Retired General Dan Caine Becomes First to Lead U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff
In a historic move, the U.S. Senate has confirmed retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, marking the first time a retired officer has been appointed to the nation’s top military position.
The 56-year-old veteran was confirmed with a Senate vote of 60-25 and was promoted to four-star general upon confirmation. Though he retired in 2024 as a three-star general, Caine has now become the first retired officer to take on the chairman role without previously holding a four-star rank.
As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Caine becomes the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Armed Forces, serving as the principal military advisor to the President, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense. While the position holds seniority over all uniformed military leaders, the chairman does not hold direct command over combat operations.
Caine’s nomination follows President Donald Trump’s decision in February to dismiss his predecessor, General Charles Brown. Brown later claimed the White House sought to install military leaders who demonstrated loyalty to President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
During his Senate confirmation hearing last week, Caine addressed concerns about political influence, pledging to uphold “the oath of office, institutional standards, and the nonpartisan integrity of military leadership.”
Caine’s path to the chairmanship is unusual. Traditionally, candidates for the role have served as service branch chiefs, heads of combatant commands, or vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Caine has held none of those roles. Still, the President has authority to waive such requirements—and did so in this case.
Over a 34-year Air Force career, Caine flew F-16 fighter jets and logged over 2,800 flight hours, including 150 combat hours. He also served as Deputy Director for Military Affairs at the CIA and as Assistant Commander at the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command.
President Trump praised Caine as “a skilled pilot, national security expert, successful businessman, and seasoned warrior with deep experience in interagency and special operations.”
Caine's appointment comes amid a broader reshuffle of senior military leadership under Trump. In addition to General Brown, the President has recently removed the Navy and Coast Guard chiefs, the Deputy Air Force Commander, the head of the NSA, and a Navy admiral assigned to NATO.
(Sources: AFP, AP)
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