Obama Says Hagel Never Forgot Roots as Soldier in Pentagon Job
The president bids farewell to his third defense secretary.
US President Barack Obama (C) speaks with departing US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (R) during at an Armed Forces Farewell Ceremony for Hagel at Joint Base Fort Myer-Henderson in Arlington, Virginia, on January 28, 2015.
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President Barack Obama lauded Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel as a leader who connected with troops like no other secretary before him because he never forgot his experiences as a soldier.
The president bid farewell to his third defense secretary, praising Hagel as a patriot who served the country from the Army to the Senate to the Pentagon. He credited Hagel with helping to end two wars and transform the military so it could respond quickly to threats from Ebola to the Islamic State.