U.S. Marine Corps. hold the damaged Capitol doors during a rehearsal for the 59th inaugural ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

U.S. Marine Corps. hold the damaged Capitol doors during a rehearsal for the 59th inaugural ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Melina Mara/The Washington Post via AP, Pool

Advice for the Next Secretary of Defense

Our most serious threats are not external. Biden’s team also must address the bitter polarization of our politics, which has divided our country and global institutions.

President-elect Joe Biden will inherit the widest, deepest agenda of challenges since Franklin D. Roosevelt. Central to those challenges is COVID and all its societal and economic consequences. Right next to it is the bitter polarization of our politics which has divided our country.

The fracturing of America is endangering the world. This breakdown in trust and confidence in our leaders and institutions has paralyzed our nation. It has produced the collapse of America’s unity and purpose that has inhibited wise, steady, competent leadership and decision making, both domestically and internationally.

The next secretary of defense and his team — and America’s national security enterprise — will be at the center of these challenges at home and abroad. But military and cyber attacks from foreign adversaries are not America’s only threats. Our most serious threats are internal, not external. Politically inspired armed insurgents, extremists, fascists groups and other active destructive forces are now part of the American landscape, as we saw in last week’s attack and occupation of America’s symbolic cradle of our democracy, the Capitol Building. Much of this is fueled by the breakdown in our civility, trust in each other and institutions, narrow parochial interests, and polarization and divide. These are the real threats to our country.

Americans also have pulled back from post-World War II global leadership. Yet, that role has served the world well and has been particularly important and beneficial for America. The United States must again re-engage and lead. Americans must. Biden’s team must reassure our allies, partners and friends that we can be trusted and counted on. They must rebuild and strengthen alliances with diplomatic, military, economic, scientific, trade, and intelligence sharing — common interests for all nations.

The secretary of defense will need to play an integral role in this effort. The strength and legitimacy of the Biden administration’s work will come from honest, clear, and competent leadership, national will, and purpose. If that national will and unity of purpose is lacking and we continue along this disastrous path of self-inflicted decline, we will fail our country and the world. The world will become a dangerous, volatile, and unpredictable universe of 7 billion global citizens. In many respects, we could see a return to a modern day version of the pre-World War II world. A cursory review of the first half of the 20th Century reminds us of the historic horrors visited on the world, when there was less international cooperation and fewer coalitions of common interest like the United Nations, NATO, World Trade Organization , World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and dozens of international development banks and institutions. Our national security leaders must play a role in this critically important task of helping stabilize our country and the world, not by force or bully pulpits that declare “America First,” but rather by working closely with the elected representatives of Americans in Congress, international leaders, and global institutions.

Security is an absolute for every nation and cannot be compromised. It is one of the guarantors of freedoms and rights, along with a Constitution and laws, in a democracy. That security is the responsibility of our defense enterprise. And one element of that security is the strength and viability of allies and alliances. The United States military could not project power around the world without our use of allies’ bases and the certainty of alliances. Americans should support the Biden’s national security team’s efforts to rebuild relationships that respect our allies, not bullies them.

There is hope. As a new president and his team take office and prepare to govern at this uncertain and divisive time in our history there are still strong anchors that hold our country together. We possess a living, active Constitution. We are a nation of laws. We are a nation of fair and caring citizens. We can and we do self-correct. We have 27 amendments to the Constitution because we didn’t get it all right the first time; we self-corrected and changed the laws and our system to address inequities and inequalities. We still are striving to do better and fix problems. There is much yet to do. But we have historic capabilities and capacities and the mechanisms to continue to make America more just. Generations of Americans before us have changed the United States and the world for the better. Selfless, purposeful Americans,  like the men and women of our armed forces. Like always, our defense enterprise will continue to play a key role in America’s future. Leadership matters. Character matters. 

Today, we celebrate the bedrock of democracy: the peaceful transition of power. Congratulations, America.

Chuck Hagel served as the 24th U.S. secretary of defense from 2013 to 2015 under President Barack Obama. He is the only Vietnam veteran and the first enlisted combat veteran to serve as secretary of defense. Previously, he served two terms in the U.S. Senate from 1997 to 20009, as a Republican representing the state of Nebraska. 

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.