Professor Carroll served as a naval flight officer aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60) and USS Enterprise (CVN 65). Ashore, he taught and advised Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps midshipmen as an assistant professor of naval science at Boston University. Prior to retirement as a commander in the U.S. Navy reserve component, he served with U.S. Central Command as a Levant planner, commanding officer of a unit that supports Commander, U.S. Forces Korea, executive officer of the reserve unit for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet, and operations officer for a unit that supports NATO Allied Command Transformation.