ERIC KENNETH FANNING, born today, is the president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association industry trade group. He served as the 22nd Secretary of the Army from May 2016, to January 2017, the first out gay leader of a U.S. military service. Before that, Fanning was the 24th United States Under Secretary of the Air Force.

Fanning has held a wide variety of roles in Congress, at the Department of Defense, in the White House, and as a consultant. He is only person to have held senior civilian appointments in the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

In September 2015, the White House announced that President Barack Obama would nominate Fanning as Secretary of the Army, and the President did so on November 3, 2015. Fanning left that position on January 11, 2016, to concentrate on his confirmation, being succeeded in the temporary position by Patrick Murphy. The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee held Fanning’s nomination hearing on January 21, 2016, and approved his nomination on a voice vote on March 10, 2016, though a hold was placed by Senator Pat Roberts, citing comments President Obama had made about closing the Guantanamo Bay prison. Senators John McCain, chair of the Armed Services Committee, and Roberts argued about the nomination in the Senate in late April 2016. McCain said: “What we’re doing here is we’re telling a nominee, who is totally qualified, totally, eminently qualified for the job, that that person cannot fulfill those responsibilities and take on that very important leadership post because of an unrelated issue. That is not the appropriate use of senatorial privilege.”

On May 17 Roberts told the Senate that he had received sufficient assurances from the Pentagon about Guantanamo and said: “My issue has never been with Mr. Fanning’s character, his courage, or his capability. He will be a tremendous leader.” The United States Senate confirmed Fanning’s nomination that day on a unanimous voice vote. Fanning became the 22nd Secretary of the Army, the largest service branch of the U.S. military, and the first out gay head of any service in the U.S. military.

Fanning and National Gallery of Art budget analyst Ben Masri-Cohen were privately married by Senator Cory Booker on December 19, 2018; days thereafter the couple held a New Year’s Eve wedding celebration.