Aspin was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 21 July and attended public schools there. His academic credentials included a B.
As an officer in the U. Army from to , he served as a systems analyst in the Pentagon under Secretary of Defense Robert S. Before his election as a Democrat to Congress in , Aspin had been active in Wisconsin politics and had taught economics at Marquette University.
Aspin began his career in Congress as an outsider but soon developed a special interest and expertise in defense matters. Before and during his tenure in the House, he had opposed the U.
In his early years in Congress he often issued press releases critical of shortcomings he detected in the armed forces. By , when he became chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services, he was recognized as a leading defense authority. His chairmanship caused controversy among some House Democrats, particularly because he supported the Reagan administration's policies on the MX missile and aid to the Nicaraguan Contras.
Although temporarily removed from his committee chair by his Democratic colleagues in , Aspin weathered the crisis and resumed the post. He again broke with many Democrats in January when he issued a paper supporting the Bush administration's intention to use military force to drive the Iraqis from Kuwait.
