Those who know the old “tip of the spear” insignia of the World War II-era Office of Strategic Services gathered Saturday to celebrate former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. (OSS Society)
Those who know the old “tip of the spear” insignia of the World War II-era Office of Strategic Services gathered Saturday to celebrate former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. (OSS Society)
**FILE** In this photo taken Dec. 7, 2010, former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pins Combat Infantry badges on soldiers at Forward Operating Base Connolly in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. (Associated Press)
Former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates speaks at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011, as part of the school's commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11. (AP Photo/Denton Record-Chronicle, David Minton)
President Obama (center) and Adm. Mike Mullen (right), chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sit with outgoing Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates during a tribute to Mr. Gates on June 30, 2011, at the Pentagon. (Associated Press)
**FILE** In this photo taken Dec. 7, 2010, former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pins Combat Infantry badges on soldiers at Forward Operating Base Connolly in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. (Associated Press)
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made his final official visit with troops in Afghanistan this month. "Getting on that plane was very hard. Leaving them behind and still in the fight," he said Sunday. "They're so dedicated and so confident, and they're so capable. They're just extraordinary people." (Associated Press)
PENTAGON REFORMER: Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates “forced the system to change, and he made heads roll,” says Lexington Institute Director Loren B. Thompson. (Associated Press)
ASSOCIATED PRESS President Obama (seated, second from left), Vice President Joseph R. Biden (far left), Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (seated, second from right), Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates (seated, far right) and others follow the unfolding mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.
