National Cathedral will hold memorial service for former Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter

Posted Jan 10, 2023

[Washington National Cathedral] A memorial service for Ashton Carter, former secretary of defense, will be held at Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. Eastern.

Remarks are expected from President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of Washington National Cathedral. Additional service participants will include Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Honorable Denis R. McDonough, General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., and the Honorable Richard N. Haass, among others. A wide range of U.S. dignitaries and senior officials will be invited to attend the service.

The funeral will be livestreamed at the link below.

Carter served as the 25th secretary of defense from February 2015 to January 2017. Prior to his tenure, he served as under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics during President Barack Obama’s first term, and then deputy secretary of defense until December 2013. During President Bill Clinton’s first term, Carter served as assistant secretary of defense for international security policy and was responsible for policy regarding the former Soviet states, strategic affairs and nuclear weapons.

During his tenure as secretary of defense, Carter ended the ban on transgender officers in the military. In 2016, Carter opened all military occupations and positions to women without exception, marking the first time in U.S. history that qualified women would be allowed to serve in military roles such as infantry, armor, reconnaissance and special operations units.

Carter is a five-time recipient of the DOD Distinguished Public Service Medal and received the CJCS Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award and the Defense Intelligence Medal for his contributions to intelligence.

“Ashton Carter was a truly dedicated public servant who devoted his life to keeping our country safe, inclusive, and strong,” said Hollerith. “We will remember his deep commitment to democracy and his extraordinary example of leadership.”


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