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Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who served in the final two years of the Obama administration, died Monday, according to a statement from his family.
Carter oversaw the initial Pentagon effort to attack the Islamic State militants who had seized huge chunks of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and had established a caliphate. In an earlier Pentagon post, Carter took the lead on the military’s efforts to protect troops from roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2017, Carter led the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
Carter died of a « sudden cardiac event » Monday evening in Boston, according to the family’s statement. He was 68.
« He was a beloved husband, father, mentor, and friend, » the statement said. « His sudden loss will be felt by all who knew him. »
A Rhodes Scholar and theoretical physicist, Carter had served in several senior posts at the Pentagon, including overseeing weapons acquisition and as deputy secretary before Obama nominated him for the top job.
