Fort Drum, N.Y.: On Sunday, December 29, 2024, former President James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr., the longest-living president, passed away at 100 in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Carter outlasted two presidents who came after him and even his vice president. In March 2019, he became the longest-living president following the death of President George H.W. Bush, who died the previous year.

Fort Drum will pay tribute to Carter, with all flags flown at half-mast until “Retreat” on January 9, 2025. Retreat happens at sunset and marks the end of the workday. During this ceremony, the base’s colors and the U.S. flag are lowered. Service members must stand at attention and face the colors and flag if they can see them. If the flag is not visible, they should face the direction of the music.

James Earl Carter Jr. graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1946. Thereafter, he served as the Deck Division Officer, Radar Officer, and Combat Information Center Officer aboard the USS Wyoming before the ship’s decommissioning.

On February 4, 1950, Carter qualified in submarines from the U.S. Navy Submarine School in New London, Connecticut. After World War II ended, Carter returned to New London to board the newly constructed, first-of-its-kind USS K-1 submarine.

In June of 1952, Carter was promoted to Lieutenant. He was then assigned to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (Division of Reactor Development, Schenectady Operations Office) that following November.

After his father’s death, Carter resigned his commission and received an honorable discharge from the 3rd Naval District on October 9, 1953. He served for seven years before returning home and entering state politics.

Prior to his presidential campaign, Carter served as a state senator of Georgia from 1963 to 1967 and as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975.

On December 12, 1974, Carter announced his candidacy for President of the United States. His campaign won on the first ballot at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, and he was elected president on November 2, 1976.

Carter ran against President Gerald R. Ford, winning 297 electoral votes to Ford’s 241.

Throughout his presidency, Carter earned many achievements in both social and economic advancement.

Carter earned many accolades in foreign affairs, ranging from the Camp David Accords to obtaining ratification of the Panama Canal treaties.

During the Iranian Revolution, a hostage crisis began due to the exiled Ayatollah Khomeini’s return to Tehran in February of 1979. On November 4, 1979, Ayatollah incited anti-American Iranian militants to attack the American Embassy in Tehran.

This began the Iran Hostage Crisis, as the American embassy in Tehran was overrun and 66 hostages were taken. Six Americans escaped in the initial conflict; 13 were released on Nov. 19 and 20, 1979; one was released on July 11, 1980, and the remaining 52 were released on January 20, 1981.

The Hostage Situation in Iran was the most profound ordeal during the Carter presidency and lasted 444 days.

On June 17, 1979, Carter and Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, signed the SALT II Treaties. These treaties limited both nations’ nuclear forces to 2,250 delivery vehicles and provided other nuclear force restrictions.

He created the Department of Education, strengthened the social security system, and appointed record numbers of women and minorities to government jobs. He also established diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China.

Carter was known as a large spender after he proposed his final military budget of $180 billion for the 1982 fiscal year. This budget would set the course for military spending during Ronald Reagan’s administration.

After Carter left office on January 20, 1981, he remained active in politics as a diplomatic ambassador. In 1994, he assisted in easing the nuclear tension between the U.S. and North Korea.

Carter also played a key role in solving disputes between the U.S. State Department and some of history’s most volatile leaders, such as Kim Il Sung and Muammar Quaddafi.

On October 11, 2002, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Jimmy Carter the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advancements in democracy and human rights, and promotion of economic and social developments.

Carter dedicated his life to serving others, starting with his military service and striving for global change.

“Our policy is based on a historical vision of America’s role. Our policy is derived from a larger view of global change. Our policy is rooted in our moral values, which never change. Our policy is reinforced by our material wealth and by our military power. Our policy is designed to serve mankind,” said Carter.