Ash Carter

Ash Carter
Born	Ashton Baldwin Carter 24 9, 1954
Birthplace	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	Template:Death date and age Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Government official, academic, physicist
Known for	25th United States Secretary of Defense; opening all military combat positions to women; ending ban on transgender service members; founding the Defense Innovation Unit
Education	D.Phil., University of Oxford
Spouse(s)	Stephanie DeLeeuw
Children	2
Awards	Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumous, 2025), DOD Distinguished Public Service Medal (five awards), Defense Intelligence Medal

Ashton Baldwin Carter (September 24, 1954 – October 24, 2022) was an American government official, physicist, and academic who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Defense from February 2015 to January 2017 under President Barack Obama. A career shaped by the intersection of science, technology, and national security, Carter held senior positions at the Department of Defense across multiple administrations, including Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy under President Bill Clinton, and both Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics and Deputy Secretary of Defense during Obama's first term. As Secretary of Defense, Carter oversaw significant policy changes, including ordering all military occupational specialties and positions opened to women without exception and ending the ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the United States military. Beyond government service, Carter was a longtime faculty member at Harvard Kennedy School, where he directed the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He was the author or co-author of eleven books and more than 100 articles spanning physics, technology, national security, and defense management. Carter was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025 by President Joe Biden.

Early Life

Ashton Baldwin Carter was born on September 24, 1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in the Philadelphia area and attended local schools, including Highland Elementary School. Carter's sister, Cynthia DeFelice, has been publicly identified as a family member.

Carter's early interests and intellectual inclinations drew him toward the sciences. He would go on to pursue studies in both physics and medieval history, a combination that reflected an unusually broad intellectual range. His upbringing in the Philadelphia suburbs and his education in the local public school system provided the foundation for what became a distinguished career in academia and government. The community of Abington Township later took note of his accomplishments; the Abington Board of Commissioners acknowledged his nomination as Secretary of Defense in December 2014.

Carter's family background included connections to the medical and literary communities in the greater Philadelphia region. These formative years in Pennsylvania shaped Carter's orientation toward public service and intellectual inquiry, themes that would define his subsequent professional life.

Education

Carter pursued his undergraduate studies at Yale University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physics and medieval history, graduating summa cum laude. He then attended the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, where he earned his Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) in theoretical physics. His doctoral thesis, titled "Hard processes in perturbative QCD," was supervised by Christopher Llewellyn Smith. Carter's training as a theoretical physicist provided him with a rigorous analytical background that he later applied to defense policy, nuclear weapons strategy, and technology acquisition challenges.

Following his doctoral studies, Carter began his career conducting research at the intersection of physics and public policy, an orientation that would characterize his subsequent decades in government and academia.

Career

Early Academic and Policy Career

Carter began his professional career as a physicist and policy analyst. He worked briefly as an analyst for the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, an experience that marked his transition from theoretical physics to public policy. In 1984, Carter joined the faculty of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he became a specialist in defense and arms control policy. He eventually became chair of the International and Global Affairs faculty at Harvard Kennedy School.

At Harvard, Carter co-founded the Preventive Defense Project with former Secretary of Defense William Perry, a research collaboration between Harvard Kennedy School and Stanford University focused on identifying and addressing emerging security threats before they became critical. This initiative reflected Carter's philosophy that anticipating and preventing security challenges was preferable to responding after crises had developed.

Carter also held a position at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, which became his primary academic home throughout his career. His research and writing during this period focused on nuclear weapons policy, counterproliferation, and the role of technology in national security. He authored or co-authored eleven books and more than 100 articles on these subjects. Among his notable publications was an article in Foreign Affairs on countering weapons of mass destruction, which reflected his longstanding focus on proliferation threats.

Assistant Secretary of Defense (1993–1996)

Carter entered government service during the administration of President Bill Clinton, serving as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy from June 30, 1993, to September 14, 1996. In this role, he was responsible for policy regarding the former Soviet states, strategic affairs, and nuclear weapons policy. His portfolio placed him at the center of some of the most consequential security challenges of the immediate post-Cold War era, including the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program, which aimed to secure and dismantle nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons in the states of the former Soviet Union.

Carter's work during this period focused heavily on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and managing the security implications of the Soviet Union's dissolution. His predecessor in the position was Stephen Hadley, who would later serve as National Security Advisor under President George W. Bush. Carter served in the position until 1996, after which he returned to Harvard.

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (2009–2011)

In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Carter to serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer. Carter served in this capacity from April 27, 2009, to October 5, 2011. The position gave Carter direct oversight of the Department of Defense's procurement and acquisition processes, an area that had long been criticized for cost overruns and inefficiencies.

In this role, Carter was responsible for overseeing the development and acquisition of major weapons systems and managing a portfolio worth hundreds of billions of dollars. He pursued reforms aimed at improving efficiency in the defense acquisition system and was involved in efforts to address urgent operational needs, including the deployment of technologies to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Deputy Secretary of Defense (2011–2013)

Carter was promoted to serve as the 31st Deputy Secretary of Defense, the second-highest position in the Department of Defense, on October 6, 2011. He succeeded William J. Lynn III and served until December 4, 2013. As Deputy Secretary, Carter functioned as the chief operating officer of the Department of Defense, overseeing the day-to-day management of the department and its budget.

During his tenure as Deputy Secretary, Carter was involved in efforts to address the Department of Defense's budgetary challenges, including the effects of sequestration and the broader fiscal pressures facing the defense establishment. He also continued to focus on acquisition reform and the department's strategic planning processes. After leaving the position in December 2013, he was succeeded on an acting basis by Christine Fox.

Following his departure from the Pentagon, Carter returned to Harvard Kennedy School before being called back to government service.

Secretary of Defense (2015–2017)

On December 5, 2014, President Obama nominated Carter to succeed Chuck Hagel as the 25th United States Secretary of Defense. He was confirmed by the United States Senate and took office on February 17, 2015. He served until January 20, 2017, when he was succeeded by Jim Mattis under President Donald Trump.

Military Operations and Strategy

As Secretary of Defense, Carter oversaw United States military operations during a period of significant global security challenges, including the ongoing campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, continued operations in Afghanistan, and the management of strategic competition with Russia and China. Carter addressed the tragic loss of military personnel during these operations, including the October 2015 crash of a C-130 aircraft in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, which killed six U.S. airmen and five civilian contractors.

Carter also navigated the complex security environment in Europe following Russia's actions in Ukraine. He discussed the potential deployment of missiles in Europe as a deterrent measure against Russian aggression, reflecting the return of great-power competition to the center of U.S. defense strategy.

International Partnerships

Carter placed emphasis on strengthening alliances and partnerships. He worked closely with allied defense ministers, including French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, with whom he discussed shared security concerns, ongoing operations, and bilateral defense cooperation. Carter characterized the U.S.-France defense relationship as exceptionally strong during this period. He was also a member of the board of the Atlantic Council, reflecting his engagement with transatlantic security issues.

Opening Military Positions to Women and Transgender Service Members

Among the most prominent policy decisions of Carter's tenure as Secretary of Defense were those related to inclusion in the armed forces. On December 3, 2015, Carter ordered all military occupational specialties and positions opened to women, removing the final barriers that had kept women from serving in combat roles. This decision ended decades of restrictions and was one of the most consequential personnel policy changes in modern U.S. military history.

In 2016, Carter also ended the ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the United States military. This policy change allowed transgender service members to serve without concealing their gender identity and established procedures for medical care and transition within the military framework.

Defense Innovation

Carter was a strong proponent of harnessing commercial technology for national defense. In 2015, he established the Defense Innovation Unit (originally called the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, or DIUx), based in Silicon Valley, to serve as a bridge between the Department of Defense and the commercial technology sector. The initiative aimed to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge commercial technologies — such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and cybersecurity tools — into military applications. The Defense Innovation Unit has continued to operate and expand in the years since Carter's departure, and observers have credited Carter's vision in establishing the organization as a lasting contribution to U.S. defense modernization.

Return to Harvard

After leaving the Pentagon in January 2017, Carter returned to Harvard Kennedy School, where he served as director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. In this capacity, he continued to research, write, and teach on issues of defense policy, technology, and national security. He also mentored students and emerging leaders in the national security field.

The Belfer Center has continued to honor Carter's contributions, including hosting events examining his legacy in defense innovation and strategic policy.

Personal Life

Carter was married to Stephanie DeLeeuw Carter. The couple had two children. Stephanie Carter has been publicly identified as the founder of The Verse, a media platform focused on publications, tools, and events.

Carter was a member of the Democratic Party. His sister, Cynthia DeFelice, is an author of children's books.

Ash Carter died on October 24, 2022, in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 68, one month after his birthday. His death was announced by Harvard Kennedy School, where he had been serving as director of the Belfer Center.

Recognition

Carter received extensive recognition for his contributions to national security over a career spanning more than three decades. He was awarded the DOD Distinguished Public Service Medal five times, the most any individual had received at the time. He also received the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award and the Defense Intelligence Medal.

Carter was named as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the United States Junior Chamber, recognizing his early contributions to public policy and national security.

In 2025, Carter was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden, the nation's highest civilian honor, in recognition of his lifetime of service to national security and defense policy.

Legacy

Ash Carter's career bridged the worlds of theoretical physics, academic research, and national security policy in a manner that few American public servants have replicated. His scientific training informed his approach to defense challenges, particularly in the areas of nuclear weapons policy, counterproliferation, and the integration of advanced technology into military operations.

Carter's establishment of the Defense Innovation Unit has been widely cited as one of his most enduring institutional contributions. The organization has continued to function as a conduit between Silicon Valley's commercial technology sector and the Department of Defense, a model that subsequent defense leaders have maintained and expanded. The National Defense University published a detailed assessment of Carter's innovation legacy, noting his sustained focus on ensuring that the U.S. military maintained its technological edge through engagement with the private sector.

His decisions to open all military positions to women and to end the ban on transgender service members represented landmark changes in U.S. military personnel policy. These actions altered the composition and culture of the armed forces and have been the subject of continued public and scholarly discussion in the years since.

At Harvard, Carter trained a generation of national security professionals and contributed to the academic study of defense policy through the Belfer Center and the Preventive Defense Project. His eleven books and extensive body of published articles remain reference works in the fields of nuclear policy, technology strategy, and defense management.

The Belfer Center has continued to organize events and programming in Carter's memory, examining the ongoing relevance of his policy initiatives and intellectual contributions to American defense strategy.