- In full:
- Eric Ken Shinseki
- Born:
- November 28, 1942, Lihue, Hawaii [U.S.] (age 83)
- Awards And Honors:
- Purple Heart
Eric K. Shinseki
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Who is Eric K. Shinseki?
Eric K. Shinseki (born in Lihue, Hawaii, November 28, 1942) is a U.S. Army officer. He was the first Asian American to become a four-star general.
Shinseki served as commander of NATO peacekeeping forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1997–98), as army chief of staff (1999–2003), and as secretary of veterans affairs (2009–14) under President Barack Obama. Inspired by his uncles' service in the all-Japanese 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, he entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, earning a B.A. in engineering in 1965. In 2014, amid allegations of systemic misconduct, Shinseki resigned as Secretary of Veteran Affairs.
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What branch of the military did Eric K. Shinseki serve in?
Eric K. Shinseki served in the U.S. Army. He entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, earning a B.A. in engineering and a second lieutenant’s commission in 1965. Later that year, he began the first of two combat tours in Vietnam. Shinseki rose to the rank of four-star general, the first Asian American to achieve this. He served as army chief of staff from 1999 to 2003.
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What important positions did Eric K. Shinseki hold in the U.S. Army?
Eric K. Shinseki held several important positions in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of four-star general, the first Asian American to do so. His roles included commanding NATO peacekeeping forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1997–98) and serving as army chief of staff (1999–2003). Earlier in his career, Shinseki served two combat tours in Vietnam, earning three Bronze Stars for valor and a Purple Heart. He also served as commander in chief of U.S. Army forces in Europe and commander of NATO land forces in central Europe.
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What contributions did Eric K. Shinseki make during his military service?
During his distinguished military career, Eric K. Shinseki achieved several milestones. As a U.S. Army officer, he was the first Asian American to become a four-star general. Shinseki served as commander of NATO peacekeeping forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1997–98) and as army chief of staff (1999–2003). He earned a Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf Cluster for a combat injury in Vietnam, where he served two tours, and three Bronze Stars for valor. Shinseki's career included postings at the Pentagon and with the 3rd Infantry Division in West Germany, and he commanded the 1st Cavalry Division in 1994.
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Why is Eric K. Shinseki known for his leadership during the Iraq War?
Eric K. Shinseki is known for his leadership and the tensions that arose during the Iraq War due to his differing views with civilian leaders in the Pentagon.
As army chief of staff, Shinseki advocated for a large military force, in line with Colin Powell’s doctrine, which clashed with the "small footprint" strategy favored by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. In 2003, Shinseki testified before Congress that the Iraq invasion would require "several hundred thousand soldiers" and cautioned about potential "ethnic tensions." These statements were quickly refuted by Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, and Shinseki retired shortly thereafter.
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What did Eric K. Shinseki do after retiring from the military?
After retiring as army chief of staff in 2003, Eric K. Shinseki was nominated in 2008 by Barack Obama to serve as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He was approved by the Senate in January 2009. Shinseki remained in this role until May 2014, when he resigned amid allegations of systemic misconduct at the VA.
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Eric K. Shinseki (born November 28, 1942, Lihue, Hawaii [U.S.]) is a U.S. Army officer who was the first Asian American to achieve the rank of four-star general. He commanded North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) peacekeeping forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1997–98), served as army chief of staff (1999–2003), and was secretary of veterans affairs (2009–14) in the administration of Pres. Barack Obama.
Shinseki was born less than a year after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and his parents, like other Japanese Americans at the time, were classified by the U.S. government as “enemy aliens.” To prove their loyalty to their adopted country, three of his uncles enlisted in the army, and they served in Europe in the all-Japanese 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team. In spite of early misgivings about the use of Nisei (second-generation Japanese American) troops, the soldiers established a reputation for unmatched bravery, and Nisei units went on to become some of the most decorated in U.S armed forces history. Shinseki was inspired by his uncles’ service, and he entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he earned a B.A. in engineering and a second lieutenant’s commission in 1965. Later that year, he began the first of two combat tours in Vietnam. He was awarded three Bronze Stars for valour and a Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf Cluster—he received the latter honour for a combat injury that cost him part of his right foot. He spent almost a year recovering from his wounds, but he returned to active duty in 1971.
Shinseki earned an M.A. in English from Duke University (1976) before taking a position as an instructor at West Point. He continued to advance along the officer career track, with extended postings at the Pentagon and with the 3rd Infantry Division in West Germany, and in 1991 he was promoted to brigadier general. He received his first division command when he was named commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division in 1994, and he earned his second star later that year. Shinseki added a third star in 1996, and he was named commander in chief of U.S. Army forces in Europe the following year. During this time, he also served as commander of NATO land forces in central Europe, as well as commander of the NATO stabilization mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He earned his fourth star in August 1997, and Pres. Bill Clinton nominated him to the post of army chief of staff in April 1999.
Shinseki remained on as army chief of staff during the administration of Pres. George W. Bush, but his tenure was marked by increasing tension with civilian leaders in the Pentagon. Shinseki subscribed to Secretary of State Colin Powell’s doctrine that military force, if used, should be overwhelming in size, speed, and power. This conflicted with the “small footprint” strategy espoused by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his assistant, Paul Wolfowitz, who believed that advanced battlefield technology and precision weapons made large bodies of traditional infantry obsolete. In the days leading up to the Iraq War, this doctrinal clash became public, when Shinseki testified before Congress in 2003 that an invasion of Iraq would require “several hundred thousand soldiers” and that a post-war occupation could awaken “ethnic tensions that could lead to other problems.” These statements were immediately refuted by Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, and Shinseki retired a few months later. In 2008 Obama nominated Shinseki to serve as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the second largest agency in the federal government. He was approved by the Senate in January 2009.
Although long wait times for veterans seeking treatment at VA medical facilities had been reported for years, in 2014 evidence emerged that some facilities had covered up and misrepresented those wait times and that veterans had died before they received care. Amid intensifying allegations of systemic misconduct at the VA, Shinseki resigned in May 2014.