Air Force Pilot Becomes First Active-Duty Officer To Win Miss America 2024

US Air Force pilot Madison Marsh makes history at the Miss America 2024 pageant.

History was made when Madison Marsh became not only the first active-duty officer in the U.S. Air Force to compete but also to win the Miss America 2024 pageant.

Marsh, who hails from Arkansas, beat 50 other contestants, including Ellie Breaux of Texas, who was the first runner-up to earn the top spot in the 2024 Miss America pageant that took place in Florida on Sunday night, Jan. 14.

The 22-year-old 2nd lieutenant in the Air Force and graduate intern at Harvard Medical School won the title of Miss Colorado last year before she earned the nationwide honour.

Marsh, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a degree in physics, holds the rank of second lieutenant in the air-service branch. Currently pursuing a master’s in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, she has also contributed to Harvard Medical School, working on the application of artificial intelligence for pancreatic cancer detection.

During the discussion round, Marsh mentioned her mother, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2018. The tragic death motivated her to start the Whitney Marsh Foundation to raise money for cancer research. During the talent round, she offered a spoken-word piece that addressed earning her pilot’s license at 16. When she was asked more questions as one of the top finalists, she reportedly talked about her military career, which she said represents how she leads and learns with passion.

Marsh had to soar through three nights of preliminary competitions before the field was reduced to only 11 contestants.

Reacting to her win, the U.S. Air Force took to social media to congratulate her.

“Congratulations to our very own #Airman, 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, aka Miss Colorado—who was just crowned @MissAmerica 2024! Marsh is the first active-duty servicemember to ever win the title.”