Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, a key figure in the fight against ISIS, has been tapped by former President Donald Trump to become America’s highest-ranking military officer.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin’” Caine has been nominated by former President Donald Trump to replace Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pending Senate confirmation. Caine’s extensive military experience and strategic leadership have earned him the respect of service members who trained and fought alongside him, with colleagues describing him as both highly capable and well-prepared for the role.
Former pilot James Rennan, who served with Caine in the 149th Lone Star Gunfighters, recalled a pivotal mission during the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where their objective was to destroy SCUD missile sites. Despite the F-16’s limitations, Caine played a crucial role in ensuring the mission’s success.
“That was a pretty complex mission for the F-16. Partially because of our speeds, we were getting used to new targeting pods, night vision goggles, all this kind of stuff. And although most of us were proficient F-16 pilots, very few guys have the discipline to be the resident expert, and it became evident Raisin’ was the smartest guy in the room,” Rennan said. “He could hang out on the pro level, very relatable, very friendly, but like when he spoke, he was our subject matter expert on power. SCUD was a mission that none of us had really flown.”
Caine’s military journey began in the Air National Guard, where he flew with the 138th Fighter Squadron out of Syracuse Air Force Base from 1994 to 1998 before transferring to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C. His relentless pursuit of excellence set him apart, according to Ret. Col. Gary Atkin, Caine’s former flight instructor in Tucson, Arizona.
“He always kept striving for more and striving for perfection,” Atkin said. “There’s guys that sit around the squadron and drink beer, and then there’s other guys that keep trying to do more stuff, you know. So that was Dan. He was working on the test center out in Tucson, going to fighter weapons school, he was always kind of looking for all of these other things.”
Following deployments to Iraq in 2001 and 2003, Caine was stationed at Tucson Air Force Base before transitioning to Washington, D.C., where he served as policy director for Counterterrorism and Strategy under former President George W. Bush.
During Trump’s first term, Caine led U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Special Operations Component in Iraq, playing a pivotal role in dismantling the ISIS caliphate. Trump, in his announcement on Truth Social, praised Caine as a “warfighter” who was “instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate” said.
Trump and Caine first met in Iraq in 2018, a moment Trump later recalled in a 2019 CPAC speech. During their discussion, Caine reportedly told Trump that he could wipe out ISIS within a week if given the necessary regulatory approvals. As a result of their coordinated efforts, ISIS was effectively wiped out in Syria and other parts of the Middle East.
Following his tenure at CENTCOM, Caine took leadership roles as director of the Special Access Programs Central Office in 2019 and later served as special assistant to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau in September 2021. He subsequently became the associate director for Military Affairs at the CIA, a role he held until retiring in December 2024.
Caine’s nomination to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff underscores Trump’s confidence in his leadership and military expertise. If confirmed, he will be responsible for advising the president on military strategy and overseeing operations across all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Leave a Comment