President Barack Obama on Friday announced he is nominating Eric Fanning to be the next Secretary of the Army, which, if confirmed by the Senate, will make Fanning the first openly gay person to serve in the Army’s highest civilian role.
The historic move, which comes almost exactly four years to the day from the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (the policy that did not allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military) makes this nomination that much more significant, even though, as a holder of civilian roles in the Defense Department, DADT did not necessarily apply to Fanning.
In announcing his nomination, Obama cited Fanning’s long tenure in the Pentagon and his broadand deep experience withsome of the Defense Department’s most complex programs asa key factor in his selection, according to the administration. The fact that Fanning happens to begay is secondary.
