Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine has officially been confirmed as the 22nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a bipartisan 60-25 vote by the U.S. Senate. Caine was initially nominated by President Donald Trump in February following the firing of former Chairman Gen. CQ Brown.
Caine becomes the nation’s highest-ranking military officer and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council. He is the first career National Guard officer to assume the role.
Commissioned in 1990 through ROTC at Virginia Military Institute, Caine is a decorated F-16 pilot with more than 2,800 flight hours and over 150 in combat. He served in operations against ISIS and held multiple leadership roles in special operations and intelligence, including his most recent post as Associate Director for Military Affairs at the CIA.
At the time of his nomination, Caine was retired and had never served as a service chief or combatant commander — statutory prerequisites for the position under a 1986 law. As reported by AP News, these requirements can be waived if the President believes that “such action is necessary in the national interest.” Because of this, the Senate first had to vote to reinstate Caine as an active-duty major general, paving the way for his eventual confirmation as Chairman and promotion to four-star general.
Though Caine’s nomination initially prompted concern among Democrats due to fears of politicization, 15 Democrats and one Independent joined Republicans in confirming him. During the hearing, Caine addressed these concerns, denying allegations that he ever wore a “Make America Great Again” hat and pledging to give President Trump his best military advice, regardless of the President’s opinions. According to NPR, he added, “I think that’s the duty and job that I have,” when asked whether he would resist orders to do something unconstitutional.
His appointment reflects a broader shift in military leadership priorities under the Trump administration. As noted in Homeland Security Today’s initial coverage on his nomination, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised Caine as embodying the “warfighter ethos” and called him “exactly the leader we need to meet the moment.”