(AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is making his first trip back to Nebraska for a speech at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Hagel, a former U.S. senator from Nebraska, will speak Wednesday afternoon on the challenges the Defense Department is facing.

On Thursday, Secretary Hagel will visit U.S. Strategic Command on Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha for a series of briefings.

Hagel will return to Washington on Thursday night.

Hagel’s visit comes a day after the Pentagon announced a plan to bring women into thousands of combat jobs, including those in elite special operations forces.