Les Aspin
18th U.S. Secretary of Defense and Congressman from Wisconsin / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Les Aspin?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Leslie Aspin Jr. (July 21, 1938 – May 21, 1995) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district from 1971 to 1993 and as the 18th United States Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994.[1]
Les Aspin | |
---|---|
Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board | |
In office May 26, 1994 – May 21, 1995 | |
President | Bill Clinton |
Preceded by | William Crowe |
Succeeded by | Warren Rudman (acting) |
18th United States Secretary of Defense | |
In office January 21, 1993 – February 3, 1994 | |
President | Bill Clinton |
Deputy | William Perry |
Preceded by | Dick Cheney |
Succeeded by | William Perry |
Chair of the House Armed Services Committee | |
In office January 3, 1985 – January 20, 1993 | |
Preceded by | Melvin Price |
Succeeded by | Ron Dellums |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 1st district | |
In office January 3, 1971 – January 20, 1993 | |
Preceded by | Henry Schadeberg |
Succeeded by | Peter Barca |
Personal details | |
Born | Leslie Aspin Jr. (1938-07-21)July 21, 1938 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
Died | May 21, 1995(1995-05-21) (aged 56) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Maureen Shea
(m. 1969; div. 1979) |
Education | Yale University (BA) University of Oxford (MPhil) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD) |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1966–1968 |
Rank | Captain |
Aspin, as chair of the House Armed Services Committee, speaks on the use of force against Iraq Recorded January 12, 1991 | |
In Congress, Aspin had a reputation as an intellectual who took a middle-of-the-road position on controversial issues. He supported the Reagan administration regarding the MX missile and aid to the Nicaraguan Contras, but he opposed the B-2 bomber and the Strategic Defense Initiative. He played a major role in convincing the House to support the January 1991 resolution supporting the use of force by President George H. W. Bush against Iraq, after it invaded Kuwait.
As Secretary of Defense, Aspin faced complex social issues, such as the roles of homosexuals in uniform, and of women in combat, as well as major decisions regarding the use of military force in Somalia, Bosnia, and Haiti. He proposed budget cuts and restructuring of forces as part of the downsizing of the military after the end of the Cold War. The deaths of U.S. soldiers in Somalia because of inadequate military support led to his resignation.