THE ARMY UNIVERSITY, FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas – If you ask Command and General Staff Officer Course student Maj. Frankie Moore-Purdie, her definition of service goes beyond her uniform.
She has been in the Army for 16 years, following a family path of service.
Joining first as an enlisted Soldier in Human Resources, Moore-Purdie completed Officer Candidate School selection to become a logistician.
This all sounds like pretty traditional military service.
But Moore-Purdie holds more than the title of U.S. Army Soldier and CGSC student.
She is also Universe United Mrs. Kansas 2025.
What does military service and pageantry have to do with each other?
According to Moore-Purdie, service and inspiration.
“The Universe United Miss motto is to empower, serve and inspire, which is what I feel like I do every day in the military without even my knowledge of knowing it,” she said.
Moore-Purdie arrived at Fort Leavenworth to attend the 10-month warfighting school in August. Just two months later she earned her title.
Since then, Moore-Purdie has gotten involved in the local community, specifically the Richard Allen Cultural Arts Center.
Her volunteerism is preparing her for the next stop of her competition; the national level, which according to Moore-Purdie, encourages the next level of service from title holders.
Military service sees Soldiers moving frequently.
For Moore-Purdie, her passion for pageants has allowed her to give back to the community that has welcomed her, even temporarily.
She said that is especially true for Fort Leavenworth where she is pursing a CGSC master’s degree.
“I try to make sure I have a good military background while also making that imprint in my community,” she said. “I've been fortunate enough where I got to spend six years in my last duty station. So not only did I make an impact with the different units and things I was at, but I also was able to make a lasting difference in my community.”
Balancing military requirements, mile-high reading lists, papers, and pageant commitments may seem hard to fit into a 24-hour day, but for Moore-Purdie the drive to serve, on both sides of her life, deserves the time.
“My mantra is ‘I will affect big change in small pockets of time,’” she said. “When I have those little pockets of time, I try to make the most of them even if it means I’ll be staying up a little bit later. The hard work pays off because I’m still able to do what I am passionate about with the pageantry and I’m still able to excel in school. I also have always been able to meet my requirements for the military,” she said.
Her desire for military service and pageantry blends in other ways as well.
Moore-Purdie’s platform for her pageants is called Wellness Royalty.
“I have a passion for fitness and staying in shape, which we know is a very important concept to do in the military as we're required to take PT [physical fitness] test twice a year on top of all the other physical requirements,” she said. “What I love about Wellness Royalty is it just combines that passion for wellness and then the regalness of being a pageant contestant in royalty.”
Much like the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness system, Wellness Royalty aims to bridge the information gap to improving overall health and wellness.
Moore-Purdie explained, from a community perspective, Wellness Royalty desires to bring all the information a person could need to improve their health and wellness into one spot.
Being a student, Soldier, and title holder can be overwhelming at times, Moore-Purdie explained, but the two worlds are direct embodiment of who she is.
Representing herself as a Soldier is a key part of her pageants, she said.
“I love being a role model to not just people in the military, but also outside the military, to show them that they can do things that they probably never thought they could do,” Moore-Purdie said.
Much like being part of the 1 percent of Americans who serve, Moore-Purdie is proud to be part of a smaller group of active-duty service members who pursue their passion for pageants.
“I think civilians recognize the sacrifice that comes with being a Soldier. And lot think I’m interesting for doing this because a lot of people don’t think military and pageantry goes together,” she said. “You can have your military service and your career, but also look beautiful in your heels and makeup and stretch yourself [personally] on stage.”
Moore-Purdie will compete for the national Universe United title in July, just a month after CGSOC graduation, in North Carolina.
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