2016 Miss USA to serve as Grand Marshal during annual Myrtle Beach parade

The 2016 Miss USA is scheduled to serve as Grand Marshal during the 2018 Military Appreciation Days Parade at The Market Common, according to a release from Mark Kruea, Myrtle Beach city spokesman.

Deshauna Barber, who is also a United States Army Reserve Captain and won the Miss USA crown in 2016, will lead the parade down Farrow Parkway and greet fans at the family picnic at Valor Memorial Garden following the parade.

“Committee members look for a celebrity with a military background, and Captain Deshauna Barber is a vibrant and charismatic choice,” Kruea said. “Not only does she currently serve as a logistics commander in the United States Army Reserve, Barber is the first active-duty member in the military to win the Miss USA title.”

Barber, 27, was born in Columbus, Georgia, and is the daughter of an Army Master Sergeant who served in the United States Special Forces. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Virginia State University, and a Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems and Services from the University of Maryland.

Winning the Miss District of Columbia USA title in December 2015 and the Miss USA crown and sash in Las Vegas on June 5, 2016, Barber is the first active member of the military to win the title.

In 2016 she competed for Miss Universe in the Philippines where she placed in the top nine, the release states.

During her reign as Miss USA she “offered her voice” to charitable organizations, including Smile Train, Operation Homefront, USA, Best Buddies and more.

She also works as an advocate and public speaker for soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and on behalf of youth and survivors of sexual abuse and extreme bullying.

The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. on May 26. Other activities include the third annual Horry County Junior ROTC Drill Meet at the Myrtle Beach Pelicans’ Stadium and the Memorial Day ceremony on the Convention Center plaza.

This story was originally published December 18, 2017 at 1:23 PM with the headline "2016 Miss USA to serve as Grand Marshal during annual Myrtle Beach parade."