President Obama will officially nominate Marine Corps commandant Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Tuesday as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon confirmed Monday.
Dunford had been seen as a likely favorite among the contenders including Air Force Chief of Staff Mark Welsh and U.S. Pacific Command commander Navy Adm. Samuel Locklear to replace outgoing Chairman Martin Dempsey.
Sen. Jack Reed, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee welcomed the news, saying Dunford has “the vision and experience” to lead the Joint Chiefs.
“I have come to greatly value General Dunford’s counsel and insight, and I particularly appreciate the concern he has for our men and women in uniform under his command,” said Reed, D-R.I.
In a statement provided to the Examiner, a defense official said “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.
“Additionally, General Paul J. Selva, the current Commander of U.S. Transportation Command, will be nominated to serve as the tenth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A formal announcement is expected at the White House tomorrow.”
Dunford led forces in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He was assigned to command the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in 2013.
Dunford was seen as a more palatable choice over Welsh, who may have alienated key members of the congressional defense committees over the last year in his pursuit to retire the A-10, according to the Marine Corps Times.
Dunford’s nomination still raises questions as to why the retirement of U.S. Pacific Command’s Locklear has taken so long. Various news outlets had speculated that Locklear’s retirement had been held up to elevate him to the chairmanship; if not, it possibly raises new questions as to whether the U.S. Navy-Pacific contracting scandal commonly referred to as the “Fat Leonard” scandal may have jeopardized his potential, even though Locklear is expected to be cleared in the incident.
