Eric Shinseki
Oleh : WIKIPEDIA / IM
Eric Ken Shinseki (born November 28, 1942) is a retired United States ArmyGeneral and served as the 34th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1999 - 2003). He is the first Asian Americanfour-star general in U. S. history, as well as the first Asian American to lead one of the four U. S. military services. During his tenure, 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. His long-term initiative was called Objective Force and the main long-term weapons program he pushed was the Future Combat Systems.
He is famous for his remarks to the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee before the war in Iraq in which he said "something in the order of several hundred thousand soldiers" would probably be required for post-war Iraq. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz publicly disagreed with his estimate. [1]
When the insurgency took hold in post-war 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. On November 15, 2006, in testimony before Congress, USCENTCOM CENTCOM Commander Gen. John Abizaid said that General Shinseki's estimate had proved correct. [2]
Show of support by Army officers
Shinseki has been cited by numerous retired Army officers as a prime example of Secretary Rumsfeld's disregard for military advice and abrasive treatment of senior officers. Newsweek magazine reports "RIC WAS RIGHT" caps were on display at the 40th annual reunion of the West Point Class of 1965 (Shinseki's class). [12] Retired generals such as John Batiste who called for Rumsfeld's resignation have cited the treatment of Shinseki.
Shinseki, for his part, is not comfortable with this "martyr's" role. He has declined to make public comments on the Iraq war, Rumsfeld, or troop levels since his retirement.
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