5 former secretaries of Protection have signed a letter protesting the firing by President Trump of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers Gen. C. Q. Brown, demanding the Senate refuse to substantiate Trump’s nominee to interchange Brown and for Congress to analyze the firing of Brown and different senior officers by Trump.
Trump nominated retired Air Pressure Lieutenant Basic Dan “Razin” Caine to interchange 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.
Textual content of the letter, launched to the media on Thursday:
Attraction 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 provided 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 Basic of the Military, the Navy, and the Air Pressure, 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 People — 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 quick 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 Workers full a four-year time period in workplace. Basic C.Q.Brown Jr. had not but accomplished two years within the job. Within the meantime, Senators ought to refuse to substantiate any new Protection Division nominations, together with that of retired Lt. Basic Dan Caine as the subsequent Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers.
President Trump’s actions undermine our all-volunteer power and weaken our nationwide safety. Gifted People could also be far much less probably to decide on a lifetime of army service in the event that they imagine they are going to be held to apolitical normal. These presently serving could develop cautious of talking reality to energy or they might erode good order and self-discipline by taking political actions in uniform. And the general public’s historically excessive belief within the armed forces might start to wither.
America can not 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 need to thank Basic Charles “CQ” Brown for his over 40 years of service to our nation, together with as our present Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers. He’s a high-quality gentleman and an excellent chief, and I want an incredible future for him and his household.
At this time, I’m honored to announce that I’m nominating Air Pressure Lieutenant Basic Dan “Razin” Caine to be the subsequent Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers. Basic Caine is an completed pilot, nationwide safety skilled, 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 finished in file setting time, a matter of weeks. Many so-called army “geniuses” mentioned it will take years to defeat ISIS. Basic Caine, however, mentioned it could possibly be finished shortly, and he delivered.
Regardless of being extremely certified and revered to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Workers through the earlier administration, Basic Caine was handed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden. However not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, Basic Caine and our army will restore peace by means of energy, put America First, and rebuild our army. Lastly, I’ve additionally directed Secretary Hegseth to solicit nominations for 5 further excessive degree positions, which will likely be introduced quickly. Thanks to your consideration to this matter!
Following that announcement, Trump’s present Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth introduced extra firings:
This night the President introduced that he intends to appoint Lieutenant Basic Dan “Razin” Caine, USAF, for the place of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers, the nation’s highest-ranking army officer, and the principal army advisor to the President, Secretary of Protection, and Nationwide Safety Council.
Basic Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is precisely 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 many years 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 Pressure Vice Chief of Workers. The incumbents in these vital roles, Admiral Lisa Franchetti and Basic 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 Basic for the Military, Navy and Air Pressure.
Below President Trump, we’re setting up new management that can focus our army on its core mission of deterring, preventing and successful wars.
– Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth
Per federal regulation, Trump must 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 could appoint an officer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers provided that the officer has served as—
(A) the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers;
(B) the Chief of Workers of the Military, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Workers of the Air Pressure, 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 could waive paragraph (1) within the case of an officer if the President determines such motion is critical within the nationwide curiosity.
A DOD assertion on Caine’s nomination gave his service background (excerpt):
Caine was commissioned in 1990 and served in quite a lot of assignments earlier than retiring final yr. His assignments included:
Commander, Joint Particular Operations Activity Pressure – Air Directorate, Balad, Iraq, 2008.
Assistant commanding basic, Joint Particular Operations Command, U.S. Particular Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 2016-2018.
Deputy commanding basic, Particular Operations Joint Activity Pressure – 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 complete 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.
