Donald Rumsfeld

I'm Donald, or Donny to my friends. I am responsible for directing the actions of the Defense Department in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The war is being waged against a backdrop of major change within the Department of Defense. The department has developed a new defense strategy and replaced the old model for sizing forces with a newer approach more relevant to the 21st century. The President approved my proposals for significant reorganization of the worldwide command structure, known as the Unified Command Plan, that resulted in the establishment of the U.S. Northern Command and the U.S. Strategic Command, the latter charged with the responsibilities formerly held by the Strategic and Space Commands which were disestablished.I attended Princeton University on academic and NROTC scholarships (A.B., 1954) and served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. In 1957, I transferred to the Ready Reserve and continued my Naval service in flying and administrative assignments as a drilling reservist until 1975. I transferred to the Standby Reserve when I became Secretary of Defense in 1975 and to the Retired Reserve with the rank of Captain in 1989.In 1977, I was awarded the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.