A former Marine turned Maxim cover girl has posed in a sexy military calendar, showing off her body in revealing camo outfits.
Shannon Ihrke, 29, from Minnesota, joined the military aged 19 and served on active duty for four years.
She’s one of the stars of Thomas Prusso’s Military Glamour Calendar 2019 and previously cut her teeth as a model when she was featured as a Maxim cover girl.
Veteran: Shannon Ihrke, 29, from Minnesota, joined the military aged 19 and served on active duty for four years
Striking a pose: She’s one of the stars of Thomas Prusso’s Military Glamour Calendar 2019
Career: Shannon previously cut her teeth as a model when she graced the cover of Maxim
Process: Shannon was an administrative specialist in the forces, became a sergeant, and after the Marines, turned her ambitions to modelling
‘As a female in the Marine Corps you have to work twice as hard as the men in order to feel like their equal,’ Shannon said.
‘A lot of the Marines initially thought that I might not be able to keep up physically, or that I somehow wasn’t “as strong” as them so I made it my mission to prove them wrong.
‘I came in guns blazing in order to show that I wasn’t someone that could be pushed around, brushed off, or not taken seriously. It was hard but it was also completely necessary.’
Shannon was an administrative specialist in the forces and says her time there made her smarter, faster, and stronger.
‘I pushed my body harder than I could have ever imagined and I learned to remain calm and collected in the mist of chaos,’ she said. ‘I became part of something that was bigger than myself and I loved it.’
Academia: Thanks to the GI Bill, earned a science degree from Elmhurst College in Illinois
Past: Shannon said she had to come in ‘guns blazing’ to earn the respect of her male peers as a Marine
Looking back: ‘I became part of something that was bigger than myself and I loved it,’ she said of her time in the force
Decisions: Shannon said that if she hadn’t wanted to pursue other dreams, she would certainly have re-enlisted
Changes: ‘In the modelling world you really have to push yourself to success because no one is going to do it for you, you have to go out and get it yourself,’ she said
Shannon became a sergeant, traveled the world and, thanks to the GI Bill, earned a science degree from Elmhurst College in Illinois.
After leaving the Marines, Shannon turned her ambitions to modelling.
‘In the military I was always concerned about being the best I could be for my brothers and sisters in arms,’ she said.
”In the modelling world you really have to push yourself to success because no one is going to do it for you, you have to go out and get it yourself.’
She added: ‘I owe the Marine Corps my life, hands down. It gave me a reason to wake up, push myself, set goals, and to push myself even harder when things got tough.
Progress: Shannon’s modelling career is clearly flourishing – in addition to being a cover girl, she has 105,000 loyal Instagram followers
Meaning: ‘Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Marines don’t have that problem,’ she said
Committed: Shannon said that even though she’s no longer on active duty, she will always ‘bleed green’
Efforts: Shannon said that as a Marine she pushed her body harder than she could ever have imagined
Mind: The former Marine also learned how to remain ‘calm and collected in the mist of chaos’ during her time in the force
Grateful: ‘I owe the Marine Corps my life, hands down,’ Shannon said
Audience: Shannon has 105,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares snapshots of her life as well as some modeling photos
‘Had I not had other dreams I still wanted to accomplish in my life I would have re-enlisted without hesitation… and although I am no longer on active duty, I will always bleed green.
‘Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Marines don’t have that problem.’
Shannon’s modelling career is clearly flourishing – in addition to being a cover girl, she has 105,000 loyal Instagram followers.
On her account, she shares pictures of her Midwest life riding horses as well as snaps from her glamorous bikini and lingerie shoots, including behind-the-scenes shots from Thomas Prusso’s calendar.
In one post, she wrote of her veteran co-stars: ‘These girls are all kind, funny, genuine, and just as beautiful inside as they are outside. I can honestly say that I love each one of these girls!’
The calendar’s creator, who is based in San Diego, California, describes himself as a military glamour photographer and was, himself, in the air force for six and a half years.
Resilience: Shannon said being a Marine ‘gave me a reason to wake up, push myself, set goals, and to push myself even harder when things got tough’
Determined: According to Shannon, a lot of Marines initially thought she wouldn’t be able to keep up physically, and she vowed to prove them wrong
Show of force: ‘As a female in the Marine Corps you have to work twice as hard as the men in order to feel like their equal,’ Shannon (pictured at a shooting range) said
Evolution: Shannon decided to dedicate herself to modeling after leaving the force
Content: The former Marine said she loved her time in the force and would have re-enlisted if not for her modelling ambitions