Defense secretary

Shanahan drops bid to lead Pentagon, citing ‘painful’ past

By Lolita Baldor, Associated Press

Trump says Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan withdraws his nomination

"Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, who has done a wonderful job, has decided not to go forward with his confirmation process so that he can devote more time to his family," President Trump wrote on Twitter.

By Molly Finnegan

Trump to nominate Acting Secretary Shanahan for top Pentagon post

The former Boeing executive has been leading the Pentagon as acting secretary since Jan. 1, a highly unusual arrangement for arguably the most sensitive Cabinet position.

By Robert Burns, Associated Press

U.S. Secretary of Defense Harold Brown in an undated photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense. Brown served as the Secretary of Defense from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. Courtesy U.S. Defense Department/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RC12ABCC9A40

Former Defense Secretary Harold Brown dies at 91

Harold Brown, who as defense secretary in the Carter administration championed cutting-edge fighting technology during a tenure that included the failed rescue of hostages in Iran, has died at age 91.

By Associated Press

Troop drawdowns and Defense Dept. turnover leave U.S. foreign policy in flux

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has signed the order withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria. Meanwhile, President Trump wants to reduce the number of American troops in Afghanistan by half. But what will the decreased U.S. military presence in these countries mean…

Defense Secretary Mattis resigns, citing differences over the role of alliances

A day after President Trump announced a surprise decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, Secretary of Defense James Mattis submitted his resignation, which will take effect in February. The Wall Street Journal’s Michael Gordon joins Judy Woodruff to discuss…

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Read James Mattis’ full resignation letter

By Daniel Bush

In his resignation letter, Defense Secretary James Mattis appeared to point to his policy differences with President Donald Trump, who has frequently clashed with U.S. allies.

Trump to nominate retired Gen. James Mattis to lead Pentagon

By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press

President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate retired Gen. James Mattis to be his defense secretary. Mattis, 66, is a Marine Corps general who retired in 2013 after serving as the commander of the U.S. Central Command. Trump made the…

U.S. sailors made navigational error in Iran, defense chief says

By Robert Burns, Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press

TAMPA, Florida — Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Thursday it appears a navigational error caused the crews of two Navy boats to stray into Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf, where they were detained overnight by Iran and released.