Join February Playmate and Army veteran and future politician Chasity Samone for a night of cinematic splendor. As a kid, I used to tell on my brother for stealing our dad’s PLAYBOY magazines. But then I saw that Naomi Campbell issue—the one where she’s riding a giant chocolate Playboy Rabbit—and it made me think, I’m going to do that. I’m going to model for PLAYBOY.

I grew up in Dallas as number seven out of 11 children—seven girls and four boys. It was a little bit chaotic, but we were like a big happy Brady Bunch family. (Even today, we all live within a seven-mile radius.) My father was a veteran, and when I graduated from high school I followed in his footsteps and enlisted in the Army. I went to Fort Jackson and was basically a human-resource specialist. “Paper pushers” is what they used to call us. I learned a lot about breathing, actually; I learned that it’s the most essential thing in life and works for everything. I was an expert shooter because I had good breathing techniques.

It’s liberating to shoot nude, and I feel powerful embracing my sexuality. It’s an emotional experience for me because I didn’t see a lot of women like me celebrated on a platform like this. I hope my pictorial inspires other women to feel powerful and beautiful in the same way. (As far as my shoot, Adrienne Raquel was absolutely amazing—one of the most talented photographers I’ve ever worked with. She made me feel both confident and comfortable in my own skin.)