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National Guard Medic to Represent Utah at Miss America Pageant . . . Sgt. Jill Stevens of the Utah National Guard in her Soldiers magazine cover shot. Miss Utah Jill Stevens will have a combat boot up on the competition next month when she dons her pageant gown in Las Vegas.Stevens, a contestant in the 2008 Miss America pageant, is also a sergeant in the Utah National Guard's 1st Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment.But touting her slogan "Lock and Load," it's clear she's not your average beauty contestant. In fact, it wasn't until she was recruited for the Miss Southern Utah...

Soldier Journals Her Run at Miss America Nov 19, 2007 BY Beth Reece Sgt. Jill Stevens of the Utah National Guard is a top contender for the 2008 Miss America competition, which takes place Jan. 26. Catch print and video coverage of Sgt. Stevens' journey through pageantry and the Army's ranks at www.army.mil/gijill Photo by Beth Reece WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 19, 2007) - One of the Army's own will take a shot at the "Miss America 2008" title Jan. 26 in Las Vegas and a new Army Web site that goes live today will follow her progress. A...

Jill Stevens can look like a tough and gritty soldier one day and a beauty queen the next. Family photoJill Stevens spent a year in Afghanistan with the Guard in 2004-05.Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning NewsJill Stevens is crowned Miss Utah by last year's winner, Katie Millar, at the Capitol Theatre last week. As a sergeant in the Utah National Guard, she's a combat medic who spent a year in Afghanistan patching up injured troops back in 2004 and 2005. This past Friday, the 24-year-old self-described "electric" person, nicknamed "Smiles," was crowned Miss Utah. "It's still settling in," Stevens said...