Chuck Hagel Reunited with Missile System He Tested as Young Soldier
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John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images(WHITE SANDS, N.M.) — Chuck Hagel was reunited with an old Army buddy on Thursday during a visit to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
The Secretary of Defense got to hold a FIM-43 “Red Eye” shoulder fired missile that he tested as part of a secret program at the base in 1967 before shipping out to Vietnam.
#SecDef Hagel holds a FIM-43 Redeye during his visit to Orogrande Range today. pic.twitter.com/A0Mok80Ezp
— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) January 15, 2015
Hagel closed out his last domestic trip as Defense Secretary with stops at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas and the White Sands Missile Range across the state line.
Both bases were a stroll down memory lane for Hagel as he went through boot camp at Fort Bliss and was then assigned to the secret “Red Eye” test project at White Sands.
During his visit to the missile range on Thursday Hagel was shown the latest in anti-missile technology as well as one of the shoulder fired missile system.
He handled it like a pro and placed it on his shoulder just as he did during the secret testing program.
Hagel ended up serving in Vietnam where he earned two Purple Hearts.
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