据家人称，前国防部长阿什顿·卡特意外去世，享年68岁。
卡特于周一晚上在波士顿死于“突发心脏病”。
他在前总统手下担任国防部长巴拉克·奥巴马从2015年2月到2017年1月。
President Barack Obama listens as Secretary of Defense Ash Carter delivers remarks at the Pentagon Memorial on Sept. 11, 2016, in Arlington, Va.
Leigh Vogel/wire image/Getty Images，文件
“作为国务卿，他发起了在伊拉克和叙利亚击败ISIS的成功战役，向女性开放了所有战斗岗位，并在国防部和国家技术界之间建立了新的联系，”他的家人在一份声明中说。“虽然众所周知，卡特部长对军事技术、核武器和国际事务有着敏锐的理解，但他最喜欢的就是和部队呆在一起，经常去伊拉克和阿富汗看望美军(和他的妻子斯蒂芬妮)。”
卡特曾就读于耶鲁大学，是罗兹奖学金获得者，他在前总统比尔·克林顿的领导下进入国防部。他后来在2009年至2011年担任负责采购、技术和后勤的副国防部长，并在2011年至2013年担任副国防部长。
2014年12月，他被提名接替查克·哈格尔担任国防部长。2015年2月，参议院以93票对5票批准了他的提名。
奥巴马在一份声明中说:“作为总统，我依赖阿什的战略建议，因为我们投资于创新和一个更强大、更聪明、更人道和更有效的长期军队。在他的领导下，美国加快了反恐努力，向女性开放了战斗角色，实现了武器系统的现代化，并加强了我们在世界各地的联盟。”
这位前总统补充说，卡特最大的遗产是年轻人，“他教导、指导并激励他们保护我们的国家并明智地运用权力。”
乔·拜登总统曾在卡特担任副总统时宣誓就任国防部长，称他为“一个极其正直的伟大美国人”。
除了领导美国对ISIS的进攻，卡特还在国防部监督了一段时间，当时对女性在战斗中服役的所有限制都被取消了解除禁令军队中的跨性别成员，一条规则后来被推翻了时任总统唐纳德·特朗普。
离开政府后，卡特加入了哈佛大学肯尼迪学院贝尔弗中心，并在过去五年中担任该中心主任。在加入美国政府之前，他曾于20世纪80年代在肯尼迪学院任教。
哈佛大学肯尼迪学院(Harvard Kennedy School)院长道格拉斯·埃尔门多夫(Douglas Elmendorf)在谈到他的朋友时写道:“我要感谢他的洞察力和智慧，他对努力让世界变得更好的坚定承诺，他对肯尼迪学院能够在世界上发挥重要作用的信心，他对学生和同事的慷慨精神，以及他与我之间热情友好的友谊。我会非常想念他的。”
卡特身后留下了妻子和两个孩子，艾娃和威尔。
Former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter dies unexpectedly at 68
Former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has died unexpectedly at the age of 68, according to family.
Carter died of a "sudden cardiac event" on Monday night in Boston.
He served as secretary of defense under former PresidentBarack Obamafrom February 2015 to January 2017.
"As Secretary, he launched the successful campaign to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria, opened all combat positions to women, and forged new connections between the Department of Defense and the nation’s technology community," his family said in a statement. "While he was known for his keen understanding of military technology, nuclear weapons, and international affairs, Secretary Carter loved nothing more than spending time with the troops, making frequent trips to Iraq and Afghanistan to visit U.S forces [with his wife Stephanie]."
Carter, who went to Yale University and was a Rhodes scholar, joined the Department of Defense under former President Bill Clinton. He later served as under secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics from 2009 to 2011 and deputy secretary of defense from 2011 to 2013.
He was nominated to replace Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense in December 2014. He was confirmed, 93-5, by the Senate in February 2015.
Obama said in a statement: "As president, I relied on Ash’s strategic counsel as we invested in innovation and a stronger, smarter, more humane, and more effective military for the long term. Under his leadership, America accelerated its counterterrorism efforts, opened combat roles to women, modernized its weapons systems, and strengthened our alliances around the world."
The former president added Carter's greatest legacy was the young people "he taught, mentored, and inspired to protect our nation and wield power wisely."
President Joe Biden, who swore in Carter as defense secretary while he was vice president, called him "a great American of the utmost integrity."
In addition to leading the U.S.'s offensive against ISIS, Carter also oversaw a time period at the Department of Defense when all restrictions on women serving in combat were lifted andlifted a banon transgender members of the military,a rule later overturnedby then-President Donald Trump.
Carter joined the Belfer Center at Harvard University's Kennedy School after leaving the government, serving as its director the past five years. He had taught at the Kennedy School in the 1980s, prior to joining the U.S. government.
Douglas Elmendorf, dean at the Harvard Kennedy School, wrote of his friend: "I want to offer my gratitude for his insight and wisdom, his unwavering commitment to trying to make the world better, his confidence that the Kennedy School can make an important difference in the world, his generous spirit toward his students and colleagues, and his warm and gracious friendship with me. I will miss him so much."
Carter was survived by his wife and two children, Ava and Will.
