President Obama will nominate Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a White House official said Monday night.
The formal announcement will come in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday afternoon, where Mr. Obama also will tap Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva, a pilot and current head of U.S. Transportation Command, to be vice chairman, the official said.
In selecting Gen. Dunford, Mr. Obama is choosing a widely respected, combat-hardened commander who led the Afghanistan war coalition during a key transition period in 2013-2014.
The move cuts short Gen. 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 Gen. Dunford’s fast-tracked military career, which saw him leap from a one-star brigadier general to four stars in about three years.
• This article is based in part on wire-service reports.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.