[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 16, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
               TRIBUTE TO COL. DOUG CARTER, USAF, RETIRED

                                 ______


                          HON. LESLIE L. BYRNE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 16, 1994

  Mrs. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I had occasion recently to reexamine Doug 
Carter's biography. I never realized it before, but in one way or 
another, Doug has spent his entire adult life in, or working for, the 
military and its people.
  Born and raised in Bluefield, VA, he earned his college degree at the 
Citadel, Charleston, SC. He graduated in 1951 as a distinguished 
military graduate. He then entered active duty with the U.S. Air Force 
as a regular officer and promptly found himself in the middle of a war.
  Following graduation, he completed pilot training and was assigned to 
the 4th Fighter Wing in Korea. He flew 100 combat missions in the F-86 
Sabre jet and was credited with 2\1/2\ MiG-15 kills.
  For the next 15 years, Doug served in various tactical flying units, 
including a 3 year stint as an air officer commanding at the Air Force 
Academy. Upon completion of this tour his flying skills were once again 
called upon, and he was assigned to Southeast Asia [SEA] where he flew 
227 combat missions in the F-4 Phantom jet. His duties in SEA included 
dropping some of the first laser-guided and electro-optical guided 
bombs ever used by the Air Force. At the time, he was the director of 
operations for Task Force Alpha and the famous 8th Tactical Fighter 
Wing. His next duty tour was at the Pentagon where, from 1971 to 1973, 
he worked in Air Force operations.
  Colonel Carter is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College and 
the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a command pilot and 
has earned numerous awards including 2 Air Force Legions of Merit, 5 
Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 14 Air Medals. During his active duty 
career. Colonel Carter was commander of five different Air Force 
tactical units.
  Mr. Speaker, you would think that any career that includes 327 combat 
missions would be enough for anyone. It was not enough for Doug. After 
retiring from the Air Force, Doug assumed his current position as 
director of the Retired Officers Association's Officer Placement 
Service.
  The Officer Placement Service, or TOPS as it is called, is a unique 
enterprise and requires a unique individual to run it. In essence, it 
is a job placement service for military officers from all of the seven 
uniformed services who are either retiring or being forced out as a 
result of the current force drawdown. The very heart of this operation 
is Col. Doug Carter. In his 14 years of service as director of TOPS, he 
has worked directly with active duty and retired officers and with 
civilian employers plus executive search firms in assisting officers to 
find civilian positions for a second career. His reputation in this 
area is legend. Annually, he addresses more than 100 different 
gatherings of officers worldwide, instructing them on how best to 
prepare themselves for the transition into the civilian working 
environment. Doug takes great pride in knowing he has helped more than 
50,000 former, or retired, officers find second careers. His lectures 
are so well received that twice a year he speaks at the Pentagon with 
many of the military's top leaders in attendance.
  Mr. Speaker, as a final thought, as I am sure you will agree, the 
word leadership is often applied to those who do not deserve it. In 
Colonel Carter's case, just the opposite is true. He has been a leader 
in peacetime but most importantly, he continues to be a leader to his 
fellow officers, active and retired, showing them how to cope with the 
challenges of a changing world. Doug has been a credit to his country, 
the Retired Officers Association, and to the entire retired community.

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