Secretary of Defense Ash Carter

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
Name	Ashton Baldwin Carter
Birth date	September 24, 1954
Birth place	Philadelphia
Death date	June 24, 2022
Alma mater	Harvard University, University of Oxford
Occupation	Physicist, public official, academic
Office	United States Secretary of Defense
Term start	February 17, 2015
Term end	January 20, 2017
President	Barack Obama
Predecessor	Chuck Hagel
Successor	James Mattis

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Secretary of Defense Ash Carter Ashton Baldwin Carter was an American physicist, academic, and public official who served as United States Secretary of Defense under Barack Obama from 2015 to 2017. Carter's career bridged Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and multiple executive and legislative roles in the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the White House. He played a prominent role in policy debates involving Iraq War, Afghanistan War, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, China–United States relations, and technological modernization of the United States Armed Forces.

Early life and education

Carter was born in Philadelphia and raised in Pittsburgh before attending Harvard College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in physics and graduated summa cum laude; he later studied at Balliol College, Oxford as a Marshall Scholarship recipient and completed graduate work at St John's College, Cambridge and Harvard Kennedy School with degrees in physics and public policy. During his student years he interacted with scholars at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, debated policy with figures from Brookings Institution, and engaged in research connected to laboratories such as Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Carter served on the faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School, was a professor at the Harvard University Department of Physics, and held fellowships at Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he combined studies of quantum mechanics and defense technology with policy analysis relevant to nuclear proliferation and arms control. He published and lectured alongside scholars from Princeton University, Columbia University, Yale University, and the Council on Foreign Relations on topics including ballistic missile defense, cybersecurity, and nuclear deterrence. His academic collaborations connected him to researchers at National Academy of Sciences, RAND Corporation, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Carter's early government service included roles at the Department of Defense during the Clinton administration, participation in the Congressional Budget Office advisory panels, and appointment as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics under Barack Obama. He worked on initiatives with officials from Pentagon commands such as United States Central Command, coordinated with agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, and provided testimony before the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives on procurement, acquisition reform, and defense innovation. Carter advised secretaries including William Perry and Robert Gates, and collaborated with international counterparts from NATO, European Union, Japan Self-Defense Forces, and Australian Defence Force on interoperability and coalition operations.

As Secretary he oversaw operations addressing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, directed force posture adjustments in response to Russian intervention in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, and pursued modernization programs affecting F-35 Lightning II, Ohio-class submarine, Zumwalt-class destroyer, and advanced cyberwarfare capabilities. Carter instituted policy changes such as the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell remnants for services, opened combat roles to women in coordination with the Armed Services Committees, and implemented initiatives to accelerate prototyping and innovation through partnerships with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Silicon Valley firms, and the Defense Innovation Unit. He navigated congressional debates with leaders from United States Congress, negotiated budgets with Office of Management and Budget, and engaged with foreign leaders from China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and NATO members over force posture, arms sales, and cooperative security.

After leaving office Carter returned to academia and policy work at Harvard University and joined boards and advisory panels including Council on Foreign Relations and corporate and non-profit entities engaged with artificial intelligence, space policy, and energy security. He lectured at institutions such as Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University and wrote op-eds for outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post on topics such as nuclear deterrence, technology competition with China, and resilience against cyber attacks. Carter also served on commissions and task forces alongside figures from United Nations, World Economic Forum, and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Carter was married and had children; his affiliations included memberships in American Physical Society and honors from institutions such as Royal Society-linked programs and awards associated with Department of Defense acquisition reform and innovation. He received distinctions including honorary degrees from universities like Dartmouth College and Tufts University and was recognized by organizations such as Arms Control Association and Association of the United States Army for contributions to defense policy and technology.