Rear Admiral Carr has spent his Navy career at sea in cruisers and destroyers, operating in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, North and South Atlantic, South Pacific, Baltic, Caribbean, Arctic and Red Seas. Shipboard tours included USS King (DDG 41); USS McCandless (FF 1084); USS Thomas S. Gates (CG 51); USS Vella Gulf (CG 72); Cruiser/Destroyer Group 8 staff embarked in USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69); and the 2nd Fleet staff embarked in USS Mt. Whitney (LCC 20). He commanded USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) and USS Cape St. George (CG 71), winning Battle Efficiency Awards and Golden Anchors in both tours. While in command of Cape St. George, the ship participated in combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in both the European and Central Command theaters.

Ashore, Carr has served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he worked on the Arleigh Burke, Ticonderoga and Seawolf programs, and several Ballistic Missile Defense programs. He later served in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as requirements officer for the Aegis Cruiser and Destroyer programs, and was executive assistant to the commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Following promotion to flag rank in 2006 he was assigned as the deputy director of Surface Warfare for Combat Systems and Weapons, and later as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy (International Programs) and director, Navy International Program Office.

Carr graduated in 1979 from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture. He earned a Master of Science in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

In December 2008, he became the 22nd chief of Naval Research, with additional duties as director, Test and Evaluation and Technology Requirements.