5 former secretaries of Protection have signed a letter protesting the firing by President Trump of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees Gen. C. Q. Brown, demanding the Senate refuse to verify Trump’s nominee to exchange Brown and for Congress to research the firing of Brown and different senior officers by Trump.
Trump nominated retired Air Drive Lieutenant Common Dan “Razin” Caine to exchange Brown. Caine will want a waiver from Trump on assembly the authorized necessities for the chairman.
The 5 who signed are Trump’s first SecDef, James Mattis, Biden’s AWOL SecDef Lloyd Austin, Obama SecDefs Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel, and Clinton SecDef William Perry.
Text of the letter, launched to the media on Thursday:
Enchantment to the Congress from Former Secretaries of Protection
February twenty seventh, 2025We’re deeply alarmed by President Trump’s current dismissals of a number of senior U.S. army leaders. We write to induce the U.S. Congress to carry Mr. Trump to account for these reckless actions and to train totally its Constitutional oversight duties.
The President supplied no justification for his actions, despite the fact that he had nominated these officers for earlier positions and the Senate had permitted them. These officers’ exemplary operational and fight expertise, in addition to the approaching dismissals of the Choose Advocates Common of the Military, the Navy, and the Air Drive, clarify that none of this was about warfighting.
Mr. Trump’s dismissals increase troubling questions in regards to the administration’s want to politicize the army and to take away authorized constraints on the President’s energy. We, like many Individuals — together with many troops — are due to this fact left to conclude that these leaders are being fired for purely partisan causes.
As former Secretaries of Protection, we name on each the Home and the Senate to carry instant hearings to evaluate the nationwide safety implications of Mr. Trump’s dismissals. The Home and Senate ought to demand that the administration justify every firing and totally clarify why it violated Congress’ legislative intent that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees full a four-year time period in workplace. Common C.Q.Brown Jr. had not but accomplished two years within the job. Within the meantime, Senators ought to refuse to verify any new Protection Division nominations, together with that of retired Lt. Common Dan Caine as the subsequent Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees.
President Trump’s actions undermine our all-volunteer power and weaken our nationwide safety. Proficient Individuals could also be far much less seemingly to decide on a lifetime of army service in the event that they consider they are going to be held to apolitical normal. These at the moment serving might develop cautious of talking fact to energy or they may erode good order and self-discipline by taking political actions in uniform. And the general public’s historically excessive belief within the armed forces may start to wither.
The US can’t afford to have our army contaminated by partisan politics and distracted from its core mission of defending the nation. As George Washington warned Alexander Hamilton in 1783, after Hamilton had pressed army officers to insert themselves into home politics, “The Military is a harmful instrument to play with.”
We’re not asking members of Congress to do us a favor; we’re asking them to do their jobs. We’re urging them to take George Washington’s warning to coronary heart.
William J. Perry, Secretary of Protection 1994-1997
Leon E. Panetta, Secretary of Protection 2011-2013
Chuck Hagel Secretary of Protection 2013-2015
James N. Mattis Secretary of Protection 2017-2019
Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Protection 2021-2025
Trump introduced the firing of Brown and the nomination of Caine on Fact Social final Friday:
I wish to thank Common Charles “CQ” Brown for his over 40 years of service to our nation, together with as our present Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees. He’s a high quality gentleman and an impressive chief, and I want an incredible future for him and his household.
Immediately, I’m honored to announce that I’m nominating Air Drive Lieutenant Common Dan “Razin” Caine to be the subsequent Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees. Common Caine is an achieved pilot, nationwide safety professional, profitable entrepreneur, and a “warfighter” with important interagency and particular operations expertise.
Throughout my first time period, Razin was instrumental within the full annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. It was carried out in document setting time, a matter of weeks. Many so-called army “geniuses” mentioned it might take years to defeat ISIS. Common Caine, then again, mentioned it could possibly be carried out rapidly, and he delivered.
Regardless of being extremely certified and revered to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Employees in the course of the earlier administration, Common Caine was handed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden. However not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, Common Caine and our army will restore peace by means of power, put America First, and rebuild our army. Lastly, I’ve additionally directed Secretary Hegseth to solicit nominations for 5 extra excessive degree positions, which will probably be introduced quickly. Thanks on your consideration to this matter!
Following that announcement, Trump’s present Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth announced more firings:
This night the President introduced that he intends to appoint Lieutenant Common Dan “Razin” Caine, USAF, for the place of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees, the nation’s highest-ranking army officer, and the principal army advisor to the President, Secretary of Protection, and Nationwide Safety Council.
Common Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is strictly the chief we have to meet the second. I sit up for working with him.
The outgoing Chairman, Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, Jr., USAF, has served with distinction in a profession spanning 4 a long time of honorable service. I’ve come to know him as a considerate adviser and salute him for his distinguished service to our nation.
I’m additionally requesting nominations for the positions of Chief of Naval Operations and Air Drive Vice Chief of Employees. The incumbents in these vital roles, Admiral Lisa Franchetti and Common James Slife, respectively, have had distinguished careers. We thank them for his or her service and dedication to our nation.
We’re additionally requesting nominations for the Choose Advocates Common for the Military, Navy and Air Drive.
Underneath President Trump, we’re putting in new management that may focus our army on its core mission of deterring, preventing and profitable wars.
– Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth
Per federal law, Trump should grant a waiver for Caine to function chairman as he doesn’t meet the authorized requirement for the place as a retired three star:
(b) Requirement for Appointment.—(1) The President might appoint an officer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees provided that the officer has served as—
(A) the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees;
(B) the Chief of Employees of the Military, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Employees of the Air Drive, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, or the Chief of House Operations; or
(C) the commander of a unified or specified combatant command.
(2) The President might waive paragraph (1) within the case of an officer if the President determines such motion is critical within the nationwide curiosity.
A DOD statement on Caine’s nomination gave his service background (excerpt):
Caine was commissioned in 1990 and served in a wide range of assignments earlier than retiring final yr. His assignments included:
Commander, Joint Particular Operations Job Drive – Air Directorate, Balad, Iraq, 2008.
Assistant commanding common, Joint Particular Operations Command, U.S. Particular Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 2016-2018.
Deputy commanding common, Particular Operations Joint Job Drive – Operation Inherent Resolve, Iraq, 2018-2019.
Affiliate director for army affairs on the Central Intelligence Company, 2021.
From 2009-2016, Caine was a part-time member of the Nationwide Guard and a serial entrepreneur and investor.Caine has flown greater than 100 fight hours in F-16 plane. His whole flight hours are 2,800.
His awards and decorations embody the Protection Superior Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster and the Protection Meritorious Service Medal.
