Gen. Joseph Dunford to Be Nominated as Next Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Veteran Marine Was Top US Commander In Afghanistan
— -- U.S. officials confirmed that President Obama will nominate Gen. Joseph Dunford, the commandant of the Marine Corps, to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, who currently commands U.S. Transportation Command, will be nominated to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“I can confirm that General Joseph F. Dunford, who is currently serving as Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, will be nominated to serve as the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” said a White House official. “A formal announcement is expected at the White House tomorrow.”
If confirmed by the Senate, Dempsey will succeed Army Gen. Martin Dempsey whose term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs ends on September 30. He plans to retire after serving four years in the post.
Dunford has been Marine commandant since October, prior to that he was the senior U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan.
He has experienced a fast-track career over the past decade since commanding the first Marine unit to enter Iraq in the 2003 ground invasion.
Dunford skipped a rank when he was promoted to the three-star rank of lieutenant general from the one-star rank of brigadier general.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the president’s principal military advisor and is often described as the nation’s top military official.