Past Honorees

Scroll down to see each of the honorees and read their stories

• 2022 Honorees
• 2021 Honorees
• 2020 Honorees
• 2019 Honorees
• 2018 Honorees
• 2017 Honorees


The Professional Female Athletes of the Women's Professional Rodeo Association will be running, not just standing, for the National Anthem at this year's National Finals Rodeo.

Each barrel racer will wear a specially made dog tag with the name of a female soldier who gave her life for the service of our country. The dog tags are a way to honor The Fallen, keep the memory of the soldier alive, and serve as a reminder of the high cost of freedom.


Stevie Hillman of Weatherford, Texas, strongly supports Honor Tags for Heroes saying, "My freedom was free and I will honor those who paid the way for me to enjoy my sport. Wearing the tags of a Fallen Hero is the smallest act I can perform to honor them."


The women of professional rodeo buy their own equipment and horses. Sponsors rarely pay entry fees or provide trucks and trailers for the athletes. The contestants pay their own way and perform largely because it is what they love doing. And Rodeo is one of the few remaining sports where the audience prays before each performance.


Rodeo is America's true patriot event and the women wearing Honor Tags will be standing tall and running hard to honor those who keep us free and have given the ultimate sacrifice.

2022 Honorees

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Emily Beisel is running for Navy Petty Officer Alecia C. Snyder-Guerrera

She was a naval engineer on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan. She loved her job. She loved the Navy and she loved defending her country.

Jordan Briggs is running for Marine Sgt. Cassandra Jean Becker

"I've got this." These are three words that sum up her life. She repeatedly told her family that "This is how it is supposed to go"

Lucy P. Bland

Bayleigh Choate is running for Lt. Col. Lucy P. Bland

She was selected as one of 10 army nurses across the country to represent the Women's Nurse Corp of the U.S. Army.

Gwendolyn A. Locht

Margo Crowther is running for Air Force Lt. Col. Gwendolyn A. Locht

Gwen worked at the local hospital in Fort Walton Beach, FL before joining the U.S. Air Force family as a Second Lieutenant.

Stevi Hillman is running for Air Force Col. Laura V. Alvarado

The highlights of her Air Force career include command positions at the squadron and medical group levels.

Janice M Lehman

Wenda Johnson is running for Army Col. Janice Mano Lehman

In her 24-year career in the Army, her awards and recognitions included the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Parachutist Badge.

Katherine H. Thomas

Hailey Kinsel is running for Marine Corps Capt. Katherine Hendricks Thomas

The week before she died from stage 4 breast cancer, Kate considered attending a press conference in support of burn pit legislation.

Tianna A. Byrne

Lisa Lockhart is running for Army Sergeant Tianna Alese Byrne

She will be remembered for her unconditional love for her dogs, Iggy and Ivan. Tianna proudly and honorably served in the US Army for 8 years.

Shelley Morgan is running for Cynthia Ann Wilson Cassil

She entered federal government service and spent 36 years building and managing IT systems for the Army, FAA, and Department of State.

Angela M. Downs

Kassie Mowry is running for Army Lt. Col. Angela Marie Downs

Working with Team Draft, she raised tens of thousands for Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and was awarded a trip to the 2020 Super Bowl.

Jessica Routier is running for Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Nienajadlo

Before her last deployment, 31-year-old Staff Sergeant Danielle Nienajadlo passed her Army physical with flying colors.

Dona Kay Rule is running for Air Force Master Sgt. Melissa Ann Archuleta

After retiring as a civil servant, The Archuleta Conference Room was named in her honor for 40 years of service to the U.S. Air Force.

Leslie Smalygo is running for Army Lt. Col. Elizabeth Bobb

Recently, she worked on projects including the study of soldier resilience and honoring the achievements of women in the military.

Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi is running for Navy Captain Kathleen Anne McGrath

Captain Kathleen McGrath, the first woman to command a United States Navy warship, died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Sissy Winn is running for Air Force Sr. Master Sergeant Deborah Chapman

Debbie was a 22 year veteran in the Air Force and National Guard; as a Senior Master Sergeant (E8) she was a Flight Director at Otis AFB.

2021 Honorees

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Emily Miller Beisel is running for Air Force Tech Sgt. Amie Muller

By age 36, Amie Dahl-Muller of Woodbury, MN, was many things: A U.S. Air Force and Minnesota Air National Guard veteran, mom..

Jordan Briggs is running for Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo

Many of her colleagues in the military said, among other things, she was a proud Dominican American and a proud Marine.

Stevi Hillman is running for Sgt. Christina M. Schoenecker

The incident is under investigation, but a source, in Baghdad, told Popular Military Schoenecker’s death is believed to be a suicide.

Hailey Kinsel is running for Marine Sgt. Nicole L. Gee

Gee, a maintenance technician by specialty, was helping search female refugees at the time of the attack, according to several Instagram posts.

Lisa lockhart is running for Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Sharon T. Swartworth

CW5 Swartworth, the JAG Corps’ top warrant officer, was going on the trip to boost the morale of the soldiers responsible for administering justice..

Shelley Morgan is running for Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah F. Burns

Sarah was a kind, compassionate, and quiet person who deeply loved others and enjoyed serving her country. She was humble and worked tirelessly.

Molly Otto is running for Army Spc. Mary Jane Jaenichen

Mary Jane Jaenichen served for four years in the Marine Corps ROTC at El Camino High School in Oceanside. She loved the beach and, especially, she loved the drill team.

Dona K. Rule is running for Army Sgt. Eduviges G. Wolf

Whenever there was a project to be done she was the first to volunteer, whether it was something fun or a work event. She was a shining example of the good in this world.

Amanda Welsch is running for Air Force Capt. Kelliann Leli

The first, in her immediate family, to serve on active duty, Kelli graduated USAFA in 2012, earning her commission, as well as a coveted slot to medical school.

Cheyenne Wimberley is running for Army Sgt. Caryn E. Nouv

Cheyenne died July 27 in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds caused by an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire.

Wenda Johnson is running for Navy Petty Officer First Class Lauren Price

Lauren Price, a Navy veteran who co-founded the Florida-based Veterans Warriors Inc., passed away on Mar 30 from cancer. She was 56.

Ivy Saebens is running for Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard

Gabbard enlisted with the Iowa National Guard in 1979. She was the first woman in the Iowa Guard to attain the rank of command sergeant major.

Nellie Miller is running for Army Sgt. 1st Class Linda Ann Tarango-Griess

A Nebraska Army National Guard soldier was killed in northern Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded near her convoy in Samarra.

Jessica Routier is running for Army Guard Spc. Crystal Sanchez

Sanchez enlisted in 2007, seeking to shape her future. Four years later, she was in Afghanistan, serving as an information technology specialist.

Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi is running for Sgt. Holli Bolinski

"Every time I talked to her, she told me she loved knowing she was protecting me, her kids and our country...She would give the shirt off her back to just about anyone"


2020 Honorees

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Brittney Barnett is running for Army Sgt. Myla L. Maravillosa

Having moved to Hawai'i in 1997 from the Philippines, Myla Maravillosa wanted to serve her adopted country, her mother said.

Stevi Hillman is running for Army Cpl. Michelle R. Ring

She loved boot camp, the tanks, the guns, the exercise, and the people, her mother said. She didn’t like Baghdad.

Wenda Johnson is running for 2nd Lieutenant Ruth M. Gardiner

Second Lieutenant Ruth M. Gardiner, Nurse Corps, United States Army, was the first American nurse to die in the line of duty during World War II.

Hailey Kinsel Lockwood is running for Army Sgt. Pamela G. Osbourne

A native of Jamaica, the slain soldier came to Florida when she was 14. She nourished two dreams: One was to become a citizen of the U.S., the other was to serve in the military.

Lisa Lockhart is running for Army Pfc. Katie M. Soenksen

She enlisted and wrote recently that being in Iraq "makes me realize how good we have it in America."

Emily Miller is running for Army Sgt. Cari Anne Gasiewicz

"Iraq is so pretty, and most of the people are so friendly," she wrote in a letter dated Feb. 4. "People tell me, 'Iraq is so much better since you came.'"

Shelley Morgan is running for Army Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson

“After 31 years of teaching, there are certain children that come along that you see who already have purpose in their lives. She was one of those people,” said Gail Bowman.

Ryann Pedone is running for Army Capt. Kimberly N. Hampton

In Iraq, she was pulled into the thick of the action in Fallujah, leading a platoon of 15 helicopters and 30 soldiers that flew in support of infantry as they carried out raids.

Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi is running for Marine Lance Cpl. Holly A. Charette

Charette was remembered as a popular high school cheerleader who was “always ready to help anyone out.”

Jessica Routier is running for Sgt. 1st Class Merideth L. Howard

She moved into a leadership position after a promotion to sergeant, & served as a medical noncommissioned officer.

Jessica Telford is running for Army 2nd Lt. Tracy Lynn Alger

A New Auburn native whose passion was barrel-racing died when an improvised explosive device exploded near her Humvee in Iraq.

Tiany Schuster is running for Army Spc. Jessica L. Cawvey

Any task she was given she would always get accomplished. She was an excellent battle buddy. She cared about important things: her daughter, her friends & her family.

Jimmie Smith is running for Army Spc. Erica P. Alecksen

She was a daughter of the wood and field, a country girl. She was always smiling, always happy-go-lucky.

Jill Wilson is running for Army Sgt. Jessica M. Housby

She was chosen as the top cadet out of a group of 187 because of her “hard work, enthusiasm and the responsibility.”

Cheyenne Wimberley is running for Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Thalia Ramirez

Thalia never failed to set the perfect example of a confident and competent warrior. She was fearless, and loved her job. She selflessly risked everything.


2019 Honorees

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Ivy Conrado is running for Army 2nd Lt. Emily J.T. Perez

Quick and intense. That's how Emily J.T. Perez performed on the track, one coach said - and the same could be said for the rest of her short life.

Stevi Hillman is running for Marine Maj. Megan M. McClung

Her headstone is engraved with her mantra, fitting perhaps for someone whose life was short but lived so well: "Be bold, be brief, be gone."

Hailey Kinsel Lockwood is running for Wisconsin Army National Guard Spc. Michelle M. Witmer

Michelle Witmer told her two sisters when she was 10 years old that she wanted to be a hero.

Lisa Lockhart is running for Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Shannon Kent

Every person I talked to from both Iraqi and American sides, was like, 'Have you met Shannon'?

Hailey Kinsel Lockwood is running for Army 1st Lt. Laura M. Walker

She proudly wore the 4th Infantry Division combat patch on her right shoulder, a distinction she shared with both of her grandfathers.

SHALI LORD is running for Navy Lt. Florence B. Choe

It was never about Florence. It was about how she could make things better for other people.

Emily Miller is running for Marine Lance Cpl. Stacy A. Dryden

The Marines she served with named her the "fiery angel" because "she came off as sweet and innocent, but she was tough as nails."

Nellie Miller is running for Air Force Staff Sgt. Anissa A. Shero

The first Air Force woman to die in Afghanistan and the second West Virginian killed there is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Amberleigh Moore is running for Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jaime S. Jaenke

Iowa's first female to die in the Iraq conflict was killed when her Humvee was hit by a bomb.

Ericka Nelson is running for Army Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson

The first female soldier from Missouri who was killed in action in Iraq died when mortar round detonated near Tikrit.

Lacinda Rose is running for Army Sgt. Tina S. Time

Believed to be the first female American Samoan to die in the war, Rose died in a vehicle accident.

Jessica Routier is running for Army 1st Lt. Jaime L. Campbell

The 2008 state rodeo queen was a pilot on the UH-60L Blackhawk that went down in bad weather near the town of Tal-Afar.

Dona Kay Rule is running for Army Capt. Gussie M. Jones

She was the 12th soldier with El Paso ties to die in Iraq since the operation began in March 2003, and the highest-ranking person.

Jennifer Sharp is running for Marine Lance Cpl. Casey L. Casanova

She is thought to be the first woman from Mississippi killed in combat in Iraq, and died in a roadside bombing.

Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi is running for Army Pfc. Rachel K. Bosveld

The first Wisconsin woman killed in the Iraqi conflict, died during a mortar attack on the Abu Ghraib Police Station.

Cheyenne Wimberley is running for Army Spc. Karen N. Clifton

22-year-old Wimberley was an avid Indy car racing fan and was killed when a RPG hit the Humvee she was driving.


2018 Honorees

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Taci Bettis is running for Army Pfc. Lori Ann Piestewa

The first Native American woman to die in combat was also the first female military death of the Iraq War.

Kelly Bruner is running for Army Spc. Hilda I. Clayton

Clayton, a visual information specialist, was part of a training mission certifying Afghan forces on mortar operations.

Ivy Conrado is running for Army Staff Sgt. Cynthia R. Taylor

Taylor served as a wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company with the 101st Airborne Division.

Tammy Fischer is running for Army Sgt. Maj. Barbaralien Banks

Banks was stationed at Schofield Barracks, HI, since May 2003 and was a senior food management supervisor assigned to the 25th Infantry Division.

Stevi Hillman is running for Army Sgt. Amanda Older Downing

Iraq veteran Downing fought hard against cancer. Her patriotism spurred her to enlist in the Army.

Hailey Kinsel is running for Army Cpl. Rachael L. Hugo

Hugo was treating another soldier when insurgents attacked her unit using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire in Bayji, Iraq.

Lisa Lockhart is running for Army Sgt. Devin A. Snyder

Sgt Devin Snyder was lost on June 4, 2011 by a roadside bomb in Laghman province, Afg. when insurgents attacked her unit with an IED.

Nellie Miller is running for Air Force Senior Airman Elizabeth A. Loncki

Loncki disarmed more than 20 explosive devices during her service on an explosive ordnance disposal team in Iraq.

Amber Moore is running for Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Billie Jean Grinder

Tennessee Army National Guard pilot Billie Jean Grinder was killed when her helicopter made a "hard landing" in northern Iraq.

Tracy Nowlin is running for Army Spc. Beverly S. Clark

Clark was one of 13 Army Reservists who died Feb. 25, 1991, when an Iraqi Scud missile slammed into the unit's makeshift barracks during the Persian Gulf War.

Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi is running for Army Pfc. Sam W. Huff

Pfc. Huff died in Baghdad from injuries she received when the Humvee she was driving was hit by a roadside bomb

Carman Pozzobon is running for Captain Nichola Kathleen Sarah Goddard

In 2006, Capt. Nichola Goddard became Canada's first female soldier to die in combat. It was a death that shocked a nation.

Jessica Routier is running for Army Spc. Ashley Sietsema

Army Specialist Ashley Sietsema died in Kuwait City, Kuwait when the vehicle she was riding in rolled over as they transported injured soldiers.

Jessica Telford is running for Army Pfc. Holly J. McGeogh

McGeogh, from the Detroit suburb of Taylor, was a light-truck mechanic assigned to Company A, 4th Forward Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, from Ft Hood, TX

Kylie Weast is running for Army Spc. Sarina N. Butcher

Butcher is the first female OK Nat'l Guard soldier to be killed during wartime and also is the youngest Guard member to die in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sage Kimzey is running for Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan J. Elchin

25-year-old Elchin was in Afghanistan to support Operation Freedom's Sentinel. The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying a U.S. tank was destroyed.


2017 Honorees

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Taci Bettis is running for Army Lt. Col. Jaimie E. Leonard

A decorated intelligence officer, Jaimie Leonard was tasked with training Afghan soldiers.

Sydni Blanchard is running for Air Force Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney

Victoria "Tory" Pinckney graduated in 2008 with a B.S. in Systems Engineering, Space Systems.

Kellie Collier is running for Army Capt. Sara M. Knutson

Sara graduated from West Point and pursued a career as an aviation officer with the Army.

Ivy Conrado is running for Army Spc. Mikayla A. Bragg

Ivy is running in honor of Army Spc. Bragg and also in honor of the 22 veterans who take their own lives daily.

Kathy Grimes is running for Air Force Maj. Phyllis J. Pelky

Pelky's integrity and service led to her selection as Aide-de-Camp to the Superintendent of the USAFA.

Stevi Hillman is running for Navy Lt. Florence B. Choe

Choe was all Navy. She was commissioned 5 months after the 9/11 attacks.

Hailey Kinsel is running for Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexandria M. Morrow

Morrow was nicknamed "Mother Alex" by those who saw her caring personality.

Lisa Lockhart is running for Army Staff Sgt. Aracely Gonzalez O'Malley

Gonzalez O'Malley joined the Army to make her children proud.

Nellie Miller is running for Air Force 1st Lt. Tamara Archuleta

Miller was on a mission to evacuate wounded Afghan children, when her helicopter crashed into a mountain.

Amberleigh Moore is running for Army Pfc. Patricia L. Horne

Horne was a human resource specialist who ensured soldiers' records were accurately maintained.

Kassie Mowry is running for Army Sgt. Zainah C. Creamer

Sgt. Creamer was a dog handler with the 212th Military Police Detachment.

Tillar Murry is running for Army Spc. Krystal M. Fitts

Fitts was a chemical operations specialist. She died from injuries sustained from indirect fire in 2012.

Brittany Pozzi is running for Army Sgt. Simone A. Robinson

Army Sgt. Robinson died when an improvised explosive device detonated near her security post.

Tiany Schuster is running for Air Force Senior Airman Alecia S. Good

Good, an avid snowboarder, died when two helicopters crashed while flying a training mission.

Kimmie Wall is running for Army Sgt. Donna R. Johnson

Wall died when a Taliban suicide bomber rammed a motorcycle packed with explosives into a joint US-Afgah patrol.

Sage Kimzey is riding for Army 2nd Lt. Jered W. Ewy

33-year-old Ewy always wanted to be a bull rider. As an Army Ranger, he was one of the first to serve in Afghanistan. He died on his third tour of Afghanistan.

Steve Kenyon is honoring for Air Force Maj. Water D. Gray

Steve was the first through the door and the last one to leave. He was like a father to the Airmen of the 13th SOS.

Janet Cropper is honoring Air Force Airman 1st Class Elizabeth N. Jacobson

Jacobson was the first Security Forces Airman and first female Airman to die in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Janice Dean is honoring Army Sgt. Trista L. Moretti

Moretti was a signal intelligence officer, and was the second woman from NJ to be killed in Iraq.

Steve Doocy is honoring Air Force Capt. Matthew D. Roland

The 27-yr-old from KY knowingly sacrificed himself in the line of fire to alert the convoy and protect his teammates.

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