 Chuck Hagel was sworn in as the 24th Secretary of Defense February 27th, taking over for Leon Panetta. Following the ceremony, Hagel held an all-hands call at the Pentagon where he expressed his gratitude for being selected for the position. To be part of your team, who you are, is the honor. That's the great privilege. You're not joining my team, I'm joining your team. And I want you to know how proud I am of the opportunity the President of the United States has given me and the Congress of the United States has given me. And I would tell you that as I told the President, as I told the Congress, that I will do everything in my power to be the kind of leader that you expect and you deserve. Also, the kind of leader the country expects and deserves. Hagel said that he will do everything in his power as Secretary of Defense to ensure that the military, their families, and veterans are taken care of. He added that although he is proud of his career, nothing makes him more proud than his work he does with the military and its veterans. Much of my life has been about doing everything I could in some way to help veterans and their families, whether it was chairing the Agent Orange payment program, whatever it was. And I'm proud of that. I'm more proud of that than any businesses or anything else I've been involved in. And I'm proud of my background. I'm proud of my career, like you all are. But nothing makes me prouder, has ever made me prouder than my association with the military and the veterans. From the Defense Media Activity, I'm Petty Officer Brandy Wills.