Former Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE), President Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, has been endorsed for the position by a wide range of former generals, diplomats, and senior government officials. The following is a guide to the wide range of endorsements enjoyed by Hagel,
Letter from Retired Generals Endorsing Hagel (12/21/12)
Signatories:
1) Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft, USAF (Ret.) former National Security Advisor to PresidentsGerald Ford and George H.W. Bush
2) Admiral William J. Fallon, USN (Ret.), former Commander of U.S. Central Command and U.S.Pacific Command
3) General Lester L. Lyles, USAF (Ret.), former Commander, Air Force Material Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
4) Admiral Robert J. Natter, USN (Ret.), former Commander of U.S. Atlantic Fleet/Fleet Forces Command
5) General Chuck Wald, USAF (Ret.), former Deputy Commander of United States European Command
6) General Anthony Zinni, USMC (Ret.), former Commander in Chief of United States Central Command
7) Lieutenant General John “Glad” Castellaw, USMC (Ret.), former Chief of Staff of United States Central Command
8) Lieutenant General Daniel Christman, USA (Ret.), former Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point
9) Lieutenant General Robert G. Gard, Jr., USA, (Ret.), former President of the National Defense University
10) Brigadier General Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret.), former Inspector General of the Marine Corps
11) Brigadier General Dr. John H. Johns, USA (Ret.), former Assistant Commander of the 1st Infantry Division and Professor of National Security Strategy at the National Defense University
Ambassadors Letter (12/20/12)
Signatories:
1) Nicholas Burns, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador to NATO and Greece
2) Ryan Crocker, former Ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan
3) Edward Djerejian, former Ambassador to Israel and Syria
4) William Harrop, former Ambassador to Israel
5) Daniel Kurtzer, former Ambassador to Israel and Egypt
6) Sam Lewis, former Ambassador to Israel
7) William H. Luers, former Ambassador to Venezuela and Czechoslovakia
8) Thomas R. Pickering, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador to Israel and Russia
9) Frank G. Wisner, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Ambassador to Egypt and India
Bipartisan Group Letter in Support of Chuck Hagel
Signatories:
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David Boren, former U.S. Senator (D-OK)
Nancy Kassebaum-Baker, former U.S. Senator (R-KS)
Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor
Thomas Pickering, former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs
Frank Carlucci, former Secretary of Defense
Brent Scowcroft, former National Security Advisor
William Fallon, former Commander, U.S. Central Command
Paul Volcker, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve
Gary Hart, former U.S.Senator (D-CO)
James Wolfensohn, former President of World Bank Group
Carla Hills, former USTA Representative
Former Secretaries of State, Defense, and National Security Advisors (1/24/13)
Hon. Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State
Hon. Samuel Berger, former National Security Advisor
Hon. Harold Brown, former Secretary of Defense
Hon. Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor
Hon. William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense
Hon. Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense
Hon. James Jones, former National Security Advisor
Hon. Melvin Laird, former Secretary of Defense
Hon. Robert McFarlane, former National Security Advisor
Hon. William Perry, former Secretary of Defense
Hon. Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor
Hon. George Shultz, former Secretary of State
Hon. Brent Scowcroft, former National Security Advisor
BIPARTISAN ARMS CONTROL EXPERTS 1/24/13
Bruce Blair, Member, Secretary of State’s International Security Advisory Board and Co-Founder, Global Zero
Richard Burt, Former Chief Negotiator, Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) and US Chairman, Global Zero
Joe Cirincione, President, Ploughshares Fund
Amb. Ralph Earle II , Former Chief SALT Negotiator with the Soviet Union and Director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
Amb. Thomas Graham, Jr., Lightbridge Corporation & Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation National Advisory Board Member, Former Special Representative of the President for Arms Control, Nonproliferation and Disarmament
Amb. Robert Grey, Former Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament
John Holum, Former Director, US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency & Undersecretary of State
Jack F. Matlock, Jr., Special Assistant to President Reagan for National Security, 1983-1986, U.S. Ambassador to USSR, 1987-1991, Author of Reagan and Gorbachev: How the Cold War Ended
Amb. Thomas Pickering, Former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador to Russia, the UN, India and Israel
Richard Rhodes, Science historian and Pulitzer Prize recipient; preeminent historian of the nuclear age
Prominent Veterans’ Organizations Support Chuck Hagel
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
“It is not the place for America’s oldest and largest combat veterans organization to advise or recommend to the President who he should nominate for cabinet positions. However, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. considers Chuck Hagel — a twice-wounded Vietnam
War infantryman and former two-term U.S. senator from Nebraska — to be uniquely
qualified to lead the Department of Defense.” – Robert E. Wallace, Executive Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
“Without Senator Hagel’s leadership in Washington, there would not be a Post-9/11 G.I.
Bill.” “Senator Hagel has always been a strong advocate for veterans; at the Department of
Defense, there is no doubt he will continue that legacy. Time and time again, from Vietnam
to the VA to the USO, Senator Hagel has answered his country’s call to serve, demonstrating
courage, character and resolve at every turn. We encourage the Senate to approve his
nomination swiftly.” – Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
AMVETS
AMVETS National Commander Cleve Geer endorsed President Barack Obama’s nomination
of Chuck Hagel as the next Secretary of Defense. “AMVETS fully supports President
Obama’s nomination of Chuck Hagel for the future Secretary of Defense,” said Geer. “As a
veterans service organization, AMVETS’ main mission is to serve as an advocate for veterans,
their families and the community in which they live. I am confident that former Sen.
Hagel will utilize his experience and understanding of America’s military to lead this
nation’s troops and the Department of Defense.”
VoteVets.org
VoteVets’ petition for Hagel was signed by over 8000 veterans and military families.
“Senator Hagel is a tremendous pick for Secretary of Defense, who I know very well, and I
have little doubt that he will serve President Obama with distinction – both as a voice of
reason within the administration, and as a faithful advocate for carrying out the policies of
the Commander in Chief. When it is all said and done, we will be talking about him as one
of the finest Secretaries of Defense we’ve ever had.” – Jon Soltz, Founder and Chairman
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)
“While MOAA does not endorse or oppose specific candidates for elected of appointed
office, we believe Sen. Hagel is certainly a candidate who is fully qualified for appointment
to this extremely important position. MOAA’s past work with Sen. Hagel has been very
positive, and we believe he brings an important sensitivity to the human side of budget and
operational considerations. His experience as a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran, as
Deputy Administrator of the VA and his two terms in the Senate provide a range of
perspectives that would serve any Secretary of Defense well. MOAA previously recognized
Sen. Hagel’s efforts to protect the interests of military beneficiaries with our Arthur T. Marix
Congressional Leadership Award. […] MOAA does not believe cabinet nominees should be
held hostage to political litmus tests.” – Admiral Norbert R. Ryan, Jr., USN (Ret.), President
Non Commissioned Officers Association of the USA (NCOA)
“NCOA strongly supports the appointment of The Honorable Chuck Hagel to be Secretary of
Defense […] His military service including being twice wounded in action has instilled the
values of service and personal sacrifice and for which he knows well the human cost of war.
He has been an advocate for Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Coasties to ensure the
training and equipage of America’s 21st Century Military Force to coincide with a solid
revised Defense posture to meet conventional and unconventional world challenges. Senator
Hagel has also championed personnel issues relating to combat dwell time, force protection,
transition issues including electronic medical issues, preparation for future employment and
training, veterans benefits including enhancements to Post 9/11 educational benefits. He also
recognizes the value and sacrifice of families of the men and women who serve in this
nation’s Uniformed Services.” – Richard C. Schneider, Executive Director, Gov’t Affairs
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)
“Vietnam Veterans of America fully and unequivocally stands in support of the nomination
of Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense.” “We know him to be a man of the highest
character and integrity who will take care of the troops while accomplishing the mission. He
has the range and depth of knowledge in foreign affairs as well as defense policy to have
sufficient gravitas to be an excellent Secretary of Defense. He is an inspired choice. As a
combat-tested soldier who acquitted himself well in battle, Senator Hagel knows first-hand
what it means to commit our troops to war. He gets it that warfare is ultimately about the
mud and the blood and the efforts of the troops on the ground, so he will ensure that we
continue to be the best-equipped and trained military in the world.” “As a Senator, he was a
key player in securing the GI Bill for the 21st Century, as well as other crucial programs to
assist the veterans of our latest wars. He was the critical champion in the Senate in
strengthening veterans’ preference in federal hiring, which has made the current campaign to
hire veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan into government positions possible. VVA recommends
Senator Chuck Hagel without reservation for quick confirmation as Secretary of Defense, a
position for which he is pre-eminently qualified.” – VVA National President John Rowan
The American Legion
“[Hagel] is a longtime member of the Legion; he joined right after he returned from Vietnam.
He’s a longtime advocate for veterans in the VA and especially for veterans exposed to Agent
Orange. Our organization has consulted with him among others on various national security
matters. Having said that, the American Legion is prohibited by our congressional charter…
from endorsing any candidate for elected or appointed office.” – John Raughter,
communications director for the American Legion
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
“I first met Mr. Hagel in 1981, when he was the No. 2 man at the Veterans Administration.
He had just thrown out of his office some people who were demanding that he stop his
support for Maya Lin’s design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. His integrity and
toughness were impressive then. Both qualities have grown since. Long before he became a
senator, Mr. Hagel was an infantryman in Vietnam. He fought the enemy up close, and he
had to put Americans in body bags. I am sure that as defense secretary, he would not hesitate
to use military force aggressively if our nation or its allies are in danger. Yet he knows well
that war is terribly unpredictable and needs to be avoided. He has shown some fury at those
who have never seen war but encouraged it during the past decade. This is called courage. He
has earned his stripes.” – Jan C. Scruggs, Founder and President
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Robert E. Wallace, executive director of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States:
“It is not the place for America’s oldest and largest combat veterans organization
to advise or recommend to the President who he should nominate for cabinet
positions. However, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. considers Chuck
Hagel — a twice-wounded Vietnam War infantryman and former two-term U.S.
senator from Nebraska — to be uniquely qualified to lead the Department of
Defense.”
Endorsements from other distinguished individuals
- William Cohen, former Senator and Secretary of Defense
- James L. Jones, former National Security Advisor
- Alon Pinkas, former Israeli Ambassador and Consul General in New York
- Paul D. Eaton, Major General (ret.)
- John Warner, former Senator (R-VA) and Secretary of the Navy
- Jan Scruggs, president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
- Max Cleland, former Senator (D-GA) and Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Michael Guest, former Ambassador to Romania and the first openly gay Senate-confirmed ambassador
- Lee Gunn, USN Vice Admiral (Ret.)
- Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense
- Colin Powell, former Secretary of State
- Stanley McChrystal, former top general in Afghanistan
- Richard Burt, senior diplomat in the Reagan administration
- Michael Hayden, former CIA Director
FIFTY AMERICAN STATESMEN TO SENATORS: CONFIRM CHUCK HAGEL AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
Signatories:
• John Beyrle, former Ambassador to Russia and Bulgaria
• Barbara K. Bodine, former Ambassador to Yemen
• Avis Bohlen, former Ambassador to Bulgaria and former Assistant Secretary for Arms Control
• Nicholas Burns, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador to NATO and Greece
• Elinor Constable, former Ambassador to Kenya
• Edwin G. Corr, former Ambassador to Peru, Bolivia and El Salvador
• Ryan Crocker, former Ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan
• Ruth A. Davis, former Ambassador to Benin and former Director General of the US Foreign Service
• James Dobbins, former Ambassador to the European Community and Assistant Secretary of State for Europe
• John Gunther Dean, former ambassador to Cambodia, Denmark, Lebanon, Thailand, and India
• Edward Djerejian, former Ambassador to Israel and Syria
• Nancy Ely-Raphel, former Ambassador to Slovenia
• Robert Gelbard, Former Ambassador to Indonesia and Bolivia and Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
• James Goodby, former Ambassador to Finland
• William Harrop, former Ambassador to Israel and State Department Inspector General
• Ulric Haynes, Jr. former Ambassador to Algeria
• Christopher Hill, former Ambassador to Iraq
• Carla Hills, former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
• H. Allen Holmes, former Ambassador to Portugal and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations
• Thomas L. Hughes, former Director of Intelligence and Research, Department of State
• Dennis Jett, former Ambassador to Mozambique and Peru
• Craig Johnstone, former Ambassador to Algeria
• Theodore Kattouf, former Ambassador to United Arab Emirates and Syria
• Daniel Kurtzer, former Ambassador to Israel and Egypt
• Sam Lewis, former Ambassador to Israel
• William H. Luers, former Ambassador to Venezuela and Czechoslovakia
• Dick McCormack, former Ambassador to the Organization of American States and United States Under Secretary of State for Economic and Agricultural Affairs
• Thomas E. McNamara, former Ambassador to Colombia and Ambassador-at-Large for Counterterrorism, and Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
• Tom Miller, former Ambassador to Greece and Bosnia-Herzevovina
• William G. Miller, former Ambassador to Ukraine
• Richard Murphy, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Syria, the Philippines
• Cameron Munter, former ambassador to Pakistan and Serbia
• Ronald Neumman, former Ambassador Afghanistan, Algeria and Bahrain
• Joseph Nye, former Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security
• Robert B. Oakley, former Ambassador to Pakistan, Somalia, and Zaire
• Phyllis E. Oakley, former Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research and Refugees
• W. Robert Pearson, former Ambassador to Turkey
• Pete Peterson, former Ambassador to Vietnam
• Thomas R. Pickering, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador to Israel, India Jordan, Russia and the United Nations
• Steven Pifer, former Ambassador to Ukraine
• Howard B. Schaffer, former Ambassador to Bangladesh
• Patrick Theros, former Ambassador to Qatar
• Nicholas Veliotes, former Ambassador to Jordon and Egypt
• Richard Viets, former Ambassador to Jordon, Tanzania, and Portugal
• Edward Walker, former Ambassador to Egypt, Israel and the United Arab Emirates
• Jennone Walker, former Ambassador to the Czech Republic
• John Whitehead, former Deputy Secretary of State
• Ross Wilson, former Ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan
• Frank G. Wisner, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Ambassador to Egypt and India
