On Thursday’s NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer cheered the “historic accomplishment” of Army Secretary Eric Fanning being the first openly gay military service leader, but fretted over reaction from his Defense Department colleagues: “Have you ever had to confront someone here at the Pentagon because of something they said to your face, something you heard they said behind your back, or a careless comment they may have made?”
Fanning acknowledged, “Careless comment, sure,” but dispelled the notion of discrimination: “Confronted is kind of a strong word, just sort of correct and explain. It's an educational moment. At no time did anybody do anything where there was any menace behind it. I haven't had to confront anyone for what they've said or what they’ve done either to me or behind my back.”
In a series of teases leading up to the exclusive sit-down, Lauer gushed: “He made history on a couple of fronts when he was confirmed a couple of weeks ago. His resume alone makes him one of the most qualified people to ever hold that job....the first openly gay man to serve as the Secretary of the Army....More on Eric Fanning’s historic accomplishments.”
Early in the exchange, Lauer wondered: “...growing up – and I don't know if or when you ever considered a potential career in the military – but there were no role models for you. So now do you look at yourself as having an extra responsibility to others?”
Fanning replied: “I feel a responsibility as Secretary of the Army, not just because of the historic nature – historical nature of the appointment because I'm gay. And I take that responsibility very seriously.”
Lauer followed up: “It was less than five years ago that a gay man or woman serving in the military had to keep it a secret. And here we are, less than five years later, you're running the Army....When's the last time you ever consciously concealed your sexuality?”
Briefly touching on the actual job of running the Army, Lauer observed: “Fanning inherits an Army facing budget cuts and fatigue after more than a decade of wars....One of the statistics that alarmed me, Mr. Secretary, is the suicide rate is the highest in the Army of any other branch of the military. Why is that? And how do you go about fixing it?”
Fanning assured: “Well, that's a hard issue to get after and it's going to be one of my top priorities. And the trend over the last five years has been going down, but not fast enough. And we need to get to zero, even one suicide is too much.”
No mention was made of the ongoing war against ISIS or terrorism in general.
Instead, Lauer decided to focus once again on Fanning’s career path: “Do you want the job after January of next year? Do you want to stay in this post?...Would you be willing to go through a confirmation process to be Secretary of Defense?”
After the taped interview aired, Lauer proclaimed: “He is a super star within the Pentagon, people think very highly of him.”
Here is a full transcript of the June 2 segment:
7:00 AM ET TEASE:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: And serving with pride. The first openly gay man to lead the Army opens up in a Today exclusive.
ERIC FANNING: The mission goes on, the Army continues to protect the country. Here's all this hoopla about him being the first and he’s just doing his job.
GUTHRIE: Eric Fanning on his historic accomplishment.
7:02 AM ET TEASE:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: You spent the day at Pentagon with someone who's making history.
MATT LAUER: He made history on a couple of fronts when he was confirmed a couple of weeks ago. His resume alone makes him one of the most qualified people to ever hold that job. It's interesting to talk to him.
GUTHRIE: We look forward to that.
7:20 AM ET TEASE:
MATT LAUER: And a Today exclusive as we sit down with the first openly gay man to serve as the Secretary of the Army.
[TO FANNING]: Do you ever have, Mr. Secretary, those kind of wow moments when the door is shut and you're in this office alone and you stop to think about the significance of what you've accomplished?
ERIC FANNING: I have wow moments every day. Certainly when I'm in the office by myself, but even more so when I'm not, when I'm out with soldiers in the field.
LAUER: More on Eric Fanning’s historic accomplishments.
7:38 AM ET TEASE:
MATT LAUER: And our exclusive interview with the new Secretary of the Army, Eric Fanning, the first openly gay man to hold the post.
7:42 AM ET SEGMENT:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: We're back now at 7:42 with a Today exclusive.
MATT LAUER: Heralded for his qualifications by senators on both sides of the aisle, 47-year-old Eric Fanning became the first Secretary of the Army to have served a as senior civilian executive in all three departments at the Pentagon, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Army. But it's another first that's gotten a lot of the headlines, five years after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Fanning becomes the first openly gay secretary of a major military branch. And I asked him about all the attention when he sat down at the Pentagon on Wednesday.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: One-on-One With New Army Secretary; First Openly Gay Military Service Leader Opens Up]
ERIC FANNING: 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. 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 to 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.
LAUER: Yeah, I'm glad you said that, because as you're growing up – and I don't know if or when you ever considered a potential career in the military – but there were no role models for you. So now do you look at yourself as having an extra responsibility to others?
FANNING: I think any time you're in a job like this – I feel a responsibility as Secretary of the Army, not just because of the historic nature – historical nature of the appointment because I'm gay. 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.
LAUER: It was less than five years ago that a gay man or woman serving in the military had to keep it a secret. And here we are, less than five years later, you're running the Army.
FANNING: Well, first of all, it's a remarkable honor, and I was first in this building in the Clinton administration as a 24-year-old junior aide and I ended up leaving because I didn't see that there was a future for me as an openly gay man. And so, to be able to come back in this job is beyond what I had ever imagined.
LAUER: When's the last time you ever consciously concealed your sexuality?
FANNING: You know, its been, its been a while. And that's part of the silver lining of the attention of that I’ve gotten. One of the things I realized is, I can't hide it anymore, everybody knows. And it certainly has become even more of a story as each new wrung in the career takes place.
LAUER: Policy is one thing to change, culture is another. Have you ever had to confront someone here at the Pentagon because of something they said to your face, something you heard they said behind your back, or a careless comment they may have made?
FANNING: Careless comment, sure. We all use lingo that maybe we don't understand the impact it has on other people.
LAUER: Have you confronted someone over that?
FANNING: Confronted is kind of a strong word, just sort of correct and explain. It's an educational moment. At no time did anybody do anything where there was any menace behind it. I haven't had to confront anyone for what they've said or what they’ve done either to me or behind my back. This is too hierarchical of a culture for anyone, once you're an undersecretary or secretary, to do that.
LAUER: You're the wrong guy to mess with is what you’re saying.
[LAUGHTER]
FANNING: I never thought I would be back here.
LAUER: Fanning inherits an Army facing budget cuts and fatigue after more than a decade of wars.
[TO FANNING] You said, “The Army looks tired.” Explain that to me. It worries a lot of people.
FANNING: It's the strain that we're putting on our soldiers as we continually deploy them and their families. And that's when I say “tired.” It's still a very strong, very lethal army, but we're running it hard.
LAUER: So you're saying there are cracks that are beginning to show. One of the statistics that alarmed me, Mr. Secretary, is the suicide rate is the highest in the Army of any other branch of the military. Why is that? And how do you go about fixing it?
FANNING: Well, that's a hard issue to get after and it's going to be one of my top priorities. And the trend over the last five years has been going down, but not fast enough. And we need to get to zero, even one suicide is too much.
LAUER: Fanning technically only has eight months job security, a new president will pick a new Secretary of the Army. [TO FANNING] Do you want the job after January of next year? Do you want to stay in this post?
FANNING: It is the best job that I have ever had.
LAUER: Some people would say there are better jobs.
FANNING: No, I think the service secretaries are just amazingly rewarding jobs. That said, January 21st, I imagine myself on a beach some place.
LAUER: Would you be willing to go through a confirmation process to be Secretary of Defense?
FANNING: This confirmation process is too recent to talk about going through it again. Right now I can't imagine going through the process again.
LAUER: That's not a firm “no” for the record. Let's just say that.
He is a super star within the Pentagon, people think very highly of him. As for his personal life, Fanning is in a relationship. In fact, after being sworn in, he thanked his partner for his patience and understanding during what he called “a confusing confirmation process.”
GUTHRIE: The confirmation process, not a pleasant experience, he's not anxious to repeat it any time soon.
LAUER: Exactly.
GUTHRIE: Good conversation.
LAUER: Thanks.
