Eric Ken Shinseki is a retired United States Army general who served as the seventh United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
29 Facts About Eric Shinseki
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Eric Shinseki's final United States Army post was as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army.
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Eric Shinseki was the first Asian-American four-star general, and the first Asian-American Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
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Eric Shinseki's grandparents emigrated from Hiroshima to Hawaii in 1901.
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Eric Shinseki grew up in a sugarcane plantation community on Kaua'i and graduated from Kaua'i High and Intermediate School in 1960.
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Eric Shinseki earned a Master of Arts degree in English Literature from Duke University in 1974.
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Eric Shinseki was educated at the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the National War College of National Defense University.
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Eric Shinseki served in a variety of command and staff assignments in the Continental United States and overseas, including two combat tours with the 9th and 25th Infantry Divisions in the Republic of Vietnam as an artillery forward observer and as commander of Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment during the Vietnam War.
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Eric Shinseki has served at Schofield Barracks, Hawai'i, with Headquarters, United States Army Hawaii, and Fort Shafter with Headquarters, United States Army Pacific.
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Eric Shinseki has taught at the US Military Academy's Department of English.
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Eric Shinseki served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Support, Allied Land Forces Southern Europe, an element of the Allied Forces Southern Europe.
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From March 1994 to July 1995, Eric Shinseki commanded the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.
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In June 1997, Eric Shinseki was appointed to the rank of general before assuming duties as Commanding General, Seventh United States Army; Commander, Allied Land Forces Central Europe; and Commander, NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Eric Shinseki became the Army's 28th Vice Chief of Staff on November 24,1998, then became its 34th Chief of Staff on June 22,1999.
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Eric Shinseki retired on June 11,2003 at the end of his four-year term.
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At that time, General Eric Shinseki retired from the Army after 38 years of military service.
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Eric Shinseki conceived a long term strategic plan for the army dubbed "Objective Force", which included a program he designed, Future Combat Systems.
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One other controversial plan that Eric Shinseki implemented was the wearing of the black beret for all army personnel.
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Eric 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.
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Critics of the Bush Administration alleged that Eric Shinseki was forced into early retirement as Army Chief of Staff because of his comments on troop levels; however, his retirement was announced nearly a year before those comments.
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Many believed that this was the primary reason Eric Shinseki had been on the opposite side concerning the Bush administration's military policy, constantly criticizing the administration.
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On November 15,2006, in testimony before Congress, CENTCOM Commander General John Abizaid said that Eric Shinseki had been correct that more troops were needed.
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Eric Shinseki is a member of the Advisory Boards at the Center for Public Leadership, John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and to the US Comptroller General.
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Eric Shinseki is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Atlantic Council of the United States, and the Association of the United States Army.
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On December 7,2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama announced at a press conference in Chicago that he would nominate Eric Shinseki to become the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
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Eric Shinseki was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on January 20,2009, and sworn in the next day.
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In May 2014, Eric Shinseki was embroiled in a scandal involving the Veterans Health Administration, which is a component of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Eric Shinseki is married to his high school sweetheart, Patricia; they are the parents of two children, Lori and Ken.
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Eric Shinseki was awarded the following medals, ribbons, badges, and tabs:.