Eric Shinseki
Eric Shinseki | |
---|---|
7th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs | |
In office January 21, 2009 – May 30, 2014 | |
President | Barack Obama |
Deputy | W. Scott Gould Sloan D. Gibson |
Preceded by | James Peake |
Succeeded by | Bob McDonald |
34th Chief of Staff of the United States Army | |
In office June 21, 1999 – June 11, 2003 | |
President | Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
Preceded by | Dennis Reimer |
Succeeded by | Peter Schoomaker |
28th Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army | |
In office November 24, 1998 – June 21, 1999 | |
President | Bill Clinton |
Preceded by | William W. Crouch |
Succeeded by | Jack Keane |
Personal details | |
Born | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal (3) Purple Heart (2)[1][2] | November 28, 1942
Eric Ken Shinseki (/ʃɪnˈsɛki/; Japanese: 新関 健, romanized: Shinseki Ken, born November 28, 1942) is a retired United States Army general who served as the seventh United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (2009–2014) and the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army (1999–2003).[3] Shinseki is a veteran of two tours of combat in the Vietnam War, in which he was awarded three Bronze Star Medals for valor and two Purple Hearts.[4] He was the first Asian-American four-star general, and the first Asian-American Secretary of Veterans Affairs.[5]
Early life and education
Shinseki was born in
Military service
Shinseki served in a variety of command and staff assignments in the Continental United States and overseas, including two combat
Shinseki has served at
Shinseki's ten-plus years of service in Europe included assignments as Commander, 3rd Squadron,
From March 1994 to July 1995, Shinseki commanded the
As of 2009[update], Shinseki was the highest-ranked
Army Chief of Staff
During his tenure as Army Chief of Staff, Shinseki initiated an innovative but controversial plan to make the army more strategically deployable and mobile in urban terrain by creating Stryker Interim-Force Brigade Combat Teams.[13] He conceived a long-term strategic plan for the army dubbed "Objective Force", which included a program he designed, Future Combat Systems.[14] One other controversial plan that Shinseki implemented was the wearing of the black beret for all army personnel.[15] Prior to Shinseki implementing this policy, only the United States Army Rangers could wear the black beret. When the black beret was given to all soldiers and officers, the Rangers moved to the tan beret.
Shinseki publicly clashed with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld during the planning of the war in Iraq over how many troops the United States would need to keep in Iraq for the postwar occupation of that country. As Army Chief of Staff, Shinseki testified to the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services on February 25, 2003, that "something in the order of several hundred thousand soldiers" would probably be required for postwar Iraq. This was an estimate far higher than the figure being proposed by Secretary Rumsfeld in his invasion plan, and it was rejected in strong language by both Rumsfeld and his Deputy Secretary of Defense, Paul Wolfowitz, who was another chief planner of the invasion and occupation.[16] From then on, Shinseki's influence on the Joint Chiefs of Staff reportedly waned.[17] Critics of the Bush administration alleged that Shinseki was forced into early retirement as Army Chief of Staff because of his comments on troop levels;[18] however, his retirement was announced nearly a year before those comments.[19]
When the
Post-military career
Shinseki has served as a director for several corporations:
United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (2009–2014)
On December 7, 2008, then-
Veterans Health Administration scandal
In May 2014, Shinseki was embroiled in a scandal involving the Veterans Health Administration, which is a component of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Questions involving substandard timely care and false records covering up related timelines had come to light, involving treatment of veterans in a number of veterans hospitals.[26][27] On May 30, 2014, President Obama announced that he had accepted Shinseki's resignation as Secretary.[28][29] Shinseki said he could not explain the lack of integrity among some leaders in veterans healthcare facilities: "That breach of integrity is irresponsible, it is indefensible, and unacceptable to me." He said he could not defend what happened because it was indefensible, but he could take responsibility for it and he would.[30] Shinseki's resignation meant that 2014 was the first time since 2000 that there had not been an Asian American in the Cabinet of the United States.[31]
In an interview with retired General Peter W. Chiarelli, journalist Robert Siegel described the situation as "a case of a very, very good man who's run up against some pretty terrible problems in his job," to which Chiarelli responded, "I don't look up to any man more than I look up to Eric Shinseki."[32]
Family
Shinseki is married to his high school sweetheart, Patricia; they are the parents of two children, Lori and Ken.[7] He also has seven grandchildren.[33]
Awards, decorations, and badges
Shinseki was awarded the following medals, ribbons, badges, and tabs:[34][35]
Defense Distinguished Service Medal[36] (with one oak leaf cluster)[37] | |
Navy Distinguished Service Medal[38]
| |
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal[38]
| |
Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal[38]
| |
Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster)[36] | |
"V" Device and two Oak Leaf Clusters)[36]
| |
Purple Heart (with Oak Leaf Cluster)[36] | |
Defense Meritorious Service Medal[36] | |
Meritorious Service Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters)[36] | |
Air Medal[36] | |
Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)[39] | |
Army Achievement Medal[39] | |
National Defense Service Medal with Service star | |
Vietnam Service Medal with four Service stars | |
Armed Forces Service Medal | |
Army Service Ribbon | |
Army Overseas Service Ribbon | |
NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia | |
Vietnam Campaign Medal | |
Order of Military Merit (Grand Officer; Brazil)[40] |
Parachutist Badge | |
Ranger Tab
| |
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge | |
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
| |
Army Staff Identification Badge | |
Four Overseas Service Bars |
Notes
- ^ "Award citations, Eric Ken Shinseki". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ "Biography, General Eric K. Shinseki". Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army. Army Historical Foundation. January 21, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ Jaffe, Greg; O'Keefe, Ed (May 30, 2014). "Obama accepts resignation of VA Secretary Shinseki". Washington Post. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ a b Eric Shinseki (May 12, 2009). "Remarks by Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, 2009 Secretary's Awards for Excellence in Nursing". U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- ^ "Overseas Contingency Operations Profiles". Asia Pacific Americans in the United States Army. United States Army. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ Obata, Hiroshi. 両祖父母は広島出身 Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine ("Shinseki: both grandparents are from Hiroshima"). Hiroshima Peace Media (Japan). January 30, 2009
- ^ a b c Sauer, Bobbie Kyle (December 18, 2008). "10 Things You Didn't Know About Gen. Eric Shinseki". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ "Eric K. Shinseki". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
- ^ Fahrig, Jody T. (June 23, 1999). "Army welcomes Shinseki as new chief". Army News Service. Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. Retrieved May 27, 2006.
- ^ Shinseki, Eric K (June 10, 2003). "End of Tour Memorandum" (PDF). The Washington Post Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ Thom Shanker (January 14, 2009). "A Second Act for General Shinseki". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
- Honolulu Star Bulletin. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
- ^ Thom Shanker (October 29, 2002). "Army Takes on Critics of an Armored Vehicle". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ "Objective Force is Needed for Relevancy". AUSA News. Association of the United States Army. April 1, 2001. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ "Beret battle: Army approves color change". Amarillo Globe=News. March 16, 2001. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ Schmitt, Eric (February 28, 2003). "Pentagon Contradicts General on Iraq Occupation Force's Size". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ^ Shanker, Thom "New Strategy Vindicates Ex-Army Chief Shinseki", New York Times, January 12, 2007.
- ^ Dowd, Maureen (September 19, 2007). "Alan (not atlas) shrugged". The New York Times. Gale General OneFile. p. A25(L).
He shoved Gen. Eric Shinseki into retirement -- and failed to show up at his retirement party -- after the good general correctly told Congress that it would take several hundred thousand troops to invade and control Iraq
- CNN.com. October 9, 2004.
- ^ a b Ricks, Thomas E.; Ann Scott Tyson (November 16, 2006). "Abizaid Says Withdrawal Would Mean More Unrest". The Washington Post. p. A22. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
General [Eric] Shinseki was right that a greater international force contribution, U.S. force contribution and Iraqi force contribution should have been available immediately after major combat operations.
- ^ Rucker, Philip; Thomas E. Ricks (December 6, 2008). "Shinseki Slated to Head VA, Obama Confirms". Washington Post. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ "Shinseki biography". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ "The Purpose Prize: Shinseki". Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ "Obama: No one 'more qualified' than Shinseki to head VA". CNN. December 7, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ Abrams, Jim (January 20, 2009). "Senate confirms 6 cabinet secretaries". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
- ^ Shinseki 'mad as hell' about VA allegations, but won't resign
- ^ "VA's top health official resigns amid scandal over delays in vets' care | Military Times". militarytimes.com. May 15, 2014. Archived from the original on May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
- ^ "Embattled VA chief Shinseki resigns". USA Today. May 30, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
- ^ "Veterans Secretary Eric Shinseki resigns". CNN. May 30, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
- ^ "US president accepts with 'regret' Veterans Affairs chief's resignation". Chicago Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 31, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- ^ Mak, Tim (June 1, 2014). "There Are No Asian-Americans In The Cabinet For The First Time Since 2000". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ Siegel, Robert (May 30, 2014). "Retired Army Gen. On Shinseki: 'I Don't Look Up To Any Man More'". NPR. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- ^ Shane III, Leo (June 19, 2013). "Shinseki's style: Determined, quiet". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ "Eric K. Shinseki". Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Archived from the original on September 15, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ^ "Overseas Contingency Operations". Asian Pacific Americans in the United States Army. United States Army. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
"Chief of Staff of the Army Official Portrait". Army Leadership. United States ARmy. June 24, 2001. Archived from the original on April 29, 2003. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
"S.RES.190 – Commending General Eric Shinseki of the United States Army for his outstanding service and commitment to excellence. (Agreed to Senate – ATS)". www.congress.gov. Library of Congress.Whereas General Shinseki has been awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with oak leaf clusters), Bronze Star Medal with 'V' Device (with 2 oak leaf clusters), Purple Heart (with oak leaf cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 oak leaf clusters), Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with oak leaf cluster), Army Achievement Medal, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge, Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge;
- ^ a b c d e f g h Eric K. Shinseki: Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs Biography Archived January 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, About.com, U.S. Government, by Robert Longley, last accessed July 13, 2013
- ^ a b "Eric Ken Shinseki". Hall of Valor. Gannett. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
Tran, Can (December 7, 2008). "Obama Picks Army Gen. Shinseki To Head VA". Digital Journal. Retrieved September 14, 2014. - ^ a b c "President-Elect Barack Obama Announces General Eric Shinseki as Secretary of Veterans Affairs". The American Presidency Project. UCSB. December 7, 2008. Retrieved August 30, 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b General Eric K. Shinseki, Retired Chief of Staff, United States Army, Asian American Network, last accessed July 13, 2014
- ^ (in Portuguese) Decree. March 14, 2002.
References
- VA Official Biography
- Official U.S. Army biography Archived March 6, 2021, at the ISBN 0-16-072376-0)
Further reading
- "Transcript of the Chief of Staff of the Army's Remarks to Soldiers Radio and Television (after the attacks of September 11th)". Army News Service. September 14, 2001. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
- Burlas, Joe (June 10, 2003). "Commentary: Shinseki leaves legacy of irreversible momentum". Army News Service. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
- Dickey, Connie. "Chief of Staff shares his concerns for the soldier and the Army", ARNEWS, June 28, 1999. From media interview 3 days after becoming Army Chief of Staff. (URL retrieved May 27, 2006)
- Moulin, Pierre. " Commentary: Eric Shinseki Gallery", Fort DeRussy – U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii, April 2008. ISBN 978-1-56647-850-2
- Siemieniec, Jack. "Chief of Staff expands on Army Vision" Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, ARNEWS, January 31, 2000. (URL retrieved May 27, 2006)
- Boyer, Peter J.. A Different War – Is the Army becoming irrelevant? The New Yorker, July 1, 2002.
External links
- Biography at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Eric Shinseki collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- Eric K. Shinseki Collection (while CSA) Archived May 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine US Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
- Eric K. Shinseki Gallery Fort DeRussy Army Museum of Hawaii