U. S. Senate Backs Fanning as Army secretary Thomson Reuters May 17th 2016 7:34PM
New Army Secretary Openly Gay
WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate unanimously backed President Barack Obama's nomination of Eric Fanning as secretary of the Army on Tuesday, making him the first openly gay leader of a U.S. military service branch.
Fanning previously worked as undersecretary of the Air Force and chief of staff to Defense Secretary Ash Carter.
He was confirmed by unanimous voice vote, eight months following his nomination, after Pentagon leaders assured Senator Pat Roberts that it was now too late for the administration to transfer prisoners from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Roberts' home state, Kansas.
Roberts had held up Fanning's nomination for months to underscore his opposition to any possible transfer of detainees