Dan Cain, the nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on the 1st (local time), "North Korea's long-range missiles and nuclear program pose immediate security challenges."
During his response submitted to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee's confirmation hearing, Cain responded to a question about what impact a significant reduction of U.S. forces in South Korea or Japan would have.
However, Cain stated, "If confirmed, I will assess the size of U.S. forces stationed in South Korea and Japan and submit recommendations to the Secretary of Defense and the President."
Cain also noted, "I support the trilateral security cooperation framework among South Korea, the United States, and Japan."
He added, "If confirmed, I will continue to advocate using military cooperation, such as the 'Freedom Edge' (trilateral training among South Korea, the United States, and Japan), and the mechanism for sharing missile data warnings as a blueprint for our trilateral security cooperation."
Previously, Cain was nominated on February 21st to succeed Charles Brown, the former chairman who was removed by President Donald Trump. He is a former F-16 pilot who participated in the Iraq War and operations to oust the Islamic State (IS). He is the first retired general to be nominated as a candidate for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.