Walter E. Carter, Jr.

Rear Admiral Walter E. “Ted” Carter Jr. is a Naval Flight Officer who serves as the 54th President of the U.S. Naval War College.

Biography
Rear Admiral Walter E. “Ted” Carter, Jr., became the 54th President of the U.S. Naval War College on 2 July 2013. A native of Burrillville, R.I., he 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 (Top Gun) in 1985.

His career as an aviator includes sea assignments in Fighter Squadron VF-161 on board USS Midway, in VF-2 “Freelancers” on board USS Independence and in Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW 5). He commanded the VF-14 “Tophatters,” and served as Executive Officer of USS Harry S. Truman, culminating in command of USS Camden and USS Carl Vinson. His subsequent Fleet-command assignment was Commander of the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group (CSG-12).

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, U.S. 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. He was most recently charged with leading Task Force RESILIENT as Director, 21st Century Sailor Office (N17).

Carter is the recipient of various personal awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal (two awards), Legion of Merit (three awards), Distinguished Flying Cross with Combat V, Bronze Star, Air Medal (two with Combat V and five strike/flight), and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two with Combat V). He was awarded the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Leadership award and the U.S. Navy League’s John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership. Carter was also appointed an Honorary Master Chief by the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

He accumulated 6,150 flight hours in F-4, F-14, and F-18 aircraft during his career and safely completed 2,016 carrier-arrested landings, the record among all active and retired U.S. Naval Aviation designators. He also flew 125 combat missions in support of joint operations in three different theaters of operation.

Awards and Decorations

 * Navalflightoff.jpeg Naval Flight Officer Badge