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Robert Gates

1. Why He Matters
2. At a Glance
3. Path to Power
4. The Issues
1. 4.1. Gays in the Military
2. 4.2. Pentagon Budget Cuts
3. 4.3. F-22 Cancellation
4. 4.4. Afghanistan
5. 4.5. Iraq
6. 4.6. Closing Guantanamo
5. The Network
6. Campaign Contributions

Current Position: Secretary of Defense (since December 2006)

Table of Contents

1. Why He Matters
2. At a Glance
3. Path to Power
4. The Issues
1. 4.1. Gays in the Military
2. 4.2. Pentagon Budget Cuts
3. 4.3. F-22 Cancellation
4. 4.4. Afghanistan
5. 4.5. Iraq
6. 4.6. Closing Guantanamo
5. The Network
6. Campaign Contributions

Why He Matters

Ending months of speculation, President Barack Obama chose Gates, an appointee of President George W. Bush, to remain at the Pentagon. He did so because Gates is widely credited with putting Washington’s Iraq war policies on a path towards a successful outcome, but the Pentagon chief still considers himself a Republican.Editorial, “Keep Gates, But Not Too Long,” Defense News, Dec. 1, 2008

Since then, Gates has evolved into one of the president's most trusted aides and the Pentagon announced in early 2010 that Gates would stay on for "at least another year." Gearen, Anne, The Associated Press, "AP Exclusive: Gates to stay at Pentagon this year," Jan. 8, 2009

Gates’ time working for four presidents of both major political parties has helped cement his reputation as a member of perhaps Washington’s rarest breed: a non-partisan senior-level official. Despite being a GOP holdover, Gates claims he "didn't molt from a hawk into a dove" when Obama was inaugurated. Bumiller, Elizabeth, The New York Times, "Defense Chief Criticized Bid to Add F-22s," July 17, 2009

As Obama's Defense secretary, Gates is charged with ending major combat operations in Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, while temporarily surging troop levels by 30,000 in Afghanistan. It is Gates who is most credited with helping Obama settle on the temporary surge strategy that the president announced in December 2009, conditioned on starting to bring U.S. troops home by mid-2011. Baker, Peter, The New York Times, "How Obama Came to Plan for ‘Surge’ in Afghanistan," Dec. 5, 2009

On the homefront, Gates called in April 2009 for a dramatic shift in the Pentagon's 2010 budget from elaborate and costly weapons programs to a focus on weapons more likely to benefit troops fighting today's unconventional wars.Defense Department News Transcript, Dec. 2, 2008 He was a winner in the 2011 budget wars, with war funding increasing while discretionary spending is subjected to a politically-palatable spending freeze. Rogers, David, Politico, War spending surges in President Obama's budget, Jan. 31, 2010

In the Washington-based war, Gates will be working closely with Joint Chiefs Adm. Michael Mullen and Vice Chairman Gen. James Cartwright, as well as his deputy at the Pentagon, William Lynn and procurement chief, Ashton Carter.

At a Glance

Current Position: Secretary of Defense (since December 2006)

Career History: President, Texas A&M University (2002 to 2006); Interim Dean, George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University (1999 to 2001); Director of Central Intelligence (1991 to 1993)

Birthday: Sept. 25, 1943

Hometown: Wichita, Kansas

Alma Mater: College of William and Mary, B.A., 1965; Indiana University, M.A., 1966; Georgetown University, Ph.D., 1974

Spouse: Becky

Religion: N/A

DC Office: N/A

Email: N/A

Website

Path to Power

Gates began his decades of government service in 1966, when he joined the Central Intelligence Agency. He would go on to spend 27 years in the U.S. intelligence sector, becoming the lone career intelligence officer to ascend from entry-level to CIA director.

Along that unprecedented path, Gates held a number of key positions. He spent just under a decade working on the National Security Council and in other White House posts.

At the CIA, Gates was deputy director of central intelligence from 1986 until 1989. He then became an assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser to then-President George H.W. Bush, posts he held from January 1989 until November 1991, when the 41st president made him director of central intelligence. Gates would lead the CIA until 1993.

Following his first run of government service, Gates penned a memoir, “From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insiders Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War.”

He also served on the boards of directors of a list of companies and organizations. From 1999 until 2001, Gates was the interim dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M. In August 2002, he became president of the university, an office he held until he became the second President Bush’s new defense secretary in December 2006.

The Issues

Gates has become a trusted aide in the expansion of Obama's war in Afghanistan, while at the same time playing hardball with the Pentagon budget here at home.

The Pentagon was a winner in President Obama's proposed 2011 budget plan, with projected spending on overseas wars tripling from $50 billion to $159 billion in 2011. Rogers, David, Politico, War spending surges in President Obama's budget, Jan. 31, 2010

Gays in the Military

Gates supports President Obama's decision to end the ban on homosexuals openly serving in the Armed Services. The Pentagon has announced it will study the issue and release a plan of action by the end of 2010. Gerstein, Josh and DiMasco, Jen, Politico, "'Don't Ask on Slow Road to Repeal?" Feb. 2, 2010

Pentagon Budget Cuts

But Gates has also taken a bold approach to tackling programs he believes are wasteful or ineffective. In spring 2009, he succeeded in scrapping the F-22 fighter program, and in February 2010, fired the general in charge of the F-35 fighter program and witheld bonuses from its maker, contractor Lockheed Martin. Drew, Christopher, The New York Times, Gates Pushing to Get F-35 Program Back on Course, Feb. 2, 2010

In April 2009, Gates held a news conference to announce a major change in Pentagon spending priorities in the 2010 budget. Gates said the department was seeking to shift spending from complicated and futuristic weapons that often take years to develop and land with huge cost overruns, to weapons more likely to benefit troops fighting today's unconventional wars.The plans drew ire from lawmakers.Jaffe, Greg and Murray, Shailagh, The Washington Post, "Gates Seeks Sharp Turn in Spending," April 7, 2009

In that announcement, Gates made some controversial decisions on key weapons programs. He said that the Navy would purchase just three additional DDG-1000 destroyers, a ship whose costs have ballooned over the years, and then return to making the Arleigh-Burke class destroyer. Gates announced a halt to production of the Air Force's F-22 fighter at 187 jets, four more than it has currently, and cuts to the Future Combat Systems program that has been in production for years and had envisioned replacing heavily armored vehicles with less protected ones because of improved surveillance capabilities.Jaffe, Greg and Murray, Shailagh, The Washington Post, "Gates Seeks Sharp Turn in Spending," April 7, 2009

F-22 Cancellation

In spring 2009, Gates clashed with senior lawmakers over the troubled F-22 program Smith, R. Jeffrey, The Washington Post, "Premier U.S. Fighter Jet Has Major Shortcomings," July 10, 2009. After it was approved by the House, Gates gave a "sometimes withering" July 2009 speech at the Economic Club of Chicago in which he asked: “If we can’t get this right, what on earth can we get right? It is time to draw the line on doing defense business as usual.”Bumiller, Elizabeth, The New York Times, "Defense Chief Criticized Bid to Add F-22s," July 17, 2009 Gates ultimately won the F-22 battle.

Afghanistan

Gates was perhaps Obama's most influential adviser in crafting the temporary surge plan (announced in December 2009) to send 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Called "Option 2A," the plan was chiefly authored by Gates and called for a quick infusion of troops, followed by withdrawal beginning in mid-2011.Baker, Peter, The New York Times, "How Obama Came to Plan for ‘Surge’ in Afghanistan," Dec. 5, 2009

But Gates denied that there was a "date certain" for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.“I think beginning that process in July 2011 makes a lot of sense, because the other side of that process is open."

“Two to three to four years," Gates answered when asked the timeframe of having a significant U.S. presence in the country. Martin, Jonathan, Politico, "Defense Secretary Robert Gates: Withdrawal date just a start," Dec. 6, 2009

The 30,000 troop spike came on top of a 21,000-troop increase issued by Obama in March 2009.MSNBC.com,"Obama Unveils Afghanistan Plan," March 27, 2009

But in fall 2009, Gates was in the middle of a fierce power struggle between his handpicked Afghan commander, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, and Obama administration aides over the future of Afghan policy. McChrystal argued that the situation was deterioting rapidly in Afghanistan and needed a major troop boost, while others like Vice President Joe Biden, said that the U.S. should focus on al-Qaeda, not the Taliban. Wilson, Scott, The Washington Post, "McChrystal Faulted on Troop Statements," Oct. 5, 2009 Tyson, Ann Scott and Wilson, Scott, The Washington Post, "Gates Wants War Leaders' Advice Kept Private", Oct. 6, 2009

Iraq

There is little doubt, however, that Gates’ primary task will be managing the Iraq war and helping determine how to proceed in Afghanistan, where Obama announced in early 2009 an influx of 17,000 additional troops.

Gates spent much of his tenure at the Pentagon arguing in favor of the Bush administration’s resistance to rigid withdrawal timelines. “I would urge our nation’s leaders to implement strategies that, while reducing our presence in Iraq steadily, are cautious and flexible and take into account the advice of our senior commanders and military leaders,” Gates told a congressional panel. “I would also urge our leaders to keep in mind that we should expect to be involved in Iraq for years to come, though in changing and increasingly limited ways."Jaffe, Greg and Murray, Shailagh, The Washington Post, "Gates Seeks Sharp Turn in Spending," April 7, 2009

But since the 2008 presidential election – and, perhaps more importantly, since Washington and Baghdad inked a security pact that includes a 2011 withdrawal timeframe – Gates has softened his rhetoric. In early 2009, Obama announced that most U.S. troops will leave Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010, but that a force of about 35,000 to 50,000 were likely to remain there until the end of 2011.Barnes, Julian E., “Gates on Board With Obama’s Iraq Plan,” Los Angeles Times, Dec. 3, 2008

The U.S.-Iraqi agreement is structured in two major phases: first, it mandates that U.S. combat troops be out of Iraqi cities and towns by June 30, 2011; and second, it requires all U.S. forces to be completely out of Iraq by the end of 2011.

In short, Gates has said, the security pact was a game-changer. An important “bridge has been crossed," Gates said during a December 2008 press conference. "And so the question [now] is: How do we do this in a responsible way?"Shanker, Thom, “Common Ground for Defense Chief and Obama,” New York Times, Nov. 26, 2008 In July 2009, Gates argued that American troops could leave Iraq even earlier then expected because violence had decreased.Bumiller, Elisabeth, "Gates Sees Faster Iraq Troop Pullout," New York Times, July 29, 2009

Closing Guantanamo

Obama and Gates also appears to agree on several other key issues, such as closing the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Obama plans to shutter the prison; Gates was one of the first Bush administration officials to come out in favor of closing the facility. "I think it is possible to close it," Gates said Dec. 2. "Trying to move forward on that, at least from my standpoint, should be a high priority."Transcript, “Obama Names National Security Team,” WashingtonPost.com, Dec. 1, 2008

The Network

Gates has worked with scores of Washington insiders – not to mention five commanders-in-chief – during his decades serving in senior intelligence and defense positions. In the Obama administration, he is likely to work most closely with his handpicked deputy defense secretary, William Lynn, a former defense contractor.

He is considered closer to Republican administrations because of his senior appointments during the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush administrations. He was deputy director of central intelligence under the first Bush. And it was the 41st president who made him the deputy national security adviser and a special adviser to the Oval Office. The elder Bush also made him CIA director in 1991. Gates, as deputy national security advisor to George H.W. Bush, worked closely with Brent Scowcroft, who was the national security adviser at that time. Scowcroft is still considered an influential national security thinker among both Republicans and Democrats in Washington. As deputy CIA director in the 1980s, he worked under two directors, William Casey and then William Webster.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) has often been complimentary of the defense secretary.

Campaign Contributions

There is one record of a Gates donation. He gave $1,000 to the campaign of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) in June 2006. From 1999 until 2001, Gates was the interim dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M.

SideBar

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