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Legacy HomepageNewsSpecial ReportsTravels with the SecretaryTravels with Carter - December 2015

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U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter is on a weeklong trip to the Middle East to meet with defense leaders, and thank U.S. and coalition troops for their service and sacrifice, especially during the holiday season.

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About the Secretary

Profile photo of Defense Secretary Ash Carter Ash Carter is the 25th secretary of defense. He previously served as deputy defense secretary and as undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics. Carter has received the Defense Department's Distinguished Service Medal five times and the Defense Intelligence Medal. Biography

Flag of Turkey. Flag of Bahrain. Flag of Iraq. Flag of Afghanistan.
December 2015
Travels with Carter - U.S. Secretary of Defense

News Stories

Carter Visits French Aircraft Carrier Charles De Gaulle

Defense Secretary Ash Carter spoke with French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian before visiting the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, now stationed in the Arabian Gulf and launching strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. Story

Carter: Afghanistan Mission Remains a Top Priority

Work over the past year has put Afghanistan on a better path forward, and the mission there remains a top priority, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said. Story

Carter: Kurdish Peshmerga Forces Vital to Speed ISIL’s Defeat

The Kurdish peshmerga forces define the indigenous fighters needed to accelerate defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Iraq and Syria, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters in Irbil, Iraq. Story

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