Eric Fanning Becomes First Gay Secretary Of U.S. Army

Fanning has also held down the posts of Undersecretary for the Navy as well as Undersecretary of the Air Force.

Eric Fanning has been nominated for Secretary of the Army. In a 2013 interview with the Washington Blade, Fanning said he supports openly transgender service and, as has now come to pass, adding sexual orientation to the list of protected classes under the Military Equal Opportunity policy. Fanning’s resume includes serving as acting under-secretary of the Army since June 2015 and playing a lead role in managing the Pentagon’s most important shipbuilding and fighter jet programs.

“Eric served as my first chief of staff at the Pentagon, and it has been a privilege over the course of my career to work alongside him and watch him develop into one of our country’s most knowledgeable, dedicated, and experienced public servants”, Carter said in a statement. “I know he will strengthen our Army, build on its best traditions, and prepare our ground forces to confront a new generation of challenges”. And if confirmed by the Senate then he will be replacing John McHugh, who plans to step down from the position by November 1.

Prior to joining the administration, Fanning was deputy director of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism.

“We are thrilled to see Eric Fanning nominated to lead the world’s greatest Army”, said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack in an emailed news release. Fanning must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before he can assume this new posting.

“Considering the tremendous struggles that LGBT Americans have faced within the Department of Defense, Fanning’s nomination is deeply significant”, Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, told The Huffington Post. Under congressionally mandated cuts, the Armyis set to shrink to 450,000 troops by 2018 – its smallest size since World War II. The report said that on Friday the Marine service announced that they would now open units to women.