Courtesy Photograph | Col. Tasha Lowery, joint base commander, left, enjoys a January 2023 Pittsburgh…… learn extra learn extra Courtesy Photograph | Col. Tasha Lowery, joint base commander, left, enjoys a January 2023 Pittsburgh Penguins recreation along with her son, Shawn, Jr., and husband, Shawn Lowery, Sr. (Photograph courtesy of Col. Tasha Lowery) see much less | View Picture Web page

JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, VA. — A popcorn machine exterior the command suite invitations folks to cease by and say hi there to Col. Tasha Lowery, the brand new commander for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Corridor.

“I come from a southern household the place the concept of meals, whether or not it’s soul meals, snacks, and so forth., can carry folks collectively,” Lowery mentioned. “One thing as small as bringing in a popcorn machine can carry a crew collectively and may, at occasions, carry spirits.”

Lowery, raised by a single mom, grew up in Blackstone, Virginia. She was 14 years outdated when she adopted the function of matchmaker and launched her mom to her stepfather, who was her highschool Junior ROTC teacher and a Marine Corps veteran.

She began her navy profession within the Marine Corps Reserves, one thing she didn’t inform her mom and stepfather till she was midway by means of her “rat” yr at Virginia Navy Institute.

“My mother and stepdad have at all times been my greatest supporters,” Lowery mentioned. “There was positively a way of satisfaction from my stepdad, who had served within the Marine Corps for thus a few years.”

Lowery, who matriculated into VMI in 1998, was a part of solely the second class of scholars to attend VMI that included ladies. Her time there was not with out its challenges, however she mentioned it made her extra decided to show herself.

“That have drove me to some extent the place there was much more drive to not stop,” Lowery mentioned. “I credit score that point at VMI for that. It most likely created a bit little bit of stubbornness the place for those who inform me I am unable to, then I’ll.”

Switching from Marine to Soldier

Lowery served three years within the Marine Corps Reserves whereas attending VMI and had each intention of going into the Marine Corps full-time when she commissioned in 2002. She additionally wished to be in navy intelligence.

Throughout her final semester at VMI, she determined to modify from the Marine Corps, the place she was a provide lance corporal in her reserve unit, to the Military. Lowery mentioned she felt her probabilities of being chosen for navy intelligence can be higher, as a result of the Military is a bigger group with extra alternatives.

She ended up getting chosen for navy intelligence, going by means of all of the coaching and serving in quite a lot of assignments as a navy intelligence officer, together with roles whereas deployed in Mosul, Iraq in assist of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 and in Bagram, Afghanistan throughout Operation Enduring Freedom in 2007.

In any case that, nonetheless, she realized navy intelligence wasn’t what she thought it could be, so in 2009, she transitioned to the Adjutant Generals Corps. As an AG, Lowery mentioned she will deal with the human aspect of serving.

“I really feel like there’s at all times a human aspect,” Lowery mentioned. “I believe generally it is simple to overlook that while you’re attempting to perform one thing. Everyone seems to be simply centered on the mission however not who’s doing it.”

After transitioning to AGC, Lowery held quite a lot of management roles at Fort Liberty, North Carolina; Stuttgart, Germany and the Pentagon the place she served because the navy assistant to the Military G-1 and the aide-de camp for the Vice Chief of Employees of the Military.

In 2021, Lowery graduated from the Nationwide Battle Faculty.

Household life

Household is vital to Lowery and a part of what appealed to her when she took the place as joint base commander.

“The household facet is a giant piece of it, if I am being sincere,” she mentioned. “With the ability to proceed to remain on this space, significantly being twin navy, I knew my husband would be capable to have a job right here within the space. After which my son with hockey. That was a giant a part of it as nicely. My mother lives with us, so household is shut for her, which is de facto vital.”

Outdoors of her navy duties, Lowery mentioned she is married to a unicorn. Her husband, Shawn Lowery, Sr. is a Chief Warrant Officer 5 – the very best rank a Warrant Officer can obtain. They met in Afghanistan towards the top of their second deployments after which acquired collectively once more after his everlasting responsibility station modified to Fort Liberty, the place she was additionally stationed.

“The remaining is historical past,” she mentioned. “15 years later, 13 years married, and he stays probably the most loving husband who’s supportive of me and all of my flaws!”

A part of Lowery’s house life revolves round 12-year-old hockey participant, Shawn, Jr., who aspires to play professionally, hopefully for the Pittsburgh Penguins, sometime.

“It is attention-grabbing to see him develop,” Lowery mentioned. “He’s home-schooled due to hockey. We made that call as a result of he wished to dedicate extra time to coaching. He is very aggressive and comes by that truthfully.”

She additionally shares her house along with her mom, recognized by all as “Grandma Lucy” and is a pet mother or father to a pure black German Shepard named Vader.

Significance of being actual

Lowery could be described as a folks particular person with a heat, infectious smile and bubbly persona, and he or she expresses a real want to get to know folks.

“I believe the non-public aspect of individuals ties in with the skilled aspect,” she mentioned. “I wish to take the time to actually sit down and simply perceive anyone. That’s how you actually construct a crew.”

Lowery mentioned if there was one factor she might think about her biggest accomplishment, except for elevating her son, it could be that she continues to be the lady her mom raised her to be.

She believes in being real and tells the story of a three-star common she met who shared the identical bubbly, outgoing persona. The second caught along with her as a result of it spoke to her want to not change who she was to swimsuit another person’s excellent.

“She went to a navy faculty,” Lowery mentioned. “She’s outgoing, sort of bubbly, with a sort of quirky persona. She was informed, ‘You most likely shouldn’t go into the navy. It’s simply not for you,’ and he or she mentioned to herself, ‘I can solely be me, and if that’s not ok, then okay, however that’s all I could be.’”

Coming to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Corridor

Lowery, who has been within the Military for almost 21 years, was serving as secretary for the Joint Employees when the chance to function commander at JBM-HH arose, and he or she took command in Could 2023.

“We’re informed what’s open, after which we are able to rack and stack our selections,” she mentioned. “This was my first selection. I knew I wished to command. I’ve commanded at each degree – firm, battalion – and now to have the ability to command on the O6 degree, I’m fairly excited, to be fairly sincere.”

Lowery mentioned the love and compassion she has for her son bleeds into her function as a pacesetter.

“The best way I lead and the best way I would like folks to see me as an individual is how I would like my baby to see me as an individual. I would like him to have the ability to take a look at me and say, ‘My mother’s a badass,’” Lowery mentioned. “That’s vital to me as a result of, once more, I’m an individual identical to everyone else. I simply occurred to now be an O6 within the Military. However on the finish of the day, I’m nonetheless Tasha Lowery.”

Since she served within the Marine Corps Reserves, Lowery mentioned she discovered it attention-grabbing that she was chosen to be joint base commander for the one joint Military/Marine set up. She mentioned her time within the Marine Corps Reserve helps her perceive the Marine Corps tradition and creates a reference to them. She additionally served with new Headquarters and Service Battalion commander, Col. William Hood, on the Pentagon previous to coming to JBM-HH.

“He was on the Workplace of the Secretary of Protection workers, and I used to be on the Joint Employees previous to coming into each of our jobs, which is nice,” Lowery mentioned. “So, there’s already a built-in relationship there which has been actually good.”

Lowery mentioned the extra she learns in regards to the job, the extra she discovers she had no concept what she was entering into. Between the older infrastructure, joint base companions, barracks points, administrative points and extra, she has come to comprehend she will’t put 100% into every little thing that must be carried out.

She in contrast the complexity of JBM-HH with a charcuterie board with quite a lot of totally different components that she appears ahead to integrating to kind a cohesive complete.

“ my function, I’m the integrator of all this totally different stuff,” Lowery mentioned. “It is actually placing 30 % right here, 40 % there, giving out steerage and permitting the parents who’re in cost carry it out. I’ll by no means be the subject material skilled in any of it.”

Whereas she is in control of JBM-HH, Lowery mentioned she appears ahead to persevering with partnerships with the communities exterior the gate and ensuring the households of the Troopers and Marines who name the bottom house are taken care of to allow them to deal with their mission.

One challenge she hopes to see began is the long-awaited renovation of Patton Corridor, a challenge that has handed by means of the fingers of different set up commanders. She mentioned if she will get that challenge off the bottom, it could imply that the exhausting work and dedication of those that got here earlier than her to attempt to get it renovated could have lastly come to fruition.

“Patton Corridor is a spot within the Nationwide Capital Area for strategic outreach and Arlington Nationwide Cemetery assist,” Lowery mentioned. “Distinguished People and visitors depend on JBM-HH, and particularly Patton Corridor, to supply dignified area to host these occasions.”

Though she is aware of she could not be capable to see tasks accomplished, she mentioned she can be happy that she not less than planted the seed.

“What I have been informed from my earlier garrison commanders is that you could be develop or begin a challenge on a publish, however you could not see it come to fruition,” Lowery mentioned. “What’s that saying? You possibly can plant the tree, however you could by no means be capable to see it develop and sit beneath it for shade? However I believe if I can go away it higher than how I obtained it, to me, that’s success.”