Ty M Carter was born on the 25th of January, 1980, in Spokane, Washington. His family moved to California when he was one and then ten years later, moved back to Spokane, where Ty would graduate from North Central High School in 1998. After high school, Ty enlisted in the US Marine Corps and went on to attend their Combat Engineer school. Before being honorably discharged in 2002, Ty would serve as an intelligence clerk in Okinawa, Japan, attend Primary Marksmanship Instructor School in 1999, and serve in two training deployments to San Clemente Island, California, and Egypt for Operation Bright Star.

After the Marine Corps, Ty went to college at Los Medanos Community College  in California and in January of 2008, he enlisted in the Army. He trained as a Cavalry Scout at Fort Knox, Kentucky and was later deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in May of 2009. It was during this deployment, in what is now known as the Battle of Kamdesh, that Ty distinguished himself and earned the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

Specialist Ty M. Carter distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Scout with Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy in Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on October 3, 2009. On that morning, Specialist Carter and his comrades awakened to an attack of an estimated 300 enemy fighters occupying the high ground on all four sides of Combat Outpost Keating, employing concentrated fire from recoilless rifles, rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft machine guns, mortars and small arms fire. Specialist Carter reinforced a forward battle position, ran twice through a 100 meter gauntlet of enemy fire to resupply ammunition and voluntarily remained there to defend the isolated position. Armed with only an M4 carbine rifle, Specialist Carter placed accurate, deadly fire on the enemy, beating back the assault force and preventing the position from being overrun, over the course of several hours. With complete disregard for his own safety and in spite of his own wounds, he ran through a hail of enemy rocket propelled grenade and machine gun fire to rescue a critically wounded comrade who had been pinned down in an exposed position. Specialist Carter rendered life extending first aid and carried the Soldier to cover. On his own initiative, Specialist Carter again maneuvered through enemy fire to check on a fallen Soldier and recovered the squad’s radio, which allowed them to coordinate their evacuation with fellow Soldiers. With teammates providing covering fire, Specialist Carter assisted in moving the wounded Soldier 100 meters through withering enemy fire to the aid station and before returning to the fight. Specialist Carter’s heroic actions and tactical skill were critical to the defense of Combat Outpost Keating, preventing the enemy from capturing the position and saving the lives of his fellow Soldiers. Specialist Ty M. Carter’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and the United States Army.

In October of 2010, Ty was assigned to the 8th squadron, 1st cavalry regiment, 2nd stryker brigade combat team, 2nd infantry division out of Washington as a Stryker Gunner. He was deployed to Afghanistan one again in October of 2012 and on the 26th of August 2013, Ty M Carter received the Medal of Honor from President Obama. He left active duty in October of 2014 and has worked hard to destigmatize post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.