Donald Rumsfeld, who died at the age of 88, was a renowned ex-federal official of the US government and served as the Secretary of Defense for the country. He is also known for leading the country into war on two fronts, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Rumsfeld was born in Illinois’ Chicago and made a name for himself as a sportsperson by actively participating in wrestling and football, holding the position of a defensive back in team of Princeton University.

Rumsfeld made his way into the US Congress at the age of 30 as a Representative from Illinois. However, before kicking off his career in American politics, Rumsfeld served as a pilot and trainer-instructor in the US Navy while the Cold War was underway.

As a United States lawmaker, Rumsfeld was known for placing himself at the centre of the political spectrum and being in support of the promotion of civil rights for the African-American community. 

However, soon after his entry into politics, Rumsfeld turned his eye towards the military affairs of the United States and got involved in the proceedings of the Vietnam War.

Rumsfeld was often considered to be a proactive leader of the United States’ defense line as he has served under two Presidents for over seven years in total. He was appointed by Presidents Gerald Ford and George W. Bush.

He was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 when airliners commandeered by Al-Qaeda hijackers flew into the World Trade Center in New York and then the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people in the deadliest terrorist attack ever on US soil, reported AFP.

In response to the attack, the United States launched the “war on terror” while the Department of Defense deployed its troops to overcome the threat from the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The stride was led by Rumsfeld as the Secretary of Defense, reported AFP.