Episode 16: Chuck Hagel - Evaluating Evolving Nature of the U.S. Military

Polaris Live Podcasts with Host, Sarwar Kashmeri

In just six months, the new U.S. administration has fundamentally restructured the military, resulting in diminished alliances, reduced normative standards, and less emphasis on diversity. Concurrently, there has been a shift toward a more militarily-led U.S. foreign policy that has already seen American involvement in two wars in the Middle East.
Proponents argue that this redesign enhances the military’s lethality and effectiveness. But does it truly achieve that goal? More critically, does this new approach position the U.S. military to compete more effectively with its primary competitor, the People’s Republic of China, which seems to prioritize winning hearts and minds over aggressive military strategies?
We will explore this evolving global order with a distinguished guest—Secretary Chuck Hagel, one of the few Americans with a remarkable career at the top levels of international business, politics, and the military.
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Sec. Chuck Hagel
Chuck Hagel is an American military veteran who served as a United States Senator from Nebraska and as the 24th United States Secretary of Defense.
Sec. Hagel was the first enlisted soldier to serve as the SecDef. A recipient of two Purple Hearts while an infantry squad leader in the Vietnam War, Hagel returned home to start careers in business and politics. He co-founded Vanguard Cellular. Hagel served as a professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, chairman of the Atlantic Council, and co-chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. He is the author of: “America, Our Next Chapter: Tough Questions, Straight Answers.”