# Dan Caine

John Daniel Caine (born 1968 or 1969) is an American retired lieutenant general and venture capitalist who served as the associate director for military affairs of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2021 to 2024. In February 2025, he was named as President Donald Trump's nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, following the dismissal of General Charles Q. Brown Jr.
Caine graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1990. He was commissioned shortly thereafter, serving in various roles within the United States Air Force. He served as a deputy commanding general for Operation Inherent Resolve 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.
In February 2025, Trump dismissed Brown as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, naming Caine as his nominee to replace him. If confirmed by the Senate, Caine would be the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to have never served at the rank of four-star general or admiral before assuming the position and the first to be nominated in retirement.

## Early life and education

Caine was born in Elmira, New York, in 1968 or 1969. He graduated from Hahn American High School in Hahn, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. In 1990, Caine graduated from the Virginia Military Institute with a degree in economics. He later graduated from American Military University with a master's degree in air warfare.

## Career
### Military service (1990–2024)

Caine was commissioned through the Virginia Military Institute's Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1990, and he was inducted into the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program. as of February 2025, Caine has 150 combat hours and two tours in Iraq. He was among the pilots who protected Washington, D.C. in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks as the chief of weapons and tactics for the 121st Fighter Squadron. Caine was a part-time member of the Air National Guard from 2009 to 2016. He has a total of 2,800 flight hours, including over 100 combat hours on the F-16. He served as a deputy commanding general for Operation Inherent Resolve from 2018 to 2019 and 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. He served as the associate director for military affairs from November 2021 until December 2024. He earned the nickname "Razin Caine" for his "aggressive" behavior as a pilot, a reference to the idiom "raising Cain" for someone who causes trouble.

### Public and private sector (2003–present)

From 2005 to 2006, Caine was a special assistant to the United States Secretary of Agriculture as part of the White House Fellows program. He also served as a policy director for counterterrorism within the Homeland Security Council in 2008. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Caine developed a plan to counter Scud missiles possessed by Iraqi forces. 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. In January 2025, he joined Shield Capital, a venture capital firm. Caine is a partner at Ribbit Capital and an advisor for Thrive Capital. He is the co-founder of RISE Air.

## Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

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. Speaking at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump said he had met Caine in Iraq in December 2018. According to Trump, Caine told him, "I love you, sir. I think you’re great, sir. I’ll kill for you, sir." 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; active-duty troops are not permitted to wear political merchandise. According to The New York Times, Caine met with Trump and vice president JD Vance the week prior. The Times later reported that Caine was considered for the position over Michael Kurilla, the commander of United States Central Command.
If confirmed by the Senate, Caine would be the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to have never served at the rank of general or admiral before assuming the position and the first to have been retired at the time of their confirmation. Caine would be the second retired general to serve as chairman after Maxwell Taylor in 1962, though Taylor was called to active duty the year prior after retiring in 1959. He would also be the first chairman to have never served within the Joint Chiefs of Staff since Hugh Shelton in 1997. 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 Trump may waive that requirement if "necessary in the national interest."
Caine's nomination was officially sent to the Senate on 10 March 2025.

## Dates of rank

Caine's dates of rank are:
| Rank | Date |
| 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

Caine's awards and decorations include:
Command Pilot Badge :
| Defense Superior Service Medal | Defense Superior Service Medal | Defense Superior Service Medal | Defense Superior Service Medal | Distinguished Flying Cross | Distinguished Flying Cross | Distinguished Flying Cross | Distinguished Flying Cross | Bronze Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Bronze Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Bronze Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Bronze Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster |
| Defense Meritorious Service Medal | Defense Meritorious Service Medal | Defense Meritorious Service Medal | Defense Meritorious Service Medal | Meritorious Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Meritorious Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Meritorious Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Meritorious Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Air Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Air Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Air Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster | Air Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster |
| Aerial Achievement Medal | Aerial Achievement Medal | Aerial Achievement Medal | Aerial Achievement Medal | Air and Space Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters | Air and Space Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters | Air and Space Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters | Air and Space Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters | Joint Service Achievement Medal | Joint Service Achievement Medal | Joint Service Achievement Medal | Joint Service Achievement Medal |
| Air and Space Achievement Medal | Air and Space Achievement Medal | Air and Space 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 with three bronze oak leaf clusters and "V" device | Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with three bronze oak leaf clusters and "V" device | Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with three bronze oak leaf clusters and "V" device | Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award | Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award | Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award | Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award |
| Iraq Campaign Medal | Iraq Campaign Medal | Iraq Campaign Medal | Iraq Campaign Medal | National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star | National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star | National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star | National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star | Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars | Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars | Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars | Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars |
| Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame | Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame | Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame | Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame |
| Air and Space Longevity Service Award | Air and Space Longevity Service Award | Air and Space Longevity Service Award | Air and Space Longevity Service Award | Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and "M" device | Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and "M" device | Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and "M" device | Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and "M" device | Air and Space Training Ribbon | Air and Space Training Ribbon | Air and Space Training Ribbon | Air and Space Training Ribbon |