Thanks to UNO and the Omaha community for your help supporting and organizing the Chuck Hagel Symposium in Public Service.
The purpose of this event is to introduce young Americans to the impact of public service and the meaning and joy it can add to our own lives and the lives of those we serve.
Now, more than ever, our world is in need of civic-minded citizens who transcend the borders of their neighborhoods and nations, bringing their best ideas together in service to each other. We will need collaborative, service-minded scientists, inventors, historians, politicians, and artists to solve our most pressing challenges and make the most of our shared opportunities.
I hope this Symposium will help instill the principles of cooperation and service into the character of our bright, young attendees, wherever their interests take them in the future.
Chuck Hagel
Sergeant, U.S. Army (Vietnam 1968)
U.S. Senator (1997-2009)
Secretary of Defense (2013-2015)