Dan Caine

General Dan Caine
Official portrait, 2025
Birth name	John Daniel Caine
Born	1968 or 1969 (age 56–57) Elmira, New York, U.S.
Service / branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1990–2024 2025–present
Rank	General
Commands	Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Associate Directorate for Military Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency Special Access Programs Central Office
Battles / wars	Operation Southern Watch Iraq War Operation Inherent Resolve
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star (2)
Alma mater	Virginia Military Institute (BS) American Military University (MS)

John Daniel Caine (born 1968 or 1969) is an American Air Force general and venture capitalist who has served 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 graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1990. He was commissioned shortly thereafter, serving 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 dismissed Charles Q. Brown Jr. as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, naming Caine as his nominee to replace him. Caine was confirmed by the Senate in April. He is the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to have never served at the rank of four-star general or admiral before being nominated and the first to be nominated in retirement.^[a]

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).