If I recall correctly Dr Fox had a pretty realistic and well balanced view of Defence, and said some sensible stuff - which is rare for a politician.
I do agree though, we certainly need a SofS that not only understands Defence, but importantly can communicate and inform a public that has a reducing ability to comprehend anything beyond the 'what were we doing in Afghan' argument.
I was recently having a chat with my 23ish year old tennis coach (yep, I am that rubbish!) over Argentina v Germany World Cup favourites, and to my amazement he had no knowledge of the Falklands Conflict, and this wasn't an inner city drug using drop out, but what I thought as an articulate and educated young lad.
I know that just as we can't live on the laurels of the Battle of Britain that the Navy can't live off the Falklands, but if the nation forgets or fails to understand these lessons then we will only repeat them.
This is the challenge for the next SofS - Mr Hammond has balanced the books (probably too over zealously I believe), but I personally felt that he could have done more to make the nation as a whole more aware of why there was a requirement to spend on Defence on what the roles, purposes and functions of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force are in this post Afghan era now that Bin Laden and the publicly associated War on Terror is complete.
If not Dr Fox, then IDS was pretty robust within the cabinet with Work and Pensions and might be able to prevent other departments sniping at MoD money in the future around SDSR15.
If any luck either Dr Fox or Mr Duncan Smith will be able to reverse some of the very short sighted Treasury lead decisions from the last SDSR.