Traffic manager retires after 54 years of service Published July 27, 2011 By Susan Griggs 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Roy Carter, 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron, has kept the military on the move for 54 years. After 30 years of active duty and 24 years of civil service, Keesler's traffic management officer is retiring Saturday. "It's been a fast 54 years," said the native of Mangham, La., who enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from Rayville High School. "Keesler offers a unique environment providing transportation services to all branches of the military and federal civilians," Carter pointed out. "We provide service to seven other major installations in our 29-county area of responsibility as well as ROTC programs in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, plus recruiters and federal agents. Carter has spent his career honing his expertise in the traffic management field, starting with the passenger and household goods course at Sheppard AFB, Texas. His first assignment was at Kirtland AFB, N.M., but he was assigned to the cargo movement section instead of the area he was trained for due to the needs of the Air Force. He volunteered for a permanent change of station to Hickam AFB, Hawaii, which was subsequently changed to successive assignments at Misawa, Johnson, Itazuke and Brady Air Bases in Japan. He was assigned duties as a passenger clerk, unit mail clerk and packing, crating and freight specialist. Carter moved to the inbound freight section at Patrick AFB, Fla., for 2½ years before a one-year assignment to Samsun AB, Turkey, where he worked in the freight section unloading mail, priority cargo and surface supply shipments. In 1965, he separated from active duty, but he reenlisted four months later and served at Columbus AFB, Miss., before a one-year assignment to Korat Royal Thai AB, Thailand. His next duty station was at Yokota AB, Japan, where he spent five years as a passenger specialist, inbound household goods shipment clerk, noncommissioned officer in charge of the quality assurance section and unit training NCO. Carter spent almost two years at England Air ForceBase as NCO in charge of the traffic management flight before attending Tactical Air Force Command's NCO Academy at Langley AFB, Va. He returned to duty at Yokota to serve as the airlift clearance authority, base customs manager, airlift requirements forecaster and NCO in charge of personal property, cargo and mobility. His next assignment was at Mather AFB, Calif., where he was NCO in charge of traffic management and served a short stint as traffic management officer. After graduating from the Senior NCO Academy at Gunter AFB, Ala., he headed to U.S. Air Forces in Europe headquarters at Ramstein AB, Germany, as a command traffic management specialist. He assisted USAFE in performing many staff assistance inspections in Germany, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Sardinia and England. In 1984, Carter returned to Mather as traffic management superintendent and retired from active duty as a chief master sergeant three years later. "After lying around the house and catching cabin fever, I went to work at the commissary at McClellan AFB, Calif.," he recalled. Seven months later, he was on his way to Hellenikon AB, Greece, as traffic management officer. When the base closed, he returned to England AFB to fill the same position, and when that base closed, he was selected as Keesler's traffic management officer. "After four years at Keesler, I moved on to be the traffic management officer at Misawa and after almost three years, I was selected to be the traffic management officer at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England," Carter said. "Since I was limited to five years of consecutive service in overseas employment, I returned to Keesler in 2001 to assume my current position." Carter said the thing he liked most about his years of Air Force service were the people -- those he worked for and with, and those who worked for him. "I enjoyed the friendship of professional transporters and the daily challenges in transportation," he explained. "There was always something important happening that required a workaround and intense coordination and cooperation." Over the years, Carter has earned PACAF and Air Education and Training Command awards, in addition to group and squadron honors and superior and excellent performance awards. "My wife, Gayle, and I plan on remaining in Gulfport after retirement," Carter said. "We have a son, two daughters and two grandchildren close by. We like the area because there are plenty of friends, areas for shopping and medical facilities. "There are also fishing areas in both the Gulf of Mexico and nearby rivers," he added. "Finally I will have time to indulge."