Senate confirms new US Joint Chiefs chairman

WASHINGTON

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.