Trump's choice for Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman might shake things up

On a dreary Friday evening, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth unsheathed his blade and began the long-overdue surgery on the bloated corpus of general and flag officers who command—and, on the odd Tuesday when the mood strikes them, even deign to lead—our beleaguered Armed Forces. The initial incisions were swift and merciless: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General CQ Brown Jr., Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Lieutenant General James Slife found themselves unceremoniously excised. In a twist that raised eyebrows, the Judge Advocates General of the Army, Navy, and Air Force—Army Lieutenant General Joseph B. Berger III, Navy Rear Admiral Lia M. Reynolds, and Air Force Lieutenant General Charles L. Plummer—were also dispatched to the professional guillotine.

No sentient observer believes this is the final act of the drama. Yet a full decapitation strike, while tempting to those with a taste for decisive action, would cast an unsightly shadow—particularly over a Congress already trembling with what one might charitably call a severe case of intestinal distress. Their panic stems not from principle but from the grim realization that program cuts are being wielded with a scalpel guided by reason, rather than the usual blunt instrument of political expediency, measured in jobs per congressional district.

The unfolding spectacle offers a few jolts to the system. Few were shocked to see CQ Brown and Franchetti toppled from their perches. They were, after all, the poster children of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion cult that Obama and Biden sought to graft onto the military’s sinews—an experiment as misguided as it was corrosive. Brown, in particular, could in certain lights be mistaken for a figure of chilling prejudice. One need only glance at his infamous memo, brazenly endorsing caps on the percentage of White pilots in the Air Force, to see the man’s priorities laid bare. Here it is, in all its ignominy, a document that speaks louder than any apologia ever could.

Dale Stark had something to say about CQ Brown in this tweet:

You mean the same CQ Brown who set an explicit goal of reducing the number of white male pilots in the Air Force? pic.twitter.com/xY2SbRHuAT— Dale Stark (@DaleStarkA10) February 20, 2025

One cannot help but marvel at the curious case of ole CQ Brown, unceremoniously ousted despite enjoying the backing of influential congressional figures and what appeared to be a chummy encounter with Trump in mid-December. There they were, the two of them, perched side by side, taking in the Army-Navy football game for a spell. Brown, ever the diligent networker, had been holding regular brain consults with Hegseth at the Pentagon. And yet, it all came to naught.

Then we have LTG Slife, a product of the USAF Special Operations fraternity. One might expect a hero's welcome for such a pedigree, but no - he was roundly despised, at least in the kangaroo court of social media, by Air Force personnel and veterans alike. Perhaps it had something to do with his penchant for bleating on as "the Air Force's most prominent voice" about so-called "institutional racism" amidst the George Floyd celebratory rioting. The scrupulous scribes at The Federalist lay it all bare in their dispatch 'Biden Nominee Claimed 'Institutional Racism' Affects The Military'.

 
As for the military JAGs, they seem to have found themselves in the crosshairs, suspected of masterminding a clandestine operation to squirrel away DEI programs and policies beneath the radar. A most intriguing development indeed, for those with an eye for the machinations of power.

Army JAG Joseph Berger “consolidated” DEI into the “Office of Professional and Organizational Development.”

Rebranding DEI is still DEI and violates Trump’s EOs. pic.twitter.com/taLhVT6q3L— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 14, 2025

Equally interesting, and in the spirit of The Apprentice was Trump's message announcing Brown's firing.

I want to thank General Charles “CQ” Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family.

Today, I am honored…— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 22, 2025

Here it is in total:

Today, I am honored to announce that I am nominating Air Force Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a “warfighter” with significant interagency and special operations experience.

During my first term, Razin was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. It was done in record setting time, a matter of weeks. Many so-called military “geniuses” said it would take years to defeat ISIS. General Caine, on the other hand, said it could be done quickly, and he delivered.

Despite being highly qualified and respected to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the previous administration, General Caine was passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden. But not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military. Finally, I have also directed Secretary Hegseth to solicit nominations for five additional high level positions, which will be announced soon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

While Trump and Hegseth seem willing to work within the bureaucracy, the choice of a retired general to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and with his meandering career path.

Caine is a VMI graduate and rated F-15 pilot and affiliated with the National Guard in 2009. He remained and Air Guardsman until he retired last year, though with several periods of active duty. He was Associate Director for Military Affairs with the CIA but had never worked on the Air Staff in the Pentagon, nor with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

On a positive note, retired Lt. Col. Alexander "Krispy Kreme" Vindman disapproves of his appointment, and anything that guy disapproves of is a good thing to approve of.

Let's see how this all turns out.

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