Miles Hutchinson
Encyclopedia
Miles Hutchinson is a fictional character on the NBC
television series The West Wing played by the late actor Steve Ryan
. Hutchinson has served as the Secretary of Defense
to President Josiah Bartlet
throughout his two terms in office.
Hutchinson was first mentioned in the Season One episode "Pilot
", and continued as an unseen character for the next three seasons. He was frequently mentioned alongside Lewis Berryhill, the similarly offscreen Secretary of State
.
In the Season Two episode "Two Cathedrals
", he was mentioned as being a possible Presidential candidate, presuming that Bartlet chose not to run for re-election, which seemed likely at that moment.
He advised the President on the hostage situation in Haiti
, although he was clearly never as influential as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace
or National Security Advisor
Dr. Nancy McNally.
Hutchinson made his first onscreen appearance in the Season Four episode "Inauguration, Part I
", where he clashed with the President. He was said to disrespect Bartlet for never having served in the military.
Following the retirement of Admiral Fitzwallace, and the increased absence of Dr. McNally, Hutchinson's relative influence in the Situation Room
increased dramatically, and he advised President Bartlet on various crises in Saudi Arabia
, Israel
, Bolivia
, and Iran
.
Hutchinson has more than once come into conflict with rookie
Chief of Staff
C.J. Cregg over, for example, the handling a crisis involving stolen Georgian nuclear material
, and whether to use a secret space shuttle to rescue astronauts from the damaged International Space Station
. Former Chief of Staff Leo McGarry
and Hutchinson also clashed during McGarry's tenure on more than one occasion. One notable case is over the potential deployment of troops to Equatorial Kundu, where the President sought a force depletion report from Nancy McNally's military aide, rather than Hutchinson, because Hutchinson opposed a Kundu intervention and would have likely leaked an exaggerated report to further his own agenda. It has also been said that Hutchinson and Fitzwallace had a strained relationship, both seeking a substantial amount of influence with the President and control over military matters.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television series The West Wing played by the late actor Steve Ryan
Steve Ryan
Steve Ryan was an American actor.He was best known for his recurring role on the Fox sitcom, Arrested Development, as J. Walter Weatherman. Some of his other roles included "Detective Nate Grossman" on the NBC Police series Crime Story and his role as "Bobick" on Daddio.Notable recurring roles...
. Hutchinson has served as the Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
to President Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...
throughout his two terms in office.
Hutchinson was first mentioned in the Season One episode "Pilot
Pilot (The West Wing)
"Pilot" is the first episode of the American serial drama The West Wing.-Plot:In the series premiere, the White House staff is being called into work in the early hours of the morning to the news that the President of the United States has crashed his bicycle into a tree, much to the enjoyment of...
", and continued as an unseen character for the next three seasons. He was frequently mentioned alongside Lewis Berryhill, the similarly offscreen Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
.
In the Season Two episode "Two Cathedrals
Two Cathedrals
"Two Cathedrals" is the 44th episode, and second season finale of The West Wing.-Synopsis:President Bartlet is beset by memories of Mrs. Landingham as her funeral approaches. Meanwhile, the staff deals with a crisis in Haiti and questions from congressional Democrats regarding the President's...
", he was mentioned as being a possible Presidential candidate, presuming that Bartlet chose not to run for re-election, which seemed likely at that moment.
He advised the President on the hostage situation in Haiti
18th and Potomac
-Plot:A crisis in Haiti takes much of the President and Leo's time, while the senior staff are planning the announcement of the President's MS. The democratically-elected new Haitian President is facing a military coup and the U.S. finds itself in the middle of the storm when a U.S. diplomat...
, although he was clearly never as influential as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace
Percy Fitzwallace
Admiral Percy "Fitz" Fitzwallace, played by John Amos, is a fictional character on the television series The West Wing. In the universe of the show, he is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff....
or National Security Advisor
National Security Advisor (United States)
The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues...
Dr. Nancy McNally.
Hutchinson made his first onscreen appearance in the Season Four episode "Inauguration, Part I
Inauguration, Part I
-Plot:In the week before Bartlet's second inauguration, an escalating genocide in a remote African country prompts him to consider "a new doctrine for the use of force." Not surprisingly, this idea doesn't meet with universal approval, even in the West Wing...
", where he clashed with the President. He was said to disrespect Bartlet for never having served in the military.
Following the retirement of Admiral Fitzwallace, and the increased absence of Dr. McNally, Hutchinson's relative influence in the Situation Room
White House Situation Room
The White House Situation Room is a conference room and intelligence management center in the basement of the West Wing of the White House. It is run by the National Security Council staff for the use of the President of the United States and his advisors to monitor and deal...
increased dramatically, and he advised President Bartlet on various crises in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
Hutchinson has more than once come into conflict with rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
C.J. Cregg over, for example, the handling a crisis involving stolen Georgian nuclear material
Nuclear material
Nuclear material refers to the metals uranium, plutonium, and thorium, in any form, according to the IAEA. This is differentiated further into "source material", consisting of natural and depleted uranium, and "special fissionable material", consisting of enriched uranium , uranium-233, and...
, and whether to use a secret space shuttle to rescue astronauts from the damaged International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
. Former Chief of Staff Leo McGarry
Leo McGarry
Leo Thomas McGarry is a fictional character played by John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. The role earned Spencer the 2002 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. McGarry's character, the former United States Secretary of Labor, begins the series as the White...
and Hutchinson also clashed during McGarry's tenure on more than one occasion. One notable case is over the potential deployment of troops to Equatorial Kundu, where the President sought a force depletion report from Nancy McNally's military aide, rather than Hutchinson, because Hutchinson opposed a Kundu intervention and would have likely leaked an exaggerated report to further his own agenda. It has also been said that Hutchinson and Fitzwallace had a strained relationship, both seeking a substantial amount of influence with the President and control over military matters.