Senate confirms new US Joint Chiefs chairman

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The Senate confirmed Gen. Mark Milley on Thursday as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The approval won overwhelming bipartisan support with a 89-1 vote in the 100-member chamber.

Milley will replace outgoing Gen. Joseph Dunford on Sept. 30 as the country's highest-ranking military official.

"I am humbled and honored to be confirmed as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Milley said in a statement that thanked President Donald Trump and the Senate.

Dunford congratulated his successor and reminisced on their service.

"General Milley and I have served together multiple times to include our time together in combat," Dunford said. "He will be a superb chairman."

Milley had been serving as Chief of Staff of the Army since 2015.

The post is the principal military advisor to the president and oversees global military operations.