Prior to his political career, which branch of the U.S. military did Jimmy Carter serve in, starting in 1946?

James Earl (Jimmy) Carter was born in Plains, Georgia on October 1, 1924. To qualify for the U.S. Naval Academy, he attended the Georgia Institute of Technology to study mathematics for one year.

Then he applied for, was accepted, attended and graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946. He was then assigned to the USS ‘Wyoming’ as an ensign. After completing two years of surface ship duty, Carter applied for submarine duty. He served as executive officer, engineering officer and electronics repair officer on the submarine ‘SSK-1’.

Subsequently he was accepted into a program to create nuclear-powered submarines. With a promotion to the rank of lieutenant, he served on temporary duty with the Naval Reactors Branch, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in Washington D.C., to assist “in the design and development of nuclear propulsion plants for naval vessels.”

From March to October 1953, Carter prepared to become the engineering officer for the USS ‘Seawolf’, one of the first submarines to operate on atomic power. However, when his father died in July of that year, Carter resigned from the U.S. Navy and returned to the state of Georgia to manage his family business. He was honorably discharged on October 9, 1953 and transferred to the retired Naval reserve at his request.

In 1976, he became the 5th consecutive President with prior Navy service.

The ‘Seawolf’-class submarine ‘Jimmy Carter’ (SSN-23) is named for the 39th U.S. President.