Thursday, 4:30 PM
MBTA police chief Carter to lead state National Guard
(Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe/file)
MBTA Police Chief Joseph C. Carter was tapped today to be the next Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard.
By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff
Joseph C. Carter, the chief of the MBTA Police, has been picked to lead the state's National Guard, the governor's office announced this afternoon.
Carter, 51, will be the first African-American appointed to the post in the state Guard's 370-year history.
Carter has spent his professional life as a police officer, rising to the MBTA post after also holding a high-ranking job in the Boston police department and also serving as police chief in the Martha's Vineyard town of Oak Bluffs.
While he's been a police officer, Carter has also been a long-time member of the state National Guard and Reserves.
The people of Massachusetts stand to benefit from Carter's "vast experience as a soldier, a police officer, a manager and a public safety leader," Governor Deval Patrick said in a statement.
"This is a historic honor and I humbly thank the governor for his confidence in me. And I look forward to serving him and the citizens of the Commonwealth with commitment, fidelity, and courage," Carter said.
