Shinseki is pinned with the rank of general by Army chief of staff Dennis Reimer and his wife Patty in July 1997A 2003 portrait of Shinseki
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. During one of those tours while serving as a forward artillery observer, he stepped on a land mine, which blew the front off one of his feet; after spending almost a year recovering from his injuries, he returned to active duty in 1971.[4]
Shinseki's ten-plus years of service in Europe included assignments as Commander, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 3rd Infantry Division (Schweinfurt); Commander, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Kitzingen); Assistant Chief of Staff, G3, 3rd Infantry Division (Operations, Plans and Training) (Würzburg); and Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver, 3rd Infantry Division (Schweinfurt). The 3rd Division was organized at that time as a heavy mechanized division. He also served as Assistant Chief of Staff, G3 (Operations, Plans, and Training), VII Corps (Stuttgart). Shinseki served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Support, Allied Land Forces Southern Europe (Verona), an element of the Allied Forces Southern Europe.
From March 1994 to July 1995, Shinseki commanded the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. In July 1996, he was promoted to lieutenant general and became Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, United States Army. In June 1997, 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, NATOStabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Shinseki became the Army's 28th Vice Chief of Staff on 24 November 1998, then became its 34th Chief of Staff on 22 June 1999,[9] the last Vietnam War veteran to hold the post. Shinseki retired on 11 June 2003, at the end of his four-year term. His Farewell Memo contained some of his ideas regarding the future of the military.[10] At that time, General Shinseki retired from the Army after 38 years of military service.
As of 2009[update], Shinseki was the highest-ranked Asian American in the history of the United States.[11] Additionally, as of 2004, he is the highest-ranked Japanese American to have served in the United States Armed Forces.[12]
Army Chief of Staff
Shinseki as Army Chief of Staff thanks Senator Strom Thurmond for his service to the country during his 100th birthday celebration on December 4, 2002.
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 25 February 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 insurgency took hold in postwar Iraq, Shinseki's comments and their public rejection by the civilian leadership were often cited by those who felt the Bush administration deployed too few troops to Iraq.[20] On 15 November 2006, in testimony before Congress, CENTCOM Commander General John Abizaid said that Shinseki had been correct that more troops were needed.[20]
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 30 May 2014, 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]
^"Biography, General Eric K. Shinseki". Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army. Army Historical Foundation. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
^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
^Shinseki, Eric K (10 June 2003). "End of Tour Memorandum"(PDF). The Washington Post Company. Archived from the original(PDF) on 7 March 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
^Dowd, Maureen (19 September 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
^ abRicks, Thomas E.; Ann Scott Tyson (16 November 2006). "Abizaid Says Withdrawal Would Mean More Unrest". The Washington Post. p. A22. Retrieved 13 December 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.
^"Eric K. Shinseki". Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 29 January 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. 24 June 2001. Archived from the original on 29 April 2003. Retrieved 29 January 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;
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)
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