WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today met with General Joseph Dunford, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, who was recently nominated to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“General Dunford and I had a frank conversation about a wide range of strategic challenges that he could face as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Wicker said. “His prior service as our top military commander in Afghanistan, and more recently as Commandant of the Marine Corps, has armed him with a thorough understanding of national security policy. I support his nomination to be the senior ranking member of the United States Armed Forces.

“We discussed several issues critical to our national security, including the U.S. strategy to defeat ISIS and the importance of supporting our allies against Putin’s aggression.

“We also spoke about the vital role that the National Guard plays as the combat-reserve force for the Army – including the Army National Guard Apache helicopters based in Mississippi.”

The Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on General Dunford’s nomination on July 9.