Rufus E. "Rudy" Carter
Prior rate: AX1
Final rate/grade: AWCS
E-mail: Unknown
Scott Fitzpatrick:
AWCS Rufus "Rudy" Carter, Rudy is the Granddaddy of two generations of AWs since his retirement in 1980. I came to know Rudy in 1987 while I was assigned to HSL-31, and we'd go to his trainers for DARTS (Kind of different for us H-2 guys considering all we had was the ASA-26/RO-114!), and later I learned much from him as an SH-60 CAT 1 and 2 student during my two trips through the RAG. I cannot say enough of how much he is admired by the students, his own peers and senior Navy leadership in the HS community.

He goes over and above the required for his job as the lead General Physics employee and even though he has never flown in the H-60F, the man knows that bird and the avionics like the back of his hand.

Rudy's legacy goes back to not only the infancy of the AW rating, but ASW helicopters, dipping SONAR operations and Sonobuoy processing capabilities. He came into the Navy as an ST, and quickly volunteered for a "new" type of duty after serving aboard DD's for a couple of years. He was assigned to fly in the(HSS-2B) SH-34J as a SONAR operator, and was one of the first aircrewman to qualify in the new SH-3A (HSS-3). He also was instrumental in the development and inttroduction of the SH-3H and it's (at the time) state-of-the-art AQS-13E Sonar/SDC suite. Rudy also served on combat cruises in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Viet Nam war when the hard lessons of CSAR were being learned, and the tactical doctrine that we employ today was formed.

Rudy is also one of the kindest and humble men I've ever met. He is always ready with a laugh, an ear ready to listen or give advice. He is the kind of Chief Petty Officer that every AW should aspire to be. Rudy takes an active role in the career development of all the AWs on the seawall. His rating exam lectures are always full of eager young and veteran AWs alike. This he does on his own time, and I think he gets more of a kick out of seeing AWs suceed than he ever did himself when he advanced. He embodies all the leadership traits that have been sorely lacking in the past 10 years of "careerism" that the drawdown of forces has brought about. He is a living breathing history museum of sea stories, techniques learned 40 years ago that are still applicable and a man that is in my estimation a treasure to Naval Aviation. A connection with our past and still shaping its future.

AW1 Ripley: One of the Original AX "AW" Plankowners is still alive and ticking. Rufus Carter is working at HS-10 on NASNI in San Diego, CA. He is still contributing to training the Navy's Finest Aircrewman. I got a kick out of seeing his name on your website. This guy still runs about 10 miles a week or more.