Eric Fanning

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Eric Fanning
Eric K Fanning.jpg
Acting Under Secretary of the Army
Assumed office
June 30, 2015
President Barack Obama
Preceded by Brad Carson
Special assistant to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense
(chief of staff)
In office
February 17, 2015 – June 30, 2015
President Barack Obama
Preceded by Mark Lippert
Succeeded by Eric Rosenbach
Under Secretary of the Air Force
In office
April 18, 2013 – February 17, 2015
President Barack Obama
Preceded by Erin C. Conaton
Succeeded by Lisa S. Disbrow
Acting Secretary of the Air Force
In office
June 2013 – December 2013
Preceded by Michael B. Donley
Succeeded by Deborah Lee James
Personal details
Born Eric Kenneth Fanning
(1968-07-02) July 2, 1968 (age 47)
Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater Dartmouth College (B.A.)
Occupation Government Official

Eric Kenneth Fanning (born July 2, 1968) was appointed as Acting Under Secretary of the Army and Chief Management Officer by President Barack Obama, on June 30, 2015. On September 18, 2015, it was announced that President Obama would nominate Fanning as United States Secretary of the Army.[1] On confirmation by the United States Senate, Fanning would be the 22nd Secretary of the Army, the largest service branch of the U.S. military, and the first openly gay head of any service in the U.S. military.[2] Fanning previously served as "special assistant to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense (chief of staff)".[3] He helped manage Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter's transition, built his leadership team, and oversaw the day-to-day staff activities of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He was the Under Secretary of the Air Force from 2013 to 2015 and also served as Acting Secretary of the Air Force from June 21 to December 20, 2013, making him the second longest-tenured Acting Secretary.

Early life[edit]

Born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan,[4][5] he graduated from Centerville High School in Ohio in 1986, after attending Cranbrook Schools in Michigan, and received his B.A. in history from Dartmouth College in 1990.[6] His interest in government and politics began when he participated in the 1988 New Hampshire primary contest.[7]

Career[edit]

In the 1990s, he was on the staff of the House Armed Services Committee and later a special assistant in the Immediate Office of the Secretary of Defense. He later served as associate director of political affairs at the White House.

He also worked at Business Executives for National Security, a Washington, D.C.–based think-tank and at Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery, a strategic communications firm in New York City.

He served as deputy undersecretary and deputy chief management officer for the Department of the Navy beginning in July 2009. He was also deputy director of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism.[8]

President Obama nominated him to be Under Secretary of the Air Force on August 1, 2012.[9] He testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 28, 2013.[10] The U.S. Senate confirmed him on April 18, 2013.[11] He assumed the position of Acting Secretary of the Air Force upon the resignation of Michael Donley on June 21, 2013.[12]

He is the highest ranking openly gay member of the Department of Defense.[6] He was a member of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund from 2004 to 2007. He favors the adoption by the U.S. military of a policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. He has said: "I personally like to see these things in writing and codified." He has expressed a preference for the establishment of such a policy by the Department of Defense rather than the Obama administration: "My view about government is you should always use those resources that are available to you first before you move up to the next level, so I think there are a number of things we can do inside this building for the Department of Defense". He supports allowing openly transgender persons to serve in the military as well.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Greg Jaffe (18 September 2015). "Obama to nominate first openly gay service secretary to lead the Army". Washington Post. 
  2. ^ "President nominates first openly gay Army secretary". Army Times. 18 September 2015. 
  3. ^ "Senior Executive Service Announcements". defense.gov. 2015-03-17. 
  4. ^ http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-113shrg87878/pdf/CHRG-113shrg87878.pdf
  5. ^ Schogol, Jeff (June 21, 2013). "Donley retires; Under Secretary Fanning becomes acting AF secretary". Air Force Times. Retrieved August 23, 2013. 
  6. ^ a b Bornstein, Daniel (August 7, 2013). "Obama taps alum. for top Air Force position". The Dartmouth. Retrieved April 19, 2013. 
  7. ^ a b Johnson, Chris (May 31, 2013). "Soaring at the Air Force". Washington Blade. Retrieved June 21, 2013. 
  8. ^ Schogoll, Jeff (June 21, 2013). "Donley retires; Under Secretary Fanning becomes acting AF secretary". Military Times. Retrieved June 21, 2013. 
  9. ^ "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". White House. August 1, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2013. 
  10. ^ "USecAF nominee testifies before Senate committee". U.S. Air Force. March 1, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013. 
  11. ^ Johnson, Chris (April 19, 2013). "Senate confirms gay official as Air Force under secretary". Washington Blade. Retrieved April 19, 2013. 
  12. ^ "Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning sworn in". Stars & Stripes. June 21, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2013. 

External resources[edit]