John S. Carragher is the Manager of Veterans Advocacy and Assistance for the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs. He manages Department assistance to Connecticut’s Veterans, leading Veterans Service Officers in five district offices across the State. The office formally represents over 8,000 Connecticut Veterans resulting in approximately $125 million in annual payments to Veterans and their families. Mr. Carragher serves concurrently as the Director of the Middletown State Veterans Cemetery, overseeing all aspects of cemetery management including daily operations, maintenance, reporting, and coordination with the National Cemetery Administration.
Additionally, he provides expert advice to numerous elected and appointed officials and Veterans Service Organizations on military and Veteran issues. He maintains close relationships with senior military leaders across the Department of Defense to ensure continuity of care during and after military service.
Mr. Carragher is the former Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the Connecticut National Guard. As the Senior Enlisted Leader, he served as the personal and confidential advisor to The Adjutant General on all matters pertaining to enlisted personnel and the overall readiness, training, operations, and administration of the Connecticut National Guard.
CSM (Ret.) Carragher enlisted in the Connecticut Police Company as a military police Soldier. His assignments have included leadership and staff positions at every level of the Connecticut National Guard from team leader to J-3 Sergeant Major, culminating with his selection as the State Command Senior Enlisted Leader on April 14, 2012. His operational deployment experience includes mobilizations in support of Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Noble Eagle, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Additionally, he has supported operations in US Army South (Panama), Katrina Relief Operations in Louisiana, and Airport Security/Key Asset Protection Operations in Connecticut.
CSM (Ret.) Carragher’s military education includes all levels of NCOPDS, the Battle Staff NCO Course, Military Police Special Reaction Team Course, DOD Individual Non-Lethal Weapons Instructor Course, the Nominative NORAD/NORTHCOM Joint Task Force Commanders Course, and numerous others.
CSM Carragher is a 2013 graduate of National Defense University’s KEYSTONE Course. CSM (Ret.) Carragher’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3rd Award), Army Commendation Medal (4th Award), Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal (8th award), Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Gold Hourglass, M de
vice, and numeral 3), National Defense Service Medal (2nd award), Southwest Asia Service Medal (w/2 Bronze Service Stars), Iraqi Campaign Medal (w/2 Bronze Service Stars), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal. CSM Carragher has been invested in the Order of the Marechaussee (in Silver) by the United States.
CSM (Ret.) Carragher is a Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, and the National Guard Association of Connecticut. He is a member of the Association of the United States Army and the United States Army Military Police Regimental Association.
CSM (Ret.) Carragher relinquished responsibility as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader on January 9, 2021 and retired on March 1, 2021 after over 39 years of service to State and Nation. CSM Carragher was raised in Newington, Connecticut and currently resides in Southington, Connecticut with his wife Lucy and two sons, John and Matthew.
As of: January 1, 2024