Ash Carter confirmed, becomes new Defense secretary

Ashton Carter has been confirmed as the new U.S. secretary of Defense

Nominated by President Obama in December, Carter succeeds Chuck Hagel, who has served since 2013.

Hagel's last day is Feb. 13. Carter will be sworn in Feb. 17.

The general consensus before Carter’s confirmation was that he would be well equipped to tackle any line of questioning during his confirmation hearing.

He assumes this position during a time of tense global atmosphere, with international issues like ISIS, Syria, Ukraine and Russia, Iraq and Afghanistan increasingly making headlines.

On the home front, Carter will deal with issues of a different nature such as acquisition reform—in which he has much experience, having fathered the Better Buying Power initiative—the defense budget and sequestration.