Robert Gates facts for kids
Robert Michael Gates, born on September 25, 1943, is an American public servant who has held many important jobs. He was the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. This means he was in charge of the country's military and defense. He worked for two presidents: George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Before becoming Secretary of Defense, Gates worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for 26 years. The CIA is a government agency that collects information about other countries to protect the United States. He even became the director of the CIA from 1991 to 1993.
After leaving the CIA, Gates became the president of Texas A&M University. He also served on a special group called the Iraq Study Group, which looked at the Iraq War. When he retired from his role as Secretary of Defense, President Obama gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is a very high award for civilians.
Since then, Gates has continued to serve. He was elected president of the Boy Scouts of America and became the Chancellor of the College of William & Mary.
Quick facts for kids
Robert Gates
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Official portrait, 2006
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| 22nd United States Secretary of Defense | |
| In office December 18, 2006 – June 30, 2011 |
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| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Gordon R. England William J. Lynn III |
| Preceded by | Donald Rumsfeld |
| Succeeded by | Leon Panetta |
| 24th Chancellor of the College of William & Mary | |
| Assumed office February 3, 2012 |
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| President | W. Taylor Reveley III Katherine Rowe |
| Preceded by | Sandra Day O'Connor |
| 22nd President of Texas A&M University | |
| In office August 1, 2002 – December 16, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Ray M. Bowen |
| Succeeded by | Ed J. Davis (Interim) |
| 15th Director of Central Intelligence | |
| In office November 6, 1991 – January 20, 1993 |
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| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Deputy | Richard James Kerr William O. Studeman |
| Preceded by | William H. Webster |
| Succeeded by | R. James Woolsey Jr. |
| Acting December 18, 1986 – May 26, 1987 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | William J. Casey |
| Succeeded by | William H. Webster |
| 17th United States Deputy National Security Advisor | |
| In office March 20, 1989 – November 6, 1991 |
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| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | John Negroponte |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Howe |
| 16th Deputy Director of Central Intelligence | |
| In office April 18, 1986 – March 20, 1989 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | John N. McMahon |
| Succeeded by | Richard James Kerr |
| 36th National President of the Boy Scouts of America | |
| In office 2014–2016 |
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| Preceded by | Wayne M. Perry |
| Succeeded by | Randall Stephenson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Michael Gates
September 25, 1943 Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Becky Wilkie
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | College of William & Mary (BA) Indiana University Bloomington (MA) Georgetown University (PhD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1967–1969 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Robert Gates was born in Wichita, Kansas. As a young person, he was an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). This is the highest rank a scout can earn. He also received special awards from the BSA as an adult.
He went to the College of William & Mary on a scholarship and graduated in 1965 with a degree in history. While there, he was very active in student groups. He was also recognized for helping others.
Later, he earned a master's degree from Indiana University Bloomington in 1966. He then got his PhD in Russian and Soviet history from Georgetown University in 1974. He married Rebecca "Becky" Wilkie in 1967, and they have two children.
Working in Intelligence
Starting at the CIA
While at Indiana University, Robert Gates was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and joined in 1966. He also served in the United States Air Force for two years as an intelligence officer. After his military service, he returned to the CIA as an analyst.
He worked his way up in the CIA. He became the deputy director of central intelligence from 1986 to 1989.
Becoming Director of Central Intelligence
In 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Gates to be the Director of Central Intelligence, which is the head of the CIA. The Senate approved his nomination, and he was sworn in on November 6, 1991. He served in this important role until 1993.
During his time at the CIA, Gates was involved in discussions about the breakup of Yugoslavia. He believed that the conflict there had deep historical roots and would be very hard to solve.
Iran-Contra Investigation
Because of his high position in the CIA, Gates was close to people involved in the Iran-Contra Affair. This was a political scandal in the 1980s. An investigation looked into his knowledge of these events.
Gates said he first heard about certain details of the affair in October 1986. The investigation looked into whether he had known earlier. After a thorough review, the investigation concluded that the evidence did not show that Gates had done anything wrong that would lead to charges.
Life After the CIA
Leading Texas A&M University
After leaving the CIA in 1993, Gates worked in academics. He became the president of Texas A&M University on August 1, 2002. As president, he worked to improve the university in many ways. He helped increase the number of teachers and built new buildings. He also worked to make the student body more diverse.
He left Texas A&M in December 2006 to become the Secretary of Defense. The university later gave him the title of president emeritus.
Public Service and Other Roles
Gates has been involved in many public service roles. He was a former president of the National Eagle Scout Association. In 2004, he co-chaired a group that studied U.S. relations with Iran.
In 2005, he was asked to become the new director of national intelligence. This job involves overseeing all the intelligence agencies in the U.S. Gates thought about it carefully but decided to stay at Texas A&M. He felt he had more to look forward to at the university than in Washington, D.C.
Secretary of Defense
Under President George W. Bush
On November 8, 2006, President George W. Bush chose Robert Gates to be the next Secretary of Defense. The Senate approved his nomination with strong support. Gates was sworn in on December 18, 2006.
As Secretary of Defense under President Bush, Gates helped lead the "troop surge" in the Iraq War. This was a change in strategy to send more troops to Iraq. As violence decreased, he also began the process of withdrawing troops from Iraq.
Gates also made important changes at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center after problems with patient care were reported. He also recommended a new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen, to lead the military's top officers.
Under President Barack Obama
On December 1, 2008, President-elect Obama announced that Robert Gates would stay on as Secretary of Defense. This was a rare event, as Gates was a Republican serving under a Democratic president. He was the first Secretary of Defense to serve under two presidents from different political parties.
Under Obama, Gates continued troop withdrawals from Iraq. He also oversaw a temporary increase in troops in Afghanistan in 2009. He made a significant decision to replace the top commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, with General Stanley A. McChrystal.
Gates worked closely with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He also made changes to military policies, including lifting the ban on women serving on submarines. He also prepared the armed forces for the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which allowed homosexuals to serve openly in the military.
In March 2011, Gates directed the U.S. military's role in the intervention in Libya. He was also present in the White House Situation Room during the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011.
Gates officially retired as Secretary of Defense on July 1, 2011. President Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom at his retirement ceremony.
Focus on Smart Spending
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During his time with the Obama administration, Gates focused on making military spending more efficient. He proposed changes to the defense budget, cutting some programs for traditional warfare and increasing funding for areas like special forces. He wanted the military to be smart about how it spent money.
He aimed to find billions of dollars in savings by 2015. Gates believed it was important for the Department of Defense to show that it was using every dollar wisely. He said that the military should not expect budget increases unless it was doing everything possible to make money count.
Gates also spoke about the importance of other NATO members contributing more to defense. He felt that some countries were not spending enough on their own defense, leaving the U.S. to carry too much of the burden.
College Chancellor and Other Activities
After retiring from the Pentagon, Gates became the chancellor at the College of William & Mary on February 3, 2012. He was re-appointed for a second term in September 2018.
Gates also joined the board of directors for Starbucks Corporation in 2012. In 2014, he became the national president of the Boy Scouts of America. During his time as president, he stated that the ban on gay adult leaders in the BSA could not continue.
He has also written memoirs about his experiences, including Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War. In this book, he shared his thoughts on working with different presidents and on major foreign policy issues.
Awards and Honors
Robert Gates has received many awards and honors throughout his career, including:
- Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Presidential Citizens Medal
- National Security Medal
- National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal (2 awards)
- Distinguished Intelligence Medal (3 awards)
- Liberty Medal (2011)
- Eagle Scout
- Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
- Silver Buffalo Award
- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (from Japan)
See also
In Spanish: Robert Gates para niños
