| Carpenter, Raymond W. | |
| Birth Date: | 1948 |
| Allegiance: | United States of America |
| Serviceyears: | 1967–1974: NCO 1974–2011: Officer |
| Rank: | Major general |
| Unit: | South Dakota Army National Guard Army National Guard |
| Commands: | 842nd Engineer Company 109th Engineer Battalion 109th Engineer Group Director, Army National Guard |
| Battles: | Vietnam War |
| Awards: | Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army) Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal National Defense Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal Army Service Ribbon Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon Vietnam Campaign Medal South Dakota Achievement Ribbon |
Raymond W. Carpenter (born 1948) is a retired United States Army major general who served as acting Director of the Army National Guard.
Raymond W. Carpenter was born in Sturgis, South Dakota in 1948, and graduated from Sturgis Brown High School in 1966.[1]
In 1967 he joined the South Dakota Army National Guard as a member of the 109th Engineer Battalion.[2]
In 1975 Carpenter completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business at Black Hills State University. He received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of South Dakota in 1994.[3] Carpenter is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and the United States Army Command and General Staff College. He is also a 1997 graduate of the United States Army War College.[4]
Carpenter transferred to the United States Navy, was trained as a Vietnamese linguist at the Defense Language Institute, and served at the Naval Support Facility in Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam.[5]
Upon returning to the United States, Carpenter continued his service in the South Dakota Army National Guard, receiving his commission as a second lieutenant of Engineers in 1974. He carried out several assignments in the 842nd Engineer Company, and commanded the company from 1978 to 1982.[6]
He continued to advance in positions of more rank and responsibility, including executive officer of Task Force Rushmore, a 5,000 soldier organization which was sent to Panama on a humanitarian mission in 1993 and built 27 kilometers of road while rebuilding 10 schools and 14 clinics. He then commanded the 109th Engineer Battalion from 1993 to 1995.[7]
After serving as director of personnel and director of human resources for the South Dakota Army National Guard, Carpenter commanded the 109th Engineer Group from 1998 to 1999.[8]
After serving as the South Dakota Army National Guard’s chief of staff from 2000 to 2003, Carpenter was promoted to brigadier general and assigned as the organization’s assistant adjutant general – Army.[9] [10] From 2004 to 2006, Carpenter simultaneously served as deputy commander of the Maneuver Support Center at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.[11]
In April, 2006 Carpenter was assigned as special assistant to the director of the Army National Guard at the National Guard Bureau. He was promoted to major general in December 2006.[12] In April, 2009 he was assigned as acting Deputy Director of the Army National Guard.[13]
In May, 2009 Carpenter became acting Director of the Army National Guard, following the retirement of Clyde A. Vaughn.[14] Timothy J. Kadavy succeeded Carpenter as Deputy Director.
The United States Senate did not act on the nomination of the individual named to succeed Vaughn, Joseph Taluto, who retired in 2010. As a result, Carpenter continued to serve as acting director until he retired in November 2011. He was succeeded by William E. Ingram, Jr.[15] [16] [17]
In November 2021, Carpenter became a civilian aide to the United States Secretary of the Army.[18]
| Army Distinguished Service Medal | ||
| Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster | ||
| Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster | ||
| Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters | ||
| Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters | ||
| Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with 1 Silver and 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters) | ||
| National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars | ||
| Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars | ||
| Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | ||
| Humanitarian Service Medal | ||
| Armed Forces Reserve Medal with gold Hourglass device | ||
| Army Service Ribbon | ||
| Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon with bronze award numeral 4 | ||
| Vietnam Campaign Medal | ||
| South Dakota Achievement Ribbon | ||
| South Dakota Distinguished Service Award | ||
| South Dakota Recruiting Medal | ||
| South Dakota Service Medal (with Service Device) | ||
| South Dakota Desert Storm Ribbon | ||
| South Dakota Distinguished Unit Award with oak leaf cluster | ||
| South Dakota Unit Citation |
Carpenter is a 1999 recipient of the Silver De Fleury Medal from the Army Engineer Association. In 2012 he received the Raymond S. McLain Medal from the Association of the United States Army.[19]
Raymond W. Carpenter at National Guard Bureau General Officer Management Office