[3] Carpenter is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and the United States Army Command and General Staff College.

[4] 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.

[5] 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.

[6] 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.

The United States Senate did not act on the nomination of the individual named to succeed Vaughn, Joseph Taluto, who retired in 2010.