History of the Team

AFCT History
Stu Carter is the “Father” of the AF Cycling Team (AFCT). DSN: 879-6563 Cell 520 220-8357. When his teammates ask: Who’s Your Daddy? He just smiles. Stu and cycling go back to 1987. At the young age of 35, he was a starting Offensive Tight End on Soesterberg Air Base’s (in Holland) football team. He tore all the ligaments in his right knee during a game-“Ouch!!” Seven-weeks later when the cast was removed, physiotherapists told Stu: You’ll probably never walk normal again. Inspired and living in Holland caused Stu to decide to ride a bike for self-healing of his leg - to make it more flexible and stronger. So, at age 35 he bought his 1st ever bicycle, and fell in love with riding. “You can see so much more at 20 MPH on a bike than you can at 60 MPH in a car.” Five-years later, in 1992, Stu won the US Military’s European Region Cycling Championship’s 30 Kilometer Time Trial (40-45 age group). In addition, he had the fastest time in the entire DoD that year, and was awarded the 1992 Stars-and-Stripes “National Military Cycling Champion” Jersey for the 30 KM Time Trial by the US Military Sports Association. In 1995 after moving to Offutt AFB from Izmir, Turkey, he was a member of the inaugural AF Cycling Team, called “Team Aim High.” Started by the Air Force recruiters, in Bellevue, NE, the team grew from 28 riders in the 1995 to over 100 riders in 1997. After the RAGBRAI in 1997, the USAF recruiters withdrew management and financial support of the team-in effect they killed the team. Stu stepped in, created a Tax Free Organization with the IRS, and garnered official AF sanctioning and sponsorship by then Air Force Secretary, The Honorable Dr. Sheila E. Widnall, and later by the next SECAF, the Honorable F. Whitten Peters. Both SECAF Widnall and SECAF Peters were AFCT riders. Stu institutionalized the AF Team, built it to what it is today, and was its Executive Director for 6-years. He still provides continuity, advice and lessons learned to the AFCT Team Director today. Lt Col Stu Carter retired from the USAF on 1 Feb 01 after 30-years service. He had a heart attack after a training ride on 3 Mar 01, surgery on 4 Mar, fully recovered in mid-Apr, trained over 1,100 miles in the next 90-days, and then led the AF team across Iowa in Jul 01 as the team’s Director. He never missed a beat. In Mar 02, in reaction to 9-11, Stu became an Air Force GS-13 and accepted an assignment to the Office of Military Cooperation, Aviation Division, American Embassy, in Cairo, Egypt. He served as the USAF’s Security Assistance Program Manager responsible for leading a $40M top-to-bottom, Egypt-wide IT modernization of the Egyptian Air Force’s Logistics infrastructure. In Jul 06, the United States Army hired and promoted Stu to GS-14. He is the Chief, Operations Sustainment Division, G3, at the Army’s Information Technology headquarters, called NETCOM/9th Signal Command (Army), at Fort Huachuca, AZ (80 miles south of Tucson, at 4,700 ft elevation on the US/Mexican Border). In fact his usual training ride has him climbing into Tombstone, AZ, located a mere 30 miles from his home. He has oversight for the Command’s Force Protection, Antiterrorism, OPSEC, Continuity of Operations (COOP), Critical Infrastructure Risk Management and Emergency Management programs providing global support/protection of 17,000 Signal Soldiers around the Globe. Today, in his spare time, Stu ensures the AFCT grows in reputation and stature as the United States Military’s finest cycling team, and he ensures it lives up to the highest standards in representing the ideals of the Air Force way of life - “Service Above Self, and Excellence in All We Do!” Stu has missed only two of the team’s past 15 RAGBRAI’s ... Jul 02 and Jul 09. He will ride with the team again in Jul 10, making him the only person to ride 14 of the AFCT’s 16 RAGBRAIs. Stu is a Master’s Class USCF licensed road racer, excelling at time trials. He is still quick, fast and dedicated to physical fitness, the USAF and the AFCT. Stu has the nicknames of “Cairo Joe” and the AFCT’s “Team Daddy”. His e-mail: Stu Carter, Lt Col, USAF (Retired)

AFCT History

Stu Carter is the “Father” of the AF Cycling Team (AFCT). DSN: 879-6563 Cell 520 220-8357. When his teammates ask: Who’s Your Daddy? He just smiles.

Stu and cycling go back to 1987. At the young age of 35, he was a starting Offensive Tight End on Soesterberg Air Base’s (in Holland) football team. He tore all the ligaments in his right knee during a game-“Ouch!!” Seven-weeks later when the cast was removed, physiotherapists told Stu: You’ll probably never walk normal again. Inspired and living in Holland caused Stu to decide to ride a bike for self-healing of his leg - to make it more flexible and stronger. So, at age 35 he bought his 1st ever bicycle, and fell in love with riding. “You can see so much more at 20 MPH on a bike than you can at 60 MPH in a car.” Five-years later, in 1992, Stu won the US Military’s European Region Cycling Championship’s 30 Kilometer Time Trial (40-45 age group). In addition, he had the fastest time in the entire DoD that year, and was awarded the 1992 Stars-and-Stripes “National Military Cycling Champion” Jersey for the 30 KM Time Trial by the US Military Sports Association.

In 1995 after moving to Offutt AFB from Izmir, Turkey, he was a member of the inaugural AF Cycling Team, called “Team Aim High.” Started by the Air Force recruiters, in Bellevue, NE, the team grew from 28 riders in the 1995 to over 100 riders in 1997. After the RAGBRAI in 1997, the USAF recruiters withdrew management and financial support of the team-in effect they killed the team. Stu stepped in, created a Tax Free Organization with the IRS, and garnered official AF sanctioning and sponsorship by then Air Force Secretary, The Honorable Dr. Sheila E. Widnall, and later by the next SECAF, the Honorable F. Whitten Peters. Both SECAF Widnall and SECAF Peters were AFCT riders. Stu institutionalized the AF Team, built it to what it is today, and was its Executive Director for 6-years. He still provides continuity, advice and lessons learned to the AFCT Team Director today.

Lt Col Stu Carter retired from the USAF on 1 Feb 01 after 30-years service. He had a heart attack after a training ride on 3 Mar 01, surgery on 4 Mar, fully recovered in mid-Apr, trained over 1,100 miles in the next 90-days, and then led the AF team across Iowa in Jul 01 as the team’s Director. He never missed a beat.

In Mar 02, in reaction to 9-11, Stu became an Air Force GS-13 and accepted an assignment to the Office of Military Cooperation, Aviation Division, American Embassy, in Cairo, Egypt. He served as the USAF’s Security Assistance Program Manager responsible for leading a $40M top-to-bottom, Egypt-wide IT modernization of the Egyptian Air Force’s Logistics infrastructure.

In Jul 06, the United States Army hired and promoted Stu to GS-14. He is the Chief, Operations Sustainment Division, G3, at the Army’s Information Technology headquarters, called NETCOM/9th Signal Command (Army), at Fort Huachuca, AZ (80 miles south of Tucson, at 4,700 ft elevation on the US/Mexican Border). In fact his usual training ride has him climbing into Tombstone, AZ, located a mere 30 miles from his home. He has oversight for the Command’s Force Protection, Antiterrorism, OPSEC, Continuity of Operations (COOP), Critical Infrastructure Risk Management and Emergency Management programs providing global support/protection of 17,000 Signal Soldiers around the Globe. Today, in his spare time, Stu ensures the AFCT grows in reputation and stature as the United States Military’s finest cycling team, and he ensures it lives up to the highest standards in representing the ideals of the Air Force way of life - “Service Above Self, and Excellence in All We Do!”

Stu has missed only two of the team’s past 15 RAGBRAI’s ... Jul 02 and Jul 09. He will ride with the team again in Jul 10, making him the only person to ride 14 of the AFCT’s 16 RAGBRAIs.

Stu is a Master’s Class USCF licensed road racer, excelling at time trials. He is still quick, fast and dedicated to physical fitness, the USAF and the AFCT.

Stu has the nicknames of “Cairo Joe” and the AFCT’s “Team Daddy”.

His e-mail: Stu Carter, Lt Col, USAF (Retired)

Air Force Cycling Team 2010

RAGBRAI July 25-31 2010