Most top military chiefs skipping Trump's July Fourth fest

By Wesley Morgan
Besides inviting the senior officials, "the White House provided 5,000 tickets to the Department of Defense" for service members, the Pentagon said in an announcement.

The Pentagon delegation invited to join President Donald Trump on the National Mall for July Fourth includes acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford and a variety of top civilian officials and officers from the military services — but not the service chiefs for the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps.

Besides inviting the senior officials, "the White House provided 5,000 tickets to the Department of Defense" for service members, the Pentagon said in an announcement.

Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, acting Air Force Secretary Matthew Donovan and James McPherson, an official performing the duties of Army undersecretary, will be there representing the services' civilian leadership, according to the Pentagon statement. Acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy will not be present.

Absent from the list are Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley — whom Trump has tapped to succeed Dunford as his next top military adviser — and his Navy, Air Force and Marine counterparts.

The only service chief in attendance will be Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz. Instead of their top officers, the Navy, Air Force, Army and Marine Corps are sending a group of their next tier of leaders, including Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bob Burke, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson, incoming Army Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Joseph Martin and one of several deputy commandants of the Marine Corps, Lt. Gen. Eric Smith.

Army National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Daniel Hokanson also made the list.