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President Obama officially announced Ash Carter to be his nominee for Secretary of Defense Friday.

Carter served in the number two job at the Pentagon as deputy defense secretary between 2011 and 2013. He had been a top official at DOD during the first five years of Obama's presidency.

"I relied on his expertise and I relied on his judgement," Obama said at the announcement at the White House.

Carter was unanimously confirmed by the Senate then and has broad support among top defense-minded Republicans on Capitol Hill. If the Senate approves him for the job, Carter will be the fourth official to run the Pentagon during the Obama administration.

Obama made it clear that one of the most critical issues Carter will tackle will be managing the defense budget.

"We are going to have to squeeze everything we have out of the resources we have in order to be as effective as possible," Obama said.

In his new role, Carter will not only have to deal with geopolitical threats and a tight defense budget, he will have to repair damaged political relationships between top leaders at the Pentagon and the White House, as well as corrall congressional leaders on Capitol Hill.

Carter said he took the job because of the "seriousness of the strategic threats" the U.S. faces, but also because of the "of the deep respect and abiding love" he had for the men and women in uniform.

While the White House has been criticized for micromanaging the Pentagon, Carter said he had no intention of holding back his opinions on the job.

"If confirmed in this job I pledge to you, my most candid, strategic advice," Carter said.

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Obama Officially Selects Ash Carter to Lead Pentagon