Secretary of Defense

Name: Robert Gates

Hometown: Wichita, Kansas

Current City: Washington DC

Job at time of Appointment: Secretary of Defense (for George W. Bush)

Age: 65

Despite a flurry of dissent in the Democratic party, Barack Obama chose the incumbent Secretary of Defense (appointed by George W. Bush) to fill the current cabinet post. Gates joined the CIA in 1966 and spent nearly twenty seven years as an intelligence professional, serving six presidents. In 2006, Gates stepped in as Secretary of Defense after Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. He has also published two books: "Iran: Time for a New Approach," and "From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insiders Story of Five Presidents and How they Won the Cold War."