Chuck Hagel Biography, Notable Achievements

President Barack Obama's administration is expected to nominate former Sen. Chuck Hagel for the post of Department of Defense to begin the president's second term. CNN reports an announcement confirming Obama's choice is to be made Monday. Sources told the media outlet Obama went on offense Friday when he called senators to say the nomination was coming.

Hagel is described as a "maverick Republican" by the New York Times. His choice for Defense Secretary isn't without some tough questions from GOP members of the Senate. Hagel's background is a solid one for the job.

* The former senator served a tour in Vietnam in 1968, according to CNN. He voluntarily signed up for the Army and served alongside his younger brother due to a clerical error. Hagel received two Purple Hearts -- one for saving his brother's life and the other for taking shrapnel to the chest.

* If nominated as expected, Hagel will be the first Vietnam War veteran to be chosen by a president to head the Department of Defense. He still needs to be confirmed by the full Senate.

* After returning home from the war to Nebraska, Hagel entered private life as a newscaster in Omaha, Neb., from 1969 to 1971. His first taste of political life was as an administrative assistant to Rep. John Y. McCollister, R-Neb., from 1971 to 1977.

* Hagel then managed government affairs for Firestone Tire & Rubber Company for four years in Washington, D.C. After that, he was an investment banker following a stint as a deputy administrator in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

* The first elected office held by the veteran was that of senator. Elected in 1996 and re-elected in 2002, Hagel served in Congress for two terms from 1997 to 2009 before choosing not to run for office in 2008.

* The senator has two books about his life and views. The first, an official biography written by Charlyne Berens in 2006, is entitled "Chuck Hagel: Moving Forward." The second work was written by the former senator and called "America: Our Next Chapter."

* Hagel has been an outspoken opponent of war, especially as wars in Afghanistan and Iraq raged in the mid-2000s. The Los Angeles Times reveals the former lawmaker openly criticized George W. Bush and how he handled both wars.

* The nominee is also controversial. In 1998, he made anti-gay remarks he later had to apologize for. Hagel has also been tabbed as anti-Israel and out of touch on Iran.

* Currently, the veteran is a professor at Georgetown University and serves on the boards of several companies and organizations. During his time in the Senate, Hagel was a senior member of the Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees.

* During his first election in 1996, Hagel defeated incumbent Sen. Ben Nelson with 54 percent of the vote. Six years later, he won with 83 percent support, pegged as the "largest margin of victory in any statewide race in Nebraska history."

William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chuck-hagel-biography-notable-achievements-175700472.html

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