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Shinseki garners plaudits, doubts

Retired general faces different kind of battlefield as VA chief

By Audrey Hudson (Contact) | Monday, December 8, 2008

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Democrats and some veterans groups are praising President-elect Barack Obama's selection of retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki to head the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs, but others are quietly questioning his qualifications to lead the Cabinet agency that is largely in charge of military retirees' health care.

The former Army chief of staff and four-star general will bring new energy and new hope to millions of veterans, said Bob Filner, California Democrat and chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. Mr. Filner also outlined some of the expectations and challenges the new VA chief faces.

"The stakes are high at the Department of Veterans Affairs," Mr. Filner said. "Our veterans need to know that their service to our country is respected and honored. A new basis of stable funding must be developed. The claims backlog must be attacked in a new and dynamic way. And the mental health of our veterans - from every conflict and each generation - must remain a high priority."

John Rowan, national president of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), echoed Mr. Filner's praise and called the nomination "a promising choice."

"We have no doubt that General Shinseki has the integrity and personal fortitude to usher in the real changes needed to make the VA a true steward of our nation's veterans and their families," Mr. Rowan said. "His selection certainly lives up to Mr. Obama's promise to bring change and hope to Washington. VA bureaucrats, for whom 'change' is a dirty word, will learn that there really is a new game in town. Veterans of all political persuasions should take heart and applaud this choice."

Glen M. Gardner Jr., national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, also praised Gen. Shinseki but noted the different requirements for heading a Cabinet agency, particularly one as troubled as Veterans Affairs.

"Running the VA will be far different than leading troops into battle," said Mr. Gardner, who leads the nation's largest organization of combat veterans. "But we hope he possesses the leadership, management and accountability traits that we demand from all VA secretaries."

The VA provides benefits, social and economic programs as well as health care to nearly 25 million veterans, but was plagued by controversy this year over a growing number of backlogged disability claims, a rise in the number of suicide attempts, and clinical testing on vulnerable veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

One high-ranking retired officer who asked to remain anonymous questioned Gen. Shinseki's record on veterans health-care issues.

"How much time has he spent visiting the PTSD wards, the multiple-amputee wards, the burn wards? The major question I have is: Just what has he done for the past five years to show any concern for our veterans? I do not see any evidence of Shinseki being an agent for change."