Category: United States Defense

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

President Jimmy Carter, the nation’s 39th chief executive and the first U.S. Naval Academy graduate to serve in the Oval Office, began his final journey Saturday with a procession that intertwined the small-town rhythms of Plains, Georgia, and the weighty traditions of American military pageantry. His was a life well lived, one whose actions epitomized the motto of his alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy: non sibi sed patriae — “not for self, but for country.” 

Decades after Carter resigned his naval commission to assume responsibility for his family’s peanut warehouse and farmland, an honor guard of service members and midshipmen escorted his flag-draped casket from Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus. Former and current Secret Service agents, who had safeguarded him for nearly half a century, led the hearse past Plains landmarks that spoke to Carter’s Depression-era roots — the modest home where Rosalynn was delivered by a nurse in 1927, the old train depot that served as his 1976 campaign headquarters and the fields where he once worked side-by-side with Black sharecroppers. 

“He was an amazing man. He was held up and propped up and soothed by an amazing woman,” remarked son James Earl “Chip” Carter III, recalling both his father and mother, the late Rosalynn Carter. “The two of them together changed the world.”  

The local reaction along the funeral route displayed the deep reverence for a man who, despite rising to the highest office in the land, “never forgot where he came from.” 

Yet this final salute to Carter also showcased the institutional impact of his early years in uniform — a side of his story he always said shaped his public life. In 1943, the teenage Carter arrived at Annapolis as a “landlubber in every respect,” never having seen an ocean or stepped aboard a vessel larger than a fishing boat.

Entering what was then a largely insular academy, he encountered strict discipline from upperclassmen. Carter withstood weeks of “plebe summer” indoctrination before an accelerated wartime schedule designed to commission officers for a global conflict. He later recalled that the academy’s rigorous environment taught him self-control, quiet leadership and above all, a reverence for “absolute truth.” 

Graduating in the top 10% of the Class of 1947, Carter served briefly aboard experimental gunnery ships USS Wyoming and USS Mississippi before transitioning to the submarine force. Drawn to the emerging possibilities of nuclear propulsion, he joined Navy Admiral Hyman G. Rickover’s budding program.  

Known as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy,” Rickover put young Carter to work developing nuclear reactors at a time when fission technology was in its infancy. Carter later assisted with the emergency cleanup following a partial meltdown at Canada’s Chalk River Laboratories, where he and his small crew disassembled radioactive components in dangerous conditions.  

“They let us get probably a thousand times more radiation than they would now,” he would recall, noting the fledgling nature of nuclear science in the 1950s. 

Carter’s father died in 1953, bringing him home to Georgia and ending a promising naval career. Yet the legacy of service never left him. He often said Rickover had “more effect on my life than any other man besides my father.” Carter merged that influence with lessons from the Naval Academy’s Blue Jacket’s Manual, which instilled obedience, loyalty, energy and courage — values he carried from the submarine force to politics. Elected the 39th president in 1976, he became the only Annapolis graduate to occupy the White House.

On Saturday, those military bonds were clear at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, where a carefully choreographed tribute featured the 282d Army Band, part of Joint Task Force–National Capital Region. Band members performed “Hail to the Chief” and the hymn “Be Thou My Vision,” salutes for a commander-in-chief who had once been a newly commissioned ensign, then lieutenant, in the U.S. Navy.  

Grandson Jason Carter addressed the assembled staff, volunteers and Habitat for Humanity partners who had witnessed the former president’s hands-on approach to public service. “His spirit fills this place,” Jason said, thanking the men and women who would continue Carter’s humanitarian mission around the world. 

Following the Georgia observances, Carter’s remains are set to travel to Washington. The farewell schedule includes a 21-gun salute at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, a transfer to a horse-drawn caisson at the U.S. Navy Memorial and a funeral procession tracing the route that Carter famously walked as part of his 1977 inaugural parade.

At the Capitol, his body will lie in state, giving lawmakers and citizens another day to pay their respects before a service at Washington National Cathedral. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Yvette M. Davids are expected to honor him in Washington, reaffirming his place in the school’s storied lineage. 

Ultimately, Carter’s journey will end where it began: Plains. He will be buried next to Rosalynn, his partner of 77 years, near the house they built before his first run for state senate. Army Maj. Gen. Trevor J. Bredenkamp, commanding general of the Joint Task Force–National Capital Region, is charged with directing the soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, Coast Guardsmen and guardians along each leg of the route. The near-constant presence of uniformed service members throughout the ceremony reflects Carter’s lifelong devotion to his country — one forged in the halls of Bancroft Hall and tested on the decks of submarines. 

“For a ceremony of this scale, our teams must remain adaptive, thoroughly prepared and agile,” Bredenkamp said. “We’ve brought together every branch of the military, coordinated with many local, state and federal interagency partners, and balanced various protocols to ensure every element — from cordons and color guards to the body bearers and military bands — flawlessly executes their ceremonial duties and responsibilities in tribute to President Carter’s legacy.”

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

PAJU, South Korea  –  

Daesongdong Elementary School, the only school located within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), held its 56th graduation ceremony on Jan. 3, marking a milestone for four students who completed their elementary education.

The ceremony drew dignitaries from the United Nations Command, UNC Military Armistice Commission, JSA Security Battalion, Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, Republic of Korea military officials, as well as local leaders from Paju City and Gyeonggi Province.

The graduates, who aim to become a kindergarten teacher, pilot, veterinarian, and film director, were congratulated by families, local leaders, and military officials. The event was safeguarded by UNC Security Battalion Soldiers, highlighting the school’s unique location within the DMZ and UNC’s role to provide security of the Daesongdong residents.

Since its establishment in 1954, Daesongdong Elementary School has produced 230 graduates, with 27 students currently enrolled across six classes.

“In one of the most geopolitically sensitive areas in the world, this school stands as a testament to what we can achieve when we prioritize security, peace and stability,” said Maj. Gen. John Weidner, United Nations Command Chief of Staff.

Weidner also commended the graduates on their milestone.

“Your achievements are extraordinary, not just because of where you are, but because of who you are. The world needs your voices, your talents, and your dreams to build a brighter future. And because of your experiences within the DMZ, you are extraordinary ambassadors of peace.”

Mr. Choe, Il-yong, the school principal, said the graduation ceremony was a significant moment for the students, who have demonstrated “remarkable resilience and dedication to their studies.” The official expressed pride in the students’ accomplishments and gratitude for the support of the community, military officials, and local leaders.

United Nations Command remains committed to providing a secure and safe environment for Daesongdong residents with education and supportive environment for its students, despite the challenges posed by its location within the DMZ.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

WASHINGTON (AFNS)  –  

Joint Ceremonial Honor Guard members representing each military service are participating in the state funeral events honoring former President Jimmy Carter. The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Honor Guards have all participated in state funerals previously. However, this is the first state funeral for the newest U.S. military service – the Space Force.

Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died Dec. 29, 2024. His state funeral began Jan. 4, in Georgia, and continues in Washington, D.C., through Jan. 9. While some Honor Guard members were in Atlanta supporting the funeral events there, other members were in the nation’s capital, rehearsing for the local events.

The U.S. Space Force celebrated its fifth anniversary in December, and standing up its Honor Guard was an important part of creating its heritage. The first Guardians graduated from nine-week technical training with the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard in August 2024, and the Space Force Honor Guard currently has 43 Guardians assigned. Though the U.S. Space Force Honor Guard has some new recruits, some of the team transferred over from the Air Force, bringing years of knowledge and experience to share with the newer members.

Although the unit is new, the Guardians are as well-trained as their counterparts from other services. They’ve been involved in other high-profile events like the Super Bowl, and funerals for late First Lady Rosalynn Carter, and Senator Dianne Feinstein.

The Honor Guards from each service train together year-round, to ensure readiness and the Defense Department holds several state funeral training events each year to ensure its ready to respond at any time.

“While the state funeral seems like a quick turnaround, the reality is that all Joint Forces execute year-round training together with a validation exercise to show that our forces are ready for any state funeral that comes,” said Senior Master Sgt. Matthew Massoth, U.S. Space Force Honor Guard senior enlisted leader. “We constantly rotate people in to ensure wide-spread knowledge and practice the task during daily operations too.”

Though the Honor Guard members were preparing for the presidential inauguration scheduled for Jan. 20, they quickly pivoted to include state funeral events.

“The [U.S. Space Force Honor Guard] is about 17 months old and we are faced with two of the largest ceremonies possible, a state funeral and presidential inauguration, all within a 20-day window,” Massoth said. “This is an amazing opportunity to represent all Guardians to the American public and world as we perform two historic events.”

A snowstorm hit Washington the day before Carter’s funeral procession was scheduled to arrive in the city. However, the Honor Guard didn’t let snowy, icy weather conditions stop them. Massoth said physical fitness, nutrition, and proper rest are stressed throughout the year to ensure service members are able to perform their duties in a variety of weather conditions. They train constantly in heat and cold weather and teach members to layer clothing properly. Although most of the city was still shut down Jan. 7, the state funeral continued without missing a beat.

A state funeral is a national tribute held for current or former presidents, or other officials as directed by the president. Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, on behalf of the Department of Defense, is supporting the funeral. Members of the public were invited to pay their respects during public viewings in Atlanta and Washington, during the funeral procession or along motorcade routes.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.  –  

In the predawn hours of New Year’s Eve, a deadly fireworks explosion in Hawaii sent shockwaves across the islands. Three people tragically lost their lives and 20 more were injured. Six survivors were airlifted aboard an Air Force C-17 from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii to Phoenix, Ariz., Jan. 4, 2025, where they would receive specialized care at Valleywise Medical Center’s renowned burn unit. 

The mission to safely transport these patients, over extensive distances, exemplified joint effort between the Air Force Reserve’s 944th Fighter Wing, the active-duty Air Force’s 56th Fighter Wing, the Phoenix Fire Department, and civilian medical professionals.

“This is what we train for, and when the call comes, we’re ready,” said Capt. Paris Mandy, a clinical nurse with the 944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron (ASTS), a specialized unit within the most diverse training wing in the Air Force Reserve. 

With their core mission centered on patient movement and stabilization, the 944th ASTS played an instrumental role in this high-stakes operation. From the moment the team was activated, they worked side by side with active-duty Airmen and civilian counterparts to ensure mission success.

The 944th ASTS, a unit known for its expertise in aeromedical evacuation, provided critical manpower for offloading the patients from the aircraft and transferring them to ambulances at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. 

Mandy described the mission as a real-world scenario where the unit’s extensive training could be directly applied. 

“Today, we’re not working with mannequins. These are real patients who need us,” Mandy said. “It’s both humbling and exhilarating to put our skills to work in such a meaningful way.”

For some of the reservists, including 944th FW ASTS Master Sgt. Elisabeth Yates, this was their first real-world operation. 

“This is why we train so rigorously,” Yates noted. “When you’re called at a moment’s notice, readiness is everything. This mission brought all our preparation into sharp focus.” 

Yates highlighted the critical role Exercise Desert Hammer 25-1, a rigorous annual training exercise conducted by the 944th FW in November 2024, played in preparing them for this moment. The exercise simulates high-pressure, real-world scenarios, requiring rapid adaptability and flawless execution. 

“Desert Hammer taught us how to operate at a real-world pace,” Yates added. “That training translated directly into our ability to respond effectively today.”

The joint nature of this operation was a testament to the power of collaboration. Capt. Eric Huff, 56th FW Medical Group Director of Tactical Combat Casualty Care, emphasized the importance of teamwork in ensuring patient safety. 

“We had to transfer patients from military litters to Phoenix Fire Department gurneys, which required precise coordination,” Huff explained. “It’s not just about physical strength – it’s about communication and synchronization among all teams involved.”

The mission also highlighted the human element at the heart of military operations. For 944th FW ASTS Staff Sgt. Nathan Espinoza the experience was profoundly meaningful. 

“Helping people who can’t help themselves – that’s why I joined,” Espinoza said. “Seeing the resilience of these patients and knowing that our efforts are making a difference is incredibly rewarding.”

The complexity of the operation, from the initial activation to the final patient transfer, highlighted the value of readiness and adaptability by all support involved, explained Huff. 

Mandy’s background as an emergency room nurse and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner brought an additional layer of expertise to the mission, bridging the gap between military and civilian medical care.

“It’s a team effort,” Mandy said. “Whether it’s our junior Airmen or senior officers, everyone has a role to play. The camaraderie and mutual respect we’ve built through training like Desert Hammer made all the difference today.”

As the last ambulance departed for Valleywise Medical Center, the gravity of the mission settled over the team. They had answered the call, proving that their training and dedication could rise to meet any challenge. 

For the 944th Fighter Wing, this mission was not just a demonstration of operational excellence but also a profound reminder of their collective purpose: to Forge Combat Airmen to Fly, Fight, and Win – in any scenario, at any time.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii  –  

Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, deputy commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, hosts Lithuanian Chief of Defence Gen. Raimundas Vaikšnoras at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii, Jan. 7, 2025.

Vaikšnoras assumed his role in July 2024 and has demonstrated a desire to enhance U.S.-Lithuanian communication and cooperation in combating threats across the Indo-Pacific region.

The visit to Hawaii builds upon Vaikšnoras’ meeting with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. at the Pentagon in Sept. 2024, where they discussed Baltic regional security, Lithuania’s defense modernization programs and U.S. force posture.

After Lithuania regained its independence in 1990, Lithuania has been committed to promoting democratic principles at home and abroad as a NATO Ally and European Union member.

USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, fighting to win.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii  –  

In 2024, the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band shared its music with 2.5 million people in nine countries and four Hawaiian Islands. Its 600 engagements included concerts for the community, performances for school children, official Navy events and ceremonies, and shows for Sailors. Band members also participated in the annual Pacific Partnership, the Navy’s largest multinational humanitarian and disaster relief mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific, taking them to Vietnam, the Philippines, Tonga, and across Micronesia for cultural exchanges.

It’s a rigorous schedule for the band, which has been representing the U.S. Navy in Hawaii for more than 75 years. The Pacific Fleet Band is one of 11 bands in the Navy that inspire patriotism, elevate esprit de corps, support recruiting and retention efforts, preserve the Nation’s musical heritage, and carry the Navy message around the world. Navy bands go where ships can’t go, expanding and strengthening the Navy’s network of partners. In a typical year, Navy bands travel to more than 40 countries, helping improve access and relationships abroad.

A musical ambassador for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Pacific Fleet Band is led by Lt. Clint Mcclanahan, who was named Fleet Bandmaster in January 2024. He enlisted in the Navy in July 2003 and commissioned in 2015 after 12 years as an enlisted electric bass player. Prior to reporting as Fleet Bandmaster, Mcclanahan received a Master of Music in wind band conducting from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University as part of the Naval Postgraduate School Civilian Institutions Program. He also holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Morehead State University.

Like Mcclanahan, all 42 members of the Pacific Fleet Band are trained musicians. Most have a bachelor’s degree in music, while some have advanced degrees. To earn a spot on the band, musicians must audition, similar to auditioning for a spot in a major symphony.

Unique Musician Rating

After boot camp, musicians go to “A” school for 21 weeks in Little Creek, Virginia.

Unlike most other Navy ratings, which have identical roles after completing initial training, musicians also have a designator indicating what instrument they play. A Navy band needs an appropriate blend of flutes, clarinets, oboes to play a John Philip Sousa march, Mcclanahan explained.

The band also has other instruments that allow it to play more than typical military fare.

“We also have vocalists, we have guitar players, piano players, drum set players, bass players, so that we can perform not just military music of our past but popular music of the day,” Mcclanahan said.

Although the band has musicians who can play multiple instruments, it is not a Navy requirement.

The band’s song list includes “bread and butter songs that live in the soul of a military musician” such as the “National Anthem,” “Eternal Father,” “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” as well as “Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī,” which is unique to a Hawaii. Mcclanahan explained that musicians also have about 25 songs ready to go at any given moment, but the list is constantly evolving based on the time of year and the band’s different ensembles.

In addition to parade, ceremonial and concerts bands, there are also smaller chamber groups like brass and woodwind quintets that perform at military ceremonies, public concerts and music education clinics.

Two musical groups perform contemporary tunes that appeal to audiences of all ages: Pipeline, a rock band that plays music from the early days of rock and roll to the latest pop and country hits; and Pau Hana Sound, which plays popular music with a nod to local instrumentation and musical styles.

December is a particularly busy time for the band with Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremonies on Dec. 7, free holiday performances for the public at Ala Moana Center and Hale Koa Hotel and marching in community Christmas parades.

In January, the band heads to Hawaii Island as part of Music in School, a public school outreach program where band members host music clinics for students and perform concerts. In April, the band plans to support the Merrie Monarch Festival, the week-long festival held in April in Hilo that features an internationally acclaimed hula competition and showcases Hawaiian art and culture following the ideals of King Kalākaua. The band will travel to American Samoa later that month.

History of the Band

The U.S. Pacific Fleet Band has a unique history. It first formed in February 1941 when Pacific Fleet Headquarters was established at Pearl Harbor.

In September 1941, the band participated in the Battle of Music, a competition among Navy bands from capitol ships homeported in Pearl Harbor and bands attached to shore installations in Hawaii. However, the final round was canceled after the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. In previous rounds of the competition, bands played one swing number, a ballad, a specialty tune, and a song performed for a jitterbug contest.

On the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the entire USS Arizona band was at battle stations passing ammunition under gun turret number one. All band members were killed during the attack. The Battle of Music participants later decided to posthumously award that year’s tournament trophy to the band that had perished, Navy Band Unit 22. The award was renamed the Arizona Trophy.

Although Navy Bands don’t compete in official competitions in modern times, Mcclanahan said each band is proud of its performance.

“There is the usual organizational pride between each of the service bands,” he said. “We all believe that WE are the ones playing the right notes, the right way.”

In the decades after the attack on Pearl Harbor, band members have performed across Asia and the Pacific including in South Korea, Guam, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Australia.

On May 21, 2001, the band performed aboard the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) for the premiere of the movie “Pearl Harbor.”

More recently, Mcclanahan shared how adjustments made during COVID-19 in 2021, created changes that are still delighting audiences. Since the band couldn’t perform in front of live audiences, the band needed another way to reach music goers, so they turned to video and social media.

A recent example of this is the “Let it Snow” music video, featuring music by Pau Hana Sound. Navy Music, U.S. Pacific Fleet Band’s higher command that governs all fleet bands in the District of Columbia and Annapolis, started an initiative to create music videos during COVID-19 when bands were unable to perform in-person for audiences. After social isolation requirements ended, the push for music videos continued with 12 Days of Navy Music, “an online musical extravaganza” of sacred and secular music performed by Navy Bands stationed at home and around the world that is released on YouTube and Facebook.

This year’s lineup featured “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “Mele Kalikimaka,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Run, Run, Rudolph,” “O Christmas Tree,” “Must’ve Been Old Santa Claus,” excerpts from “The Nutcracker,” “Let It Snow,” and more.

Mcclanahan shared that many band members are from the continental U.S. and they decided to capture the feeling of a cold winter with an unexpected Hawaiian twist. The result was a new version of “Let It Snow” that mixes snow, nostalgia, and blue ocean backdrops of Pearl Harbor with a warm holiday sound that might have some pining for a cup of hot chocolate despite Hawaii’s balmy weather.

Reflecting on this and the ongoing work of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, Mcclanahan said he appreciates the steadfast dedication and professionalism of the band members, who inspire him and the American public – and he recognizes what a distinct privilege and incredible responsibility the band enjoys every day.

“I admire the skill and dedication that every Navy Musician brings to their jobs. It’s exciting to see these Sailors engage with audiences, especially the international audiences, and strengthen international relationships through cultural exchange,” said Mcclanahan. “They are ambassadors for the Navy and the United States of America. In many cases, the only Americans that our audience will ever meet is a Navy Musician. The members of the Pacific Fleet Band understand that is a huge responsibility and amazing honor.”

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

SALEM, Ore  –  

Landing at the Portland Air National Guard Base on May 22, 1980, just four days after the massive eruption of Mount St. Helens in Southwest Washington, President Jimmy Carter arrived to personally survey the destruction of one of the greatest volcanic events ever recorded in North America. When the weather cleared the following day, President Carter, along with other federal and state officials, boarded a Marine helicopter and conducted a lengthy aerial examination over the Skamania County blast area; while also touring other impacted areas along the Columbia and Cowlitz Rivers.

“It is a horrible looking site. I don’t know if there is anything like it in the world,” he said, speaking briefly with a group of reporters after landing later at the Kelso-Longview Airport, Washington. “There’s nothing left but massive piles of mud and what used to be mountains…“There’s no way, I mean, to describe it. It’s an unbelievable sight.”

As for many around the nation, I included (having graduated High School the day before the eruption), who watched the images on television throughout that week – we’re left stunned by the ‘moon-like landscape’ of grayish ash, flattened trees, and swollen rivers.

Now, as the nation pauses to pay tribute to the life of the 39th President of the United States with his passing on December 29, 2024 at the age 100, as his legacy of civic, military, and humanitarian service; which resonated to communities and nations throughout the world, touched our own region over 44 years ago. He was the nation’s oldest living President.

‘There is nothing like this in the world’

In the weeks leading up to the eruption at 8:32 a.m. on May 18, 1980, the nation’s attention had already been focused on the seismic activities of the mountain. By this time, the Oregon Army National Guard’s 1042nd Military Intelligence (M.I.) Company (later reorganized as the 641st M.I. Battalion), were already flying, photographing and mapping reconnaissance missions, utilizing their OV-1 Mohawk aircraft as the bulging mountain with more frequent earthquakes had been intensifying since mid-March.

On the morning of the eruption, Mohawks were already in the air over S.W. Washington, as it was also a drill weekend for the unit. Ironically members of the Washington Army National Guard were conducting their own annual training, as aviation crews in Yakima could bear witness to the devastating flank collapse, avalanche, and explosion – were quick to respond, conducting search and rescue operations around the blast zone. National Guard members would be activated to help support the area’s recovery and clean-up operations for several months to follow. President Carter would later call these actions, “perhaps the National Guard’s finest peacetime response.”

The eruption of Mt. St. Helens was a significant historical incident – not only to the Pacific Northwest, but to the nation as a whole with ash covering nearly a dozen states. The devastation encompassed over 150 square miles and was the largest environmental disaster since the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. President Carter also announced during his visit, a federal disaster area declaration, and met with hundreds of evacuated residents at the Longview Middle School, Washington, having escaped the volcano’s 26 megaton force. The massive wall of debris and choking ash killed 57 people and caused nearly $1.1 billion in property damage, while hindering the ports along the Columbia River basin.

Naval Officer and Valiant first responder

Prior to his election to the nation’s highest office, James Earl Carter, Jr., graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in 1946, and to date, is the only president to have attended the U.S. Naval Academy. Within days of his graduation, he married Rosalynn Smith, having known since his childhood growing up in Plains, Georgia. The couple were married for more than 77 years at the time of her passing on Nov. 19, 2023 at the age 96, and together had four children.

When receiving their first duty stations, newly graduating midshipmen had to draw lots to determine their choice of assignments. Ensign Carter’s number was near the bottom and he would be assigned to the oldest navy ship in operation, the USS Wyoming, a battleship first commissioned in 1912. Within a year, he would be re-assigned to the USS Mississippi working as an Engineering officer, and subsequently was given a choice to advance to a specialized career in either intelligence, the naval air force, or submarines.

After being selected for the submarine program, he began the demanding training in New London, Connecticut in 1948. In his autobiography, “A Full Life, Reflections at Ninety,” Carter recounted the dangers and distinctive perils of submarine duty.

“Although some enlisted men could concentrate almost exclusively on their own fields of responsibility as engine men, electricians, torpedo experts, boatswains, quartermasters, gunners or operators of navigation and fire control equipment, every officer was expected to master all of these disciplines…we knew one mistake could endanger everyone aboard.”
Lieutenant Carter, now working in the emerging nuclear submarine program under Admiral Hyman Rickover, was being groomed as an engineering officer aboard the USS (SSN-575) Seawolf, just the Navy’s second nuclear submarine. In December of 1952, the Chalk Water nuclear reactor northwest of Ottawa, Canada, experienced a partial meltdown to the NRX reactor core when fuel rods began to overheat after a dual mechanical and operator error.

The Navy sent Carter and his crew to Chalk Water to repair the reactor, which required it to be shut down, taken apart and replaced. They built an identical replica of the reactor on an adjacent tennis court to precisely run through the repair procedures, due to the maximum time humans could be exposed to the levels of radiation present in the damaged area. Each member of the 22 member team could only be lowered into the reactor for 90-second periods to clean up and repair the site. Carter himself was lowered into the building to work on the reactor casing. When the mission was finally complete with no loss of life, the group was tested routinely for the long-term health effects.

“They let us [crew members] get probably a thousand times more radiation than they would now.” Carter said, reflecting on the incident during an interview with CNN in 2008. “We were fairly well-instructed then on what nuclear power was, but for about six months after that, I had radioactivity in my urine.”

Carter’s extensive knowledge and personal experience of nuclear reactors would later come into play when he became president. On March 28, 1979, an accident at the Three Mile Island, unit 2 reactor, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, led to the partial core meltdown similar to the Chalk River incident. President Carter ordered phone lines set-up between the White House, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Pennsylvania State House, in Harrisburg, helping support early response actions, then the president personally toured the site five days later on April 1, boosting public confidence in the ongoing clean-up operations.

Legislator, Governor and President

When his father died during the summer of 1953, Lt. Carter would leave active duty to take over the family farming business back in his boyhood home of Plains. It was a difficult decision for the family, with an unknown future, but one that would take him to serve in local and state politics in Georgia. He won and held a State Senate seat from 1963 to 1967. After an unsuccessful campaign for Governor in 1966, he was elected in 1970 after a run-off against former Governor Carl Sanders. It was during his inaugural address on January 12, 1971, Carter publicly declared that…“I say to you quite frankly, that the time for racial discrimination is over.” He would continue to be an advocate of civil rights throughout his time in elected office and an advocate for human rights and democratic values.

In 1976, in the fallout of the Watergate scandal, Carter began an improbable run for the White House. He won both the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire Democratic primaries, and eventually defeated President Gerald R. Ford, Jr., in the general election on November 2, 1976, garnering 297 electoral votes. While in office he created two new important cabinet positions; the Departments of Education and Energy, establishing a comprehensive energy program that would increase domestic oil production and focus on developing renewable sources. To highlight the point, he installed 32 solar panels to the White House, setting new goals to save energy while also boosting renewable sources by the turn of the century. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 24% of U.S. utility-scale electricity generation came from renewable sources in the first six months of 2024.

Like all former Presidents, his term in office from 1977 to 1981 has been debated by historians and political pundits; with extraordinary achievements, and with mixed results, interlinked among turbulent global events. He achieved an historic political agreement between Israel and Egypt during the Camp David accords in September of 1978, leading to a peace treaty the following year, yet his administration struggled under economic stagnation and inflation.

On November 4, 1979, militarized Iranian university students stormed the U.S. Embassy and held 52 American diplomats as hostages for 444 days, impeding his re-election bid in the process. Carter worked through the final hours of his Presidency as the hostages were released during the 49th Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 1981. As Ronald Reagan was sworn into office, now former President Carter flew to West Germany as a representative of the new President. When Carter arrived aboard Air Force One, he was greeted by West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt at Rhein-Main Air Base.

Just a week before, as a young Army Private, I’d also traveled through Rhein-Main, en route to my new duty station. On January 21st, a group from our ‘Intel Shop’ listened on Armed Forces Radio as Carter arrived; then later meeting with the hostages at the U.S. Air Force hospital in Wiesbaden. It was a captivating moment of history. In the mess hall the next morning, we passed shared copies of ‘Stars and Stripes’ around the breakfast table.

“Wiesbaden, church bells pealed Wednesday morning to honor the 52,” wrote ‘Stars and Stripes’ reporter Bill Walker, describing the day’s events and the happy homecoming. “The crowd, estimated at 3,000, waved American flags and held signs that read, “Welcome Jimmy, you’re still number one with us,” and “We still love you, Mr. Carter.”

Recognition and a Greater sense of purpose

After leaving the White House, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter returned to Plains, where they established the Carter Center, and in 1986, led an international campaign to eradicate over 3.5 million cases of the Guinea worm disease in Asia and Africa. The disease has been reduced by more than 99 percent, with only 14 provisional cases in five countries in 2023. The Carter Center has also worked with the United National Electoral Assistance Division in over 110 nations, promoting democratic, transparent and fair elections. In 2002 President Carter was awarded The Nobel Peace Prize for his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” He is one of only four U.S. Presidents to receive this honor.

The U.S. Navy has recognized the former President Jimmy Carter with two distinct honors. On June 5, 2004, President Carter and his family attended the christening of the USS (SSN-23) Jimmy Carter, as former First Lady Rosalynn Carter sponsored the ship. It was the Navy’s third and final Seawolf-class nuclear-powered submarine. On February 17, 2023 the U.S. Naval Academy announced that Maury Hall on campus was now renamed to honor former President Jimmy Carter, and is part of the U.S. Congress commission on renaming military assets because of Confederate ties.

The author of over 30 published books, former President Carter also taught weekly Sunday school classes at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains for decades. It was in March of 1984, that Jimmy and Rosalynn first began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. Together they worked in 14 countries; building, renovating and repairing over 4,300 homes. They worked until 2020 as volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, but while working on homes in Benton Harbor, Michigan, in summer of 2005, a distinct truckload of lumber arrived for building roof trusses.

“I was leading a group of volunteers on building Habitat for Humanity homes,” he detailed in his autobiography, “The lumber had been cut from new-growth trees from the base of Mount St. Helens, and the timber company wanted us to use it on these homes for poor families.”

In many ways, a most fitting and noble tribute to his humanitarian work, and long term vision when establishing the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in 1980.

Sources:
– “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety,” by Jimmy Carter
– “Palestine: Peace not Apartheid,” by Jimmy Carter
– The Stars and Stripes Newspaper, “Thousands cheer hostages in emotional return to freedom,” by Bill Walker, Jan. 22, 1981
– KATU News archive, Portland, Oregon, May 22, 1980
– CBS 60 Minutes, “Jimmy Carter’s White House Diary,” 2010 interview with Lesley Stahl
– The Associated Press, “Naval Academy renames building after Jimmy Carter,” Feb. 17, 2023
– CNN Films’ ‘Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President’, Dec. 2020
– NuclearEnergy.net, “Nuclear Accident in Chalk River – Ontario, Canada”
– PBS, The American Experience, “Meltdown at Three Mile Island”
– The Carter Center, website
– The United States Naval Academy, website
– U.S. Energy Information Administration, (eia.gov) website
– CBS, ABC, NBC and CNN News archives/websites
– USDA Forest Service website
– Habitat for Humanity, website
– Maranatha Baptist Church, Plains, Georgia, website