Romero makes history
By Douglas Mallary, NMNG Public Affairs
RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Col. Nathaniel Carper relinquished command of the 111th Sustainment Brigade to Col. Pia Romero during a Sept. 12 ceremony here.
Romero is the first woman to command the 111th from its origin as a cavalry regiment to its transition to an air defense artillery brigade, then a maneuver enhancement brigade, and most recently to a sustainment brigade.
Brig. Gen. Mark Miera, the New Mexico National Guard’s Land Component Commander, presided over the change of command.
The change of command was immediately followed by an assumption of responsibility ceremony in which Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Taylor took his post as the brigade’s senior enlisted leader.
Romero and Taylor previously served together as the command team of the 615th Transportation Battalion.
In keeping with tradition, Miera first addressed Carper’s tenure as commander.
“Nate had this opportunity thrust upon him probably a little earlier than he wanted, but now he’s only been here 10 months and he wants to hang onto it,” Miera said. Turning to Carper, he added, “You really did a great job.”
In testament, Miera presented Carper with his challenge coin and the Meritorious Service Medal. Brigade members then presented Carper with a framed plaque containing the colors of the brigade and subordinate battalions.
While acknowledging that 10 months is a short command, both Miera and Carper pointed out that Carper spent seven of those 10 months dual-hatted as commander of the COVID-19 Joint Task Force.
The JTF delivered supplies such as food, PPE, and hand sanitizer as well as services such as coronavirus testing and facility sanitation at locations throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation’s territory in Arizona. To date, the JTF has completed more than 800 missions.
“I’ve gotten to see what our Soldiers and Airmen do day in and day out for our teams,” Carper said.
Receiving his commission through the New Mexico Military Institute, Carper has been serving in the NMNG since 1997. As an Air Defense Artillery officer, he has spent some 20 years in the 111th.
Carper has served in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Kosovo. He is Air Assault qualified and his awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, five previous MSMs, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal.
Carper holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from New Mexico State University and a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He and his wife Colleen have two sons, Thomas and Maxwell.
Having relinquished command, Carper is now Chief of Staff for the New Mexico Army National Guard. However, he is reluctantly leaving the brigade.
“I thought I’d be ready to move on. I’m not,” Carper said. He then turned to Romero and added, “Pia, there’s nobody else I’d rather turn this over to.”
Miera expressed similar confidence in Romero.
“Pia, now you’ve got a new brigade,” Miera said. “New opportunities will come with that—new challenges. You get to go through the crucible of all these new challenges as they come, but I’m sure you’ll do great as you come out of it.”
In her speech, Romero said, “My family and I are honored and very excited about this wonderful opportunity to command such an exemplary brigade.”
She then paid tribute to her predecessor.
“As has been said of Gen. Creighton Abrams, Col. Carper is a man of tactical and strategic brilliance,” Romer said. “He has integrity of the highest order and inspiring leadership.”
Romero is no stranger to the brigade, having most recently served as the deputy commander. The 615th Transportation Battalion, her previous command, is a brigade unit.
She joined the NMARNG 24 years ago after serving 10 years in the Army Reserve. She commissioned as an Ordnance Officer and has since branch qualified in Logistics.
Romero took command of the 1115th Transportation Company in late 2002, a position she held through 2005 and included a deployment to Iraq, where she earned the Bronze Star medal and Combat Action Badge.
She has also completed State Active Duty for the response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustav, in addition to the Cerro Grande, Encebado, Las Conchas, and Little Bear wildfires.
Romero holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the College of Santa Fe and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico. She completed the U.S. Army War College Fellowship at Texas A&M University and is a Certified Federal Contracts Manager working as a Prime Contract Analyst for Triad National Security, LLC.
Romero and her husband Ryan have one son, Juan Diego.
Taylor replaces retired Command Sgt. Maj. Albert Sanchez as the brigade’s senior enlisted leader. Taylor relinquished responsibility as the command sergeant major of the 615th Transportation Battalion the day before to Command Sgt. Maj. Jarvis Lee.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank CSM Taylor for graciously accepting this very significant responsibility as brigade command sergeant major,” Romero said.
Taylor began his military career in 1996 with the Nebraska Army National Guard. He transferred to the NMARNG in 2014.
He is qualified as a Human Resources Specialist, Motor Transport Operator, and Intelligence Analyst. He has served in every enlisted leadership position from team leader to battalion command sergeant major and has completed all levels of noncommissioned officer Professional Military Education, culminating in graduation from the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy in 2018.
Taylor’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, the bronze U.S. Army Excellence in Competition Badge-Pistol, and Driver’s Badge for Wheeled Vehicles.
Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska. He and his wife Anna live in Las Cruces. Taylor works at the Data and Analysis Center at White Sands Missile Range.
“I do want to say thank you for this opportunity coming back to the 111th. This was the unit I came to when I first arrived in New Mexico,” Taylor said.
As to meeting future objectives of the brigade, Taylor said, “I’m ready. I hope that all of you are. We will get started posthaste.”
