Ash Carter: Former Obama defence secretary dead at 68

The Harvard Kennedy School says Ash Carter, the Obama administration defense secretary who opened combat jobs to women, has died at age 68

In December 2015, after three years of study and debate, Carter ordered the military to open all jobs to women, removing the final barriers that kept women from serving in combat, including the most dangerous and grueling commando posts.

The following year, Carter, a native of Philadelphia, was responsible for ending the ban on transgender troops serving in the U.S. military, saying it was the right thing to do.

“Americans who want to serve and can meet our standards should be afforded the opportunity to compete to do so,” Carter said in June 2016, laying out a one-year plan to implement the change. “Our mission is to defend this country, and we don’t want barriers unrelated to a person’s qualification to serve preventing us from recruiting or retaining the soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine who can best accomplish the mission.”