Background
Robert Michael Gates was born on September 25, 1943, in Wichita, Kansas. His parents were of Isabel V. (née Goss) and Melville A. "Mel" Gates.
1990
Catoctin Mountain Park, 10, Hauvers, MD 21788, United States
President Bush and some of his advisors discuss Iraq at Camp David. The President, Vice-President Dan Quayle, and Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney are listening intently to White House Chief of Staff John Sununu. Treasury Secretary is to the far right. August 4, 1990.
1991
Washington, D.C., United States
Robert Gates (center) sits before the US Senate Intelligence Committee prior his confirmation hearings to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Washington D.C, September 16, 1991. Seated with him are, from left, Senators Chuck Robb and Bob Dole, Gates, and Senators Nancy Kassebaum & John Warner. (Photo by Arnie Sachs)
2009
Washington, DC 22202, United States
Robert Gates (L) extends his hand for a handshake with Czech Minister of Defense Martin Bartak (R) after post-meeting press availability September 18, 2009, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. President Obama has announced to scrap the missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
2009
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, United States
U.S. President Barack Obama listens as his advisors (L-R) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Vice President Joe Biden, (Obama), National Security Advisor Gen. James Jones, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Director of National Intelligence Adm. Dennis C. Blair, and CIA Director Leon Panetta, sit with him during a meeting about the current situation in Pakistan in the Situation Room of the White House on October 7, 2009, in Washington DC. Obama is serving as the 44th President of the U.S. and the first African-American to be elected to the office of President in the history of the United States. (Photo by Pete Souza)
2009
1 Great Massoud Avenue, Kabul, Afghanistan
Robert Gates looks on while visiting Kabul International Airport on December 9, 2009, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Secretary Gates is on a week-long trip to Afghanistan one week after U.S. President Barack Obama announced that he will send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.
2010
First St SE, Washington, DC 20004, United States
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithneris greeted by U.S. President Barack Obama prior to his speech to both houses of Congress as Robert Gates looks on during his first State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on January 27, 2010, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson)
2010
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., United States
Robert Gates participates in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on February 2, 2010 in Washington, D.C. The committee is hearing testimony on the proposed Department of Defense budget request for fiscal year 2011, and reviewing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. (Photo by Mark Wilson)
2010
Airport Road, King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh 13458, Saudi Arabia
Robert Gates (C) is greeted by Saudi field marshal Saleh al-Muhaya (R), the Chief of Generals staff of the Saudi Arabian Army, upon his arrival at King Khalid International Airport on March 10, 2010, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Gates flew into Riyadh for talks expected to focus on Iran's nuclear program and Washington's push for tough sanctions against Tehran. (PHOTO BY Jim Watson-Pool)
2010
Washington, DC 22202, United States
Robert Gates (R) shakes hands with Pakistani Minister of Defense Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar (L) during an honor cordon as Mukhtar arrives for a visit at the Pentagon on March 25, 2010, in Arlington, Virginia. Senior U.S. and Pakistani officials were meeting in Washington for a strategic dialogue in order to build a stronger relationship between the two nations. (Photo by Alex Wong)
2010
Camp Ramadi, Iraq
Robert Gates (C) arrives at Camp Ramadi to visit troops from the 4th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division on September 1, 2010, at Camp Ramadi in Iraq. Gates has made his visit to Iraq to attend a handover ceremony as the US Army officially ends its combat mission in Iraq. (Photo by Jim Watson)
2010
Baghdad, Iraq
Robert Gates (C) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen (R) stand during the U.S. national anthem during U.S. Forces-Iraq change of command ceremony September 1, 2010, in Baghdad, Iraq. The military ceremony signaled a formal end to combat operations in Iraq after seven years of war that claimed more than 4,400 American lives. (Photo by Jim Watson)
2010
1 N Rotary Rd, Arlington, VA 22202, United States
U.S President Barack Obama (L) and Defense Secretary Robert Gates listen to the National Anthem during an event marking the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon Memorial September 11, 2010, in Arlington, Virginia. President Obama will deliver remarks, lay a wreath and meet with families of the victims during the event on the ninth anniversary of the tragedy. (Photo by Olivier Douliery)
2010
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, United States
: U.S. President Barack Obama (C) is flanked by Vice President Joseph Biden (2nd-L), Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (L), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd-R) and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James E. Cartwright while making a statement to reporters about his administration's Afghanistan-Pakistan annual review in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House December 16, 2010, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson)
2010
Shk Zayed Street, Opposite Ministry of Labor, 8th Street, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (L) meets with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan at the Mina Palace on December 9, 2010, in Abu Dhabi.
2010
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., United States
Robert Gates (C), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen (R) and Under Defense Secretary (Comptroller) and CFO Robert Hale (L) testify during a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee February 3, 2010, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The hearing was to examine the Obama Administration's budget proposal for the Defense Department for FY 2011. (Photo by Alex Wong)
2010
Kabul, Afghanistan
Robert Gates (C) is flanked by security personnel as he disembarks from an airplane March 8, 2010, in Kabul, Afghanistan. U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates has flown into the Afghan capital on an unannounced visit, warning of "hard fighting" still ahead despite signs of progress in the eight-year war against Taliban insurgents. (Photo by Jim Watson-Pool)
2010
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, United States
Robert M. Gates listens as President Barack Obama speaks to the press after a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on June 22, 2010, in Washington DC. President Obama spoke about the war on terrorism, the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill and General Stanley A. McChrystal's comments about the administration in a Rolling Stone. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski-Pool)
2010
Phạm Hùng, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội 129408, Vietnam
Robert Gates (R) and Russian Deputy Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov participate in a Signing of a Joint Declaration ceremony and press conference during a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Minister Meeting Retreat at the National Convention Center on October 12, 2010, in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Photo by Carolyn Kaster)
2010
Phạm Hùng, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội 129408, Vietnam
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates (Front Row 3rd R) and Vietnam president Nguyen Minh Triet (Front Row 5th R) pose alongside a gathering of South East Asian defense ministers outside the Presidential Palace as they attend a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Minister Meeting Retreat on October 12, 2010, in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Photo by Carolyn Kaster)
2011
Beijing, China
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates reviews military troops at an honors arrival ceremony at Bayi Building on January 10, 2011, in Beijing, China. Gates is due to hold talks with China's political and military leaders during the visit which comes ahead of the second summit between President Obama and China's President Hu Jintao, which is scheduled to start on January 18. (Photo by Larry Downing)
2011
Renda Huitang W Rd, Xicheng, China, 100031
Robert Gates shakes hands with China's Vice President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on January 10, 2011, in Beijing, China. Gates is holding talks with China's political and military leaders during the visit which comes ahead of the second summit between President Obama and China's President Hu Jintao, which is scheduled to start on January 18.
2011
Renda Huitang W Rd, Xicheng, China, 100031
Robert Gates (L) talks to China's Vice President Xi Jinping during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People on January 10, 2011, in Beijing, China. Gates is holding talks with China's political and military leaders during the visit which comes ahead of the second summit between President Obama and China's President Hu Jintao, which is scheduled to start on January 18.
2011
Great Wall, Beijing, China
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates talks to the press while visiting the Great Wall on January 12, 2011, in Beijing, China. Gates is holding talks with China's political and military leaders during the visit, which comes ahead of a second summit between U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao that is scheduled to start on January 18. (Photo by Larry Downing-
2011
Washington, D.C., United States
Members of the U.S. and Chinese delegations participate in a family photo of the 2011 U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) at the Department of State May 9, 2011, in Washington, DC. The two-day joint-meeting of the dialogue, the highest-level bilateral forum to discuss issues between the two nations, was underway in Washington. (Photo by Alex Wong)
1990
Catoctin Mountain Park, 10, Hauvers, MD 21788, United States
President Bush and some of his advisors discuss Iraq at Camp David. The President, Vice-President Dan Quayle, and Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney are listening intently to White House Chief of Staff John Sununu. Treasury Secretary is to the far right. August 4, 1990.
1991
Washington, D.C., United States
Robert Gates (center) sits before the US Senate Intelligence Committee prior his confirmation hearings to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Washington D.C, September 16, 1991. Seated with him are, from left, Senators Chuck Robb and Bob Dole, Gates, and Senators Nancy Kassebaum & John Warner. (Photo by Arnie Sachs)
2009
Washington, DC 22202, United States
Robert Gates (L) extends his hand for a handshake with Czech Minister of Defense Martin Bartak (R) after post-meeting press availability September 18, 2009, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. President Obama has announced to scrap the missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
2009
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, United States
U.S. President Barack Obama listens as his advisors (L-R) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Vice President Joe Biden, (Obama), National Security Advisor Gen. James Jones, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Director of National Intelligence Adm. Dennis C. Blair, and CIA Director Leon Panetta, sit with him during a meeting about the current situation in Pakistan in the Situation Room of the White House on October 7, 2009, in Washington DC. Obama is serving as the 44th President of the U.S. and the first African-American to be elected to the office of President in the history of the United States. (Photo by Pete Souza)
2009
Washington, DC 22202, United States
Robert Gates (R) shakes hands with Italian Minister of Defense Ignazio La Russa (L) during an honor cordon on October 13, 2009, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
2009
1 Great Massoud Avenue, Kabul, Afghanistan
Robert Gates looks on while visiting Kabul International Airport on December 9, 2009, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Secretary Gates is on a week-long trip to Afghanistan one week after U.S. President Barack Obama announced that he will send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.
2009
Green Zone, Baghdad, Iraq
Robert Gates (L) meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki (R) at his residence in the Green Zone December 11, 2009, in Baghdad, Iraq. (Photo by Justin Sullivan)
2009
1 Great Massoud Avenue, Kabul, Afghanistan
Robert Gates (L) sits in a helicopter while visiting a NATO aviation training facility at Kabul International Airport on December 9, 2009, in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Justin Sullivan)
2010
First St SE, Washington, DC 20004, United States
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithneris greeted by U.S. President Barack Obama prior to his speech to both houses of Congress as Robert Gates looks on during his first State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on January 27, 2010, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson)
2010
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., United States
Robert Gates participates in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on February 2, 2010 in Washington, D.C. The committee is hearing testimony on the proposed Department of Defense budget request for fiscal year 2011, and reviewing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. (Photo by Mark Wilson)
2010
Airport Road, King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh 13458, Saudi Arabia
Robert Gates (C) is greeted by Saudi field marshal Saleh al-Muhaya (R), the Chief of Generals staff of the Saudi Arabian Army, upon his arrival at King Khalid International Airport on March 10, 2010, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Gates flew into Riyadh for talks expected to focus on Iran's nuclear program and Washington's push for tough sanctions against Tehran. (PHOTO BY Jim Watson-Pool)
2010
Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed St - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates
Robert Gates (R) tours through the Shiekh Zayed Mosque on March 11, 2010, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jim Watson-Pool)
2010
Washington, DC 22202, United States
Robert Gates (R) shakes hands with Pakistani Minister of Defense Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar (L) during an honor cordon as Mukhtar arrives for a visit at the Pentagon on March 25, 2010, in Arlington, Virginia. Senior U.S. and Pakistani officials were meeting in Washington for a strategic dialogue in order to build a stronger relationship between the two nations. (Photo by Alex Wong)
2010
Camp Ramadi, Iraq
Robert Gates (C) arrives at Camp Ramadi to visit troops from the 4th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division on September 1, 2010, at Camp Ramadi in Iraq. Gates has made his visit to Iraq to attend a handover ceremony as the US Army officially ends its combat mission in Iraq. (Photo by Jim Watson)
2010
Baghdad, Iraq
Robert Gates (C) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen (R) stand during the U.S. national anthem during U.S. Forces-Iraq change of command ceremony September 1, 2010, in Baghdad, Iraq. The military ceremony signaled a formal end to combat operations in Iraq after seven years of war that claimed more than 4,400 American lives. (Photo by Jim Watson)
2010
1 N Rotary Rd, Arlington, VA 22202, United States
U.S President Barack Obama (L) and Defense Secretary Robert Gates listen to the National Anthem during an event marking the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon Memorial September 11, 2010, in Arlington, Virginia. President Obama will deliver remarks, lay a wreath and meet with families of the victims during the event on the ninth anniversary of the tragedy. (Photo by Olivier Douliery)
2010
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, United States
: U.S. President Barack Obama (C) is flanked by Vice President Joseph Biden (2nd-L), Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (L), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd-R) and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James E. Cartwright while making a statement to reporters about his administration's Afghanistan-Pakistan annual review in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House December 16, 2010, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson)
2010
Shk Zayed Street, Opposite Ministry of Labor, 8th Street, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (L) meets with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan at the Mina Palace on December 9, 2010, in Abu Dhabi.
2010
Washington, DC 22202, United States
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates calls on reporters for questions after making remarks about the FY2011 Defense Budget Proposal at the Pentagon on February 1, 2010, in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla)
2010
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., United States
Robert Gates (C), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen (R) and Under Defense Secretary (Comptroller) and CFO Robert Hale (L) testify during a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee February 3, 2010, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The hearing was to examine the Obama Administration's budget proposal for the Defense Department for FY 2011. (Photo by Alex Wong)
2010
Kabul, Afghanistan
Robert Gates (C) is flanked by security personnel as he disembarks from an airplane March 8, 2010, in Kabul, Afghanistan. U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates has flown into the Afghan capital on an unannounced visit, warning of "hard fighting" still ahead despite signs of progress in the eight-year war against Taliban insurgents. (Photo by Jim Watson-Pool)
2010
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, United States
Robert M. Gates listens as President Barack Obama speaks to the press after a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on June 22, 2010, in Washington DC. President Obama spoke about the war on terrorism, the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill and General Stanley A. McChrystal's comments about the administration in a Rolling Stone. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski-Pool)
2010
Phạm Hùng, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội 129408, Vietnam
Robert Gates (R) and Russian Deputy Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov participate in a Signing of a Joint Declaration ceremony and press conference during a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Minister Meeting Retreat at the National Convention Center on October 12, 2010, in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Photo by Carolyn Kaster)
2010
Phạm Hùng, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội 129408, Vietnam
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates (Front Row 3rd R) and Vietnam president Nguyen Minh Triet (Front Row 5th R) pose alongside a gathering of South East Asian defense ministers outside the Presidential Palace as they attend a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Minister Meeting Retreat on October 12, 2010, in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Photo by Carolyn Kaster)
2011
Beijing, China
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates reviews military troops at an honors arrival ceremony at Bayi Building on January 10, 2011, in Beijing, China. Gates is due to hold talks with China's political and military leaders during the visit which comes ahead of the second summit between President Obama and China's President Hu Jintao, which is scheduled to start on January 18. (Photo by Larry Downing)
2011
Renda Huitang W Rd, Xicheng, China, 100031
Robert Gates shakes hands with China's Vice President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on January 10, 2011, in Beijing, China. Gates is holding talks with China's political and military leaders during the visit which comes ahead of the second summit between President Obama and China's President Hu Jintao, which is scheduled to start on January 18.
2011
Renda Huitang W Rd, Xicheng, China, 100031
Robert Gates (L) talks to China's Vice President Xi Jinping during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People on January 10, 2011, in Beijing, China. Gates is holding talks with China's political and military leaders during the visit which comes ahead of the second summit between President Obama and China's President Hu Jintao, which is scheduled to start on January 18.
2011
Great Wall, Beijing, China
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates talks to the press while visiting the Great Wall on January 12, 2011, in Beijing, China. Gates is holding talks with China's political and military leaders during the visit, which comes ahead of a second summit between U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao that is scheduled to start on January 18. (Photo by Larry Downing-
2011
Ramallah, West Bank, Palestina
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (L) shakes hands with visiting US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on March 25, 2011, in Ramallah, West Bank. (Photo by Charles Dharapak)
2011
Ramallah, West Bank, Palestina
Robert Gates arrives for his meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on March 25, 2011, in Ramallah, West Bank. (Photo by Charles Dharapak)
2011
Baghdad, Iraq
Robert Gates flys on a Blackhawk helicopter back to Camp Victory after meeting with Iraq's president and prime minister April 7, 2011, in Baghdad, Iraq. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla)
2011
Washington, D.C., United States
Members of the U.S. and Chinese delegations participate in a family photo of the 2011 U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) at the Department of State May 9, 2011, in Washington, DC. The two-day joint-meeting of the dialogue, the highest-level bilateral forum to discuss issues between the two nations, was underway in Washington. (Photo by Alex Wong)
2014
1127 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036, United States
Robert Gates discusses his new book, "Duty" during an event sponsored by Politico at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel on January 16, 2014, in Washington, D.C.
Sadler Center, 200 Stadium Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185, United States
Robert Gates received his bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary.
107 S Indiana Ave, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
Robert Gates obtained his master’s degree in history from Indiana University.
3700 O St NW, Washington, DC 20057, United States
Robert Gates completed his Ph.D. in Russian and Soviet history at Georgetown University.
2301 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, KS 67211, United States
Robert Gates graduated from Wichita High School East in 1961.
(From a former director of the CIA and one who served on t...)
From a former director of the CIA and one who served on the White House staffs of four presidents, this is the inside story of America's and the agency's roles in the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Ultimate-Insiders-Story-Presidents/dp/1416543368/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Robert+Gates&qid=1577978972&sr=8-3
1997
(From the former secretary of defense, a strikingly candid...)
From the former secretary of defense, a strikingly candid, vividly written account of his experience serving Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
https://www.amazon.com/Duty-Memoirs-Secretary-at-War/dp/0307959473/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Robert+Gates&qid=1577978972&sr=8-2
2014
(From the former secretary of defense and author of the ac...)
From the former secretary of defense and author of the acclaimed #1 best-selling memoir Duty, a characteristically direct, informed, and urgent assessment of why big institutions are failing us and how smart, committed leadership can effect real improvement regardless of scale.
https://www.amazon.com/Passion-Leadership-Lessons-Change-Service/dp/030795949X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Robert+Gates&qid=1577978972&sr=8-1
Robert Michael Gates was born on September 25, 1943, in Wichita, Kansas. His parents were of Isabel V. (née Goss) and Melville A. "Mel" Gates.
Gates studied at Wichita High School East, graduating in 1961. He received his bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary, his master’s degree in history from Indiana University, and his doctorate in Russian and Soviet history from Georgetown University. The title of his Georgetown doctoral dissertation is Soviet Sinology: An Untapped Source for Kremlin Views and Disputes Relating to Contemporary Events in China.
While earning a master’s degree (1966) from Indiana University, Robert Michael Gates was recruited by the CIA, and he joined the agency full time as a Soviet analyst after a two-year stint in the air force.
In 1974 Gates joined the staff of the National Security Council, serving under Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter until 1979, when he returned to the CIA. He rose to the post of deputy director of the agency in 1982, and President Ronald Reagan nominated him to be a director in 1986. Gates, however, withdrew because of questions about how much he knew about the Iran-Contra Affair. He later served as deputy national security adviser (1989–91) to President George H.W. Bush and Bush nominated Gates for the CIA director’s post again in 1991. This time Gates had to defend himself against accusations that he had deliberately distorted intelligence information about the Soviet Union that he had presented to the Reagan administration. The Senate confirmed him in a 61–31 vote, making him the youngest director in the agency’s history. His tenure ended little more than a year later after Bill Clinton defeated Bush in the 1992 presidential election. In 1999 Gates was named dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, and three years later he became president of the university.
In 2006 Gates was appointed a secretary of defense by President George W. Bush to replace Donald Rumsfeld, who resigned after heavy Republican losses in midterm elections were interpreted as a national referendum on the Bush administration’s handling of the Iraq War. Considered the opposite of Rumsfeld, who was seen as an ideologue bent on making the Pentagon do his bidding, Gates had the reputation of a pragmatist who could assess a situation and respond accordingly. He was easily confirmed by the Senate in a 95–2 vote. In 2007 Gates supported the Bush administration’s plan to temporarily increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, an effort that became known as the surge. Although its results were disputed, many credited the surge with contributing to the decrease in violence in the country.
Barack Obama, who succeeded Bush as president in 2009, selected Gates to continue as secretary of defense. In August 2010 combat operations ended in Iraq, but Afghanistan remained increasingly volatile despite a troop surge. A major issue during Gates’s tenure was the defense budget, which came under greater scrutiny as the federal deficit grew. Gates introduced major spending cuts, notably to weapons programs that were considered irrelevant. Gates retired in June 2011; as he left office, Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was succeeded by Leon Panetta.
In 2012 Gates became chancellor of the College of William and Mary. Two years later he became president of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). In 2015 he made headlines when he urged the organization to end its ban on homosexual troop leaders. The ban was lifted shortly thereafter, though exceptions were made for church-sponsored troops. Gates completed his two-year term as BSA president in 2016. His works included the memoirs From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider’s Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War (1996) and Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War (2014) as well as A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service (2016).
(From the former secretary of defense and author of the ac...)
(From a former director of the CIA and one who served on t...)
1997(From the former secretary of defense, a strikingly candid...)
2014Under Mr. Bush, Gates has played a pivotal role in shaping policy for the President as chairman of the "deputies committee," a group of subcabinet managers from the Pentagon, State Department, C.I.A. and other agencies involved in a particular crisis or policy decision.
As a specialist on the Soviet Union, Gates's best known clashes in the foreign policy establishment have been over the course of the Soviet Union. Along with Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, Gates has been the Bush Administration's most ardent skeptic on the chances of President Mikhail Gorbachev's delivering the Soviet Union from economic collapse.
Even before Gorbachev ushered in the era of glasnost and perestroika, Robert Gates regarded the East-West competition as a fundamental struggle over the roles of citizens and the state.
In the wake of the annexation of Crimea in March 2014, Gates wrote an op-ed piece on Vladimir Putin, Russian expansionism, the nascent sanctions regime, the US military budget, and the need for bold leadership
In his memoir, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, Gates alternately criticized and praised Obama's military leadership, writing, "I never doubted [his] support for the troops, only his support for their mission [in Afghanistan]", and "I was very proud to work for a president who had made one of the most courageous decisions I had ever witnessed in the White House [by authorizing the raid against Osama bin Laden]."
Robert Gates sharply criticized Republican nominee Donald Trump’s ability to lead the United States, writing that the business mogul was “beyond repair” when it came to national security. Gates wrote that Trump was clueless when it came to the American military and foreign policy. Trump has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly, threatened to not defend NATO countries, said he would “bomb the shit” out of ISIS and seemed unfamiliar with Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
In 2010 Gates supported overturning “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), a U.S. policy under which gay and lesbian service members were forced to conceal their sexuality or risk expulsion from the military. Following the repeal of DADT later that year, Gates and the Pentagon were tasked with developing an implementation plan.
Quotations:
"It has become clear that America’s civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too long – relative to what we spend on the military, and more important, relative to the responsibilities and challenges our nation has around the world."
"Most governments lie to each other. That’s the way business gets done."
"I had no concerns - I had no reason to have concerns based on what was available to me about North's contacts with the private sector people, but I didn't think a CIA person should do it."
"One of my favorite little sayings is, 'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.'"
On first impression, Gates is unprepossessing: someone who worked closely with him compared his appearance to “the guy at P. C. Richards who sold microwave ovens.” But upon his return to government in 2006, after a thirteen-year absence, colleagues and even people who had never met him began to think of him as oracular. His nickname in the Obama Administration was “Yoda.”
Physical Characteristics: Robert Gates has a height of 5' 7" (1,7 m).
Quotes from others about the person
"He'll be remembered for making us aware of the danger of over-reliance on military intervention as an instrument of American foreign policy." - Senator David L. Boren.
He married his wife Becky on January 7, 1967, after only knowing each other for three months when he proposed. They have two children.