Peta Boy

David James Elliott might have played debonair vegetarian Navy Commander Harmon Rabb on the popular TV series JAG, but now, PETA’s looking for the real deal. That’s why the group is calling up all privates, generals, sailors, admirals, pilots, and all other members of the U.S. Armed Forces to determine which man or woman will win PETA’s first-ever Sexiest Vegetarian Soldier contest. The contest is a tribute to all the men and women in uniform who are defending the country and animals at the same time.

The contest is open to all current and former military personnel who are at least 18 years of age. All that entrants have to do is fill out a short form and upload a few recent photos. One lucky winner–male or female–will be named on The PETA Files and will receive a vegan goodie basket loaded with cookies, chocolate, and jerky and a PETA T-shirt. The entry round will end on November 26, and the winner will be notified and announced on December 8.

Why is going vegetarian a smart military maneuver? For one thing, vegetarians are, on average, fitter and trimmer than their meat-eating counterparts, so if soldiers want to be lean, mean fighting machines, the best thing that they can do is keep meat off their plates. Also, consumption of meat and other animal products has been conclusively linked to America’s leading killer diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and several types of cancer. And while even the strongest fighting force on Earth can’t solve all the world’s problems overnight, going vegetarian is the best way to help stop the violence and bloodshed inherent in the meat industry.

“Vegetarian soldiers, sailors, Air Force personnel, and marines earn their stripes for defending the abused every time they sit down to eat,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “After all, what could be sexier than someone with the passion to carry out the rigors of the military and the compassion to protect animals?”