Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The recent upheaval at the Pentagon marked a significant shift in military leadership under the Trump administration. On a Friday evening, Secretary Pete Hegseth executed an aggressive restructuring by dismissing six senior officers. This decision aligns with promises made to reform and revamp the agency’s hierarchy.
President Donald Trump took the bold step of firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General C.Q. Brown, and introducing a relatively unfamiliar face to the post, Lieutenant General Dan Caine. This selection indicates the president’s strategic inclination towards irregular warfare and special operations.
General Caine was part of a military delegation that met with President Trump in December 2018 at the Al Asad airbase in Iraq. During that visit, Trump was delivering a Christmas message while gathering insights from commanders actively engaged in operations against ISIS. Caine’s straightforward assertion that they could swiftly overcome ISIS with increased resources and relaxed engagement restrictions left an impact on Trump.
Trump recounted that Caine confidently stated, “We’re only hitting them from a temporary base in Syria. But if you gave us permission, we could hit them from the back, from the side, from all over – from the base that you’re right on, right now, sir. They won’t know what the hell hit them.” This perspective clearly contrasted with the more conventional approaches presented by other Pentagon leaders.
Former National Security Council official Rob Greenway, who traveled with the group, pointed out that Caine’s unconventional message struck a notable chord with Trump. Greenway commented that this distinct approach made a strong impression.
In announcing Caine’s selection, Trump praised him as an accomplished pilot and national security expert. He highlighted Caine’s extensive background as a successful entrepreneur and ‘warfighter’ with remarkable experience in interagency operations and special forces.
The president’s move to name Caine comes after he criticized the previous leadership of General Brown, accusing him of endorsing a
