A Marine veteran who is now a model and fashion designer has found herself becoming a viral sensation with her patriotic, pinup-inspired photos.
U.S. Marine Sgt. Rianna Conner, who is nicknamed “Combat Barbie,” is a California-native who enlisted in the military right after graduating from high school in 2011. When she enlisted, she was the first person in her family to serve in the military.
“In my immediate family I’m the first to leave my hometown, first to join the military, and now the first to attend college at a university,” she explained.
Rianna started being called “Combat Barbie” as soon as she joined the military, and the nickname has stuck.
“I was given my nickname from the Marines I first served in 2011, because of the fact that I was so girly and loved to show my femininity,” she said. “The nickname stuck with me throughout my military career and after.”
When Rianna was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012, she was ready for the challenges there after growing up working on her family’s farm doing “back-breaking labor to produce [their] family crop.”
“Growing up the way I did forever instilled a great work ethic and burning ambition in my soul. While in high school I won the award for ‘Most Inspirational Senior,’ which I attribute to the great life lessons from my family,” she said.
After serving for nearly ten years, Rianna left the military to pursue other ventures. These days, she is getting her bachelors from the University of North Dakota and pursuing a career in modeling. Since leaving the military, she’s posed for Maxim, FHM and over 40 other publications, and she just teamed up with photographer Robert Alvarado to create a pinup-inspired series of patriotic friendly shots.
“My mission as ‘The Combat Barbie’ is to show the world that it is possible to be yourself and achieve all of your dreams,” Rianna explained.
In addition, the veteran has started her clothing company line Combat Barbie Clothing, which she said is for “beautiful and bada–“ women and men to spread positivity and patriotism.
“Your success in life doesn’t depend on the cards you were dealt, how you grew up, the people who doubt you, or the difficult situations you face,” Rianna said. “Your success solely depends on your personal determination to achieve.”
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