Subscribe
ARLINGTON, Va. — Who better to represent a military health awareness program than a nurse who doesn't drink or smoke, has run 17 marathons, and has dealt with the stress of war as well as beauty pageant?
Former Miss Utah and Miss America finalist Jill Stevens-Shepherd was introduced as the new spokeswoman for the Army National Guard Decade of Health program at a dinner, Oct. 2.
"When Decade of Health approached me I said, 'How can I not do this?'" said Stevens-Shepherd, who was crowned Miss Utah in 2007 and served eight years in the Utah National Guard. She said that both share the same goal of making people well.
More specifically, she will be the spokeswoman for DoH's Ready and Resilient II campaign set to debut early next year, said DoH's Pat Messer.
DoH (www.decadeofhealth.com) is a 10-year strategic deployability and readiness marketing campaign that believes maintaining Guard force strength and sustaining critical operations rely heavily on healthy, fit Soldiers and family members. The Army Guard Chief Surgeon's office funds and manages the program.
Though her duties have not been finalized, Stevens-Shepherd foresees appearing in public address announcements and using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to spread DoH's messages. She may also be featured in Foundations, a magazine geared for Guard families, GX (Guard Experience) magazine and others.
"I wouldn't mind going around to different units and speak to them and motivate them in any way — I'm open to all possibilities," she said.
Stevens-Shepherd served as a combat veteran on an 18-month tour in Afghanistan from 2004-05 with the 1st Battalion, 211th Aviation.
Since making it to the final 16 at the Miss America Pageant in 2008, "G.I. Jill" separated from the Guard but married her love in January, bought a home, and is a "living the dream" as a critical care nurse in Salt Lake City.
Her speaking engagements total four a month and included being a keynote speaker at a Young Single Adult for Mormons event.
Over the weekend, she manned the DoH booth at the Army-Ten Miler race expo at the D.C. Armory and ran the race in 1 hour, 11 minutes, 28 seconds, saying it was good training for the Marine Corps Marathon later in the month.
Next week, she planned on being a part of a one-week morale tour through Afghanistan, that, she said, may have her "entertaining with pushups or whatever the Soldiers need."
Resilience personified
During the DOH dinner, wounded warriors were also honored, including Spc. Jeremy Pierce, 22, who lost his left leg in a roadside bombing, Aug. 13, in Iraq. He was the first casualty among the 2,600 Oregon National Guard serving a 10-month tour with the 41st Infantry Combat Brigade Team that started in the summer.
He's recuperating at the Mologne House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. He just received his prosthetic leg three days ago, and said the rehab has been tough.
"Just waking up every morning and looking down ... not being able to do the things I used to do as easily," said Pierce, sitting in a wheel chair with his parents nearby. "I look forward to being able to walk by myself without assistance."
Pierce was part of a scout element that was about a kilometer up the road from the main element when he was hit by an explosively formed penetrator.
Pierce said he knew what he was getting into, and "the Army is an outstanding thing for me to be a part of," he said.
He plans to stay in the Guard and wants to earn a bachelor's degree in marketing using his educational benefits.
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 10.07.2009 22:35 |
| Story ID: | 39800 |
| Location: | ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 210 |
| Downloads: | 149 |
This work, Former Miss Utah now spokeswoman for Decade of Health, by MSgt Greg Rudl, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
