DVIDS – News – Cards on the table

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT PARRIS ISLAND, SC – On the outskirts of Lexington, Kentucky lies the city of Versailles, a tight-knit community of about 10,000 residents, less than three miles long coast to coast. Sgt. Major William Carter will tell you that it was also at Versailles that he first learned the value of selfless service and teamwork from his greatest role models: his mother and his high school wrestling trainer.

“Everything I have, I owe it to my mother,” Carter said. “She had two jobs as a single mom and what made me respect her even more was the fact that she still took the time to care for me. We have conversations sometimes and she says she hopes she’s done well with me. I will say to her, ‘Mom, you have no idea what kind of example you are setting.’ “

In high school, Carter had ambitions to join the wrestling team, but it wasn’t until he bought his first vehicle in his senior year (which he affectionately calls his “hooptie”) that he was able to ride. the five kilometers from home. to arrive in time for training. Wrestling team coach Joe Carr instilled a desire for challenge and competitiveness that initially spearheaded Carter’s interest in the military.

“[Coach Carr] taught me that you never want to be a ‘summer brother’ or ‘summer sister’ – it could have been, should have been, would have been, ”Carter said. “I could have been a Marine, I could have been a sergeant major, I could have been successful in the Marine Corps. I never thought I would spend four years until staying; I never thought I would get to be a sergeant major, but I have always maintained this attitude, that even if I lose, I will still give 110% because of what he taught me. This man probably doesn’t even realize that I thrived on it for 30 years.

The military advertisements of the 1980s and the memorable slogan “Be All You Can Be In The Army” initially piqued Carter’s interest in the service. After a year of college and a summer of hard shift work in a light bulb factory, he realized he wanted something different for his future. Unfortunately for Carter, who was born without a left lower pectoral muscle (although he was able to maximize the physical fitness test), the military medically disqualified him from enlisting. Carter became oppressed and frustrated, convinced that military service was just not in the cards.

A Marine Corps recruiter arrested him one day as he was leaving the Armed Forces Career Center and asked him if he had ever considered serving in the Marines. At this point Carter was somewhat jaded by his experience, and it took a while to convince, but eventually his recruiter was able to get a medical waiver approved on Carter’s behalf, which gave him a new perspective and a new motivation to continue his call to serve.

“I wanted to aim for what would challenge me the most, physically and mentally,” Carter said. “After the army frustrated me, I wanted to find another way and I was determined to overcome this experience. Building on what my mom and Coach Carr instilled in me, these values ​​that I always carry with me. “

Upon completion of recruit training at Parris Island and a tour of the 3rd Medical Battalion in Okinawa, Japan, Carter returned to Parris Island and began working as a Boardman in Depot Clothing. It was here that he first saw the potential for a career in the Marine Corps.

“I was responsible for a whole platoon of Marines as a Lance Corporal, guiding them through the process of completing a task,” Carter said. “This leadership that was instilled in me as a young Marine was really cool, to be able to lead and guide others; and I was surrounded by people I really loved.

His enduring passion for leadership and teaching led him to be selected as an instructor at the Field Medical Service School at Camp Pendleton, where he trained a variety of Navy hospital members, dental technicians and religious program specialists. Carter said this further sealed his desire to care for and mentor others, and what ultimately led to him volunteering for a drill instructor position at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

“On the driving range as a sergeant, I really learned to be humble,” Carter said. “Being a drill instructor helped me as I grew up in the Marine Corps; It taught me that you might know the answers, you might know a lot, but you don’t have to be the one to sit down and ignore advice or advice like “yeah, yeah, I know. ” [During] your younger years, you really don’t pay attention to the big picture. As I grew in rank, I started to look outside my own bubble and understand the real meaning of why I was there.

Carter will be the first to tell you that his success is due to the Marines who guided him throughout his career. His greatest accomplishments are those for whom he has been able to provide “rudders” and achieve their goals in life, whether or not they decide to stay in the military.

“I’ve learned that the sergeant major’s job is like a chaplain – everyone wants to come talk to you for advice,” Carter said. “When people know they can confide in you, it’s a great feeling as a leader of the Marines and one of the most important things that I will miss when I retire; I hope where I will find myself in the civilian world, I can help build the community and the camaraderie that we have as Marines. ”

Marines and families who come to Parris Island these days can be greeted by Sgt. Major Carter approaching the entrance to the depot; he often spends early mornings and weekends scanning IDs and getting to know the Marines who serve in the provost office. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll see him drive through the base in his Gator all-terrain vehicle, making stops everywhere from the dining hall to the shooting range to hang out with the Marines and depot staff.

“I owe it to them, because I firmly believe that if I sit on top of a pedestal as being the job that I have, it’s wrong,” Carter said. “I want to make sure people know, ‘If he can do it, what’s your excuse? This little island, this town, this place – whatever your name is – it’s great to go out and see how the Marines are doing. If I had a choice, my meetings would be outside with the Marines, just listening to them and learning from them. My goal is to serve them; that’s it.”

As Carter looks back on the great adventures of the past 30 years, he always thanks Coach Carr and his mom for helping him make him the Marine and the man he is today. Before the Marine Corps, he had never left Kentucky; now he says he really couldn’t have seen his life unfold any other way, even if it happened in the blink of an eye.

“As I prepare to close this chapter, I think I’ve finally figured out the ‘why’,” Carter said. “I’m going to tell you that if I had never joined the military, I probably never would have understood this, because I would never have been able to work with people who could potentially be in danger at any time, be able to come back. at home deployments to hug and hug your family after months.

“Ultimately – and maybe I’m struggling to accept it in my mind – but I know it’s time. I just want to leave knowing that I left everything on the table.

(History of the United States Marine Corps by Sgt. Dana Beesley)