Photo Information

Petty Officer 3rd Class Carlos Carmichael, a hospital corpsman with Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, files a Marine’s medical record at the 2nd MLG group aid station aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., March 15, 2009. Carmichael has been impressing his peers and superiors with his work ethic since his arrival to Camp Lejeune in 2008 and is departing this month for Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Melissa A. Latty)

Photo by Cpl. Melissa A. Latty

Sailor leaves lasting impression on Camp Lejeune

23 Mar 2011 | Camp Lejeune, N.C. 2nd Marine Logistics Group

As Marines and sailors come and go from Camp Lejeune, lasting impressions are made with the people they work closely with.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Carlos Carmichael, a corpsman with Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, has impressed his peers and superiors with his work ethic since arriving aboard the base in March 2008 and is scheduled to depart March 17 for Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz.

 “He works above and beyond his pay grade,” said Chief Petty Officer Monique C. Boyd, the leading chief of the 2nd MLG group aid station.  “He’s a smart sailor and he thinks outside the box. He’s truly a natural born leader… other sailors want to listen and follow his guidance.  If you give him a task he, works hard to complete it… he’s my go-to guy.”

Carmichael currently works in the records section at the group aid station where he verifies, updates and keeps accountability of all Combat Logistics Regiment 25 and 22nd Dental Company’s medical records, assisting between 150 and 200 Marines and sailors a week.

During his time there he took it upon himself to locate missing records, where helped to retrieve 657 misplaced records within various subordinate unit aid stations, increasing medical records accountability to 87%, said Boyd.

Aside from this, Carmichael also streamlined the medical records checking-in and out processes and took the initiative to create a standard operating procedure for the proper scanning of medical documents for data input into the electronic medical records system.

Although Boyd and other colleagues think otherwise, Carmichael is very humble about all he has done for his unit.

“I just come to work and try to be the best at my job,” said the Broxton, Ga. native. “There is a drive that is instilled in me from my southern roots.”

Carmichael’s work efforts while at Camp Lejeune did not start with medical records.

Shortly after his arrival, he deployed with Combat Logistics Battalion 2 as the senior corpsman with Security Company in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“[My fondest memory of this deployment] was just riding in a convoy at three [in the morning],” he said. “I look to the front of the vehicle and I see the driver and vehicle commander, Sgt. Benjamin Harrelson, who was also my best friend. It was his second deployment so he was also a mentor to me… Those were the best times of the deployment.”

Following his return from this deployment, Carmichael became the leading petty officer of the treatment section at the 2nd MLG group aid station. He was in charge of 16 fellow corpsmen at the rank of petty officer third class, which is rarely seen for a sailor at his junior rank.

He was moved from this position to stand in as the preventative medicine technician for the 2nd MLG. This is a billet typically held by a petty officer second class or higher.

“As the preventative medicine technician you specialize in sanitation, STD screenings, pest control, water purification, mess hall inspections and more,” he explained. “It’s the guys that work to keep you healthy.”

Despite staying busy at work, Carmichael also found time to participate in the unit’s basketball program.

“I’ve played basketball all three years I have been at Lejeune,” he said. “I played for the 2nd Medical Battalion team for two years and this year I’m playing for the CLR-27 team.”

Carmichael’s love for basketball dates back to his life growing up in Georgia.

“Every Sunday after church [my friends and family and I] would play basketball for hours,” he explained. “We would play until we couldn’t walk anymore… it was tradition.”

Aside from basketball, Carmichael has volunteered with several organizations such as the Onslow Pregnancy Resource Center where he was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for his participation in a fundraising activity.

Carmichael plans to stay in and retire from the Navy and wants to serve as a recruit division commander at Naval Station Great Lakes before his time is up.

The hard-charging sailor is sad to leave Camp Lejeune, but is excited for what the future holds.

 “Leaving Camp Lejeune is going to be bittersweet. A lot of my friends are still here and don’t want me to go but it’s time for a change. I came here, [saw] the mission and accomplished it.  It’s time to attack a new mission and take on a new project.”

He’s not the only one that has mixed feelings about his departure; his leaders feel the same way.

“It would be great to keep him, but I’m excited for him,” said Boyd.  “The sky is the limit for him. The air wing will offer him a whole different aspect for him. It will be a new adventure.

“Yuma is going to be lucky to have him,” she concluded.