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Guest Essay

By Chuck Hagel

Mr. Hagel, a former Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska, was a secretary of defense in the Obama administration.

As a former secretary of defense and U.S. senator, I have always believed a secretary of defense had two main responsibilities: one, the defense and security of our nation, and two, supporting the men and women in the Department of Defense who ensure it.

Both of these tasks depend on maintaining the strength of our military. For two and a half centuries, the U.S. military’s fundamental power has been anchored in its history of apolitical professionalism— a power solidified by the belief in and allegiance to our Constitution and the strength of our people. Our military always been made up of people from all walks of life, and has led American society in ensuring equal rights for all like few other institutions in our country. The armed services were desegregated in 1948, for example, years before the Supreme Court’s landmark Brown decision required the same for schools.

Political independence and ethics are the bedrock of our military. Today, I am concerned that both are in danger. If we begin to compromise those........

© The New York Times