Walter E. Carter Jr.

Walter E. Carter Jr.
Vice Admiral Carter, 62nd Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy
Nickname(s)	Ted
Born	1959 (age 64–65)
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1981–2019
Rank	Vice admiral
Commands	U.S. Naval War College Carrier Strike Group Twelve Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, USJFCOM USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) USS Camden (AOE-2) VF-14 Tophatters
Battles/wars	Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Southern Watch Operation Allied Force
Awards	Navy Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross with Combat V Bronze Star Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (4) Air Medal (3, 2 of which with Combat V and 5 Strike/Flight) Navy Commendation Medal ((5), 2 with Combat V) Joint Service Achievement Medal

Walter Edward "Ted" Carter Jr. is President of the University of Nebraska System. Carter was confirmed by the university's Board of Regents as the eighth permanent president of the university on Dec. 5, 2019. Carter is a retired United States Navy Vice Admiral and Naval Flight Officer. He was the 62nd Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy and 54th President of the U.S. Naval War College.

Biography

Born in 1959, and a native of Burrillville, Rhode Island, Carter graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1981, was designated a Naval Flight Officer in 1982, and graduated from the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) in 1985. While at USNA, Carter majored in Oceanography, lettered in ice hockey 4 years (Team Captain in 1981), and was Editor in Chief of the USNA satirical magazine, The LOG, from 1979 to 1981. He is a graduate of the Air War College intermediate course, as well as the Armed Forces Staff College.

His career as a flight officer includes sea assignments in Fighter Squadron 161 (VF-161) on board USS Midway (CVA-41) in Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) and in the VF-21 "Freelancers" on board USS Independence (CV-62) with Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14). He commanded the VF-14 "Tophatters", and served as Executive Officer of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), culminating in command of USS Camden (AOE-2) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). His subsequent Fleet-command assignment was Commander of the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group / Carrier Strike Group Twelve (CSG-12) during Big E's final deployment as a 51-year-old aircraft carrier.

Carter accumulated 6,150 flight hours in the back seat of F-4, F-14, and F/A-18 aircraft during his career and safely accompanied pilots in 2,016 carrier-arrested landings, the record among all active and retired U.S. Naval Aviation designators. He also flew on 125 combat missions in support of joint operations in Bosnia, Kuwait, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Shore assignments include instructor duty in VF-124 "Gunslingers"; Chief of Staff for Fighter Wing Pacific; Executive Assistant to the Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command; Chief of Staff for Joint Warfighting Center, United States Joint Forces Command; and Commander, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command where he also served as lead for the Transition Planning Team during the disestablishment of U.S. Joint Forces Command. Prior to becoming President of the Naval War College, Carter led Task Force RESILIENT as Director, 21st Century Sailor Office (N17). He became the 54th President of the Naval War College on 2 July 2013.

On 23 July 2014, Carter relieved Vice Admiral Michael H. Miller, becoming the 62nd Superintendent of the US Naval Academy. He was succeeded by Sean Buck on July 26, 2019.

Awards and decorations

Naval Flight Officer Badge

	Navy Distinguished Service Medal
	Defense Superior Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Legion of Merit with three gold award stars
	Distinguished Flying Cross (with Combat V)
	Bronze Star
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 award stars)
	Air Medal (with Combat V, 2 award stars and Strike/Flight numeral 5)
	Navy Commendation Medal (with Combat V and 4 award stars)
	Joint Service Achievement Medal
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with 2 oak leaf clusters)
	Navy Unit Commendation with three bronze service stars
	Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (with 4 service stars)
	Navy "E" Ribbon (with Wreathed Battle "E" device)
	Navy Expeditionary Medal
	National Defense Service Medal (with 1 service star)
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (with 1 service star)
	Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 3 service stars)
	Kosovo Campaign Medal (with 1 service star)
	Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with 1 service star)
	Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Armed Forces Service Medal
	Humanitarian Service Medal
	Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (with 8 service stars)
	Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon
	NATO Medal for Kosovo (with 1 service star)
	Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
	Navy Expert Rifleman Medal
	Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal

• Carter was also awarded the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership (1999) and the U.S. Navy League's John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership in (2009). He has been recognized as the West Coast F-14 Instructor of the Year (1987) and was the NFO Tailhooker of the Year in (1988). Carter was also appointed an Honorary Master Chief by the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy in 2008. In November 2014 he was inducted into the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame and in April 2015 he was inducted into the prestigious Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. In September, 2019, he received the USS MIDWAY's Patriot Award in honor of the 50th Anniversary of TOPGUN.

Attribution

This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Vice Admiral Walter E. Carter, Jr.

External links

Media related to Walter E. Carter Jr. at Wikimedia Commons