The Senate confirmed Ashton Carter, the former No. 2 official at the Pentagon, as the 25th secretary of defense on Thursday.
“With his decades of experience, Ash will help keep our military strong as we continue the fight against terrorist networks, modernize our alliances, and invest in new capabilities to keep our armed forces prepared for long-term threats,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. “As secretary of defense, Ash will play a central role in our work with Congress to find a more responsible approach to defense spending that makes the department more efficient, preserves military readiness, and keeps faith with our men and women in uniform and their families.”
Carter, 60, spent years in the Pentagon through two administrations, working in a variety of posts under 11 defense chiefs. He served as deputy defense secretary and undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said in December that he would step down, less then two years after taking office and at the height of the U.S. campaign against the Islamic State terrorist group. His tenure was marked with tension from almost the moment he was named to replace Leon Panetta.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Obama and Hagel made a mutual decision that Hagel should leave after meeting several times.
The Senate voted 93-5. Carter will be Obama’s fourth defense secretary and returns to the Pentagon during a tough time: the final two years of the president’s term.
Hagel’s two predecessors, Robert Gates and Panetta, both complained about White House interference in books they wrote after leaving office and it’s unclear that would change with Carter.
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