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Home , National Security Medal, Robert Gates

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

NOMINEE: Michael Gates BIRTHDATE: Born: September 25, 1943 (age 65) PERSONAL INFORMATION: Boy Scout & Eagle Scout; (Former president of the National Eagle Scout Association), 2007: Time Magazine named Gates as one of the most influential people, 2008: Named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report Political party: Independent/ Republican EDUCATION: (Ph.D. Russian and Soviet History), (M.A. History), College of William & Mary (B.A. European History) FAMILY: Spouse Becky Gates (Married 1966); Two Children: Bradley & Eleanor FRC SCORECARD: N/A

EXPERIENCE: 1966: Recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency as a graduate student at Indiana University 1967-1969: Intelligence Officer, Air Force 1969: Central Intelligence Agency 1974: National Security Council (President Ford) 1979: Central Intelligence Agency: Director of the Strategic Evaluation Center 1981: Central Intelligence Agency: Director of the DCI/DDCI Executive Staff 1982: Deputy Director Central Intelligence Agency (President Reagan) 1989: National Security Advisor to the President (President George H.W. Bush) 1991: Director of Central Intelligence Agency (President George H.W. Bush) 1993-1999: Lecture Circuit 1999-2001: Interim Dean of the George Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A & M University 2002-2006: President of Texas A & M University December 18, 2006: 22nd Secretary of Defense BOOK: 1996, Gates' autobiography, From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the .

AWARDS/DECORATIONS: Presidential Citizens Medal National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal (2 awards) Distinguished Intelligence Medal (3 awards) Eagle Scout Distinguished Eagle Scout Award Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from College of William and Mary College of William and Mary Alumni Association - Alumni Medallion Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor (First Non-Corps Honoree) - Texas A&M University George Bush Award (2007) - George Bush Presidential Library Foundation

COMMENTS/NOTES HOMOSEXUALS IN THE MILITARY

Secretary Gates has not expressed a personal opinion on President Obama’s proposal to repeal the law which excludes homosexuals from the military. In March 2007, Marine Gen. , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sparked controversy by telling the Chicago Tribune, “I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts. I do not believe that the

© 2009 Family Research Council Action armed forces of the United States are well served by saying through our policies that it's OK to be immoral in any way.” Gates responded in an interview on Channel, saying, “Now look, you know I think personal opinion really doesn't have a place here. What's important is that we have a law, a statute that governs ‘don't ask, don't tell’ . . . That's the policy of this department, and it's my responsibility to execute that policy as effectively as we can. As long as the law is what it is, that's what we'll do.” [Source]

According to National Public Radio, “Senior Pentagon officials privately said the defense secretary summoned Pace to his office after the comments came to light, and demanded he put out a statement.” Pace did so, stating, “In expressing my support for the current policy, I also offered some personal opinions about moral conduct. I should have focused more on my support of the policy and less on my personal moral view.” Three months later, Gates announced he was replacing Gen. Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs rather than renominating him, expressing concern about a “divisive ordeal” that would have focused on the “past rather than the future.” [Source]

In the spring of 2008, it was reported by Politico that “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to intervene with Defense Secretary in order to get Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s domestic partner on a military flight for a congressional fact-finding trip to Europe. . . Under House guidelines, members of Congress may take their spouses with them on military flights,” but “military officials were apparently unwilling to consider Azar a ‘spouse.’” A Pentagon spokesman insisted that the travel rules are set by the House, not the Pentagon, and that the decision to waive the normal spousal requirement rested with Pelosi, not Gates: “Secretary Gates honored a request from Speaker Pelosi to make an exception to the House rules.”

Secretary Gates was also the named defendant in a court case seeking to overturn the law barring homosexuals from the military, but the Department of Justice actually handled the case in court. On June 9, 2008, the First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the current law in Cook v. Gates. [Source]

© 2009 Family Research Council Action