By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
President-elect Barack Obama has selected retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki as his nominee to be secretary of veterans affairs.
ìAs we seek a new national security strategy that uses all elements of American power, we must also remember those who run the greatest risks and make the greatest sacrifices to implement that strategy ó the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America,î the president-elect said in announcing his choice Sunday.
If confirmed by the Senate, Shinseki will succeed retired Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) James B. Peake in leading the second-largest federal department, with 240,000 employees. Some 23.4 million veterans are alive today, and the department is their point of contact for compensation and pensions, medical care, education and training, home loans and other benefits. Last year, the VA had a budget of $93.4 billion.
Shinseki retired as chief of staff in 2003 after a four-year term. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and served two combat tours in Vietnam as a young officer. He lost part of his foot in Vietnam, was awarded three Bronze Star awards and two Purple Hearts.
Shinseki said todayís veterans ìare a part of an unbroken line of heroes that stretches back to the American Revolution. They deserve a smooth, error-free, no-fail, benefits-assured transition into our ranks as veterans, and that is our responsibility, not theirs.î
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