Thomas J. Carey, Ed.D., specialist professor of homeland security and retired Army Sergeant Major, was honored by the Veterans Memorial Association of Congers, New York, on Nov. 7. Carey was recognized for his dedication to military service, providing support to youth and adults within his community while preparing students for higher education.
In his speech to the Town of Clarkstown, Carey reflected on how he watched his father rescue a child from drowning in cold weather when he was six years old. “Looking back, that event shaped me into who I would become in the military and in public service,” he shared. “As life would have it, I later applied what my father showed me and returned the favor by saving a soldier who was drowning during a training event.”
The message of Carey’s speech to the community was twofold: to “lead from the front” by addressing the task at hand, and to prioritize community involvement. He acknowledged that like educators, all adults share a key responsibility in shaping young minds by setting the right example through positive interaction, and that “it really takes a village to accomplish these endeavors.” He further shared that he translates his extensive field experience into higher education through applied learning in better preparing tomorrow’s students for the challenges that await them upon graduation.
Carey’s military career is defined by critical operational roles during foundational moments in modern American history. On September 11, 2001, he responded directly to Ground Zero with the National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment (“The Fighting 69th”), providing immediate disaster response and security operations in the wake of the attacks. He later deployed to Iraq, serving with the 18th Airborne Corps and Multinational Force Iraq and taking on key leadership roles during major combat and stabilization operations.
Carey was previously interviewed by Melissa Kozlowski, curator for the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, to augment the Monmouth County Historical Association exhibit “Monmouth County, 9/11, and Its Aftermath.”