President Donald Trump announced on Friday his intention to appoint retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John Dan "Razin" Caine as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, succeeding Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., who was appointed by President Biden.
Known by his middle name Dan, Caine served three years at the Central Intelligence Agency until December 2024, where he played a pivotal role in the fight against the Islamic State from Iraq. Caine, a retired lieutenant general since last year, achieved the rank in 2021 and last served as the associate director for military affairs at the CIA before his retirement.
His nomination as chairman represents an unprecedented choice, given his experience as a three-star general. Since 1949, all previous appointees have been either four-star generals or admirals. Caine's predecessor, Gen. Mark A. Milley, previously served as chief of staff of the Army.
According to the law, an officer appointed to this position must have served as a vice chairman or overseen a military service or combatant command. While Caine lacks this experience, the president can waive this requirement if deemed necessary for national interest. Should he be confirmed, Caine would be reactivated and promoted to a four-star general, becoming the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Before his tenure at the CIA, Caine was director of special-access programs at the Pentagon from 2019 to 2021 and served as a deputy commanding general in the fight against the Islamic State from Baghdad in 2018 and 2019. Commissioned in 1990, Caine boasts a lengthy career in the Air Force, including roles as a fighter pilot and service in the National Guard.
Though relatively unknown to the public, Caine has been praised by Trump on several occasions, including at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and an investment summit in Miami. Trump has recounted stories of Caine’s strategic insights and rapid success against ISIS, highlighting his admiration for Caine's military acumen.
Trump's anecdote about "Raisin Caine" includes a conversation in which Caine claimed a mission could be completed swiftly if allowed more force, which left a notable impression on the president.
Caine's Air Force biography describes him as a "serial entrepreneur and investor." His private sector roles include advising the security and space technology company Voyager and co-founding a Texas-based private airline, later acquired, as noted on his LinkedIn page.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff holds the position of the highest-ranking military officer in the Pentagon and serves as the principal military adviser to the president. While the role does not include executive authority to command combatant forces, it is critical in providing strategic advice and opinions to the presidential administration.
As of late Friday, the Defense Department and Caine have not responded to requests for comment. Caine has not publicly confirmed or addressed Trump's remarks about him.
