George Casey, who would become Army chief of staff, the Pentagon said Friday.

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"In Vietnam, I learned that combat is a furnace that can consume you, or it can forge you into something better and stronger than you were before, " said Hagel, who took over the job as Pentagon chief at the end of February.

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The task for Hagel, 66, going forward is to swiftly move past the protracted nomination battle, prove himself a strong and capable Pentagon chief, and repair relationships on Capitol Hill, said Fran Townsend, a former homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS