Appearing Thursday on NBC's Today
Show, Eric Fanning called serving as the first openly gay
Secretary of the U.S. Army “an incredible honor.”
Fanning was nominated to the post in
September by President Barack Obama and was confirmed by the Senate
last month.
“I've gotten used to the fact that
this is going to be a part of any time I get a new job or do
something,” Fanning told host Matt Lauer. “And when it first
happened I was more bothered by it because I didn't quite have the
track record that people know now. And I wanted the focus on
qualifications. Now I embrace it. It's so important to so many
people, I realize. And something I didn't have 25 years ago.”
“I feel a responsibility as Secretary
of the Army, not just because of the historical nature of the
appointment because I'm gay,” Fanning said. “And I take that
responsibility very seriously. I grew up in a military family. I have
two uncles that went to West Point. And it was absolutely something
that I considered, but wasn't allowed to serve and so chose another
route.”
“It is the best job that I have ever
had. And an incredible honor,” he added.