Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, commandant of the Marine Corps, has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Army Gen. Martin Dempsey as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to defense officials familiar with internal discussions of the matter.
Gen. Dempsey is slated to retire in September, and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter is said to be favoring Gen. Dunford, a recent commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan until he took over as commandant last summer.
Other candidates include the current vice chairman, Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr.; Adm. Samuel Locklear, Pacific Command commander; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh; and Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command.
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