Executive Summary

On 21 February 2025, President Donald Trump nominated General Dan Caine for the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS). The announcement, made via Truth Social, came about concurrently with Trump’s decision to fire Air Force General CQ Brown Junior, who had served in the role for 16 months. For some, this appointment seems a somewhat controversial choice. Not only does General Dan Caine have a rather unusual background for the role at hand, but the political context of his appointment is also atypical. 

Caine did not follow the usual route to CJCS, which conventionally involves serving as a combatant commander or service chief first. Rather, at the time of nomination, he was a retired Lieutenant General and required reinstatement to active service and a promotion to four-star general. Caine reportedly impressed Trump following a meeting in Iraq in 2018. Indeed, he brings a unique blend of operational, public and private sector experience, however, critics have raised concerns that the selection may be based more heavily on perceived loyalty than traditional qualifications. 

Images Sourced From: Master Sgt. Peter Morrison, Benjamin D Applebaum, Chief Petty Officer James Mullen, U.S. Department of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Profile

1 Professional Path: 

• General Dan Caine began his military career as an F-16 pilot in 1991 after his commission through AFROTC in 1990. [source, source]
• Throughout his 34-year military career, Caine served as an F-16 pilot, an aviation instructor, and in leadership roles within the Air Force, the Air National Guard, the special operations community, and the CIA. [source]
• Caine particularly impressed Trump with his handling of a special operations task force against the Islamic State. On Truth Social, Trump stated, “Razin was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. […] Many so-called military “geniuses” said it would take years to defeat ISIS. General Caine, on the other hand, said it could be done quickly, and he delivered.” [source]
• From 2005 onwards, during his time at the White House, amongst other roles, Caine served as a Fellow at the Department of Agriculture, where he worked on Hurricane Katrina relief and avian influenza policies, and as policy director for counterterrorism. [source]
• Caine later became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in April 2025. [source]

2 Education: 

• 1990: Caine first obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Virginia Military Institute (VMI). 
• 1998: Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB).
• 1999: Air Force Weapons School Instructor Course, Nellis Air Force Base.
• 2001: Air Force to Ground Operations School, Nellis.
• 2004: Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB. 
• 2005: Caine later obtained a Master of Arts in Air Warfare at the American Military University, Charles Town.
• 2006: White House Fellow, Air Force Fellows Programme.
• 2012: North American Aerospace Defence Command.
• 2012: Senior Leaders Maintenance Course, Washington, D.C.
• 2017: Joint and Combined Warfighting Course (JPME-2).
• 2019: Senior Executives for National and International Security, The Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass.
• 2020: Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar, Arlie Center, Warrenton. 
• 2020: National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Alexandria. 
• 2021: National Security Studies Management Course, Syracuse University. [source] 

3 Military Service Details: 

• In total, Caine served 34 years in the military, primarily as an F-16 pilot. During his career, he logged over 2,800 flight hours, including over 100 hours in combat. [source] 
• On 11 September 2001, Caine was an airborne mission commander over Washington and deployed with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Group to Kuwait afterwards. [source]
• Caine also served as Deputy Commander in the US campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria from May 2018 to September 2019. [source]

4 Important Relationships: 

• Caine first met Trump in Iraq in 2018, forming a very good impression that would later shape his career. [source]  

5 Standout Attributes: 

• Overall, Caine has been described as creative, entrepreneurial, and committed to solving problems. [source]
• Nicknamed the “Razin,” Caine was widely renowned for his aggressive and experienced flying style as a pilot. [source]

6 Political Affiliation: 

• Sources describe Caine as steadfastly apolitical, despite Trump’s claims otherwise. [source]

7 Past or Ongoing Controversies: 

• Caine’s appointment was met with some criticism due to lacking traditional prerequisites for the CJCS position. Trump stated, however, that he was “passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden”. [source]