The United States Senate has adopted a resolution (S.Res. 190) expressing the gratitude of the Senate to General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff, United States Army, for his extraordinary service to the nation, strong leadership, and commitment to excellence. General Shinseki, the Army's 34th Chief of Staff and a native of Hawaii, attained the Army's highest position as Chief of Staff in June 1999 and retired in June 2003.

United States Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) offered the resolution with U.S. Senator James M. Inhofe (R-OK). Senators Akaka and Inhofe are co-chairs and co-founders of the Senate Army Caucus.

"Throughout his 37 years of service to this country, General Shinseki gave his personal best, serving with great pride and dignity," Akaka said. "His legacy to this nation will live on for years to come.

"Ric was the perfect soldier to lead our Army into the 21st century. With extraordinary vision, he transformed the Army into an agile, lean, flexible, and lethal fighting force. This man of honor, integrity, and courage set a higher standard for all to follow, all while embodying the spirit of aloha. With his deep sense of pride and dedication to service, he made our Army stronger, one able to achieve swift victories during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

"President John F. Kennedy once said, 'When at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment of each one of us - recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities, we will be measured by the answers to four questions - were we truly men of courage...were we truly men of judgment...were we truly men of integrity...were we truly men of dedication?' When history looks back at the Army's 34th Chief of Staff, it will be clear that this was truly a man of courage, judgment, integrity, and dedication."