Raymond W . Carpenter Raymond W . Carpenter ( born 1948 ) is a retired United States Army Major General who served as acting Director of the Army National Guard . Early life . Raymond W . Carpenter was born in Sturgis , South Dakota in 1948 , and graduated from Sturgis Brown High School in 1966 . In 1967 he joined the South Dakota Army National Guard as a member of the 109th Engineer Battalion . Vietnam War . Carpenter transferred to the United States Navy , was trained as a Vietnamese linguist at the Defense Language Institute , and served at the Naval Support Facility in Da Nang Air Base , South Vietnam . Post - Vietnam War . Upon returning to the United States , Carpenter continued his service in the South Dakota Army National Guard , receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant of Engineers in 1974 . He carried out several assignments in the 842nd Engineer Company , and commanded the company from 1978 to 1982 . He continued to advance in positions of more rank and responsibility , including executive officer of Task Force Rushmore , a 5 , 000 soldier organization which was sent to Panama on a humanitarian mission in 1993 and built 27 kilometers of road while rebuilding 10 schools and 14 clinics . He then commanded the 109th Engineer Battalion from 1993 to 1995 . After serving as Director of Personnel and Director of Human Resources for the South Dakota Army National Guard , Carpenter commanded the 109th Engineer Group from 1998 to 1999 . After serving as the South Dakota Army National Guard ’ s Chief of Staff from 2000 to 2003 , Carpenter was promoted to Brigadier General and assigned as the organization ’ s Assistant Adjutant General – Army . From 2004 to 2006 Carpenter simultaneously served as Deputy Commander of the Maneuver Support Center at Fort Leonard Wood , Missouri . National Guard Bureau . In April , 2006 Carpenter was assigned as Special Assistant to the Director of the Army National Guard at the National Guard Bureau . He was promoted to Major General in December , 2006 . In April , 2009 he was assigned as acting Deputy Director of the Army National Guard . In May , 2009 Carpenter became acting Director of the Army National Guard , following the retirement of Clyde A . Vaughn . Timothy J . Kadavy succeeded Carpenter as Deputy Director . The United States Senate did not act on the nomination of the individual named to succeed Vaughn , Joseph Taluto , who retired in 2010 . As a result , Carpenter continued to serve as acting Director of the Army National Guard until retiring in November , 2011 . He was succeeded by William E . Ingram , Jr . Education . In 1975 Carpenter completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business at Black Hills State University . He received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of South Dakota in 1994 . Carpenter is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses , and the United States Army Command and General Staff College . He is also a 1997 graduate of the United States Army War College . Awards and decorations . Other awards . Carpenter is a 1999 recipient of the Silver De Fleury Medal from the Army Engineer Association . In 2012 he received the Raymond S . McLain Medal from the Association of the United States Army . External resources . Raymond W . Carpenter at National Guard Bureau General Officer Management Office