With the selection of Hawai'i's own retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, President-elect Barack Obama has sent a strong and welcome signal.

First, the department is poised to get the sound leadership it so sorely needs — that should translate into better care for our veterans.

It also reflects the fact that honesty and candor are valued as key qualities of service.

Just prior to the 2003 Iraq invasion, Shinseki testified before Congress that "several hundred thousand soldiers" would be needed to safely stabilize Iraq. For his honesty and candor, Shinseki was publicly rebuked by then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his deputy at the time, Paul Wolfowitz.

Time would prove Shinseki right, of course. But his honesty also cost him his job: He was promptly marginalized and slipped into retirement.

But beyond those values, Shinseki comes with solid and impressive credentials. The 66-year-old was the highest-ranking Asian-American in the military, with a distinguished career of service. He commanded the NATO peacekeeping force in Bosnia; and as a Vietnam veteran, he earned two Purple Hearts.

Hawai'i's U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, has set Shinseki's confirmation hearing for Jan. 14.

Shinseki should be confirmed handily.

Says Akaka: "I have great respect for Gen. Shinseki's judgment and abilities. I am confident that he will use his wisdom and experience to ensure that our veterans receive the respect and care they have earned in defense of our nation."

The retired general, who lost most of one foot in combat in Vietnam, is well respected among his peers as a strong leader — and is known for his deep commitment to his troops. It will take that commitment and more to deal with the litany of issues facing the care and treatment of our veterans today.

Years of neglect and underfunding have taken a serious toll; most recently the department came under fire after complaints that veterans were treated shabbily and not receiving proper medical care.

Indeed, there's much work to do. Once confirmed, Shinseki must ensure that our veterans have access to quality medical care — including the treatment of serious brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, which has too long been left undiagnosed and improperly treated.

The system veterans face upon discharge is also in dire need of an overhaul. It can take nearly a year, for example, for wounded veterans returning home to qualify for disability coverage and receive the care they need.

Streamlining employment services for veterans is also vital in assisting them in making the transition back into civilian life. And Shinseki will also have the challenge of dealing with the recently expanded GI Bill, which Congress approved this year.

Veterans deserve quality healthcare and services they were promised upon enlistment. Shinseki — thankfully — is up to the job.