White House Considers Candidates to Replace Top General

White House Considers Candidates to Replace Top General

(UnitedVoice.com) – Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley has served in his role for almost four years. He’s the highest-ranking military official in the US and provides valuable counsel to President Joe Biden, the National Security Council, and the secretary of defense. Milley is now on his way out the door, and the POTUS is actively looking for someone to serve as his replacement. The president and his staff are considering several candidates for the role.

Why Is Milley Leaving?

On January 17, The Wall Street Journal reported Milley’s term as chairman would end on September 30. The president is already considering three candidates to succeed him.

US law (10 US Code § 152) dictates that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff only serves for four years. The only time that term becomes longer is during times of war. The president nominates a person to fill the role, and the Senate must approve.

Nomination Process

Generally, the position of chairman rotates between each of the services. The four-star generals who serve as the heads of the military branches will each nominate an eligible admiral or general for the position. Milley served in the Army, so it’s unlikely the president will select his successor from that branch.

Gen. Paul Nakasone, the commander of US Cyber Command, is technically in the running as a four-star general for the Army, yet it’s unlikely the president will nominate him because he comes from the same branch. That leaves one of the following men as the most likely to succeed the current Joint Chiefs chairman.

Gen. David H. Berger

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David H. Berger is a four-star general who has headed the service branch since 2019. The Maryland native graduated from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Science in engineering. He went on to earn two master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, one in military studies and one in international public policy.

General Berger received his commission to the Marines in 1981 after graduating from Tulane. His more than 40-year career in the military is impressive. He’s held command positions at every level and served in the Gulf War, Iraq War, Operation Secure Tomorrow in Haiti, and the War in Afghanistan.

Gen. Charles Q. Brown

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr is a four-star general and the first African-American to lead a military branch. He hails from Texas, where he graduated from Texas Tech University. He’s also an Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps graduate and earned his commission to the service branch after completing the program. While serving his country, Brown attended Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and earned a master’s degree in aeronautical science.

During General Brown’s time in the Air Force, he accumulated 130 combat hours and more than 3,000 flying hours. He assumed the position of head of the Air Force in 2020.

Biden will reportedly announce his choice for the nominee sometime in the spring.

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