Richard "Dick" Bruce Cheney is an American politician and businessman who was selected as Secretary of Defense during the presidency of George H. W. Bush (1989-1993). He later served as Vice-President under Bush's son, George W. Bush (2001-2009).

Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1941, but spent most of his childhood in Wyoming. Before becoming Secretary of Defense, he was elected to represent Wyoming in the U.S. House of Representatives. As Secretary, Cheney directed the United States invasion of Panama and Operation Desert Storm, earning him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Even after becoming Vice-President, Cheney recalled his days as Secretary of Defense as the most rewarding period of his public service career. One of Cheney's main focuses was the Department of Defense budget. During the Cold War, money was spent on weapons and military vehicles that were not needed. To save money, Cheney downsized the military from about 2.2 million personnel in 1989 to about 1.8 million in 1993.

When his term as Secretary came to an end, Cheney became the chief executive officer (CEO) of Halliburton, an oil field company. He was also an advisor for the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) before becoming Vice-President in 2001.

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