OBAMA TAPS DUNFORD FOR JOINT CHIEFS POST

David Jackson and Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY 1:59 p.m. EDT May 5, 2015

President Obama tapped Gen. Joseph Dunford to chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff, citing the Marine commandant's battlefield experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. VPC

WASHINGTON — President Obama tapped Gen. Joseph Dunford on Tuesday to chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff, citing the Marine commandant's battlefield experience in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Dunford "is one of the most admired officers in our military," Obama said during a White House Rose Garden ceremony.
"I know Joe -- I trust him," Obama said. "He's already proven his ability to give me his unvarnished military advice based on his experience on the ground."
Dunford, 59, who served nearly two years in Iraq, commanded allies forces in Afghanistan as the U.S. combat mission in that country wound down in 2013 and 2014.
Among the primary challenges Dunford would inherit with the Joint Chiefs: the ongoing war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, Russia's increasing belligerence in Eastern Europe, and the threat of automatic defense budget cuts known as sequestration.
Obama also cited projects to train local security forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, and to defend the nation against cyber-attack.
If confirmed by the Senate — as expected — Dunford would replace retiring Gen. Martin Dempsey, who has served four years as Joint Chiefs chairman.
In a Rose Garden ceremony, Obama also said he will nominate Gen. Paul J. Selva — the current commander of the U.S. Transportation Command — to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Citing Selva's 35 years of military service as a pilot and a commander, Obama said the vice chairman nominee has "earned a reputation as a force for change and innovation."
Both nominees already have a key Senate endorsement: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which will conduct confirmation hearings.

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"General Dunford's exemplary service in Iraq and Afghanistan makes him a strong choice as we confront threats to stability and peace in both countries and throughout the region," McCain said in a statement.
McCain, who lost the 2008 election to Obama and has often criticized Obama on national security issues, also praised the nomination of Selva, citing his "extensive experience as an operational and strategic leader." Selva, a top Air Force official, is currently the head of U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
The Arizona Republican pledged his committee to a "prompt and thorough consideration" of both nominations.
Dunford and Selva also have the support of the armed services committee's top Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.
"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," Reed said.

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Dunford also performed "superbly" as top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, showing the ability to mesh U.S. and NATO forces along with the civilian and political effort there, Reed said.
He would replace Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, who has become a close adviser to Obama. It was Dempsey who jumped in the President's limousine last summer and made the case to press ahead with a bombing campaign against Islamic State militants in Iraq.
Dunford shares with Dempsey and Obama the same "thoughtful, analytical personality who looks at issues very carefully from multiple dimensions," Reed said.
Resolving the budget issue of sequestration will be the top challenge Dunford faces, Reed said.
Dempsey also praised Dunford. "I've known Gen. Dunford for almost half of his 39 years of service," he said. "He is a phenomenal, combat-tested leader and a man of integrity, courage, and humility."
Dunford became Marine commandant just last October. Before that, as head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, he oversaw the withdrawal of tens of thousands of American troops.
The Joint Chiefs chairman nominee holds a master's degree in government from Georgetown University and a master's degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
As chairman, Dunford will be the military's most senior officer and adviser to the president. The Senate must approve the nomination of Dunford for the two-year term. Most often, chairmen serve two terms.
Obama praised Dunford for willingness to leave the Marine commandant's job after less than year. The president made repeated references to the new chief's Boston lineage, saying at one point that he is "the very definition of Boston Strong."
The president added: "The only downside in my book is, as a (Chicago) White Sox fan, there is yet another (Boston) Red Sox fan who I'm going to have to be dealing with."


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/05/obama-joseph-dunford-paul-selva-joint-chiefs-of-staff-john-mccain/26917585/