President
Obama will nominate Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. as the next chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, choosing a widely respected,
combat-hardened commander who led the Afghanistan war coalition during a
key transitional period during 2013-2014, sources confirmed Monday.
"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," a White House
official told Military Times. "...A formal announcement will be made at
the White House [Tuesday]."
The move cuts short Dunford's service
as the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, a job he began last October.
But the rapid promotion is one of several that have marked Dunford's
fast-tracked military career, which saw him leap from a one-star general
to four stars in about three years.
The official also said Obama
will tap Gen. Paul J. Selva, a top Air Force officer and pilot, to serve
as vice chairman. Selva, who piloted transport and refueling aircraft,
is currently the head of U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force
Base in Illinois. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because
they weren't authorized to speak publicly ahead of the announcement.
Dunford
began his career as an infantry officer and has commanded at all
levels. He served nearly two years in Iraq, including as head of the
Marines' 5th Regimental Combat Team during the 2003 invasion, where he
earned the nickname "Fighting Joe."
Dunford is well-connected
internationally, often meeting with NATO and other coalition leaders.
His selection signals that even as the U.S. puts more focus on Asia and
looks ahead to high-tech cyber and space threats, the administration
still believes a strong ground force commander is needed to work through
the ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and across the Middle
East and Africa.
He has been a leading contender for the
chairman's job for months, and his time in the commandant's post was
critical. Generally, to be considered for the chairman's job an officer
must serve as the head of one of thePentagon's combatant commands or as
chief of one of the military services.
Dunford's most visible role
came in 2013 when he was chosen to take over the job as top U.S.
militarycommander in Afghanistan. During his 18 months there, Dunford
oversaw the ongoing drawdown of U.S. troops, the transition to Afghan
military lead in combat operations, and the tumultuous Afghan elections
that dragged on and stalled efforts to reach an agreement on the U.S.
military's future presence in the country.
He left Afghanistan last August, preparing to take on his new role as commandant.
Dunford's
rise through the ranks has been rapid, particularly compared to many of
his peers, who would normally spend several years at each rank before
getting promoted.
In December 2007, he was nominated for a second
star, and the rank of major general. But just two months later, before
he actually got the formal promotion, he got the nod for a third star
and was appointed the deputy Marine Corps commandant, effectively
skipping the two-star grade entirely. He held the rank of lieutenant
general (three stars) for about two years, until President Barack Obama
appointed him as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps in October
2010, earning him a fourth star.
Dunford, 59, is a Boston native
and holds master's degrees in government from Georgetown University and
international relations from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law
and Diplomacy.
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