Chuck Hagel laments the dearth of veterans in key national security roles

Not sure what his point is. There is no requirement for one to be a veteran that has served their nation in the military. In fact, there are instances that military experience has no bearing, such as in the case of Jimmy Carter. And who does most vets believe was the best President in the last century? It's people like Chuck Hagel, one of the weaker Sec. Defs. I can remember, that worked with the Obama administration to create havoc within the military establishment. And then was replaced by another political hack that has set us back further than most can imagine. As to the reason, such a small number of citizens that have served, that has to do with the elimination of the draft (AVF) and no global wars.