YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Here she comes … and that’s Mrs. Yokota to you.

Capt. Jen Whetstone, a UH-1N helicopter pilot with Yokota’s 459th Airlift Squadron, wowed five judges and an overflow crowd of about 500 in the Taiyo Recreation Center to claim the title at the inaugural Mrs. Yokota Pageant on Saturday night.

“It’s very exciting. What an honor,” Whetstone said, minutes after edging Forence Bigsby and Naomi Sapiera for the crown. “I competed against over 20 of the most beautiful women on Yokota, and to be chosen is really an honor.”

The Arlington, Texas, native and 29-year-old mother of one picks up a batch of prizes, including a $250 scholarship courtesy of the Yokota Enlisted Spouses Club, a $500 cash scholarship, vacation package, and gift cards from the base exchange and commissary.

Twenty-two women lined up for the pageant, which was broken down into three phases.

All walked the stage in physical fitness attire before the field was narrowed to 10 for the evening gown competition. The top five, which also included Joy Knight and Bianca Moody, then went before the analytical glare of the judging panel in an on-stage question-and-answer session.

In between, the crowd was treated to a performance by The Taiyo Dance Troupe. Jenepher Esser, the pageant’s executive director, also delivered a powerful opera rendition of Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide,” which she sang five years ago in becoming Miss New Orleans 2003.

But the contestants were certainly the main attraction Saturday in what was billed as the first pageant of its kind in the U.S. military community.

“The girls were amazing. I can’t say enough about the girls,” Esser said. “They worked so hard. They were fantastic, and they looked absolutely beautiful.”

All the women are either dependent spouses or serve on active duty. Most are also mothers.

Bigsby, who has three children — Jonathon, Andrew and Victoria — was among them. She had never appeared in a pageant before, but said she was encouraged by Whetstone to enter. “It was very nerve-wracking,” she conceded. “I’m surprised how nervous I was, but it was a wonderful experience.

“I never liked pageants before, because I thought the women were catty and mean-spirited. But everyone was so sweet and nice. I found some friends for life. … It was nice to be around women who are beautiful, intelligent, athletic and well-spoken.”

Her husband, Tracy, a master sergeant who works in maintenance for AFN Tokyo, joked that it was crazy seeing his wife up on stage. “No, she was outstanding,” he said. “It was great seeing her up there, enjoying what she loves to do. Like most women, she likes getting all dressed up. I’m glad she had the chance to do it.”

Whetstone, meanwhile, said the pageant was good motivation to get back into shape after the birth of her son, Aidan, about 17 months ago. Surprisingly, she said, anxiety never became a factor Saturday night.

“It goes so quickly,” she said. “Honestly, when you’re out there, with the music going and the lights, the audience is a blur. You don’t have time to think how nervous you are.”

As Mrs. Yokota, she’ll represent the base at various functions, including this summer’s annual Japanese-American Friendship Festival, and also appear at school events — in between her duties, of course. She also works for the 374th Airlift Wing commander.

“I hope to be a great role model for young girls,” Whetstone said. “Just because you’re a wife and mother, it doesn’t preclude you from having a career, too, even in the military.”

The Yokota pageant’s theme was “Celebrating Patriotism.”

Esser says she hopes it becomes the springboard for a Mrs. Military Overseas Pageant, with individual base competitions serving as preliminary events. RAF Mildenhall in England already has contacted her about doing its own pageant.

“This exceeded expectations,” she said. “I knew it would be amazing because of the contestants and the base community. It just flowed … Nobody missed a cue. It was great.”

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