Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine / LinkedIn
Pete Hegseth, secretary of defense and a 2025 Wash100 Award winner, has announced the intention of President Donald Trump to nominate retired Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In a press release published Friday, Hegseth also called for the nomination of key military positions.
Who is the Next Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief?
Caine will bring to the role extensive leadership experience in the military and the private sector.
The three-star general first met Trump in 2018 during the president’s visit to Iraq. The then deputy commander of a special operations task force fighting Islamic State, Caine told Trump that the United States could destroy ISIS within a week.
“Many so-called military ‘geniuses’ said it would take years to defeat ISIS,” recalled Trump in a recent post on the social media network Truth Social. “Gen. Caine, on the other hand, said it could be done quickly, and he delivered.”
Like the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, Caine flew F-16 fighter jets during his military career. More recently, he completed his tenure as associate director for the CIA.
After retiring from government service in December 2024, Caine became a venture partner for Ribbit Capital and Shield Capital. He also currently sits as chair of the national security advisory board for Voyager Space and serves as an adviser for Thrive Capital.
Caine co-founded and led multiple defense and aviation technology and services providers throughout his time in the private sector. He is one of the minds behind Rise Air, a private airline acquired by Surf Air in 2017.
His other private sector ventures also include aerospace and defense manufacturing company MultiMission, safety systems developer Global Risk Reduction, aviation surveillance services company BMS Group, Patriot Technologies Group and Summit Business Solutions.
If confirmed as head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Caine will also serve as the principal military adviser to President Trump, Secretary of Defense Hegseth and the National Security Council.
“Gen. Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment,” wrote Hegseth. “I look forward to working with him.”
More Critical Military Positions Awaiting Transition
On Friday, Hegseth also appealed the nomination of the chief of naval operations, Air Force vice chief of staff and judge advocate general for the Army, Navy and Air Force. In his statement on Friday, Hegseth thanked Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who most recently served as chief of naval operations and Gen. James Slife, former Air Force vice chief of staff, for their service to the country.
“Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars,” said Hegseth.
