Eric Shinseki Politician

Eric Ken Shinseki (/ʃɨnˈsɛki/; born November 28, 1942) is a retired United States Army general who served as the seventh United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (2009-2014). His final U.S. Army post was as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army (1999–2003). Shinseki is a veteran of two tours of combat in the Vietnam War, in which he was awarded three Bronze Stars for valor and two Purple Hearts. He was both the first Asian-American four-star general (1997) and then the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Personal facts

Birth date	November 28, 1942
Birth place	Territory of Hawaii , Lihue Hawaii
Religion	Lutheranism
Education	National War College United States Army Command and General Staff College Duke University

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Office holder

awards	Bronze Star Medal Defense Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army) Legion of Merit Purple Heart Air Medal Commendation Medal Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
military operations	Vietnam War Bosnian War
deputy	Sloan D. Gibson
military command	1st Cavalry Division 3rd Squadron 5th Cavalry Regiment 9th Infantry Division 2d Brigade 3d Infantry Division Allied Land Forces Central Europe Army Chief of Staff Army Vice Chief of Staff NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina Seventh United States Army Troop A 3d Squadron 5th Cavalry Regiment 9th Infantry Division 3rd Squadron 7th Cavalry Regiment 3rd Infantry Division
military rank	General (United States)
military unit	25th Infantry Division (United States) 14th Infantry Regiment (United States)
office	28th Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army 34th Chief of Staff of the United States Army 7th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
president	Bill Clinton Barack Obama George W. Bush
service end	2003
service start	1965
successor	Peter Schoomaker Jack Keane