Brent Scowcroft Center Assistant Director Alex Ward writes for The National Interest on the expectations for US defense strategy should General Joseph Dunford assume the role of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
On July 9, Commandant of the Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford will face the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) for his nomination hearing to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Despite his short time at the helm of the country’s “9-1-1 force,” and the fact that he would only be the second Marine to be the president’s top military adviser, he has earned President Barack Obama’s “trust.”
And he seems to have the trust of the SASC’s leadership, too. Chairman John McCain said “Dunford’s exemplary service in Iraq and Afghanistan makes him a strong choice” to be the next chairman. The Committee’s Ranking Member, Jack Reed, has the “utmost confidence that General Dunford will serve with distinction as the next Chairman.”
It is therefore reasonable to assume that Dunford will soon take over for General Martin Dempsey. So, what should we expect from Dunford in this new role? Based on his service as commandant, we should expect him to focus on “readiness”—in multiple meanings of the world—to turn into his organizing principle.