What a support system! Miss USA Deshauna Barber sat down for her first live interview since winning the 2016 pageant earlier this week — and she revealed that her fellow soldiers are ecstatic.
Barber, 26, who is the first-ever American soldier to win the coveted crown, is a logistics commander for the 988th Quartermaster Detachment Unit of the United States Army. She previously stated that she plans to use her newfound reign as Miss USA to focus on PTSD treatment for soldiers returning home from war.
During an interview on Good Morning America on Tuesday, June 7, the 5-foot-10 beauty stated that she has received so many congratulatory text messages since her victory on Sunday night that she hasn’t even had a chance to read them all.
“When I got back to my phone, I probably had over 250 text messages that I have not been able to get through,” she told GMA coanchor Robin Roberts. Several of the celebratory messages were from her soldier comrades.
“They were all watching!” she explained on Tuesday, adding, “Some of [the texts were from] my soldiers, so they’re very excited for me. My unit has been extremely supportive and it’s just been awesome.”
According to the Washington Post, the model joined the military at age 17. Her parents and siblings also serve; her father was deployed to Iraq following the attacks on September 11, 2001.
“I consider it to be a family tradition,” she previously said during a pre-pageant interview. “It’s something that runs through our veins — patriotism and service for this country.”
