Joseph C. Carter (general)

Joseph C. Carter
Brigadier General Joseph C. Carter
Born	Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, United States
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States of America
Years of service	1974-2012
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	Massachusetts National Guard
Commands held	Army National Guard Training Site at the Massachusetts Military Reservation, Camp Edwards, Massachusetts
Awards	Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters) Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters) National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Star Device) Humanitarian Service Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Gold Hourglass Device) Army Service Ribbon

Joseph C. Carter is a retired Brigadier General (BG) who was The Adjutant General (TAG) of the Massachusetts National Guard from 2007 - 2012. He is the former chief of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police. He currently lives in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts with his wife Rae, an Oak Bluffs School teacher, and his daughter Emily.

Joseph C. Carter began his career in law enforcement in 1974 working for the City of Boston Penal Institutions Department from 1975 through 1978. In 1978 he joined the Boston Police Department where his positions including patrol officer, detective, patrol supervisor, Deputy Superintendent, Superintendent, Chief of Staff of the department and Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, presiding over all departmental disciplinary trial boards. In 1998 he took the position of Chief of Police in his home town of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, and held the position for 5 years. From 2003 through 2007 he served as the head of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police, leaving the job in September 2007 to take the full-time Adjutant General's position in the state's National Guard.

Carter served in the United States Army Reserve and the National Guard from 1974 through 2012. In the Guard, he has held numerous positions including:

In August 2007 it was announced that he had been selected by Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick to succeed Brigadier General Oliver Mason and become the first African-American TAG in the 370-year history the state's Guard. He took over the position on September 21, 2007, but was officially sworn into the job on October 26, 2007 by Governor Patrick at a ceremony conducted at the Massachusetts State House. During the ceremony Carter received a 13 gun howitzer salute from the 101st Field Artillery Regiment, and was awarded the Legion of Merit. During his tenure as TAG he received a state (but not federal) promotion to Major General and Massachusetts has been twice recognized for excellence in Diversity and Equal Opportunity.