The White House will make its pick for Secretary of Defense Friday . CNN reports that Obama will nominate Ashton Carter , former CIA second in command . Carter , 60 , served as Deputy Defense Secretary under both Hagel and Obama 's first Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta . The Senate will likely confirm Carter , hailed as an ` ` uber - wonk ''
The White House will make its pick for Secretary of Defense Friday . CNN reports that Obama will nominate Ashton Carter , former CIA second in command . The Senate will likely confirm Carter , hailed as an ` ` uber - wonk ''