Obama Nominates Ashton Carter as Defense Secretary

President Barack Obama has nominated former deputy Pentagon chief Ashton Carter to become the next secretary of defense. Obama announced the choice Friday at the White House.

Carter, a physicist and high-tech weapons expert, served as deputy defense secretary from 2011 to 2013. Prior to that, he was the Pentagon's top weapons buyer for two years.

Calling him by his nickname "Ash," Obama said Carter brings "a unique blend of strategic perspective and technical know how."

He is said to hold bipartisan support in Washington, and if confirmed by the Senate, will replace Chuck Hagel, who resigned under pressure last month after just two years on the job.

Appearing alongside President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden Friday, Carter said if confirmed, he pledges to give Obama his most "candid" strategic and military advice. He also addressed the nation's military personnel, saying he promises to serve the nation with "the same unflinching dedication" they demonstrate every day.

President Obama announces that Ashton Carter (left) is his nominee for U.S. Defense Secretary as Vice President Biden looks on.

Hagel did not appear at the White House for the announcement, with a U.S. defense official saying he did not want to distract from the focus on Carter.

But the official said Hagel looks forward to working to ensure a speedy confirmation process for Carter and a successful transition at the Pentagon.?

White House officials have publicly denied forcing Hagel to resign, but other officials have said off the record that was the case.

Hagel was the only Republican in Obama's Cabinet. He is the first Cabinet member to leave office since the Republicans won the Senate in November, giving the party control of both houses of Congress in January.

Carter was seen as the frontrunner for the Pentagon chief position after several others removed themselves from consideration, including Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, Senator Jack Reed and ex-Pentagon official Michele Flournoy.

Unlike Hagel and every other Pentagon leader in the past three decades, Carter has never served in the military or Congress. The last defense secretary without experience in uniform or politics was Harold Brown, who led the Pentagon from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Carter is "somebody that certainly deserves and has demonstrated strong bipartisan support for his previous service in government."

As Hagel's deputy, he oversaw a $600 billion budget and 2.4 million civilian and military personnel.

Earlier, from 2009 to 2011, Carter served as undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics. In the 1990s, he served under President Bill Clinton as assistant defense secretary for international security policy.

Carter earned bachelor's degrees in physics and medieval history from Yale University and received his doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford University.

Some information for this report comes from AP, AFP and Reuters.

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U.S. Defense Chief Resigns

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has resigned after nearly two years in the position.

President Barack Obama, speaking Monday at the White House with Hagel and Vice President Joe Biden at his side, said the defense secretary told him last month that it was time for him to complete his service.

Obama called Hagel a "steady hand" in helping his administration respond to the challenges of Ebola and Islamic State.

The president described Hagel as "no ordinary defense secretary" and said he has devoted himself to the United States' national security and its men and women in uniform for decades.

Hagel was the only Republican in Obama's Cabinet. He said serving as defense secretary was the "biggest privilege of my life." Hagel said he will remain in his position until his successor is confirmed.

He said that during his time as secretary, the defense department has "set the nation on a stronger course toward stability and prosperity."

U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden (right) applaud Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel after the president announced Hagel's resignaton at the White House in Washington on Nov. 24, 2014. /Reuters

The New York Times, citing senior administration officials, first reported Monday that the resignation comes "under pressure" amid several foreign policy crises, including the ongoing battle against the Islamic State militant group in Syria and Iraq.

But the White House says the decision to leave the Cabinet was mutual.

"The decision that was announced today is the result of conversations that the president and the secretary have been having for more than a month now," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. "And as a result of these conversations the two of them arrived together at the determination that new leadership should take over at the Pentagon."

Hagel is the first Cabinet member to leave office since the Republicans won the Senate earlier this month, giving the party full control of Congress in January.

Hagel was sworn in as defense secretary in February 2013, succeeding Leon Panetta.

The Army veteran served in Vietnam before working in the public and private sectors. He was elected senator in 1996, representing the state of Nebraska as a Republican until 2009.

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