Sources: USA Today
U.S. defense secretary Pete Hegseth announces that the U.S. Air Force will have uncontested air supremacy of Iranian airspace within days, and that Iran's military capabilities are "evaporating by the hour" due to constant U.S. and Israeli strikes. 2026-03-4
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin orders the USS "Abraham Lincoln" aircraft carrier strike group and the USS "Georgia" SSGN cruise-missile submarine to the Middle East to defend Israel from possible retaliation from Iran and to strengthen the U.S. military position in the region. 2024-08-12
An anti-NATO protest is held in Bulgaria during a meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov to oppose Bulgaria selling weapons to Ukraine during the invasion. 2022-03-19
The public interest non-profit Cause for Action files a Freedom of Information Act request for United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter’s personal emails following his disclosure of using that account for official government emails, this in the wake of the former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton email controversy and the Office of Personnel Management data breach. The U.S. Federal Records Act restricts use of personal email for official business. 2015-12-23
United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter indicates a more robust role ahead for the United States military in bolstering indigenous forces countering ISIS and in response to Russia’s increasing role in Middle East conflicts. 2015-10-26
The United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter warns that the People's Republic of China's island building in the South China Sea is undermining security in the Asia-Pacific region and has called for a diplomatic solution. 2015-05-30
Chuck Hagel is confirmed by the Senate as the United States Secretary of Defense. 2013-02-26
United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates flies to China for a four-day trip after expressing American worries that the Chinese "clearly have potential to put some of our [military] capabilities at risk", adding that America has "to pay attention to them" and "respond appropriately with our own programmes". 2011-01-9
Robert Gates, the United States Secretary of Defense, outlines a $100 billion savings plan for his Department. 2010-09-14
US Senator Lisa Murkowski concedes defeat in the Alaskan Republican primary election to challenger to Joe Miller. 2010-08-31