Dow’s husband, retired Brig. Gen. Mark Dow, affixed the gold oak leaf to her uniform. Col. Daniel Stark, Chief of Staff for the New Mexico Army National Guard, presided over the ceremony. “There’s a line between staff sergeant and sergeant first class because when you make sergeant first class, you become a senior NCO,” said Stark. “There’s a line between being a specialist and a sergeant. There’s also a line between captain a major because when you become a major, you become a field grade officer.” Stark added that promotions are not about what somebody has accomplished, but about their potential for service at the next grade. “Major Dow, you’ve always delivered in the past,” Stark said. “Now we expect even more from you, but we know you can deliver.” Brig. Gen. Miguel Aguilar, the Deputy Adjutant General, also gave Dow his vote of confidence. When Aguilar commanded the 111th Sustainment Brigade, Dow commanded the brigade’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company. “When we sat down to look at the O-3s and O-4s available to command this unit (JFHQ), there was only one name that jumped out at me—Carol Dow,” Aguilar said. Dow quipped that having Aguilar as her senior rater in this command as she did when she was with the 111th will keep her on her toes. She also spoke of learning to balance Soldier care, mission accomplishment, and the need for discipline from other leaders throughout her career. “Major Dow cares about Soldiers, and she cares about making sure that things work the way they’re supposed to in this unit,” said Aguilar. ‘Given the rank structure here, that’s not easy.”
