According to comprehensive reports from U.S. media, at around midnight on April 11 local time, the U.S. Senate voted to approve President Trump's nomination of retired Lt. Gen. Dan Kaine as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with a vote of 60 in favor and 25 against.

Kaine was born in August 1968 in New York State. He has worked at the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). As a fighter pilot, he has over 2,800 hours of flying experience. Previously, Trump described him as "an excellent pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and experienced warrior."

CNN reported that during the voting session that night, Kaine received strong support from both parties, with 16 Democratic senators voting in favor of his appointment.

During his attendance at the Senate Armed Services Committee's confirmation hearing on April 1st, Kaine stated that if his nomination were approved, he would "remain apolitical, adhere to nonpartisanship, and speak the truth" in his work.

Retired Lt. Gen. Dan Kaine. The New York Times

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the chief military advisor to the U.S. President and the Secretary of Defense, appointed from senior military officers. Typically serving a two-year term, they can be reappointed for up to three terms totaling six years, though usually only once for four years in peacetime.

Retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Milley was the second Black officer to hold this position and was praised for breaking racial barriers in the military and his combat experience. Originally scheduled to complete his four-year term in September 2027, he was dismissed by Trump in February this year.

Previously, The Guardian noted that Milley's dismissal was part of Trump's action to remove leaders who supported military diversity. In November last year, then-Defense Secretary-designate Harker had publicly outlined plans to eliminate diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the military. Additionally, Harker had publicly questioned Milley's appointment as Chairman due to his race.

The incoming Chairman, Kaine, graduated from Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 1990 with a degree in economics. Later, he earned a master’s degree in air warfare from American Military University (AMU).

According to his military record, from 2009 to 2016, Kaine was a part-time member of the Air National Guard. As an F-16 pilot, he accumulated 150 hours of combat flight time. During George W. Bush's presidency, he served as a White House researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and as a counterterrorism expert on the White House Homeland Security Council. He also participated in multiple highly classified intelligence and special operations missions, some conducted domestically and others overseas.

From 2021 to 2024, Kaine served as the Deputy Director of Military Affairs at the CIA, acting as the main liaison with the Pentagon and participating in several highly classified military projects and operations.

It is believed that given the relatively shallow background of Defense Secretary Harker, whom Trump appointed, and considering that the Secretary of Defense ranks above the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff both legally and hierarchically, selecting Lt. Gen. Dan Kaine for the position will facilitate their cooperation in carrying out tasks.

Notably, Kaine recently raised issues related to China in written testimony submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee. He claimed that due to defects in the U.S. defense industrial base, the U.S. military is not prepared for a "protracted war" with China. He also stated that competition with China remains one of America's most pressing issues.

In response to questions about the so-called "Chinese military threat," Kaine believed that the People's Liberation Army of China has made significant progress in adjusting its military structure, deploying modern autonomous systems, building readiness, and enhancing joint operational capabilities.

When discussing the broader geopolitical landscape, Kaine claimed that China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran share "broadly similar goals," engage in "limited" transactional cooperation at bilateral (sometimes trilateral) levels, but do not act as a unified bloc or form a "NATO-like" alliance system.

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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7492051376948740648/

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