Chuck Hagel

Charles Timothy Hagel, born on October 4, 1946, is an American military veteran and former politician. He served as a United States senator from Nebraska from 1997 to 2009 and as the 24th United States Secretary of Defense from 2013 to 2015 in the Obama administration. Hagel earned two Purple Hearts while serving as an infantry squad leader in the Vietnam War. After returning home, he co-founded Vanguard Cellular and held leadership positions in various business ventures, including president of the McCarthy Group and CEO of American Information Systems Inc. A member of the Republican Party, Hagel was elected to the United States Senate in 1996 and reelected in 2002. President Barack Obama nominated him for Secretary of Defense, and his nomination was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee in 2013.