QUANTICO, Va. -- Looking back on his three decades of service, Chief Master Sgt. Gregg Gow never saw himself as OSI’s top enlisted Special Agent, yet the stripes on his sleeves tell a different story.
Reflecting on his journey, and role as 17th Office of Special Investigations command chief, Gow said he never aspired to climb the ranks. Instead, he focused on leading and caring for others, dedicating a career service before self.
Since joining the Air Force in Nov. 1994, Gow's leadership philosophy has been like tending a garden, he said, which has been central to his success.
“If you prepare the soil and environment—nurturing and caring for each individual—they can grow to their full potential," Gow said. "[As command chief], I believe that I have created the right conditions to bring out the best in our people.”
This means focusing on training, developing mission-qualified training, securing necessary funding and resources, he said, and establishing a comprehensive development ecosystem to support OSI personnel from the moment they join until they leave.
“It's all about providing the tools people need to grow and reach their fullest potential,” he said.
Early years
Gow’s journey to OSI’s senior leadership was far from his earliest expectations. Growing up by a lake in Northern Idaho, the chief grew up surrounded by nature rather than the structured world of military criminal investigations.
As a boy, he was fascinated with aviation and often imagined himself soaring through the skies, he said. Yet, a military career wasn’t on his radar. While his grandfather and uncle had served, their military experiences where distant memories by the time Gow grew up.
“I’ve always been fascinated by fast jets,” Gow said. “Two that stand out are the SR-71 and the B-1B, also known as the 'Bone.' The SR-71 was retiring around the time I joined the Air Force, and the B-1B has always been captivating to me.”
What began as an interest in aviation soon turned into a career.
By early 1995, he was a basic trainee at Joint Base Lackland, Texas, before heading to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, to train as a personnelist.
Joining the Air Force, “was an opportunity to take a journey, to do something –but I didn't really know what I was getting into,” he said. “I don't think I figured out what the Air Force was about, or what I wanted to do, until after my second deployment as a personnelist.”
“Early on, I was just trying to figure out life and where I fit in the bigger scheme of things,” he added.
As a personnelist, Gow's assignments took him to Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, and Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, where he gained experience in various mission support and security forces units.
However, it wasn’t until the dawn of the new millennium that his career began to crystallize, and the life of investigating took shape.
Joining OSI
Gow first encountered OSI Special Agents during a deployment leading up to Operation Desert Fox in the late 90s, a mission involving cruise missile strikes against Iraq.
During this deployment, he met Special Agents ensuring safe operations. Gow’s team had to avoid open roads for force protection reasons and OSI had the necessary relationships to navigate through the oil fields securely.
This piqued Gow's interest in OSI's mission and operations. “The investigations, the curious mindset, solving problems, detecting threats and protecting Air Force interests—all of that was very compelling to me,” he said.
According to Gow, that deployment was a turning point for him; not only did it introduce him to the critical work of OSI Special Agents. It also set the stage for his future involvement with OSI, particularly in Iraq, which became a significant aspect of his career.
In Sept. 2000, Gow attended the U.S. Air Force Special Investigations Academy, which at the time was held at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. The course, which he completed in Dec. 2000, laid the foundation for his future in OSI.
From Jan. 2001 to April 2004, he was at OSI Det. 427, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. He then moved on to OSI Det. 246 at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, from April 2004 to May 2005, followed by taking on the role of noncommissioned officer in charge at Det. 322, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, from May 2005 to June 2008.
Gow’s OSI career appeared to be on a steady path until a pivotal event changed everything.
Remembering OSI’s Fallen
While stationed at Det. 322, Gow deployed to OSI Expeditionary Det. 2410, when on June 5, 2007, Gow and his team were in a convoy returning to Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated two miles south of the base.
The blast killed Special Agents Ryan A. Balmer and Matthew J. Kuglics, both assigned to the detachment.
Gow, who was part of the convoy, recalled, "I was with them on that deployment,” he said. “I was in that convoy and pulled them from the truck.”
This event left an impact on the chief for the years that followed.
“One thing I truly appreciate about this command is that we've never forgotten those we've lost,” he said. “Even before the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, we remembered those who had made the ultimate sacrifice.”
As he advanced through the ranks and leading the enlisted corps, the chief has worked to ensure the legacy and memory of those who served are preserved and honored.
“Those memories will never leave me,” he said, looking back on the day Balmer and Kuglics died. “I always cherish and remember them.”
Senior leadership roles
In the later part of his career, Gow took on several key leadership positions within OSI. He led operations and training at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and then deployed to Afghanistan at OSI Det. 2405, Bagram Airfield, overseeing major crime investigations, before finishing his tenure in Hawaii.
Following this, he led criminal investigations and counterintelligence efforts at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, and Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Finally, Gow moved to OSI Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, where he oversaw intelligence and investigative operations on a broader scale at the OSI Center. It was a location he never left.
Since May 2021, Gow has served as OSI’s command chief, and has overseen the training and readiness of over 3,400 personnel.
“OSI is more crucial than ever for our Air Force, especially as we navigate this era of Great Power Competition,” Gow said. “Our law enforcement and counterintelligence capabilities are vital for enabling the Department of the Air Force to operate and fight in the future.”
As Gow prepares for retirement, he looks forward to returning to the outdoors and possibly rekindling his passion for aviation.
“We're moving back west to create a homestead," he said. “I'll definitely have to find some employment after military service, but the main focus will be to take some time, spend it with family, and reconnect with those we've been away from for a while."
As he steps away, Gow hopes his legacy of service and compassion will continue as Chief Master Sgt. James Hoy takes the helm as OSI’s next command chief, Aug. 2, 2024, following a ceremony at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
“The amount of pride I have in being part of this organization, and the opportunities I've had to serve as Command Chief is beyond measure,” he said. “I will miss it, but mostly, I'll miss the people of OSI.”