“It is amazing what we can allow our Soldiers to do if we just believe in them. My chain of command really believed in me, and that means a lot to me.”
— 1st Lt. Angela May DiMattia
By Sgt. Daphney Black
14th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT CARSON, Colo. — 1st Lt. Angela May DiMattia, with 52nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, wins the title of United States of America’s Ms. Colorado Feb. 12, 2019. The competition was designed to empower women, promote positive self-image and advocate platforms of community service. (Photo by Sgt. Daphney Black)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — By her own admission, growing up, she was “the biggest tomboy ever.”
Whether she was climbing trees, playing on the softball field, or shooting hoops, she said she was one little girl who was not afraid to get dirty.
When 1st Lt. Angela May DiMattia joined the Army, she said it brought her back to her childhood — back to days playing in the woods and rolling around in the dirt.
“Really when was the last time an adult played in the woods just for fun?” said the 33-year-old.
So, it was a definite departure for her to enter the world of pageantry.
DiMattia recently won the title of United States of America’s Ms. Colorado in her first attempt at competition pageantry.
“I never considered competing in a beauty pageant,” she said. “I didn’t ever care about winning a pageant.”
Among the many ways she keeps herself busy, DiMattia is heavily involved in charity work and saw entry into the pageant as a unique opportunity.
“I wasn’t going to compete for ‘Miss Pretty,’” said DiMattia. “But when I found out this is a competition where the winner gets money for charity — and I’ve dedicated the last 10 years of my life to really get into more charity work — so I was like this might be an opportunity for me to talk about the charities on post and show my intellectual side and use the media aspect to try to do something good.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — 1st Lt. Angela May DiMattia, with 52nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, wins the title of United States of America’s Ms. Colorado Feb. 12, 2019. DiMattia competed in the pageant to highlight Soldiers and their Families. “I am not doing this for popularity advantage,” she said. “I am doing this so I could earn the respect for Soldiers and their Families.” (Photo by Sgt. Daphney Black)
When she is not putting in work for Soldiers and Families, DiMattia, who serves as a family readiness leader for the 52nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, can be found on the weight bench.
“I love my gym time,” said DiMattia. “It is my one-on-one time to work on myself, to better my heart and lungs.”
The competitive nature that was born in her youth playing sports has manifested itself in, not only her competition pageantry, but also in her love of competitive body building, CrossFit and marathon running.
“I feel like in today’s world, I am not your normal pageant girl, at all,” DiMattia said. “But I feel like that is what gave me the advantage, because I was able to show them a well-rounded person, who has known physical exhaustion, who’s served her country, who’s not afraid to get dirty.”
Serving also as her battalion’s unit public affairs representative, responsible for telling her unit’s story, she credits the military for greatly improving her communication skills.
Often having to brief higher ranking officers, she has become comfortable and confident with public speaking no matter the audience. She said she feels like this experience gave her an advantage in the pageant as well.
As the first active-duty Soldier to win the title, DiMattia said she feels like she has set an excellent example for other young women.
“I am not doing this for popularity advantage,” she said. “I am doing this, so I could earn the respect for the Soldiers and their Families. At the end of the day, if one Soldier’s Family is helped, then it is all worth it.”
While it seems that there are not enough hours in the day for DiMattia to accomplish all of her ambitions, she has the support of her family, boyfriend and an encouraging chain of command.
FORT CARSON, Colo. — 1st Lt. Angela May DiMattia, winner of the 2019 United States of America’s Ms. Colorado beauty pageant Feb. 12, 2019, illustrates beauty, fitness and duty. DiMattia is a family readiness leader with 52nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. (Photo by Sgt. Daphney Black)
“It is amazing what we can allow our Soldiers to do if we just believe in them,” said DiMattia. “My chain of command really believed in me, and that means a lot to me.”
One of her biggest supporters is Lt. Col. Larry G. Workman, commander, 52nd BEB, 2nd IBCT.
“She is tenacious, extremely bright, hard-working and compassionate,” said Workman. “I expect her to win at everything she does, whether it’s softball, whether it’s an Army Physical Fitness Test, whether it’s Ms. Colorado. I expect her to win at everything.”
Because the Army isn’t the only thing that defines the character of a Soldier, Workman encourages his Soldiers to pursue other interests outside of the military.
“I think she is the perfect Soldier to represent all Soldiers on how they strive to be both a good Soldier and a good contributor to society,” he said. “It shows that you can do anything with hard work.”