Photo By Sgt. Avery Cunningham | U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Peggy Stowell's, assigned to Charlie Company (Medical), 186th...... read more read more
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First Sgt. Peggy Stowell, Charlie Company (Medical), 186th Brigade Support Battalion, Vermont National Guard, retired from the Guard July 9, 2016, on Camp Johnson, Colchester, Vt. Stowell is currently the longest serving female in the Vermont National Guard.
Public Law 90-130 authorized the enlistment of women in the National Guard on November 86th, 1967, just before Stowell decided to join. This opened more roles in the National Guard to woman and helped to garner interest.
At the young age of 17 Stowell enlisted in June of 1974 with her parent's permission. Shortly thereafter, in 1975 Stowell attended Basic Combat Training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, followed by the Medical Specialist course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. After completing the course, Stowell joined Company D, 50th Medical, in Vermont.
"When I came in they had just started letting females in the unit, so there were only two other females in the unit," said Stowell.
New to females, the unit was accepting but wary.
"My first annual training was at Fort Drum and that was the first year Fort Drum let females go there," said Stowell. "They wouldn't let two females drive over in the same truck because they didn't think we could make it all the way, but when we drove back, we got to drive together."
Although her unit was initially worried about the females, that changed after annual training.
"I don't think it was chauvinistic on their part so much as ignorance,"
explained Stowell. "Once they saw what we could do at annual training they realized that we were competent."
Stowell continued in the unit as a medical specialist before deciding it was time for a change.
"I was a medic for 2 years and then I didn’t really like it, but I always liked the paperwork part of it," said Stowell.
Stowell approached Moe Preston, a veteran who worked in patient administration. Noticing that he needed help, Stowell asked to join on as a patient administrations specialist. Under the tutelage of Preston, Stowell learned to perform her duty proficiently, and she found her confidence.
"We had five full-bird colonel doctors back then, and he would tell me, 'You have to go tell them that they have to do the paperwork right and make them do it,'" said Stowell.
As junior enlisted, it was a daunting task to her, Stowell said. Preston pressed her forward and through his mentorship, she overcame her shyness and found her confidence.
Stowell stayed with the unit for thirty years, attaining the rank of staff sergeant and position of medical supply non-commissioned officer before applying for battalion recruiting and retention non-commissioned officer with the 186th Forward Support Battalion, a newly developed position. After they accepted her application and assigned her the position she was promoted to sergeant first class for it.
Stowell stayed there for a year before applying for the position of first sergeant back at her old unit, which had changed its name to Charlie Company, 186th Forward Support Battalion (Medical), in 2003.
"I felt that I needed to apply for the first sergeant job because C-med needed someone that was there consistently, and I felt that it was my duty to do that," said Stowell.
At the end of 2004, Vermont National Guard Soldiers were deployed for Task Force Green Mountain, and although her company was not deployed, many of its troops filled in for other units, so Stowell was activated as a rear detachment readiness non-commissioned officer. In that position she oversaw more than 225 spouses and family members of Soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. While doing this she also served as the first sergeant of Charlie Company, 86th Provisional Battalion, a combination of Charlie Company Medical Detachment and Bravo Company, 186th Battalion Support Brigade.
"She was a stay-back first sergeant," said Sergeant 1st Class Mary Griswold, assigned to Company (Medical), 186th Brigade Support Battalion. "She took care of all of our families, and we knew that our families were going to be OK because she was back here, so during my deployment I knew I had nothing to worry about."
After the deployment she assumed the role of first sergeant of Charlie Company, Medical Detachment again. Although she was about to retire, Stowell enlisted again after she was requested to stay on as a rear detachment readiness non-commissioned officer for another deployment. She stayed and soon after a Soldier passed away right before the deployment. Stowell was chosen to be the Casualty Assistance and Notification officer.
"That was my most rewarding job I ever did and the most difficult," said Stowell. "I took care of his wife, all the processes and the funeral to help her get through the military part of it."
Stowell moved on to the Medical Detachment as the senior medical non-commissioned officer. There she stayed for five years before retirement came up once more. This time, despite people encouraging her otherwise, she went through with it.
"After 42 years she's seen a lot of changes in the military," said Griswold. "She's seen when women could only do certain MOS's (Military Occupational Specialties) to women as rangers now."
As she ends her military career, many of her friends fondly remember her as being a caring and passionate Soldier and leader who has done a lot for the Vermont National Guard and others.
"She will take care of anybody and everybody no matter what it costs her," said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kim Siner, the Command Chief Warrant Officer for the Vermont National Guard with Joint Force Headquarters, who served in Company D, 50th Medical with Stowell. "She will certainly go out of her way to make sure that everyone of her Soldiers and every person in her world has what they need, when they need it."
Additionally, she has shown what is possible through hard work.
"We've proven to those coming behind us it doesn’t matter if you're male or female, it doesn’t matter where you've come from," said Siner. "It matters how hard you work, how hard you strive to make things better and I'd like to believe that we have made things better, and we have opened possibilities for those coming behind us."
Stowell has mentored Soldiers following her to capitalize on those possibilities and do their best through hard work as she has.
"She's mentored me through everything, taught me to be the voice of reason, to listen to both sides, and not to judge," said Griswold.
Her mentorship is just one of the many things she has done during a long, rewarding career where she has met and influenced many people.
"It has been a great career, but more importantly, I have met so many great people," said Stowell. "I will miss it very much, but it is time."
Despite the fact that she is leaving the Vermont National Guard, her mark will forever reside on the organization.
"She has left the Vermont Army National Guard, and the National Guard as a whole, a better place than when she came into it," said Siner.
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.22.2016 16:18 |
| Story ID: | 204775 |
| Location: | COLCHESTER, VT, US |
| Web Views: | 278 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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