In a historical first, a service member has won the Miss America Pageant. Social media is abuzz with news that Madison Marsh is the first service member to win the Miss America Pageant. Viewing videos appeared all over social media as other female service members watched the results live, sharing a live view of their excitement and joy for their fellow service member. A Second Lieutenant in the Air Force and recent graduate of the Air Force Academy, Madison Marsh represented Colorado for the Miss America Pageant. She was crowned Miss Academy in 2023, representing the Air Force Academy. This crown made her eligible to compete for the Miss Colorado title, which she also won in 2023.

Per an interview, she desired to participate in pageants when she saw her cousin compete, stating, “Along the way, I’ve learned all of the leadership opportunities and especially what I can do as Miss America.” She had competed for the Miss Colorado title three times.

The Lieutenant has been flying since age 15 and received her pilot license a year later. Her love of flight led to her joining the Air Force, which is a natural progression of that love in conjunction with a desire to serve her country.  She graduated with a degree in astrophysics from the academy in 2023.

She credits the Air Force with supporting her to compete in the pageant, noting that she learned certain skills at the academy and supporting her in attending Harvard while still on active duty.  Second Lieutenant Marsh is a graduate student at the Harvard Business School pursuing a Master of Public Policy, with a planned completion date in 2025.

In addition to a love of flying and pageantry, she founded the Whitney Marsh Foundation in honor of her mother, who passed away from pancreatic cancer when 2nd Lt. Marsh was just 17 years old. The foundation raises funds for cancer research while raising awareness and prevention for pancreatic cancer.

She has said in several interviews that her goal is to break stereotypes – stereotypes for military members, for female military members in the roles, and for their goals. “As a young woman in the military, as I’ve said, I believe being the first military member breaks all these boundaries about allowing women to do both. Fifteen years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to receive the position I am in now as a military member receiving the position of pilot… I think those women stepping into that role broke it for me and … being able to be Miss America and a military member breaks all those stereotypes.” She stated further she wants young women to see “they can do anything that they want.”

You can follow her tour as Miss America on their official social media pages.

You may have seen an ad for a deal on a new gym membership, gym equipment, or perhaps nutritional supplements in the last few weeks. January is the month of “new year, new you” themes, and many individuals see the start of the new year as the start of a unique opportunity. There is a simplicity to starting over in the new year – it’s a precise time marker, and it is easy to monitor the progress. However, starting a new movement in exercise is not easy to establish. It takes about two months to form a habit, with nearly half of the people who made resolutions usually quitting by the end of January, so there is not enough time to develop the habit of new exercise or movement. Adding exercise or movement into daily life is a way to get around fatigue. If it is part of the everyday life, it becomes a habit much easier. Add these activities to your life to impart and build healthy habits in the new year – no gym membership is required.

1. Walk in the evening instead of watching TV. With the boom of streaming, our shows are at our fingertips whenever you need them – no need to watch the show when the cable guide says it is on.
2. Squats while brushing teeth. This one may seem strange, but you have to brush your teeth each day, so do it while squatting for 20 seconds, and increase the time to eventually the full two minutes. Or do isometric squats while brushing your teeth.
3. Stretches when walking upstairs – take the stairs two at a time if you are physically capable. 
4. Take the stairs over the elevator – even if it is two flights. It may be cumbersome if you haven’t been physically active in the prior year, but it will become easier with time, and you may welcome the physical changes.
5. Park further away when driving to the store. This forces a longer walk, making it easier to get in some steps without much variation in what you are doing.
6. Walk to stores if possible. This isn’t always doable depending on where you live, but walking to the store is a two-fold activity – it allows for exercise and time to converse with family undistracted, but it also forces you to carry everything you purchase. Walking to the store can limit unnecessary purchases and provide little weight training.
7. Desk push-ups. Chances are that if you are working, you are working at a desk. Break up the monotony with desk push-ups. Stand a few feet away from your desk, place your hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of the desk, and do push-ups. Aim for three sets of 10-15 push-ups. If you have had recent surgery or mobility issues, consult your medical provider before adding this to your daily routine.
8. Seated Leg Lifts – again, something to do while seated at work. While sitting at your desk or on a chair, lift one leg straight out in front of you and hold for a few seconds. Lower it back down and switch legs. Do three sets of 10 lifts on each leg. Set a timer or alarm (if your cell phone is allowed in your workspace) to do every hour or two, as your schedule allows.
9. Jumping Jacks – Waiting for the coffee to brew? Making some tea? Or perhaps warming up your lunch – add some jumping jacks! You may look silly to coworkers or inspire a movement of moving.
10. Planks – Another one you can add when waiting for the coffee to brew or tea to steep in the morning. It is probably not one to do at work unless you have the space to do it. Make it a challenge with a family member or coworker, depending on where you do it.

The point of daily movement is just that – moving daily. Find opportunities to add stretches, exercises, and movement into everyday life. Once you do this frequently, it will become a habit and won’t even feel like forced exercise. These little changes may open the path to doing more physical activity, which has improved mental function and strengthened bones and muscles, not to mention managing weight and reducing the risk of disease. Are you making changes in the new year?

Nineteen hundred and three soldiers were discharged from the Army for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and were not given an exemption. Those soldiers were discharged for “disobeying a lawful order,” as the order required all military personnel to get COVID-19 vaccinations unless exemptions were made. The exemptions included religious, administrative, and medical. Congress passed the NDAA in 2022 and repealed the mandatory COVID vaccination mandate. That meant anyone could refuse the COVID-19 vaccination, with or without an exemption. That didn’t help those who were already separated from service.

Army spokesman Bryce Dube stated in a NY Post article, “As part of the overall COVID mandate rescission process mandated by Congress, the Army this month mailed the letters to approximately 1,900 individuals who had previously been separated.” Within the letter, the soldiers were invited to return to an Army recruitment office to reapply for service. In addition, the letter provided information on how the soldier could have the previous discharge record corrected.

When the military members refused the vaccine and were classified as “disobeying the lawful order,” they were discharged with other than honorable or general discharge. These discharge classifications would not allow the use of benefits like the GI Bill if earned. The GI Bill benefit providing financial educational assistance is often a benefit that those who join for four years have specifically joined for. For those not wanting to return to service, the letter reminded discharged soldiers that they could have their records corrected. Per the Army Review Boards Agency, a correction can be made to records when the discharge was “an error or unjust.” Furthermore, “If the former Soldier can provide evidence that their discharge character or reason for discharge issued in the last 15 years is erroneous or unjust, the former Soldier can apply to the Army Discharge Review Board for a discharge review and request that their RE code be changed according to the correct reason for discharge.”

The letter is not a surprising move. By September 2023, the Army only brought in 55,000 new recruits – short of their 65,000-recruit goal for fiscal year 2023. While there are not 10,000 vaccine refusers, returning discharged soldiers may undoubtedly change the appeal of serving in the Army. In 2022, the Army’s recruitment goal included 60,000 recruits, bringing in 45,000. Per US Army Recruiting Command, the Army recruited 57,606 recruits, meeting its goal of 57,500. Per the Associated Press, 19 soldiers have returned to service in the Army of the 1900 sent letters, and the Army is expecting more to return. Despite COVID-19 vaccination changes, recruiting challenges remain for the all-volunteer military force, with 50% of youth knowing little to nothing about military service and a declining veteran population with only 1% of the American population serving. For the Army, almost 80% of those who join have a family member who served in military service, so the declining veteran population impacts their new recruits.

Time will tell what the impact of rescinding the COVID mandate for Army recruitment will have. In the meantime, the Army continues to address recruitment challenges with its rebranding and increase in recruitment efforts.

The Navy-Army football game is anticipated year-round by service members, their families, and avid college football fans alike. The game is likened to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; it is anticipated and watched worldwide during the holiday season. What started the annual game between West Point’s Black Nights and the Navy Midshipmen of the Naval Academy?

History of West Point

The United States Military Academy at West Point was first known as Fort Arnold. After Benedict Arnold’s famous betrayal during the Revolutionary War, the location became known as Fort Clinton. It officially became the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1802. West Point welcomes around 1200 new cadets each year and about 1,000 cadets graduate. Upon graduation, the cadets attend the Basic Officer Leader Course and then study their branch-specific material aligning with their occupational specialty.

History of the Naval Academy

Annapolis served as Army Post Fort Severn before Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft established the school on October 10, 1845. When the school opened, it hosted 50 students. Like West Point, about 1200 midshipmen are accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy each year, with approximately 1,000 graduating at the end of the four years. Unique to the Academy, midshipmen can choose between serving in the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Marines, as the Marines are a branch of the U.S. Navy in their last year at the Academy. After graduation, the Ensigns (USN) or 2nd Lieutenants (USMC) attend their military occupational specialty (MOS) school.

The Game

Since the game was first played in 1890, it has become a long-standing tradition at the end of the year. Since the end of World War II, the game has been televised. CBS has a broadcasting agreement with teams through 2028 to play the game on the second weekend in December.

The game itself is not like other football games. Everyone playing on the field is willing to serve their country outside the game field. In honor of that service, before the game, there are demonstrations by the Green Berets and Navy Seals and military flyovers showcasing the precision and might of the United States Military. As the Commander-in-Chief of the military, the president is invited to attend the game. Historically, ten U.S. Presidents have attended the game, including Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

The game is hosted in various locations, with most of the games hosted in Philadelphia as a halfway point between Annapolis and West Point. From 2023 to 2028, the game will rotate to five different cities – Foxborough, Massachusetts; Landover, Maryland; Baltimore, Maryland; East Rutherford, New Jersey; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

While only for some years, the game is used for each team to show off new uniforms in honor of events. For the 2023 game, the Army debuted jerseys and helmets explicitly designed to honor the “Iron Soldiers” of the 1st Armored Division as part of the 80th anniversary of Operation Torch, a critical Allied invasion of North Africa during World War II. At the same game, the Navy team honored the 54 Naval Academy grads who have become astronauts with a uniform born of the partnership between the Academy and NASA.

Of the 123 games, the Navy has won 62 times, and the Army has won 54 times. The U.S. Navy had the longest winning streak from 2002 to 2015.

Is it really a rivalry?

During the weeks up to the game, Soldiers hang “Go Army, Beat Navy” signs from their cars, residences, and businesses. The same goes for Sailors and Marines with their “Go Navy, Beat Army” signs. In the end, it is all in good fun and jest. The service members and retirees get together in homes, bars, and restaurants and at the game themselves to watch the fantastic skills of individuals who have committed to giving their all for their country. In the end, it’s a time when these two military academies are highlighted for their skills both on and off the football field. In the spirit of the game – Go Army, Go Navy!