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Dan Caine

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This article is about the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. For other people named Dan Caine, see Daniel Caine (disambiguation).

Dan Caine
A man in a suit staring forward
Official portrait, 2025
Birth nameJohn Daniel Caine
Born (1968-08-10) 10 August 1968 (age 56)
Elmira, New York, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
BranchUnited States Air Force
Years of service
  • 1990–2024
  • 2025–present
RankGeneral
Commands
Battles / wars
Awards
Alma mater
Caine's voice
Caine describes the timeline of Operation Midnight Hammer
Recorded June 22, 2025

John Daniel "Razin"[a] Caine (born 10 August 1968) is an American general and venture capitalist who has served as the 22nd chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2025. He served as the associate director for military affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency from 2021 to 2024.

Caine graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1990. He was commissioned shortly thereafter, serving in various roles within the Air Force, mainly as an F-16 pilot. As of 2025, Caine has 2,800 flight hours and served two tours in Iraq. He was the assistant commanding general of Joint Special Operations Command from 2016 to 2018, a deputy commanding general for the Operation Inherent Resolve special operations task force from 2018 to 2019, and the director of special-access programs in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment from 2019 to 2021. He retired in 2024.

In February 2025, President Donald Trump dismissed Charles Q. Brown Jr. as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, naming Caine as his nominee to replace him. Caine was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in April. He is the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to have never served at the rank of four-star general or admiral before being nominated and the first to be nominated in retirement.[b]

Early life and education (1968–1990)

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John Daniel Caine[2] was born in Elmira, New York,[3] on 10 August 1968.[4] His father, Steve Caine, is a retired United States Air Force fighter pilot with the rank of lieutenant colonel.[4] Caine graduated from Hahn American High School in Hahn, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany,[5] and in 1990 he graduated from the Virginia Military Institute with a Bachelor of Science in economics.[6] There, he played soccer for the VMI Keydets[7] He later graduated from American Military University with a Master of Arts degree in air warfare in 2005.[6][8]

Career

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Military service (1990–2024)

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Two men in military uniforms touching backs
Caine with Major General Najim Abdullah al-Jubouri in Mosul, Iraq, in June 2018

Caine was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Virginia Military Institute's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps in October 1990,[8][9] and was inducted into the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.[2][8] He completed the program as a distinguished graduate in December 1993,[8] but because the Air Force was being downsized around that time he was concerned that he might end up with a non-flying job.[2] To avoid this he applied to a large number of Air National Guard units,[2] and was selected to be an F-16 pilot in the 138th Fighter Squadron at the Syracuse New York Air National Guard Base. Caine had that assignment from January 1994 to July 1998, and was also the squadron's chief of training and chief of weapons at different times. In 1998 he completed the Squadron Officer School by correspondence. He was an F-16 instructor pilot and the chief of weapons for the 121st Fighter Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, from July 1998 to January 1999. Caine underwent further F-16 training at the USAF Weapons School, at its main location of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and graduated from its Instructor Course in June 1999 as an outstanding graduate.[8]

After his graduation from the USAF Weapons School he returned to his previous role with the 121st Fighter Squadron.[8] Caine was among the pilots who protected Washington, D.C., in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks[10][11] as the chief of weapons and tactics for the 121st Fighter Squadron.[12] From November 2001 to February 2002 he was the chief of group weapons and tactics for the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing in Kuwait, and then was a counter-SCUD project officer for U.S. Central Command, at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, until January 2003.[8] During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Caine developed a plan to counter Scud missiles possessed by Iraqi forces.[13] Caine was the chief of weapons and tactics for the 410th Air Expeditionary Wing until May 2003, when he was assigned to the Test Center at the Tucson Air National Guard Base, Arizona, as its head of operations. He held that position until August 2005, and in 2004 he completed the Air Command and Staff College by correspondence.[8] Starting in 2005 he worked at the White House, and from October 2006 to January 2008 Caine was the policy director for counterterrorism and strategy at the Homeland Security Council. From January to July 2008 he was back in Iraq as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force – Air Directorate.[8]

In July 2008 he became an instructor pilot at the 121st Fighter Squadron and a Special Tactics Air Liaison Officer at the 24th Special Tactics Squadron of the Air Force Special Operations Command, remaining in those roles until 2010.[8] Caine was a part-time member of the Air National Guard from 2009 to 2016[6] and held several senior positions in the District of Columbia ANG.[8] After returning to active duty, he was simultaneously an assistant to the vice commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command and the assistant commanding general of the Joint Special Operations Command from 2016 to 2018. Caine completed the Joint and Combined Warfighting Course in 2017.[8] He simultaneously served as a deputy commanding general of Special Operations Command Central and of the special operations joint task force in Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, from 2018 to 2019. After that Caine was the director of special-access programs in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment from 2019 to 2021. Caine achieved the rank of lieutenant general in 2021, and served as the CIA's associate director for military affairs from November 2021[14] until December 2024.[15] He earned the nickname "Razin Caine"[a] for his "aggressive" behavior as a pilot, a reference to the idiom "raising Cain" for someone who causes trouble.[17] As of February 2025, Caine has 150 combat hours and two tours in Iraq.[18] He has a total of 2,800 flight hours, including over 100 combat hours in the F-16.[19]

Public and private sector (2003–present)

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From 2005 to 2006,[2] Caine was a special assistant to the United States Secretary of Agriculture[10] as part of the White House Fellows program,[20] and did work related to the response to Hurricane Katrina.[2] He also served as a policy director for counterterrorism within the Homeland Security Council[10] from 2006 to 2008.[2][8] His Air Force biography describes him as a "serial entrepreneur and investor". According to his LinkedIn page, he has advised Voyager, a space technology company.[15][21] In January 2025, he joined Shield Capital, a venture capital firm.[22] Caine is a partner at Ribbit Capital and an advisor for Thrive Capital.[12] He was the co-founder and chief operating officer of Rise Air (not to be confused with 100% Native owned Rise Air in Saskatchewan), an airline company that Surf Air acquired in 2017.[23] In 2010 he founded The Caine Group, an investment and consulting firm focusing on national security and homeland security.[4]

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2025–present)

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Nomination and confirmation

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A man speaking behind a podium
Caine speaking at the Pentagon following airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.

On 21 February 2025, President Donald Trump dismissed Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, naming Caine as his nominee to replace him.[24][18] Speaking at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump said he had met Caine in Iraq in December 2018.[24] According to Trump, Caine told him, "I love you, sir. I think you're great, sir. I'll kill for you, sir."[9] Caine allegedly claimed that ISIS could be defeated in a week. Caine was said by Trump to have worn a MAGA hat, a detail disputed by his aides. According to The New York Times, Caine met with Trump and vice president JD Vance the week prior.[24] The Times later reported that Caine was considered for the position over Michael Kurilla, the commander of United States Central Command.[25] Title 10 of the United States Code requires the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to be selected from the officers of the regular components of the armed forces and only if the officer had served as a combatant, unified, or specified commander, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the highest uniformed officer in one of the six military service branches, though that requirement may be waived if "necessary in the national interest."[24]

Caine's nomination was officially sent to the Senate on 10 March.[26] He testified before the Senate Committee on Armed Services on 1 April.[27] The Committee on Armed Services voted to advance his nomination 23–4 on 8 April.[28] Caine was confirmed on 11 April in a 60–25 vote.[29] He was promoted to a four-star general prior to the vote.[30] Caine was sworn in on 14 April.[31] He is the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to have never served at the rank of four-star general or four-star admiral before assuming the position[15] and the first to have been retired at the time of confirmation. Caine is the second retired general to serve as chairman after Maxwell Taylor in 1962, though Taylor was recalled to active duty the year prior, after retiring in 1959.[1] Caine is also the first chairman to have never served within the Joint Chiefs of Staff since Hugh Shelton in 1997[1] and the first Air National Guardsman to become chairman.[28]

Tenure

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Two men shaking hands, with a plane in the background
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine arrives at Ciampino Airport in Rome, Italy, May 15, 2025.

After being confirmed, Caine made an unannounced visit to the Mexico–United States border during which he met with troops that are taking part in the U.S. Northern Command mission in support of Customs and Border Protection.[32] In May 2025, Caine attended a NATO summit at the organization's headquarters in Brussels in which he deliberated on bolstering the alliance.[33] That month, he privately expressed concern that extending the military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen would stress supply of assets he viewed as necessary, contributing to Trump's decision to immediately declare victory.[34] In June, Caine appeared before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, offering a view of the Russo-Ukrainian War that suggested that—if victorious—Russian president Vladimir Putin would initiate wars against other countries, refuting Trump's assessment of Putin. He rejected Trump's claim that the U.S. was being invaded, the pretense for Trump's decision to federalize the California National Guard in response to protests in Los Angeles.[35]

Leading up to the Iran–Israel war, Caine and John Ratcliffe, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, gave an assessment to Trump on Israel's imminent attack on Iran from Camp David.[36] Caine, with Michael Kurilla, the commander of United States Central Command, led plans for the U.S. military to strike at Iranian nuclear sites.[37] He appeared with secretary of defense Pete Hegseth to provide details on the strike the following day. Caine's muted description of the strikes contrasted with Hegseth's assertion—itself mirroring Trump's description—that the strikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites.[38] At a second press conference with Hegseth days later, he focused on the service members responsible for the strike, seeking to avoid politicizing the military while serving Trump's interests.[39] According to The Wall Street Journal, the strikes, in addition to his follow-up comments, helped earn Caine the trust of Trump.[40]

Dates of rank

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Caine's dates of rank are:[8][41]

Insignia Rank Date
General 11 April 2025
Lieutenant general 3 November 2021
Major general 9 September 2019
Brigadier general 5 May 2016
Colonel 10 January 2011
Lieutenant colonel 8 April 2005
Major 28 December 2000
Captain 10 October 1995
First lieutenant 1 October 1993
Second lieutenant 1 October 1990


Awards and decorations

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Caine's awards and decorations include:[20]

Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
V
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Silver oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Command Pilot Badge
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge Presidential Service Badge Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Medal
with bronze oak leaf cluster 		Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
with bronze oak leaf cluster 		Air Medal
with bronze oak leaf cluster 		Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal
with two bronze oak leaf clusters 		Joint Service Achievement Medal Air and Space Achievement Medal
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award
with three bronze oak leaf clusters and "V" device 		Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
with bronze service star 		Iraq Campaign Medal
with two bronze service stars 		Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon
with gold frame 		Air and Space Longevity Service Award (9 awards)
Air and Space Longevity Service Award (10th award) Armed Forces Reserve Medal
with silver hourglass and "M" device 		Air and Space Training Ribbon

Notes

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  1. ^ a b The spelling of Caine's nickname varies, including "Raizin Caine"[16] and "Raisin Caine".[15] In his announcement nominating Caine as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, president Donald Trump wrote "Razin Caine".[6]
  2. ^ Maxwell Taylor was nominated as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by president John F. Kennedy in 1962 after retiring in 1959, though he was called into active duty the year prior.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Ryan & Lamothe 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Tirpak 2025.
  3. ^ Moriarty 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Macaulay 2025.
  5. ^ "Martin-Caine". Daily News-Record.
  6. ^ a b c d Cooper & Schmitt 2025.
  7. ^ "2024 VMI Men's Soccer Record Book". Virginia Military Institute.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Biography of Lt. General John D. Caine". National Guard.
  9. ^ a b Kim & Bowman 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Ali & Stewart 2025.
  11. ^ Schogol 2025.
  12. ^ a b Timotija 2025.
  13. ^ Vanden Brook, Anderson & Winkie 2025.
  14. ^ "Trump fires Gen. Charles Q. Brown as chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, other senior officers". CBS News.
  15. ^ a b c d Vinall 2025.
  16. ^ Harris & Lemire 2025.
  17. ^ Bertrand et al. 2025.
  18. ^ a b Youssef 2025.
  19. ^ Vergun 2025.
  20. ^ a b Revere 2005.
  21. ^ Treisman 2025.
  22. ^ Losey 2025.
  23. ^ https://www.govconwire.com/articles/gen-dan-caine-chairman-joint-chiefs-of-staff
  24. ^ a b c d Schmitt, Cooper & Swan 2025.
  25. ^ Schmitt 2025a.
  26. ^ Lamothe & Hauslohner 2025.
  27. ^ LaFraniere & Schmitt 2025.
  28. ^ a b Harpley 2025.
  29. ^ Cooper 2025.
  30. ^ deGrandpre 2025.
  31. ^ Baldor 2025.
  32. ^ Schmitt 2025b.
  33. ^ Vandiver 2025.
  34. ^ Cooper et al. 2025.
  35. ^ Hauslohner 2025.
  36. ^ Swan et al. 2025.
  37. ^ Mazzetti et al. 2025.
  38. ^ Cooper & Ismay 2025.
  39. ^ Jaffe 2025.
  40. ^ Seligman et al. 2025.
  41. ^ "Biography of General John D. Caine", United States Air Force.

Works cited

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Articles

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Documents

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to John D. Caine.
Military offices
Preceded by Assistant Commanding General of Joint Special Operations Command
2016–2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Commanding General of Special Operations Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve
2018–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Director of Special Access Program Central Office of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
2019–2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Associate Director for Military Affairs of the Central Intelligence Agency
2021–2024 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
2025–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas acting Secretary of the Air Force Order of precedence of the United States
as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 		Succeeded byas Chair of the Federal Reserve
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