Soldier Dedicates Career To Fallen Friend
(April 11, 2010) |
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Army Spc. Joseph Carter holds a photo of his best friend,
Anthony Owens, who was killed in combat action on Feb. 1, 2006, south of
Baghdad.
U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Demetrius Lester |
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PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, April 8, 2010
Army Spc. Joseph Carter's military life began
when another's tragically ended.
Carter, an infantryman and scout with the
4/189th Infantry Unit deployed with the South
Carolina National Guard's 1/178th Field
Artillery Unit, had no real thoughts of joining
the military until his best friend, Anthony
Owens, enlisted and encouraged him to join the
Army.
“Anthony came home right after basic training
and talked about how great the Army was,” Carter
said. “I was so impressed that before he left
town, he took me down to the recruiting station
and encouraged me to enlist. Besides my dad, who
told me to do what I felt was right, no one else
in my family wanted me to join the Army. But, I
knew it was the right thing to do.”
The Newport News, Va., native enlisted as an
infantryman, just as his best friend did, and
was off to basic training at Fort Benning, Ga.,
within weeks. While Carter was in basic
training, Owens received deployment orders to
Iraq. |
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Upon graduation from basic training, Carter was sent home to await advanced
individual training with high hopes of joining his best friend on the
battlefield, serving the country they loved.
But Carter's hopes would be dashed, as Owens' first deployment to Iraq would be
his last. On Feb. 1, 2006, south of Baghdad, Owens' convoy was attacked with
small-arms fire, and he was killed.
“I was at work when his family called me and told me that Anthony had died,”
Carter said. “It surprises you, because you never expect that to happen. You
think about all the soldiers who deploy and come home without a problem. You
just don't think that one won't. His death had a major effect on me and my
family.”
Carter wanted to dedicate his young military career to his fallen friend; a
gesture that he felt would be the highest honor he could personally bestow. But
just as Carter's renewed focus for military service was on track, it went up in
smoke -- literally. He was burning trash in his backyard and a hairspray can in
the trash exploded in his face.
In a flash, Carter went from soon to be fighting for his country to fighting for
his own life. He suffered burns to 85 percent of his face and hands, and
received endless treatments of cadaver and pig skin replacements.
But he continued fighting for his recovery. Upon his first medical checkup after
about a month of recovery, he had exceeded doctors' expectations and was 90
percent healed, he said.
“The medical folks were completely surprised by how much I had healed in such a
short time,” Carter said. “They had already reserved me a bed there in
anticipation of further in-patient treatment. They thought for sure they were
going to check me back in. However, they said at the first appointment that I
had healed well enough to not have to go back for any checkups.”
With his speedy recovery, Carter had one thing on his mind and was intent on
continuing with his decision to enlist in the Army.
“I thought my chances of serving in the Army after my accident were slim to
none,” Carter said. “But I had to give it a shot -- and not just because of what
happened to Anthony. You know, just like you have your family at home that you
love and are close to, you also have a family in the military that you're just
as close to. It's unreal. You meet someone on a deployment and you feel like
you've known them your whole life. You build a camaraderie that you can't get
anywhere else. I really wanted to keep both relationships for as long as I
could.”
Carter healed enough to pass the Army physical, and the Army took him back. But
because so much time had elapsed between his military schools, the Army asked
Carter to go through basic training again and serve in the National Guard to
ensure he had the mental, physical and emotional stamina to still be a soldier.
True to his nature, Carter accepted his new assignment with determination.
“Basic training the second time was a little easier, because I knew what to
expect,” he said.
Because Specialist Carter's commitment with the 4/189th Infantry Unit of the
South Carolina National Guard was almost up, he volunteered to augment another
South Carolina National Guard unit on its deployment to Afghanistan. Today, he's
a gunner inside his mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, much the same
person as he was a few years ago, except for some subtle changes.
“The hair on the top of my head won't grow back, unless I want to pay for
surgery, so that kind of sucks,” Carter said.
“I figure, you only live once, so you might as well set yourself on fire,” he
joked. “I have no regrets, whatsoever, in my life. I mean, I'm still here to
talk about it. That's all I can ask for.”
Through all the turmoil Carter has experienced, his promise to honor his
friend's legacy has not been forgotten. To remind himself why he is doing what
he doing, Carter keeps a picture of Owens in his wallet, and it accompanies him
wherever he goes.
“If I could talk to him right now, I hope he'd tell me that he's proud of me and
my service, because I'd definitely tell the same to him,” Carter said.
Carter is a member of the provincial reconstruction team here. The team's
mission is to assist in the stabilization and security of Paktika province
through development, governance and agriculture initiatives. | |
By
USAF 2nd Lt. Mark Lazane, Paktika Provincial Reconstruction
Team
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2010
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