What Is Obama's Thinking in Appointing a Gay as Army Chief

President Obama has nominated Eric Fanning, who is openly gay, to be the next secretary of the Army.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/18/obama-nominates-first-openly-gay-military-service-chief/?intcmp=hpbt2

I have one question: Is Fanning a veteran? If so, this posting is a mute question. However, I infer from the above article that he does not have military experience other than within the civilian bureaucracy. Of course, there is no requirement that the secretary be a veteran, but if not, I suspect that Obama is more interested in advancing his social agenda in the military than he is in the military itself.