Dan Caine
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John Daniel "Raizin" Caine. Born August 10th, 1968, an American general and venture capitalist. Since 2025, he's served as the 22nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From 2021 to 2024, he was the associate director for military affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency.
Commissioned into the United States Air Force in 1990, graduating from the Virginia Military Institute, Caine's career has been marked by diverse roles, primarily as an F-16 pilot. By 2025, he had accumulated 2,800 flight hours, including two tours in Iraq. His leadership experience spans from assistant commanding general of Joint Special Operations Command, to deputy commanding general for Operation Inherent Resolve, and director of special-access programs. He retired in 2024.
In a significant move in February 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Caine as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Confirmed by the U.S. Senate in April, Caine made history as the first Chairman never to have held a four-star general or admiral rank prior to nomination, and the first to be nominated while in retirement.
Born in Elmira, New York, John Daniel Caine's father, Steve Caine, was also a retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. Caine is a graduate of Hahn American High School in Germany and earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Virginia Military Institute in 1990, where he played soccer. He furthered his education with a Master of Arts degree in Air Warfare from American Military University in 2005.
Caine's military journey began in October 1990 as a second lieutenant through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at VMI. He excelled in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, graduating with distinction in December 1993. To secure a flying assignment amidst Air Force downsizing, he joined the Air National Guard, becoming an F-16 pilot for the 138th Fighter Squadron. He served there from January 1994 to July 1998, holding key positions as chief of training and chief of weapons. After completing Squadron Officer School, he became an F-16 instructor pilot and chief of weapons for the 121st Fighter Squadron. His expertise was further honed at the USAF Weapons School, graduating as an outstanding instructor pilot in June 1999.
Following his Weapons School graduation, Caine returned to the 121st Fighter Squadron. In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, he served as chief of weapons and tactics, safeguarding Washington D.C. From November 2001 to February 2002, he was chief of group weapons and tactics for the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing in Kuwait, and later a counter-SCUD project officer for U.S. Central Command. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Caine devised a crucial plan to counter Scud missiles. He then served with the 410th Air Expeditionary Wing until May 2003, before heading operations at the Test Center at the Tucson Air National Guard Base until August 2005. He also completed the Air Command and Staff College by correspondence in 2004.
His White House tenure began in 2005, and from October 2006 to January 2008, he was the policy director for counterterrorism and strategy at the Homeland Security Council. He returned to Iraq from January to July 2008 as commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force – Air Directorate.
In July 2008, he transitioned to instructor pilot duties with the 121st Fighter Squadron and became a Special Tactics Air Liaison Officer. Caine was a part-time member of the Air National Guard from 2009 to 2016, holding senior roles.
Returning to active duty, he served as assistant to the vice commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and assistant commanding general of Joint Special Operations Command from 2016 to 2018. He completed the Joint and Combined Warfighting Course in 2017. From 2018 to 2019, he was deputy commanding general for Special Operations Command Central and the special operations joint task force in Operation Inherent Resolve. From 2019 to 2021, he led special-access programs. Caine achieved the rank of lieutenant general in 2021 and served as the CIA's associate director for military affairs until December 2024, earning the nickname "Raizin Caine."
As of February 2025, Caine had 150 combat hours and two tours in Iraq, with a total of 2,800 flight hours, including over 100 combat hours in the F-16.
Beyond his military service, Caine has made significant contributions in the public and private sectors. From 2005 to 2006, as a White House Fellow, he was a special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, contributing to the Hurricane Katrina response. From 2006 to 2008, he directed counterterrorism policy at the Homeland Security Council. In 2010, he founded The Caine Group, an investment and consulting firm focused on national and homeland security. His advisory roles include Voyager, a space technology company, and he joined the venture capital firm Shield Capital in January 2025. Caine is a partner at Ribbit Capital and an advisor for Thrive Capital. He co-founded and served as COO of Rise Air, an airline company acquired by Surf Air. His Air Force biography aptly describes him as a "serial entrepreneur and investor."
As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2025, Caine's tenure began with a visit to the Mexico–United States border, meeting troops involved in the U.S. Northern Command mission. In May 2025, he attended a NATO summit in Brussels, discussing alliance bolstering. He privately expressed concerns about extending military operations in Yemen, potentially influencing President Trump's decision to declare victory. Caine appeared before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, offering a stark assessment of the Russo-Ukrainian War, suggesting Russian President Vladimir Putin would pursue further conflicts if victorious, contradicting Trump's views. Caine also refuted Trump's claim of an invasion, a premise for federalizing the California National Guard.
Leading up to the Iran–Israel war, Caine and CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed President Trump on Israel's imminent attack on Iran. Caine, alongside U.S. Central Command Commander Michael Kurilla, led planning for U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in 2025. He appeared with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to detail the strikes, his muted description contrasting with Hegseth's strong assertions. Caine's focus on the service members involved was seen as an effort to maintain military neutrality while serving Trump's interests, earning him Trump's trust.
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John Daniel "Raizin" Caine (born 10 August 1968) is an American general and venture capitalist who is serving as the 22nd chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2025. He served as the associate director for military affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency from 2021 to 2024.
Caine was commissioned in the United States Air Force upon graduation from the Virginia Military Institute in 1990 and has served in various roles within the Air Force, mainly as an F-16 pilot. As of 2025, Caine has 2,800 flight hours and served two tours in Iraq. He was the assistant commanding general of Joint Special Operations Command from 2016 to 2018, a deputy commanding general for the Operation Inherent Resolve special operations task force from 2018 to 2019, and the director of special-access programs in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment from 2019 to 2021. He retired in 2024.
In February 2025, President Donald Trump named Caine as his nominee as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Caine was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in April. He is the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who never served at the rank of four-star general or admiral before being nominated and he is the first to be nominated while in retirement.
== Early life and education ==
John Daniel Caine was born in Elmira, New York, on 10 August 1968. His father, Steve Caine, is a retired United States Air Force fighter pilot with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Caine is a graduate of Hahn American High School in Hahn, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. In 1990, he earned a bachelor of science in economics from Virginia Military Institute. There, he played soccer for the VMI Keydets. In 2005, he earned a master of arts degree in air warfare from American Military University.
== Career ==
=== Military service and training (1990–2024) ===
Caine was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Virginia Military Institute's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps in October 1990, and was inducted into the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. He completed the program as a distinguished graduate in December 1993, but because the Air Force was being downsized around that time he was concerned that he might end up with a non-flying job. To avoid this he applied to a large number of Air National Guard units, and was selected to be an F-16 pilot in the 138th Fighter Squadron at the Syracuse New York Air National Guard Base. Caine had that assignment from January 1994 to July 1998, and was also the squadron's chief of training and chief of weapons at different times. In 1998, he completed the Squadron Officer School by correspondence. From July 1998 to January 1999, he was an F-16 instructor pilot and the chief of weapons for the 121st Fighter Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. Caine underwent further F-16 training at the USAF Weapons School, at its main location of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and graduated from its Instructor Course in June 1999 as an outstanding graduate.
After his graduation from the USAF Weapons School he returned to his previous role with the 121st Fighter Squadron. Caine was among the pilots who protected Washington, D.C., in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks as the chief of weapons and tactics for the squadron. From November 2001 to February 2002 he was the chief of group weapons and tactics for the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing in Kuwait and until January 2003 he was a counter-SCUD project officer for U.S. Central Command, at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Caine developed a plan to counter Scud missiles possessed by Iraqi forces. Caine was the chief of weapons and tactics for the 410th Air Expeditionary Wing until May 2003, when he was assigned to the Test Center at the Tucson Air National Guard Base, Arizona, as its head of operations. He held that position until August 2005, and in 2004 he completed the Air Command and Staff College by correspondence. Starting in 2005 he worked at the White House, and from October 2006 to January 2008 Caine was the policy director for counterterrorism and strategy at the Homeland Security Council. From January to July 2008 he was back in Iraq as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force – Air Directorate.
In July 2008, he became an instructor pilot at the 121st Fighter Squadron and a Special Tactics Air Liaison Officer at the 24th Special Tactics Squadron of the Air Force Special Operations Command, remaining in those roles until 2010. Caine was a part-time member of the Air National Guard from 2009 to 2016 and held several senior positions in the District of Columbia ANG.
After returning to active duty, he was simultaneously an assistant to the vice commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command and the assistant commanding general of the Joint Special Operations Command from 2016 to 2018. Caine completed the Joint and Combined Warfighting Course in 2017. He simultaneously served as a deputy commanding general of Special Operations Command Central and of the special operations joint task force in Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, from 2018 to 2019. After that Caine was the director of special-access programs in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment from 2019 to 2021. Caine achieved the rank of lieutenant general in 2021, and served as the CIA's associate director for military affairs from November 2021 until December 2024. He earned the nickname "Raizin Caine"
As of February 2025, Caine has 150 combat hours and two tours in Iraq. He has a total of 2,800 flight hours, including more than 100 combat hours in the F-16.
=== Public and private sector (2003–present) ===
From 2005 to 2006, as part of the White House Fellows program, Caine was a special assistant to the United States Secretary of Agriculture and did work related to the response to Hurricane Katrina. From 2006 to 2008, he served within the Homeland Security Council as a policy director for counterterrorism.
In 2010 he founded The Caine Group, an investment and consulting firm focusing on national security and homeland security.
His LinkedIn page notes that he has advised Voyager, a space technology company. In January 2025, he joined Shield Capital, a venture capital firm. Caine is a partner at Ribbit Capital and an advisor for Thrive Capital. He was the co-founder and chief operating officer of Rise Air, an airline company acquired by Surf Air in 2017 and not to be confused with 100% Native-owned Rise Air in Saskatchewan. His Air Force service biography describes him as a "serial entrepreneur and investor".
== Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2025–present) ==
=== Nomination and confirmation ===
On 21 February 2025, President Donald Trump named Caine as his nominee to replace Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Speaking at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump said he had met Caine in Iraq in December 2018. According to Trump, Caine told him, "I love you, sir. I think you're great, sir. I'll kill for you, sir." Allegedly, he claimed that ISIS could be defeated in a week. Trump also said that Caine was wearing a MAGA hat at the time, a detail disputed by his aides.
According to The New York Times, Caine met with Trump and vice president J.D. Vance during the week prior to the announcement of the nomination. The Times later reported that Caine was considered for the position over Michael Kurilla, the commander of United States Central Command. Title 10 of the United States Code requires the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to be selected from the officers of the regular components of the armed forces and only if the officer had served as a combatant, unified, or specified commander, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or, if the officer had served as the highest uniformed officer in one of the six military service branches (although that requirement may be waived if "necessary in the national interest").
Caine's nomination was sent to the Senate on 10 March. He testified before the Senate Committee on Armed Services on 1 April. The committee voted to advance his nomination 23–4 on 8 April. Caine was confirmed on 11 April in a 60–25 vote. He was promoted to a four-star general prior to the vote. Caine was sworn in on 14 April. He is the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who never served at the rank of four-star general or four-star admiral before assuming the position and the first to have been retired at the time of confirmation. Caine is the second retired general to serve as chairman after Maxwell Taylor in 1962, although Taylor had been recalled to active duty the year prior to his appointment (after he had retired in 1959). Caine is the first chairman since Hugh Shelton in 1997 who never served within the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is the first Air National Guardsman to become chairman.
=== Tenure ===
After being confirmed as chair of joint chiefs, Caine made an unannounced visit to the Mexico–United States border during which he met with troops who are taking part in the U.S. Northern Command mission in support of Customs and Border Protection. In May 2025, Caine attended a NATO summit at the organization's headquarters in Brussels in which he deliberated on bolstering the alliance. That month, he privately expressed concern that extending the military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen would stress supply of assets he viewed as necessary, contributing to Trump's decision to immediately declare victory. In June, Caine appeared before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, offering a view of the Russo-Ukrainian War that suggested that—if victorious—Russian president Vladimir Putin would initiate wars against other countries, refuting Trump's assessment of Putin. Caine rejected Trump's claim that the U.S. was being invaded, the pretense for Trump's 2025 decision to federalize the California National Guard in response to protests in Los Angeles.
Leading up to the Iran–Israel war, Caine and John Ratcliffe, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, gave an assessment to Trump on Israel's imminent attack on Iran from Camp David.
Caine, with Michael Kurilla, the commander of United States Central Command, led plans for the U.S. military to strike at Iranian nuclear sites in 2025. He appeared with secretary of defense Pete Hegseth to provide details on the strike the following day. Caine's muted description of the strikes contrasted with Hegseth's assertion that mirrored Trump's description that the strikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites. At a second press conference with Hegseth days later, Caine focused on the service members responsible for the strike, which was interpreted as seeking to avoid politicizing the military while serving Trump's interests. According to The Wall Street Journal, the strikes, in addition to his follow-up comments, helped earn Caine the trust of Trump.
== Dates of rank ==
Caine's dates of rank are:
== Awards and decorations ==
Caine's awards and decorations include:
== Notes ==
== References ==
== External links ==
Appearances on C-SPAN
"National Guard Biography". www.nationalguard.mil. February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
"Air Force Biography". www.af.mil. February 2025. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
"Joint Chiefs of Staff Biography". www.jcs.mil. April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
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