Bagram Air Field: US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel met with more than a dozen members of the special operations team that participated in the rescue of Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, an American soldier held by the Taliban. [caption id=“attachment_1551871” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (left) squats down to hand out a coin from the Secretary of Defense to a soldier during his visit to Bagram Airfield. AP[/caption] Hagel and the special operations team met quietly in a separate part of a hangar where he also spoke to a large group of US troops. According to a US official, Hagel thanked them and told them they represented the true spirit of never leaving a comrade behind. They largely kept out of sight. But as the special operations forces walked past their body armor and occasional beards and less clean-cut looks made it evident who they were. Hagel told them that while they participated in an important mission they do many other jobs that often go unrecognized. AP
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