After being sworn in as Army Secretary,
Eric Fanning held a press conference in which he thanked his
boyfriend Ben Masri-Cohen for standing by his side during a
“confusing” confirmation process.
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed
Fanning, roughly eight months after President Barack Obama nominated
him to the post, and he was sworn in on Wednesday by U.S. Secretary
of Defense Ashton Carter. Fanning becomes the first openly gay
leader of a U.S. military service.
“It has been a long process to get
here,” Fanning said. “But it's worth it. This is a tremendous
honor for me.”
“It's a confusing process that makes
you feel vulnerable and out there alone, so I thank all of you for
all that you have done these many months to help me get confirmed.
And Ben, your patience at home, because I know there were days that I
probably was not the most pleasant person to be around.”
Fanning was the acting under secretary
of the Army before stepping down in January.