December 5, 2014

On December 5, President Obama nominated Ashton Carter to replace Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense.  

Carter previously served as the Deputy Secretary of Defense for both Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel.  

His career includes several stints in the Pentagon with time spent as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, and as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs.   

If confirmed by the Senate, Carter would be able to hit the ground running with his years of experience navigating the Pentagon bureaucracy.    

His confirmation is expected to be non-controversial as he’s earned respect from key senators on both sides of the aisle.  

“MOAA looks forward to working with Mr. Carter if he’s appointed as the next Secretary of Defense. Managing the defense department through the indiscriminate cuts of sequestration and ongoing conflict is no easy task. We’re keen to strike a productive partnership with the new secretary to ensure we preserve the nation’s greatest weapons system – our men and women serving in uniform,” said MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, USN (Ret).   

The next defense secretary faces no easy task. Sequestration returns in 2016, threatening to gut the defense budget and drastically reduce end strength while operations continue in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.