President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the top US military officer will testify Tuesday before a Senate hearing, where he will likely be grilled about his readiness for the job given his lack of required experience.
Democrats have sharply criticized the dismissal of general CQ Brown — the previous chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — and other senior officers, accusing Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of seeking to ensure the military is led by people loyal to the president.
In an unusual move, Trump nominated Dan Caine, a retired lieutenant general, to replace Brown earlier this year.
Nominees for chair of the Joint Chiefs must have served as the head of a military branch, as a commander of a combatant command or as vice chair — none of which Caine has done — but the president may waive that requirement.
Caine has served in positions including associate director for military affairs at the CIA as well as in various operational and staff roles, and flew more than 150 hours in combat as an F-16 pilot, an aircraft in which he logged more than 2,800 hours in total.
A military official who served with Caine said shortly after Trump announced his nomination that the retired general has
Senators to grill Trump pick for top US military position
