Another Marine named head of the Joint Chiefs

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. apparently is going to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, only the second Marine to hold the job:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will nominate Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, choosing a widely respected, combat-hardened commander who led the Afghanistan war coalition during a key transitional period during 2013-14, U.S. officials said Monday.
The move cuts short Dunford's service as the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, a job he began last October. But the rapid promotion is one of several that have marked Dunford's fast-tracked military career, which saw him leap from a one-star general to four stars in about three years.

Yeah, I know this is a few days old, but work is busting my ass and making timely posts hard to come by. Anyway, Gen. Peter Pace was the first Marine to be chairman, but he got fucked because Robert Gates is kind of a pussy:

If confirmed, Dunford would be only the second Marine to serve as chairman. Gen. Peter Pace, the first Marine chosen as chairman, served one two-year term from 2005 to 2007, but was not renominated by then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates because the Pentagon chief feared a long, difficult Senate hearing focusing on the sharp divisions over the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Pace was a good man who deserved a second term. I hope Dunford gets treated better. He's been promoted really fast, but he looks like a Marine:

Dunford began his career as an infantry officer and has commanded at all levels. He served nearly two years in Iraq, including as head of the Marines' 5th Regimental Combat Team during the 2003 invasion, where he earned the nickname "Fighting Joe."

The 5th Marines have a long, proud history, and Dunford did a good job leading them in Iraq. Anyone in the military elevated to command by Emperor Barry I is a little suspect in my view -- look how PC the Army has become in just a few years -- but I'll reserve judgment on Dunford. Always good to see a Marine running things.