WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Dan Caine, a retired three-star general, has recently emerged as President Donald Trump's surprise pick for the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Despite not being widely recognized on Washington's political radar, Caine has captured Trump's attention since their first encounter in Iraq in 2018.
During their initial meeting, Caine, who was then the deputy commander of a special operations task force combating the Islamic State, confidently asserted to President Trump that the militant group could be obliterated within a week. Trump recounted this interaction during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2019, and since then, he has frequently praised Caine's military acumen.
Trump has consistently lauded Caine, calling him "a real general, not a television general" during a recent event in Miami. This endorsement came just before Trump announced Caine's nomination on Truth Social, propelling him from retirement to the forefront as a nominee for the most senior active-duty officer in the U.S. military.
If the Senate approves Caine's nomination, he will assume leadership over a military in transition and will inherit a Joint Staff affected by Trump's unexpected dismissal of Air Force General C.Q. Brown. Caine, a retired F-16 pilot, is set to be promoted to four-star general and will face a potentially rigorous Senate confirmation process to secure a four-year term as the nation's top uniformed military leader.
Caine's military career diverges from the conventional trajectory typically followed by those who become the president's chief military adviser. Unlike previous generals and admirals who have led a combatant command or military branch, Caine did not attain such positions before retiring. According to Trump, Caine was overlooked for promotion by "Sleepy Joe Biden," a situation Trump claims to have rectified.
In a recent podcast, Caine shared his lifelong aspiration to emulate his father, a fighter pilot. "We started moving around as a kid. So I felt like this was something that I really, really, really wanted to do, was fly jets in the Air Force," Caine said. He graduated in 1990 from the Virginia Military Institute with a bachelor's degree in arts and economics.
Caine, who has logged over 2,800 hours flying the F-16, played a crucial role on September 11, 2001. As one of the pilots tasked with safeguarding Washington, he faced the possibility of having to shoot down a hijacked plane. "I was very mindful that if we made a mistake or if we got it wrong... the consequences of that could be catastrophic," Caine remarked in an article published on the CIA website.
Since 2005, Caine has held several positions in Washington, including serving as a special assistant to the secretary at the Department of Agriculture and as policy director for counterterrorism at the White House's Homeland Security Council. His official Air Force biography notes his involvement as a part-time member of the National Guard and as a serial entrepreneur and investor from 2009 to 2016.
Caine's tenure in Iraq from 2018 to 2019 significantly contributed to his recognition by Trump. Recently, Caine joined Shield Capital, a venture capital firm, and his LinkedIn profile indicates associations with two other investment firms. However, it was his Iraq service that truly captured Trump's interest.
Caine will face heightened scrutiny regarding his political neutrality, particularly following the recent dismissal of General Brown. Uniformed military officials are expected to remain loyal to the U.S. Constitution, independent of any political affiliations. A senior U.S. military official, who has collaborated with Caine for over a decade, emphasized Caine's commitment to prioritizing the mission and troops over politics, describing him as "not a political guy."
How effectively Caine can shield the military from political entanglements may largely depend on Trump's actions, as the President has previously involved the military in partisan matters.
In a recent retelling of their first meeting in Iraq, Trump noted that service members began donning "Make America Great Again" hats. "They all put on the Make America Great Again hat. Not supposed to do it," Trump said during a speech, adding, "I said, 'you're not supposed to do that. You know that.' They said, 'It's OK, sir. We don't care.'
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Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Rod Nickel
