch the tiara and put your OCPs on and get back to work defending our nation.”
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