Graduating from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, on June 2, 1916, “Doc” Carpenter reported to his first ship, Wyoming (Battleship No.

[3] Detached from California on May 8, 1922, Carpenter was slated to join Nevada (BB-36) before her departure for the Atlantic coast, but received authorization to proceed to Pensacola, Florida, via commercial transportation, at his own expense, “for temporary duty under instruction in heavier-than-air craft.” Opting for flight training over continued service in battleships, Carpenter, authorized a month's delay in transit, reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola on June 19, 1922.

Upon completion of flight training, Carpenter was detached from NAS Pensacola on April 3, 1923; he also married Clara Moreno the same day (a union that ultimately produced two sons).

Commissioned Lieutenant Commander (LTCMDR) on February 5, 1927 while at Pensacola, Carpenter joined Stoddert (DD-302) on June 23, 1928 upon that destroyer's return from operations with the Battle Fleet in Hawaiian waters, and served as her executive officer until September 20, 1929.

During the late summer of 1933, Carpenter commanded the ferry flight of the first division of Patrol Squadron 5F (VP-5F) from NAS Norfolk, Virginia to FAB Coco Solo.

Carpenter flew 5-P-2, one of six Consolidated P2Y-1 flying boats that departed Norfolk mid-way through the first dog watch on September 7, 1933 (accompanied personally during the initial stages of the flight by Rear Admiral Ernest J.

King, Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics, in a Vought SU-1) and reached its destination, a little over halfway through the second dog watch the next day, having covered the 1,788 nautical miles (3,311 km) in a total elapsed time of 25 hours and 29 minutes.

In the longest non-stop formation seaplane flight in history, the six flying boats battled headwinds for almost the entire aerial voyage, at one point encountering a heavy squall with velocity approaching 50 knots (90 km/h).

Detached on July 10, 1936 to the Training Division within the San Diego Naval Station, he was relieved of all active duty and placed on the retired list on October 1, 1936.