Retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki to head VA

[DCBob]

Shinseki Slated to Head VA, Democratic Source Says
By Philip Rucker and Thomas E. Ricks

Retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki will be introduced tomorrow as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, a Democratic official familiar with the announcement said today. Shinseki, a 38-year veteran, is best known for his four years as Army chief of staff, and in particular his response to congressional questioning in February 2003 about troop levels necessary to protect a presumed military victory in Iraq.

Shinseki told the Senate Armed Services Committee that "something on the order of several hundred thousand soldiers" could be necessary, an assessment that was at odds with the announced determination of Pentagon leaders. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld reacted by telling reporters that Shinseki's estimate "will prove to be high," and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz called the assessment "way off the mark."

Three years later, Gen. John P. Abizaid, the chief military architect of U.S. military strategy told the same Senate committee, "General Shinseki was right." And in January 2007, President Bush ordered tens of thousands of U.S. troops back into Iraq to stabilize and secure the country. Shinseki retired in the summer of 2003, shortly after the fall of Baghdad. Notably, neither Rumsfeld nor Wolfowitz attended his farewell ceremony.

Notably Shinseki led the Army at the same time that Obama's nominee as national security adviser, then-Marine commandant Gen. James L. Jones. Both questioned Wolfowitz's presumptions, before the war in Iraq commenced, about how the fighting would go, and they argued that Pentagon planning was being too optimistic and should prepare thoroughly for worst-case scenarios.

The politics around the planned nomination are intriguing. Shinseki has maintained a near-total silence since leaving the Pentagon. However, earlier this year, a letter he wrote to Rumsfeld in June 2003 leaked. In it, Shinseki criticized Rumsfeld for not letting the Joint Chiefs of Staff "express their best military judgment as often as they should." He also said that the way Rumsfeld and other top civilian officials ran meetings was "unhelpful." Also, there long has been speculation inside the Army that Shinseki, who was severely wounded in Vietnam, is interested in running for the Senate when Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), an 84-year-old World War II veteran, decides to retire.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/06/shinseki_slated_to_head_va_dem.html?hpid=topnews
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Shinseki is one of the non-warmongering generals. Good choice -- IMO.

[Yavin4]

1. Great Appointment!

Way to go Obama! Shinseki was silenced when he spoke the truth.

[DCBob]

6. Anyone who spoke out against Rummy and Wolfie...

is at the top of my good guy list!

[jenmito]

2. K&R. I agree-good choice. n/t

[havocmom]

3. BRAVO

The troops deserve such a good man to take care of them.

[MidwestTransplant]

4. Hopefully that means Duckworth is headed to the Senate

[Perky]

19. Sorry....But Tammy has not done enough to qualify for such a leap.

[MidwestTransplant]

25. What qualifications are necessary for the Senate?

[phleshdef]

26. You are right, she understands nothing of sacrifice or public service.

[Thrill]

5. Obama really has everything planned doesn't he? Announcing this on the day he speaks about

the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks.

[DCBob]

8. Obama and his team are brilliant planners and strategists.

They continue to make all the right moves.

[rocktivity]

7. POW!!!! Now don't tell me THAT didn't hit Georgie right in the gut!

:rofl:
rocknation

[stray cat]

9. Really a fantastic choice

[shireen]

10. sweet!

i'm glad he's getting recognized, finally!

[Hope And Change]

11. Thanks for posting.K & R!

[Cha]

12. MY My My! Remember when

we were all so furious when bushites fired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki for daring to speak out on what was needed in Iraq?

I love this resurgence of good, intelligent people whose only problem was speaking the truth.

[butterfly77]

20. Yes..

and that is why he is the perfect choice.

[Cha]

28. Amen!

And, why we all feel doubly good about it! :fistbump:

[Sebastian Doyle]

13. Great pick, though a bit of a surprise

I thought this one was down to either Max Cleland or Tammy Duckworth. Shinseki might have been perfect for Defense if not for that "10 year rule" that keeps the retired generals out of that job.

[ClarkUSA]

14. What a magnificent left-wing/progressive full-of-schadenfreunde "fuck you" to BushCo...

Gotta love it. :D

[IndianaGreen]

15. "Eric was right!" Photo of General Shinseki and General Wes Clark

A true war hero done wrong by chicken hawk neocons.



Here is Pentagon's press release when General Shinseki was appointed Army Chief of Staff:

Gen. Shinseki Nominated for Army Chief of Staff


WASHINGTON, April 21, 1999 – Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen announced Apr. 21 that the President has nominated Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, U.S. Army, for reappointment to the grade of general and assignment as chief of staff, U.S. Army. Shinseki is currently serving as vice chief of staff, U.S. Army.

Prior to his current assignment, Gen. Shinseki served as Commanding General, United States Army-Europe and Seventh Army, Germany, and Commander of the Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Gen. Shinseki was born in Lihue on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, on November 28, 1942. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering. He also holds a Master of Arts Degree in English Literature from Duke University. Gen. Shinseki's military education include the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the National War College.

Since his commissioning over 33 years ago, Gen. Shinseki has served in command and staff assignments of increasing responsibility in both the continental United States and overseas, to include combat tours with the 9th and 25th Infantry Divisions in the Republic of Vietnam. He has served in Hawaii at Schofield Barracks with Headquarters, United States Army Hawaii, and at Fort Shafter with Headquarters, United States Army-Pacific. Gen. Shinseki also taught English at the United States Military Academy.

While assigned to the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas, Gen. Shinseki served as the Regimental Adjutant and as the Executive Officer of its 1st Squadron. He commanded the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas from March 1994 to July 1995.

During Gen. Shinseki's ten years of service in Europe, he served as Commander, 3d Squadron, 7th Cavalry (Schweinfurt); Commander, 2d Brigade (Kitzingen); Assistant Chief of Staff G3 (Operations, Plans, and Training) (Wuerzburg); and later Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver (Schweinfurt), all with the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized). He also served in Europe as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G3 (Operations, Plans, and Training), VII Corps, (Stuttgart), and as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Support, Allied Land Forces Southern Europe (LANDSOUTH) (Verona, Italy).

From August 1996 to June 1997, Gen. Shinseki served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans (DCSOPS), Headquarters, Department of the Army. Earlier in his career, Gen. Shinseki served in other positions in the Office of the DCSOPS, including Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Force Integration Staff Officer on the Tank Team, Chief of Institutional Training, and Director of Training.

In addition to his other duties, from August 5, 1997 to April 29, 1998, Gen. Shinseki commanded soldiers from many NATO countries as the Commander, Allied Land Forces Central Europe (LANDCENT) in Heidelberg, Germany.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=43024

[PBS Poll-435]

16. An inspired pick nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. I am VERY glad to see this!

He is a good man...

[saltpoint]

18. I wouldn't have minded Max Cleland but this man here is going to

be a very strong choice.

The Walter Reade story rates up there with Katrina and Abu Ghraib, IMO.

A change is not negotiable; it is urgent and essential and Shinseki has the brains and the cajones to bring it about.

[TeamJordan23]

21. Here is the clip from tomorrow's MTP.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28086865#28086865

[Recursion]

22. F**K Yes!

He'll be the best thing for vets since Sonny Montgomery.

[firedupdem]

23. Sounds like a great choice! n/t

[amborin]

24. Kudos to Shinseki, for speaking the truth and enduring reprisals, and to Obama, for selecting him

[opihimoimoi]

27. cest magnifique...AWESOM E.....deliberate jab....listen(shhhhhh)

ya can almost hear it coming from the GOP Camp.......(The Silence of the Lambs)

[uponit7771]

29. 3 cheers for this American Hero made good!!!!