Watch Video: Army Officer Won Miss USA 2016

Deshauna Barber has a passion to serve the men and women in the U.S. military, specifically focusing her platform on PTSD treatment for soldiers returning from deployments and suicide prevention in the Armed Forces.

An Army Reserve officer and IT analyst from the District of Columbia has been crowned Miss USA 2016 after mounting a strong defence of women in combat roles in the military.

Deshauna Barber, a 26-year-old from the nation's capital, gave the answer during the interview section of the pageant in Las Vegas on Sunday.

When asked by judge Joe Zee whether the Pentagon's decision to open up all combat roles to women had "put political correctness over our military's ability to perform," 1st Lt. Barber responded:

"As a woman in the United States Army, I think it was an amazing job by our government to allow women to integrate into every branch of the military."

The beauty queen was born in Columbus, Georgia. Due to her father’s military career she relocated multiple times to states including North Carolina, Nebraska, Minnesota, Virginia and finally to Washington, D.C. After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Management from Virginia State University, Deshauna moved to Washington D.C where she is currently working.

Being the daughter of a retired Army Master Sergeant it is no shocker that Deshauna decided to join the Army. She commissioned as a Quartermaster Officer in 2011 and is currently a Logistics Commander for the 988th Quartermaster Detachment Unit at Fort Meade, Maryland. Deshauna loves to dance, hike and enjoy quality time with her family.