February 20, 2015

On Feb. 12, the Senate confirmed Ash Carter as Secretary of Defense. He is the fourth person to lead the defense department during the Obama administration.

Carter, a long-time Pentagon official, replaces outgoing Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Well known within Pentagon circles, Carter has held several key senior positions, including Undersecretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Chief Procurement Officer, and most recently, Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Carter will face multiple challenges in the last two years of the Obama administration. Politically, he will have to address the return of sequestration in October, which threatens to slash $50 billion from the defense department in FY 2016. He will also have to grapple with recommendations to transform pay and benefits from the congressionally appointed Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission.

On Capitol Hill, Carter will tackle acquisition reform with House and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairmen Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) and Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.). On Carter’s nomination, McCain said, “we need to reform our defense acquisition system to restore confidence that every defense dollar is spent well, and to ensure that the men and women in uniform are getting the training and equipment they need on time and at a cost acceptable to the taxpayer.”

“On behalf of our 390,000 MOAA members and military families across the world, we look forward to working with Secretary Carter,” said MOAA President, Vice Adm Norb Ryan, USN (Ret). “In the days and months ahead, we hope to have a meaningful relationship and have many substantive conversations on the best ways to recruit and retain the world’s finest all-volunteer force.”