Who was Ashton Carter? Former US defense secretary dies after sudden cardiac arrest at 68
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Former US defense secretary Ashton Carter, often known as Ash Carter, died on Monday night, October 24, 2022, at the age of 68, after a sudden cardiac arrest, his family said on Tuesday, October 25, 2022. Carter served as defense secretary under former president Barack Obama.
According to the Daily Mail, Carter oversaw the start of a military campaign that later pushed back the Islamic State military group in Syria and Iraq and finally destroyed the organization. He served throughout the final two years of the Obama administration. After leaving the public sector, Carter supervised the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School. Following the election of President Donald Trump in 2016, in which many national security establishment figures supported opponent Hillary Clinton, Carter delivered a statement assuring an orderly transition.
READ MORE
Brandon Creech: Deputy 'fell ill and suddenly collapsed' after PATTING DOWN suspect hiding fentanyl
"Last night our fellow American citizens voted for a new President," Carter had stated in a memo made public the day following the election. "That it happened freely and peacefully is a testament to the great work of this Department."
Carter added, "I am very proud of the way each and every one of you conducted yourselves during this campaign, standing apart from politics and instead focusing on our sacred mission of providing security. I am committed to overseeing the orderly transition to the next Commander in Chief."
Carter was one of ten active Defense Secretaries to caution Donald Trump against using the military for domestic political objectives more than four years later in the wake of Trump's repeated allegations of election fraud. He acknowledged in a letter that it would lead the country into "dangerous, unlawful, and unconstitutional territory."
Carter held the positions of the deputy defense secretary and Pentagon COO (chief operating officer) before being appointed defense secretary in 2015. From 2009 to 2011, while leading a significant restructuring of the F-35 fighter jet program, he also handled the Defense Department's purchase of weaponry. "Carter always set politics aside; he served presidents of both parties over five administrations, holding multiple positions within the Department of Defense," his family noted in the statement.
Who was Ashton Carter?
Carter earned his doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford University, and on at least one occasion, he even spoke to the media about black holes while traveling abroad. He was viewed less as a politician and more as a technocrat inside the Pentagon. He attempted, with varying degrees of success, to close the enormous gap that existed between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon in order to quickly introduce technology advancements to the Defense Department.
In a statement, Robert Gates, a former defense secretary, said Carter's "insights and perspectives will be difficult to replace and his humor and regard for the troops deeply missed." Former President Barack Obama claimed he had relied on Carter's counsel to make the military "stronger, smarter, more humane, and more effective."
Obama claimed in a statement, "Ash's greatest legacy, however, may be the generations of younger leaders he taught, mentored, and inspired to protect our nation and wield power wisely."
Carter is survived by his wife Stephanie, as well as by his children Will and Ava.