Ash Carter, a former U.S. defense secretary during the administration of Barack Obama, died of a sudden cardiac incident on Monday evening at the age of 68, according to a statement released by his family on Tuesday.
Carter, who served during the final two years of the Obama administration, oversaw the launch of a military strategy that would ultimately result in the defeat of the Islamic State military group in Syria and Iraq.
Since leaving public service, Carter has led the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
Carter issued a statement promising an orderly transition following the 2016 election of President Donald Trump, following a campaign in which many national security establishment leaders supported Hillary Clinton’s candidacy.
Our fellow Americans elected a new President last evening. The fact that it occurred freely and peacefully is a testament to the excellent work of this Department,’ Carter wrote in a memo issued the day after the election.
“I am extremely proud of how each and every one of you conducted yourselves during this campaign, putting aside politics and focusing instead on our sacred mission to provide security. I am committed to ensuring a smooth transfer of power to the next Commander in Chief.
More than four years later, he was one of ten living Defense Secretaries who cautioned Trump against using the military for domestic political purposes, in the wake of Trump’s repeated allegations of election fraud following his loss.
He signed a letter stating that it would place the country in “dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional territory.”
Two days before the Capitol riot, on January 4, 2021, they wrote, “The time for questioning the results has passed; the time for the formal counting of the electoral college votes, as prescribed by the Constitution and statute, has arrived.”
They added: ‘Efforts to involve the U.S. armed forces in resolving election disputes would take us into dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory,” they wrote. “Civilian and military officials who direct or carry out such measures would be accountable, including potentially facing criminal penalties, for the grave consequences of their actions on our republic.’
After a lengthy review, he announced in the summer of 2016 a new DOD policy allowing transgender troops to serve.
Carter stated, “This is the proper thing to do for our people and the force.” “We are speaking about talented Americans who are serving with distinction or who wish to serve.” We cannot allow hurdles unrelated to a candidate’s qualifications to prohibit us from attracting and keeping the most qualified candidates for the job.
The policy would shortly be reversed by Trump.