Carter just added to what Nixon (and later Ford) and Kissinger did from 1973-76.
I don’t know that we gave military aid to Egypt prior to Camp David. Between 1974 and 1979 the defrosting of the US-Egyptian relationship did begin to turn Egypt away from the Soviets, particularly Nixon’s (and Kissinger’s) arrangement to help them boot Soviet troops and “advisors”, and later to re-open the Suez canal. But whether and how much aid we gave Egypt before 1979 I am not sure was very significant. Before the 6-Day war we didn’t give much to Israel either. But you are right in principle, it was a long process.