Dr. G. Clifford Carter, ’67, Honored for Successful Life of Service
Thursday, April 20, 2006
On March 4, 2006, Dr. G. Clifford Carter from the Signal Processing Algorithm Development Branch of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center was named the winner of the prestigious Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) – USA Harry Diamond Award for his exceptional professional achievements. The Harry Diamond Award honors U.S. government employees for distinguished technical contributions in the field of electrotechnology.
IEEE announced the award presentation stating, “During his 40-year career government career including service in the Coast Guard, tours at the Office of Naval Research, and at NUWC Division Newport and its predecessor commands, Carter has distinguished himself as an internationally renowned expert in sonar detection, classification and localization. He is a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy and completed graduate work at the University of Connecticut. His selection for this award was based not only on his career achievements, but also on his prolific authorship, his IEEE activities and the numerous patents he has secured. Most notably, his technical contributions in coherence and time delay estimation have provided warfighters with innovative solutions to the most challenging signal processing systems issues, resulting in improved capabilities for the U.S. Submarine Fleet.”
Following this singular honor, Cliff Carter reflected on his Coast Guard and government service career and shared some of those reflections with readers of The Bulletin.
“I joined NUWC’s predecessor command just as the former Sound Laboratory, in New London, CT, was becoming the Naval Underwater Systems Center … with the exception of some part time graduate teaching and some consulting for the oil exploration industry, I have devoted my entire professional life to service in the public sector.”
“I started my [Coast Guard] service when there was a draft and our monthly salary was half of an Ensign’s or $110/month. When I moved to my first assignment as a deck watch officer on the USCGC Bibb (now a sunken reef), the previous class rented cold water flats (literally without running hot water) but things were improving when we arrived in town and we had decent housing, although by the end of the month we were eating hot dogs and beans. The Bibb was proud of its at-sea rescues including a downed airliner (before my time) and we stood Ocean Station patrols and practiced for future rescues in the North Atlantic.
“[During that period,] I became aware that large complex organizations are slow to change as it became apparent that flights to Europe had become very reliable with navigational systems that were better than ours. I [also] learned that 28 days exceeds the number of sea stories that can be told without repetition.
“I look back fondly on two rescues at sea. One involved saving two fishermen trying to row ashore in a small life boat after their fishing boat sank; in another rescue we attempted to salvage a luxury sail vessel sank. No evolution at sea is like a half hour TV show or even a longer movie. After service on the Bibb, where in-port, we listened to 24-hour full power active sonar tests from ships in the Naval Shipyard, I became the assistant Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) training officer at the CG base in Boston; it was the height of the cold war and the CG did ASW.
“I also was fortunate to work with a wonderfully talented group of classmates, shipmates, and teammates and to be able to travel. Many classmates went on to senior positions in the Coast Guard, the government, and others to successful positions in industry; they are all winners in my book.
“One of the lessons the Academy taught me, was when you mess up as we all do, stand up, take your punishment and get on with life.
“At the Academy we were blessed with a great advisor, CAPT Roy Angell, ’47, as well as chaplains, faculty, and staff who helped us through what at the time seemed insurmountable challenges. I was fortunate that my engineering talents, lined up well with the emphasis at the Academy; that’s the positive way of saying that I have limited skills in English. The engineering department hooked me early on by awarding partial credit for neatly stating the problem and beginning the solution; of course by the time you do that the hard part is over and the fun begins.
“Certainly beyond academics, athletics were where real lessons of life were learned. I wrestled in high school and for one year at the Academy where the wrestling coach sent us out to run a few miles; he couldn’t believe I could run so fast and I couldn’t believe everyone else could run so slowly. Notwithstanding my short wrestling career, as co-captain of the cross country team and 4-year letter winner, one lesson that I learned is persistence is key to success. Lots of trite expressions really apply in life: “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” It is, however, through losing that one learns many of life’s important lessons.
“I met my wife, Sherry, while I was at the Academy and she has been an inspiration, friend, sole mate, as well as the mother to our two children (and now grandmother to three grandchildren).”
And finally, asked if he could offer advice to cadets and junior officers who aspire to research and careers in fields such as his, Cliff responded, “The story that I tell the engineers and scientists in our organization is the one about Admiral Crowe who as a LCDR had the opportunity to go to Princeton to get a Ph.D. in political science and was advised that no one had ever become a flag officer by doing that. His response was that was OK, it was something that he wanted to do and thought he would be good at. It turned out that he not only became a flag officer but ultimately earned four stars and became the Chief of Naval Operations or CNO, the highest ranking officer in the Navy.
“The lesson is to pursue what you are good at and like and let the chips fall where they may, you will either be happy or successful or perhaps both; either way you win.” |