Chuck Hagel

In fact, the Pentagon has presented options to the President and while they are constantly reassessing those and offering new options.

The mission he has been tasked with is to degrade and destroy, not to contain, not to minimize, et cetera.

We got to destroy it, because if we don't destroy it, it will get worst and it will get wider and deeper.

We've never seen anything like this, we've got to be prepared for everything.

Oh, this is beyond anything that we've seen. So we must prepare for everything and the only way you do that is you take a cold steely hard to look at it and get ready.

This is beyond anything we've seen so we must prepare for everything and the only way you do that, you should take a cold steely, hard look at it and get ready beyond anything we've seen.

Climate change does not directly cause conflict, but it can significantly add to the challenges of global instability, hunger, poverty, and conflict.

I happen to believe, and I think the President has said it, that a political solution is the only viable solution.

There's a lot at stake for us.

Did we not anticipate this? ... it is likely that, specifically, ISIL may well take territory in Iraq.

It is up to the people of Afghanistan to make these decisions--their military, their new leadership that will be coming in as a result of their new government.

Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism. All the other issues.

Recent crises in Iraq and Ukraine are reminders of how dangerous, volatile, and unpredictable the world can be.

This is a defining budget that will begin adapting and reshaping our defense enterprise for years to come.

If Congress blocks these changes without adjusting current budget caps, or if sequestration remains the law, it will jeopardize the readiness and capability of our armed forces.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is on record stating that he was not aware of any United States soldier who lost their life in search for Sergeant Bergdahl.

America does not leave its soldiers behind. We made the right decision. And we did it for the right reasons. To bring home one of our own people.

I'm not surprised that there are still questions and until we get the facts, exactly what the condition of Sergeant Bergdahl is, we can't go much further and speculating.

I don't think, again, that effort has gotten enough attention.

I mean, not to capture him, but to get him back, and to do that, if it would have taken another course of action or if we would have taken another option, that would have put our men and women at risk.

Continuous piecemeal changes will only magnify uncertainty and doubts among our servicemembers about whether promised benefits will be there in the future.

American dominance on the seas, in the skies, and in space can no longer be taken for granted.

Fort Hood is still locked down. We are still getting facts. It's a terrible tragedy. We know that. We know there are casualties, both people killed and injured.

It's a terrible tragedy, we know that. We know there are casualties of both people killed and injured.

Malaysia's defense chief arriving in Hawaii were able to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and possibly ask for more U.S. military assets designed for deep water search and recovery.