Eric Shinseki

Eric Shinseki
Shinseki in 2009
7th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
In office
January 21, 2009 – May 30, 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
DeputyW. Scott Gould
Sloan D. Gibson
Preceded byJames Peake
Succeeded byBob McDonald
34th Chief of Staff of the United States Army
In office
June 21, 1999 – June 11, 2003
PresidentBill Clinton
George W. Bush
Preceded byDennis Reimer
Succeeded byPeter Schoomaker
28th Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
In office
November 24, 1998 – June 21, 1999
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byWilliam W. Crouch
Succeeded byJack Keane
Personal details
Born (1942-11-28) November 28, 1942 (age 81)
Lihue, Hawaii, U.S.
SpousePatricia Shinseki
Children2
EducationUnited States Military Academy (BS)
Duke University (MA)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1965–2003
RankGeneral
CommandsChief of Staff of the United States Army
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
Seventh United States Army
Allied Land Forces Central Europe
NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina
1st Cavalry Division
2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division
Battles/warsVietnam War
Bosnian War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Army Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal (3)
Purple Heart (2)[1][2]
Eric Shinseki's voice
Eric Shinseki testifies at a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing on the Veterans Health Administration
Recorded May 15, 2014

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]

  1. ^ "Award citations, Eric Ken Shinseki". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ Jaffe, Greg; O'Keefe, Ed (May 30, 2014). "Obama accepts resignation of VA Secretary Shinseki". Washington Post. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "Overseas Contingency Operations Profiles". Asia Pacific Americans in the United States Army. United States Army. Retrieved August 19, 2014.