Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, center, and Col. Johnny Davis, commander of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, render honors during Hagel's farewell tribute at Conmy Hall on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 28, 2015. (Laura Buchta/U.S. Army)
WASHINGTON — The man who held the exalted post of defense secretary for the past two years is more proud of the position he held 48 years ago: Army grunt.
Outgoing Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel volunteered to join the service in 1967 during the height of the Vietnam War. The following year he deployed to South Vietnam, where he led an infantry squad through rice paddies, canopy jungle, and the urban battlefield of Saigon. During his 12-month tour, he was seriously wounded and received two Purple Hearts.
When Hagel was appointed secretary of defense in 2013, he became the first former enlisted man to lead the Pentagon. Early next month, he is expected to be replaced by Ashton Carter, President Barack Obama’s nominee to take over the job. Carter’s Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for next week.
“Of all the opportunities my life has given me … I am most proud of having once been a soldier,” Hagel said Wednesday during a farewell ceremony held at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va. “The lessons from my time in uniform about trust, responsibility, duty, judgment and loyalty to your fellow soldier — these I have carried with me throughout my life.”
The former infantryman praised those who have followed in his footsteps: “To the men and women who serve our country, and their families, whose service and sacrifice is unequaled, you have my deepest gratitude. We salute your high purpose and defense of our freedoms and our values. Every day, you wake up and you go to work knowing that this Department … is charged with one fundamental mission: the security of this nation. It’s been my absolute privilege to have been on your team.”
Obama praised the former infantryman as a “true American patriot” who helped end the war in Afghanistan and managed the Pentagon in a difficult budget environment.
Obama said that Hagel’s experience as a combat veteran helped him understand the rank and file.
“Being down in the mud, feeling the bullets fly overhead has allowed you to connect with our troops like no other secretary before you,” Obama said. “When you’ve pinned a Purple Heart on a wounded warrior, you were there not just as secretary of defense but as an old Army sergeant who knows the wages of war.”
Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described Hagel as “an incredible advocate within our government and with the American people” for the troops and their families.
“The shrapnel that still resides in his chest [is] a permanent reminder of his sacrifice for America,” Dempsey said.
During his own remarks, Hagel joked with the man who frequently sat by his side during press conferences and contentious encounters with lawmakers.
“It has been a great privilege for this old sergeant to have worked side-by-side with a general of your character and courage,” Hagel told Dempsey. “I have been very fortunate to have you as my partner in this job, especially during those ‘self-help’ and ‘educational’ opportunities called congressional hearings.”
Near the end of his remarks, Hagel touched on world affairs. He described the current environment as a “complicated and defining time,” and said those who serve in the national security arena are “the architects of this new 21st Century world.”
Looking to the future, Hagel warned against American overreach.
Successfully handling global challenges “will require steady, wise and judicious use of American power, prestige, and influence,” Hagel said. “We must never fail to always ask the most important question when making decisions and policy: what happens next?”
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