Former U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who served in the post under President Barack Obama, has died at 68, his family announced Tuesday.
Carter is survived by his wife, Stephanie, and his children, Ava and Will. Obama nominated Carter to lead the Pentagon in 2014. In the role, Carter would be the first defense secretary to confront ISIS in the Middle East, a plague that would survive into former President Donald Trump’s administration.
“It is with deep and profound sadness that the family of former Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter shares that Secretary Carter passed away Monday evening in Boston after a sudden cardiac event at the age of 68,” his family announced in a statement.
“Carter, the 25th Secretary of Defense and Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School, devoted his professional life to the national security of the United States and teaching students about international affairs. He was a beloved husband, father, mentor, and friend. His sudden loss will be felt by all who knew him,” they added.
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Ashton Carter, former U.S. secretary of defense, reacts during a panel session on day three of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. World leaders, influential executives, bankers and policy makers attend the 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos from Jan. 23 – 26. Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images
US President Barack Obama stands alongside US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter (R), Vice President Joe Biden (2nd L) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Joseph Dunford, Jr. (L), during the Armed Forces Full Honor Review Farewell Ceremony for Obama at Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Carter was complementary of the Trump administration’s efforts to combat unrest in the Middle East, despite being appointed by Obama. He remarked on the effectiveness of Trump’s sanctions against Iran in 2019.
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Carter received the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Pentagon’s highest honor, five separate times throughout his career.
The Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense.
(REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo)
“As Director of the Belfer Center since 2017, Secretary Carter continued to teach and share his experience and knowledge with Harvard students. A Rhodes Scholar and theoretical physicist, Secretary Carter loved academia, teaching, and mentoring students. He believed that his most profound legacy would be the thousands of students he taught with the hope that they would make the world a better and safer place,” his family wrote.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
