Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama was the first African-American president of the United States. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.
Ash Carter, Defense Secretary Who Supported Trans Soldiers, Dies at 68
(CNN) — Ashton Carter, who served as President Barack Obama's final defense secretary, has died, his family said. He was 68.Carter, who led the Defense Department from February 2015 to January 2017, suffered a "sudden cardiac event" on Monday night in Boston, his family said in a statement.
He is survived by his wife, Stephanie, and his children, Ava and Will.In leading the Pentagon, Carter oversaw the final years of US involvement in Afghanistan under Obama's presidency and US efforts to combat the rise of ISIS in the Middle East, which included the deployment of US troops.
His tenure also saw efforts to expand the available roles of women in combat as well as lifting a ban on transgender people being able to serve openly.Taking over from Chuck Hagel, who was forced out as defense secretary in November 2014, Carter was immediately tasked with addressing the rise of ISIS, which by then had taken significant territory in Iraq.