Ash Carter, who served as President Barack Obama’s secretary of defense from 2015 to 2017, passed away at the age of 68, his family announced Tuesday.
Carter died from a “sudden cardiac event” while in Boston, according to ABC News.
BREAKING: Former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has died unexpectedly at the age of 68, according to his family.
Carter served as secretary of defense under former Pres. Barack Obama. https://t.co/coo1Brrew2
— ABC News (@ABC) October 25, 2022
“It is with deep and profound sadness that the family of former Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter shares that Secretary Carter passed away Monday evening in Boston after a sudden cardiac event at the age of 68,” his family said in a statement, according to Fox News.
Carter is survived by his wife and two children.
During his tenure as secretary of defense, Carter helped direct the country’s efforts to combat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. He also removed all remaining restrictions on women serving in combat in 2015 and ended the ban on transgender troops the following year, the Associated Press reported.
“Americans who want to serve and can meet our standards should be afforded the opportunity to compete to do so,” Carter said in 2016. “Our mission is to defend this country, and we don’t want barriers unrelated to a person’s qualification to serve preventing us from recruiting or retaining the soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine who can best accomplish the mission.”
Carter’s wife, Stephanie, was featured in a viral 2015 photograph taken of then-Vice President Joe Biden standing behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, and whispering in her ear. The photograph was widely mocked on social media and has become one of the most well known instances of Biden whispering in women’s ears.
Stephanie later said that the picture was “misleadingly extracted” and that Biden was reassuring her during her husband’s swearing-in ceremony.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.