Miss America - USAFA Grad

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USAFA_DAD_DD23

ArmyVet - USAFA DD 2023
5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
151
Good Morning

Madison Marsh won the title of Miss America. She is a USAFA grad of 2023, Miss Colorado and she is from Arkansas. She is a 2LT waiting for flight training.

Very excited to see her represent the state of Arkansas and the Air Force Academy class of 2023 and the Air Force.
 
... 👏 🥳
... so many moons ago, a classmate (CGSC) was prepping for MR. America. The class was engaged with meals prep, etc. During the contest, 30 extreme super fans showed up.😎
 
Honestly it’s a pretty amazing accomplishment - Madison graduated in ‘23 and is dating our sons best friend from the boxing team so we watched with hope and pride for USAFA last night as she made every cut from 51 to 11 to 5 and then one by one until she was crowned Miss America !! With the workload that USAFA puts on you this is pretty amazing she has accomplished so much already - congrats Madison !!!
 
All I can say is: Awesome!!!
 
My sons class as well 2023. She has done a lot for herself and she’s now doing great things for the Air Force. Seems to have accomplished a lot already and is working on her masters at Harvard now then on to pilot training. She’s gonna make a lot of young girls see you don’t have to be all butchy to go into a service academy. Keep doing you Madi !!
 
I don't normally watch Ms America but Madison is clearly very smart and talented. Should reflect well on USAFA and the AF.
 
My girl loved this... She's hoping all her medical questions are resolved tomorrow. Wants to be fully in anticipation mode. 🤞
 
This person was completing an familiarization orientation flight with the Air Force in a F-16D weeks ago for pilot training (see youtube), somehow is also at Harvard for an advanced degree as a Truman Scholar, engaged at Harvard Med for an internship using AI to detect the same cancer that her mother passed from, president of a foundation that's raised $$$ for the same cancer research cause. Excelled at USAFA And somehow now will fit in the hectic travel/ activity schedule for a year for events / speaking for responsibilities as Miss America. I feel the same awe I did when I learned of the Seal/ MD/ Astronaut leader. What a rock star/ positive role model. I'm amazed when people can redefine what is possible and reach such accomplishment on so many fronts concurrently.
 
There is one BS thing about her story. They keep referring to her as a pilot. She isn't. I don't think she has even gone through UPT yet. She is a 2nd LT and at Harvard getting her masters degree . When exactly would she have gone to pilot training? I don't blame her but the media seems to be making a big deal about her being active duty and a pilot. They even showed her in a fighter. Not sure what plane it was but it was a two-seater and she was sitting in the back. I am not trying to diminish her achievement as she is an academy grad and at Harvard so she is one smart person.
 
Humey said:
There is one BS thing about her story. They keep referring to her as a pilot. She isn't. I don't think she has even gone through UPT yet. She is a 2nd LT and at Harvard getting her masters degree . When exactly would she have gone to pilot training? I don't blame her but the media seems to be making a big deal about her being active duty and a pilot. They even showed her in a fighter. Not sure what plane it was but it was a two-seater and she was sitting in the back. I am not trying to diminish her achievement as she is an academy grad and at Harvard so she is one smart person.
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I thought the same thing on the stories. We have met Madison a few times and our DD graduated with her. She has her Private Pilot's license and took an incentive ride in a jet. They quoted a "Top Gun" fighter pilot but that is a stretch of the truth on the reporters part. Madison has always been real straight forward and upfront on her accomplishments.

I just wished the reporters would have done their due diligence on the facts. Madison is an incredible officer, woman and leader. I am very excited on her future.
 
Humey said:
There is one BS thing about her story. They keep referring to her as a pilot. She isn't. I don't think she has even gone through UPT yet. She is a 2nd LT and at Harvard getting her masters degree . When exactly would she have gone to pilot training? I don't blame her but the media seems to be making a big deal about her being active duty and a pilot. They even showed her in a fighter. Not sure what plane it was but it was a two-seater and she was sitting in the back. I am not trying to diminish her achievement as she is an academy grad and at Harvard so she is one smart person.
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A bit of overlap with the poster above, I'll just share the facts that she did earn her private pilot's license (PPL) while in high school a few years back, so she does technically check the box for her or others to say say "I'm a pilot" / She's a pilot. She can take single engine craft she is qualified up in the air by herself, take passengers within the airframe weight limit, fly without an instructor...
She did graduate USAFA/ commission and slotted to be a pilot - of course, she hasn't earned her AF wings/ instrument, commercial, multi engine ratings so there is a lot of flight training in her future. Her harvard work is as a grad student through a Truman scholarship studying public policy.

The plane she is shown in is a F-16D - there is a youtube video showing her going through a briefing, outfit fitting, and "O-flight" or orientation flight with a F-16 pilot out at Nellis AFB which she states was 3 weeks before she competed for Miss America (which she just won). I won't post but if you search "U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh (Miss Colorado) Gears Up for F-16D Familiarization Flight" you can see that process since a public affairs camera team was with her.

I agree it would be annoying if she was an undergrad and projected she was a pilot if she wasn't, but in this case there is some merit to those claims imo. Hard to tell tone sometimes, but no negative edge intended - I'm just sharing what I looked up in case it helps.
 
USAFA_DAD_DD23 said:
I thought the same thing on the stories. We have met Madison a few times and our DD graduated with her. She has her Private Pilot's license and took an incentive ride in a jet. They quoted a "Top Gun" fighter pilot but that is a stretch of the truth on the reporters part. Madison has always been real straight forward and upfront on her accomplishments.

I just wished the reporters would have done their due diligence on the facts. Madison is an incredible officer, woman and leader. I am very excited on her future.
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my son is a bomber pilot and what annoys him is the "Top Gun" comment because as well as know Top Gun is Navy
 
Herman_Snerd said:
A bit of overlap with the poster above, I'll just share the facts that she did earn her private pilot's license (PPL) while in high school a few years back, so she does technically check the box for her or others to say say "I'm a pilot" / She's a pilot. She can take single engine craft she is qualified up in the air by herself, take passengers within the airframe weight limit, fly without an instructor...
She did graduate USAFA/ commission and slotted to be a pilot - of course, she hasn't earned her AF wings/ instrument, commercial, multi engine ratings so there is a lot of flight training in her future. Her harvard work is as a grad student through a Truman scholarship studying public policy.

The plane she is shown in is a F-16D - there is a youtube video showing her going through a briefing, outfit fitting, and "O-flight" or orientation flight with a F-16 pilot out at Nellis AFB which she states was 3 weeks before she competed for Miss America (which she just won). I won't post but if you search "U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh (Miss Colorado) Gears Up for F-16D Familiarization Flight" you can see that process since a public affairs camera team was with her.

I agree it would be annoying if she was an undergrad and projected she was a pilot if she wasn't, but in this case there is some merit to those claims imo. Hard to tell tone sometimes, but no negative edge intended - I'm just sharing what I looked up in case it helps.
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again i dont blame her or thing she has done anything wrong. Its the media and how they are playing it. They arent saying she is a pilot which she is. They are either saying she is a fighter pilot or at the very least making you think she was. She could wind up flying fighters or she could be flying transports or something really small
 
Humey said:
again i dont blame her or thing she has done anything wrong. Its the media and how they are playing it.
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That's fair / agree with you - she isn't an AF Pilot yet and there are certainly some dotted lines drawn/ inferences that she is further along in the training pipeline than she actually is. The video verifies - this is her first time suiting up/ sitting in such an airframe. Appreciate your perspective and sharing it.
 
Also, in the Air Force it is 2d Lt
Pet peeve of mine but 2nd Lt is a marine, just saying
But,if there are any young girls out there look no further than her for a damn fine role model
 
Bigrod said:
Also, in the Air Force it is 2d Lt
Pet peeve of mine but 2nd Lt is a marine, just saying
But,if there are any young girls out there look no further than her for a damn fine role model
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that's for sure (role model)
 
Madison was on Fox News prior to the Miss America event and cleared up that she was awarded a pilot slot but is not an active AF pilot at this time. While she has been clear on it apparently the media will write and say what they want the viewer to hear ….. you know, like they always do!
 
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