The officers selected by President Barack Obama to serve as the next chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are “exemplary leaders,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today.
Obama announced today that he will nominate Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. to be the 19th chairman of the Joint Chiefs and Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, to serve as the 10th vice chairman.
They will succeed Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., respectively, if the Senate confirms their nominations.
In a statement released after the president’s announcement, Carter noted that Dunford has been an infantry officer at every level and that Selva has been an innovator throughout his career.
Strategic Perspective, Operational Experience
“They're exemplary leaders,” he said. “And they both have the strategic perspective - and operational experience - to help guide our military and advise the president at a time of much change in the world. I look forward to their sound counsel and to working with them to protect the country and meet the needs of the finest fighting force the world has ever known.”
The time will come for proper tributes to Dempsey and Winnefeld, the secretary said. “I thank them both for their steady leadership in these challenging times, their advice to me and President Obama, and their many years of dedicated service to our country,” he added.