U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Douglas Lowrey, a Cherokee Nation citizen, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Sean Rice unfurl the one-star flag during Lowrey's promotion ceremony held Sept. 18. USASAC PUBLIC AFFAIRS

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – A Cherokee Nation citizen promoted from commander of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command to brigadier general is now the only Native American general officer on active duty.

Brig. Gen. Douglas Lowrey, an Oklahoma native, was given his new rank during a ceremony Sept. 18 at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.

"Honestly, I never thought I'd be standing here," said Lowrey, who was described as an "incredible" leader. "For me it's real simple – I love being a soldier."

Army Materiel Command's Gen. Edward Daly called it "a great day for our Army."

"What a fantastic day for our country and what a great day for the Cherokee Nation," he added. "When you look at promotion to brigadier general, this is a big deal. Of more than 64,000 officers in our Army, only about 300 are generals. It's great for our Army and it's great for your lineage."

Lowrey can trace his roots back to Maj. George "Rising Fawn" Lowrey (1770-1852), an assistant principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.

"Maj. Lowrey lived in the Tennessee Valley, right here, but was forcibly removed to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears, which ran through this part of Alabama," Daly said. "Now, 200 years later, his grandson is about to become a general officer right here on Native soil."

Lowrey's family, including his father, Grady Lowrey, and his three sons, attended the ceremony. The senior Lowrey was an infantryman in the Army who retired after 35 years in Oklahoma law enforcement.

"My favorite thing about the Army is to observe soldiers succeed, accomplishing something that they never thought they could do," the new general said. "I'm telling you, the U.S. Army soldier is strong."

The U.S. Army Security Assistance Command is a subordinate organization of the Army Materiel Command, the primary provider of military materials and equipment to the U.S. Army.

The Sept. 18 ceremony was streamed live on the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command's Facebook page.