Chuck Hagel

Chuck Hagel served as the 24th Secretary of Defense from February 2013 to February 2015 under President Barack Obama. He is the only Vietnam veteran and the first enlisted combat veteran to serve as Secretary of Defense.

Over his tenure, he directed significant steps to modernize America’s partnerships and alliances, advance the rebalance in Asia-Pacific, bolster support for European allies, and enhance defense cooperation in the Middle East while overseeing the end of America’s combat mission in Afghanistan. In addition, he led major initiatives for service members and their families, including increasing resources for suicide prevention, combating sexual assault and accounting for missing personnel. Further, Secretary Hagel improved partnerships with the Department of Veterans Affairs, to include health record interoperability, service treatment record transferability and continuity of mental health services and support. Secretary Hagel launched the Defense Innovation Initiative to better prepare the Pentagon for future threats, and enacted comprehensive reforms to the Nuclear Enterprise and Military Health systems.

A highly consequential member of the U.S. Senate representing the state of Nebraska from 1997 to 2009, Hagel was respected by members of both parties for his ability to create strong alliances to get things done. He built an impressive legislative resume forging lasting change on every major issue facing the country today, including foreign policy, national security, immigration, health care, the economy, energy, Social Security, climate change and issues of global significance.

Some of Hagel’s current commitments include service on the United States Military Academy Board of Visitors; Board of Trustees of RAND; Advisory Board of Corsair Capital; Senior Advisor to the McCarthy Group; Centennial Scholar, Georgetown Walsh School of Foreign Service; Distinguished Scholar, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Distinguished Statesman at the Atlantic Council; Board of Directors of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS); Board of Trustees of the United States Capitol Historical Society; Director and Co-­‐Founding Member of the American Security Project; Advisory Board Chairman of the HillVets Veterans Organization; and Chairman of the Veterans Justice Commission.

He is the author of America: Our Next Chapter, a straightforward examination of the current state of our nation that provides substantial proposals for the challenges of the 21st Century.

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