3 Stars and Command of the 5th

One of Baylor’s own is now commander of the service’s oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force, the 5th Air Force, based in Japan.

Lt. Gen. Joel Carey, B.A. ’92, recently promoted to a three-star general, took command in March at a ceremony in Tokyo. The move was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in January, the latest promotion in Carey’s distinguished career since he got his start at Baylor more than 30 years ago.

His service has taken him all around the world, from Japan to Germany to Afghanistan and more. Prior to this promotion, Carey served as chief of staff at Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii. In his new role as 5th Air Force commander, Carey will oversee about 15,000 airmen and Defense Department civilians at three major installations in Japan.

“I began to realize how much I really enjoyed the opportunity to work on hard problems — hard, meaningful problems — trying to make parts of the world better,” Carey told Baylor Magazine in 2023. “That’s what kept us, my wife and I, in for as long as we have been.”

Before he began his service to the nation, the seeds of 
Carey’s career started at Baylor. A former Baylor quarterback under legendary head coach Grant Teaff, he majored in economics, was a member of the fraternity Kappa Omega Tau and prepared for the military as a member of Baylor’s Air Force ROTC. Carey comes from a long line of Bears and has sent several of his children to follow in his footsteps at Baylor (and some on to Air Force service, as well). 

In 2023, Carey was honored as Baylor’s Alumnus of the Year, an honor awarded to a graduate who has achieved distinction through exceptional contributions to our international, national, state or community welfare.