Behind the Uniform: 2nd Lt. Leon Carter

^{Article by Spc. Christina Chang, 29th Mobile Public Affairs Department} 

2nd Lt. Leon Carter, medical services officer of the 104th Medical Company Area Support, works in COVID-19 mobile vaccine support operations at the 224th Medical Company Area Support and the 104th Medical Company Area Support, based in Olney, Maryland, and in Reisterstown, Maryland, respectively throughout March 2021.

Although he’s been called up to serve full time with the state’s COVID-19 support, the Baltimore native has mostly worked part-time in the Maryland Army National Guard for nearly seven years. Carter originally joined as an enlisted Soldier, a healthcare specialist, to attain a degree in veterinary medicine to fulfill his childhood dream of working with animals. Although his older brother had also served in the Army, his parents were initially concerned with his decision to join.

“Once I got in [and] once [my parents] saw what I was actually doing on a regular basis […], they were all for it,” said Carter. “They give me 100% and all of their support, whether I’m on orders or on a mission somewhere.”

In addition to receiving the Initial Entry Training that taught him discipline and Soldiering knowledge, Carter said he also gained important skills towards his career interests, like emergency medical technician training and general medicine.

“A lot of [the] medicine goes hand in hand, surprisingly,” Carter commented. “Many people don’t notice [that] a lot of the practices they do in human medicine, you pretty much do the same thing [in animal medicine].”

Since 2012, this animal lover has worked in veterinary medicine in various locations throughout Baltimore City and in Howard County, Maryland. Carter mentioned that he plans to eventually become an Army veterinarian.

“I love [being] able to find another way to help the community [when] you help your local communities’ pets,” Carter said. “[In the Army,] I try to volunteer whenever I can, because it means that I’m about to get my feet and hands dirty.”

Although his training in military medicine fostered his appreciation for helping his fellow Soldiers, Carter didn’t originally plan to commission as an officer. It wasn’t until after he enrolled in Morgan State University, with the help of the MDARNG’s education benefits, that he finally learned about the specific duties and benefits of commissioning through his school’s Reserve Officer Training Corps program.

Now, Carter uses all his previous enlisted experiences as a noncommissioned officer to help his own Soldiers, as the ground ambulance platoon leader of the same platoon he originally enlisted in. He ensures the well-being of his Soldiers while coordinating his unit’s collaboration with military and nonmilitary organizations.

“I get to help Soldiers develop. Even if I’m not the smartest person in the room, with the experience that I have accumulated, I am able to use that experience to help guide and develop younger Soldiers who are interested in either the same career path [that I took] or a different career path,” added Carter.

As soon as he graduated from his training as a medical services officer last year in May, 2020, Carter was shuttled straight into testing his leadership capabilities during the early phases of the COVID-19 support mission. After returning to his civilian life for a few months, he rejoined the COVID-19 support mission in January 2021 to further develop his Army officer training.

While his work may be more behind-the-scenes than those of the Soldiers directly interacting with the public, 2nd Lt. Leon Carter’s work is no less essential in Maryland’s COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts.