WikiPortallus: James Mattis.html

Mattis attended Central Washington University ² and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant January 1, 1972.³ As a Lieutenant, he served as a rifle and weapons platoon commander in the 3rd Marine Division. As a Captain, he commanded a rifle company and a weapons company in the 1st Marine Brigade. As a Major, he commanded RS Portland. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he commanded 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, one of Task Force Ripper's assault battalions in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. As a Colonel, he commanded 7th Marines (Reinforced). As a Brigadier General, he commanded 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and then Task Force 58 (TF-58), during Operation Enduring Freedom in southern Afghanistan. As the commander of TF-58, he became the first Marine to command a Naval Task Force in combat.⁴ As a Major General, he commanded the 1st Marine Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and subsequent stability operations in during the Iraq War.

General Mattis played a key role in the April 2004 battle of Fallujah, Operation Vigilant Resolve, by negotiating with the insurgent command inside of the city, as well as playing an important part in the November 2004 battle of Fallujah, Operation Phantom Fury.

On February 1, 2005, Lieutenant General Mattis, speaking Ad libitum at a forum in San Diego, said "You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right upfront with you, I like brawling." Mattis's remarks sparked controversy and General Michael W. Hagee, Commandant of the Marine Corps, issued a statement suggesting that Mattis should have chosen his words more carefully, but would not be disciplined. ⁵

Reaction to Mattis’ comments aside, however, the General has displayed a deep understanding of the nature of war, an understanding often lost on those of similar rank. As reported in the Los Angeles Times in May 2007, following a Pentagon survey that showed only 55% of soldiers and 40% of Marines would report a colleague for abusing civilians, Mattis told his Marines, “Whenever you show anger or disgust toward civilians, it's a victory for Al Qaeda and other insurgents.” Reflecting an understanding of the need for restraint in war, restraint that is a key to defeating an insurgency, he added that, "Every time you wave at an Iraqi civilian, Al Qaeda rolls over in its grave." ⁶

General Mattis popularized the slogan "no better friend, no worse enemy", (originally coined by the Dictator Sulla as his own epitaph in 78 BC) for his command. This phrase became widely publicized during the investigation into the conduct of Lieutenant Ilario Pantano, a platoon commander serving under General Mattis.⁸⁹¹⁰¹¹¹²¹³¹⁴

On 11 September 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced that President George W. Bush had nominated LtGen. Mattis for appointment to the rank of general with assignment as commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) in Norfolk, Virginia. NATO has also agreed to appoint Mattis as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.

On 28 September 2007, the United States Senate confirmed Lt. Gen Mattis as the next JFCOM commander. He has relinqished command of I MEF on 5 November, 2007 to LtGen Samuel Helland. Mattis was promoted to four-star general and took control of JFCOM/NATO Transformation on 9 November 2007.

In film

Decorations and awards

James Mattis.html

Contents

Marine Corps career

In film

Decorations and awards

See also

References