Defense.gov Special Report: Gates Bids Farewell to Troops

“I would be more than happy if the only legacy I took away from this job is [that] those kids out there in the field knew they had someone who was looking after them, all the time.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates
Afghanistan, June 5, 2011

Gates Thanks Troops in Message

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has sent a message to every post, ship, base and installation thanking service members and their families for their service. Gates will retire as secretary of defense on June 30, 2011. Story

Gates Makes Final Overseas Journey to Thank Deployed Troops

WASHINGTON – During his tenure, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates regarded it as his sacred trust to ensure U.S. warfighters had everything they needed to succeed. As he said a tearful farewell and thanked U.S. troops in Afghanistan on his last overseas trip earlier this month, service members took the opportunity to let him know his service, too, was appreciated. Story

A Retrospective: U.S. Defense Secretary 2006 - 2011, Robert M. Gates

Gates Overcomes Obstacles in Middle East

WASHINGTON – When Gates came on board in December 2006, his focus initially was on Iraq, where sectarian violence threatened to rip the country apart. He then shifted his attention to Afghanistan, where the Taliban regained the initiative while the U.S. was preoccupied with Iraq. Story

Secretary Outlines Unfinished Business

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has served for four-and-a-half years -- longer than all but four of his predecessors -- but he still has some unfinished business. Story

Gates Takes Steps to Change Culture

WASHINGTON – When he first took office, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates had no intention of changing the culture of the Defense Department. He was focused almost exclusively on the war in Iraq. Story

Farewell Message from Secretary Gates

Year	Intl. Miles	Countries Visited*	Travel Days	Hours Flown
2006	9,200	1 (1)	4	25+30
2007	199,299	33 (49)	78	428+40
2008	116,210	27 (34)	54	301+50
2009	105,082	18 (20)	41	245+10
2010	165,891	25 (30)	67	372+10
2011	94,229	17 (19)	38	225+25
TOTALS	664,150	121 (153)	282	1599+10

* The number in parentheses reflects the total number of locations visited for the year. This number is higher as it reflects multiple visits to countries already previously visited that year.