Mattis for Defense Secretary
Well, it looks like all of your dreams are coming true – James Mattis, the 65 year-old retired Marine Corps general who most recently commanded United States Central Command (US Forces in the Middle East) in 2013, is mostly likely our next Secretary of Defense. From CNN;
Asked by reporters if he would choose Mattis to lead the Defense Department, Trump said, “All I can say is he is the real deal. He is the real deal.”
In Mattis, Trump has a candidate who was held in high regard throughout the ranks of the Marine Corps during his 44 years of service. A seasoned combat commander, he led a task force into southern Afghanistan in 2001 and a Marine division at the time of the Iraq invasion in 2003.
The retired four-star general, who was known as “Mad Dog,” was lauded for his leadership of Marines in the 2004 Battle of Falluja in Iraq — one of the bloodiest of the war.
But he attracted controversy in 2005 when he said “it’s fun to shoot some people” while addressing service members in San Diego.
According to Politico there are some hurdles involved with Mattis’ nomination however;
To get the job, he’ll need something highly unusual: a waiver. He’s technically ineligible to be Defense secretary because the law requires retired military officers to be out of uniform for seven years before they can become the civilian head of the armed forces — a requirement meant to ensure that civilian control of the military, a bedrock of the American democratic tradition, remains inviolate. Under the law, unless Congress grants an exception, “a person may not be appointed as secretary of Defense within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force.”
Well, if there’s a man alive who can jerk a knot in the collective ass of flag officers, it’s Mattis. Lord knows they need it. I’m sure that he can get the Pentagon’s eye back on the ball – the fact that there’s a war they could be fighting instead of trying to please the social justice warriors who are currently controlling the purse strings of the agency.
Category: Big Pentagon
If there’s anyone who can put a stop to this social experiment madness, it is The Warrior Monk.
When he was CO of 7th Marines, I was assigned to 2/7 – he held a monthly brief for newly arrived SNCO’s and Officers. The man does not pull punches with anyone! He told you his expectations and expected you to get the job done! Was not afraid to stop anyone engaged in any sort of game playing or anyone who tried to bullshit him – would stomp the fuck out of them and get them moved out of the regiment in a heartbeat.
GEN Mattis would be a drastic improvement over Carter and any other asshat at the Puzzle Palace right now. People, both in uniform and civilians, who didn’t perform would get shitcanned with no second thought. Mattis doesn’t want yes men/women… he wants people who can do the job with no political bullshit involved.
Amen
I had a boss (a Colonel at the time) who was the Aide De Camp for Tommy Franks when Tommy Franks was a 1 star.
He confirmed that Tommy Franks was pretty much an imbecile as I had. suspected
We have this notion that folks that get to those exhaulted ranks must be pristine. Not always the case obviously
TRF’s first aide as a 1 star was fired after getting the juice from the fruit salad in the mashed potatoes.
I was once talked into interviewing for a general’s aide job by Col. John Sadler (of MACVSOG fame), at 7th Corps HQ in Frankfurt. Before my interview with the BG began I found out I would be a glorified gofer, including escorting the Gen.’s wifey on shopping excursions. I decided I wasn’t interested. I made this decision against the advice of my WWII vet dad, even though the aide job would have precluded my 15 month tour of ol’ RVN. The clincher for me was the BG leaving me standing at attention in front of his desk for the entire interview. I concluded he was an asshole. The fact that his ribbon rack showed he was a leg and likely a REMF his whole career clinched it. I went back to 8th Inf Div HQ and told Col. Sadler no thanks and I wanted to stay with my troops in Co.A/2nd Bn/509th Inf. A few months later I rec’d my orders to RVN.
Pardon my ignorance (I’m retired NAVY) but what is a “leg” and “REMF”. Thanks in advance. I am learning.
A “leg” doesn’t jump from airplanes and a REMF is a “rear echelon mother f*****”
This is the perfect example of why I kept dodging the “go officer!” calls constantly when I was an E-5/6.
Granted, there are plenty of self-important dirtbags on the Senior NCO side as well.
Sometimes I think I might have stayed in the Army for the full career if I had been an NCO. Probably close to half the officers I dealt with were ineffective as leaders.
I was in the Bastard Battalion 3/4 that was part of 7th Marines and stationed at Pendelton while the rest of the Regiment was at the Stumps.
We did a CAX and Mad Dog came out to observe. He had
“Trigga Happy Bitch Killa” on the band of his goggles.
The man watched EVERYTHING. After the CAX he had came down to Pendleton and Came to our Battalion area for a while.
My Platoon (81mm mortars) was running gun drills by the barracks and he had us all do a school circle and gave us an “attaboy”
Exceptional leader.
I also had to take a Shitbag we were admin discharging up to Palms to face him.
The kid was a total douche bag. Colonel Mattis just read over the documentation on him while the kid stood shaking in front of him and asked the platoon commander and I if he should be seperated.
Its the closest feeling I ever had to watching a hanging.
Everything about him says “NOTS TO BE FUCKED WITH”
About time we had someone versed in “kicking ass and taking names”!!
Only a fool would stand in the way of his confirmation.
But then again, there’s a shitload of those in Congress.
I was thinking the same thing.
It concerns me that Paul Ryan and his ilk will block this nomination.
Ryan needs to be thrown out on his RINO ass….!!
Paul Ryan. Stolen Valor in the marathon world. Pussy!!!
“Stolen Valor in the marathon world.”
lol
They need to understand they are only a single knife hand from oblivion.
They also need to remember that the Mad Dog has a plan to kill every person he meets. He has said as much.
Ooooohhhhhhh FUCK YESSSSSS !!!!!!!
I second that response!!!
My ONLY concern with Mattis, and I mean ONLY concern, is his parochialism for Marines
If he can set that aside I think he could most probably be the greatest SECDEF in my lifetime
Nah, he’ll be impartial.
You say that as if there were something wrong with it! 🙂
Yeah. It can definitely be a bad thing when you put the reputation of your branch over the good of the military and country.
It’s an inbred trait in Marines
Mattis’s whole “the Marines have landed” nonsense in Afghanistan even though the Army’s 10th Mountain and 101st Airborne had already been there fighting for weeks
And his firing of a subordinate Commander in Iraq for not beating the Army into Baghdad
Petty, juvenile shit
But so common in that branch who has a psychotic fixation on being better than the Army at all costs
Even if it means making shit up
Hell…all the Marines have to do is show up on the same field to better the Army! LOL
Like I said. Even if it means making shit up. It’s a psychosis with that branch.
Nobody is out to get rid of you little fellas
Relax
What? The Army was in Afghanistan? I thought it was only marines….
🙂
Given the way that certain naysayers keep repeating the “second land army” crap, and have been since at least the 1920s, can you really blame him?
I’ve not heard that one. How dare anyone call the Naval Infantry a second land army. The bastards.
Is that not what they’ve attempted to become the last 30 years?
Don’t confuse the issue with facts buddy.
I haven’t “buddy”
I don’t think he will be parochial. This is what he said back in 2010:
“In this age, I don’t care how tactically or operationally brilliant you are, if you cannot create harmony—even vicious harmony—on the battlefield based on trust across service lines, across coalition and national lines, and across civilian/military lines, you need to go home, because your leadership is obsolete. We have got to have officers who can create harmony across all those lines.”
At the May 2010 JFCOM Conference
I guess his chances depend on whether or not a straight yes vote allows Congress to violate US code and grant an exception. If a super majority vote is required I’d say there’s no chance he gets the job unless Democrats get consideration on something else…a straight yes vote he gets the job because Republicans have a straight yes vote majority. But they are far away from a super majority in either body.
He’s no doubt a tough guy who might be really good for this position in terms of being a no bullshit tell it how it’s going to be kind of manager.
I have a little research to do and see what level of vote is required for an exception.
As much as I’d like to see Mattis as SecDef, I don’t see a provision in the U.S. Code for an exception to be granted. I believe they would have to actually repeal that portion of the code. But I’m not a lawyer and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Congress just needs to approve a waiver, and John McCain, who is chair of the Armed Forces Committee, said he would give it his full support. The only other waiver given by Congress for SecDef was for General Marshall to be the Secretary of the War Department under Truman.
Since when is Congress actually held to obey their own laws? THAT would certainly be historic.
Well, in this case they’ll have to. Otherwise, someone will file suit in Federal court to block the man from taking office due to it being against Federal law, and a Federal judge will rightfully issue an injunction barring him from taking office.
A simple solution would be for Congress to pass a piece of single purpose legislation giving Matis a by-name waiver to the 7-year waiting period to be appointed SECDEF. Once passed and signed into law, he could then serve – and the statutory ban would remain in effect.
I’ve read elsewhere that Mattis is a true intellectual, a general with an IQ approaching, if not actually, genius level. Combine that with his penchant for fighting wars the way they are supposed to be fought and we may have one helluva warrior SecDef. Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall of the room where he is discussing the possibility of future tenure and career accomplishments with Ray Mabus?
Have you ever seen a military “purge”? I have
Of senior Officers and NCOs
They shut off their access cards, had folks box up their shit in their office, and mail it to their homes.
Then they get retirement packets/proposals in the mail
I retired from the Army Guard AGR program after 26 years of active duty. 13 in the Regular Army followed by 13 in the Army Guard AGR program.
AGR is like the mafia. Once you’re in you’re a “made man”
But just like the mafia you can get invited to dinner with the Chief of Staff and hit in the back of the head with a bat and dumped in a river
And for the last couple years, HRC’s been swinging that bat pretty liberally at everyone.
Though I would contend that the TPU mafia is a much more powerful mafia in units below CG level.
For his speech at his confirmation hearing I want Mattis to give the same “I didn’t bring any artillery” speech to the Senate that he gave to the Iraqi chieftains in 2006.
^ THIS!!! That would be epic.
Normally I can’t watch Congressional hearings without getting a migraine but this one will be must see TV!
It would essentially become my porn.
You mean it isnt already?
“I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you fuck with me, I’ll kill you all”
– Mattis –
I’d love to see Barbara Boxer pull her “you will address me as Senator” bullshit on Mattis. Frikkin lasers will shoot from his eyes.
Noted dimwit Boxer is retiring, to be replaced by the equally odious Kamala “I want to use the RICO statutes against my political enemies” Harris.
I say let Mattis face the Senate with a k-bar clinched in his teeth during the entire hearing-just for giggles.
Bimbo Babs would shit herself if she tried to pull that crap on Mattis – he’d tell her in a very polite manner to GFY and do it with a big smile on his face…
I abstained from the Senate election. My options were the vile twat Kamala Harris and another equally-retarded liberal democrat.
Ditto Bother. Just left it blank.
Bet some Democrat official filled it in for ya…
That B-word Harris was an even worse CA AG than illegally elected Gov. Moonbeam. I would against her in the primary, but her opponent was almost equally odious.
…voted…, dammit.
Yes, I noticed that as well.. how the fuck did they manage to rig an election for the Senate in one of the largest States in the Country to have only one party on the ballot,,, and not even a space for a write in?
Answer: The People’s Republic of Mexifornia/Taxifornia and adept Demoncrat district Gerrymandering. Apparently the State Republican Party decided it was pointless and a waste of money to run anyone against her in the southern half of the state.
Plus, didn’t the dipshits in CA pass a law saying only the top two vote getters in the primaries face each other in the general? That pretty much eviscerates anyone not a Dem from ever making it to the general election.
Knife hands. Knife hands everywhere.
There will be no fuckin’ “safe spaces!”
As the General said:
“Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”
JSF
I would like to see him wear the goggles mentioned above by “Just An Old Dog” that have the sobriquet “Trigga Happy Bitch Killa” on the band.
THAT would be epic.
While I agree that the good General would be just what our military needs right now, I am cautious about setting a precedent for the future that could come back to bite us.
I’m not at all.
Share your thoughts/reservations please
I would like a table for 2 with a good view of the floor show.
Oh, wrong type of reservations?
I have nothing else.
I agree with 0-4E. Specify your reservations.
I’d be interested to hear the reservations as well. Since the precedent was already set back with General Marshall, and hasn’t been used again since, it doesn’t seem that it’s been abused in the last 60+ years, so it would seem that the likelihood of abuse in the future is similarly low.
Well, OE-4 and Ex-PH2: they are vague and poorly formulated at this point, however:
If the point of the seven-year restriction is to serve as a method of preventing/hindering a military takeover of a civilian government by ensuring a civilian control of the military,
then any weakening of that defense ought to be approached with caution.
While our immediate need and circumstance would make Mattis as close to an ideal pick as one could dream, we must needs consider the future as well.
We have seen how a weakening of the protections of states rights (starting in the 1880’s or earlier) have resulted in the rampant cancer of federalism we are currently suffering. Might not a weakening of the civilian control of the military have unintended consequences for our grandchildren/great-grandchildren?
Road to hell::good intentions.
As I said – not well formulated, but this may help you understand my unease.
Understood, but as Fyrfighter points out, the precedent was set previously and was not abused. GEN Mattis does not strike me as the kind of person who would engage in Caesarian behavior, however.
We are facing crisis in the near future, whether we like it or not, ergo a SecDef with a strong sense of what needs to be done to offset it before it happens is important if we are to protect this country from external attacks.
If anything, since the states are facing increasing crime rates, we should be considering turning back tax funding to them to improve their ability to hire and train good police officers. That is the essence of the 10th amendment. Reread the article on 4 police officers shot in four different ambushes. It was not just 4, it has also happened elsewhere.
I had not seen Fyr’s post. I’m having to post between “real” work actions and it takes me a while to complete something. When I started Fyr’s post was not up.
Given, then, that the precedent has been set (which fact I did not know) then my reservations are irrelevant to the point.
I happen to agree with you on the crisis. From events this weekend in my AO I suspect that aspects of the crisis are worsening. Airborne NG Son is planning on xfering out of his unit because Big Army is stepping them up to 4-day weekends and two 2-week drills with the 173rd in Europe – according to the scuttlebutt. Trying to hold down a regular job and do that training schedule is tough. Their new Capt is an idiot to the nth. They were out in the cold all day Saturday with no meals provided over a 24-hour period. He didn’t have them planned. A number of the guys in his platoon – good soldiers who love to do real Infantry stuff and jump out of perfectly good airplanes – are seeking to xfer out because of poorly planned ops, poorly planned (unplanned) supply, and the stepped up pace of the trainings – without any discernible goal except to cover the CF that the Damn0crats have pulled on them.
If this is any indication of what’s going on in Big Army they’ve about pushed the men and women to the edge. And that means a force that is not mission capable. IMHO.
I’m trying to keep the entire picture in view – current situation and future situations. I’m all for a strong and capable hand at the helm.
The problem is a common one.
If you tell a unit to accomplish a mission, they’ll do their damnedest to do it, even at high cost.
The problem then becomes “oh look! That unit did the mission and was successful! So, they can do it again and so can any other unit!” And so, funding and personnel get cut. But are still expected to accomplish the same mission.
My biggest concern was at one point I was having to cover down on 4 duty positions by myself once and was able to maintain (thanks to Army HRC). But what worried me was someone coming down and saying, “well, you really only need ONE person for that job because…..” and cutting slots to save money. Irrelevant was my duty days sometimes including sleeping in my office, working weekends and holidays, working while on leave, and burning myself to ashes after about 3 months. “oh, but you did it! So it is possible…..”
Then workaholics start ETSing or become cannon fodder for HRC bureaucrats getting bonuses for their creative ways to kick people out cheaply, so things start to fail and Soldiers suffer and get more demotivated by it.
Roger that.
My son’s group was “so effective” as OPFOR on this exercise that the “good guys” never got near him and his squad holding the hostage.
So, naturally, after freezing their butts off with no food for 24 hours the Capt thinks they are the perfect OPFOR for future exercises.
Even the LTs have had enough of this guy.
Success is it’s own punishment.
This is not something new. I saw the same thing in the mid-1960s, when I went with one of the supply guys to the general supply building to get ‘STUFF’. When I asked him why all this STUFF was being picked up when we did not really need it, his answer was ‘if we don’t spend our entire budget this year, it’s cut back next year’.
Mind you, that was in the midst of the spending platform for the Vietnam War, before LBJ abdicated his throne. As soon as Nixon was elected, the cuts began anyway.
So what you’re talking about is not something new at all.
Road to Hell is paved with good intentions is only accurate if you’re a Jedi and turn into Darth Vader.
How? Because at some future point we could get a Gen. Wesley Clark as SECDEF? How could a progtard Gen. be worse than what we have running DOD now under 0? At least another GO as SECDEF might have some respect for the true missions and traditions of the military.
If the system was so inviolate there would be no provision for waivers…and the man has been out for several years already.
I’m sorry, I am giddy with excitement right now. Being a Marine this is just so damn good. After the bunch of limp wrist, Panty Wastes that we have had for 8 years, this is excellent news!
The military is not about jobs or social Justice(?) or being a meals on wheels for refugees. It is about protecting our nation and killing the enemies of our republic. We need a man to not blow smoke up the President’s ass and to get our military back on course.
Now I have to go have a steak, drink a scotch and have a ceegar!
If you make two of that, I’ll join you.
One of us.
Suddenly knifehands!
I heard the news and had a third Knife hand pop up.
I have the weirdest knifehand right now. If it doesn’t go away in four hours, I may need to see a doctor.
I just hope this happens.
I am very disappointed with the rumors of Romney getting a job. We need real conservatives up there, not establishment hacks.
I second that, to hell with Romney, he’s little more than an “Aw, shucks” nice guy and that’s NOT what we need right now. I saw the pics of him and Trump after they met and Romney had the facial expression like that of a puppy that had just been paddled for shitting on the living room floor!
He probably DID shit on the floor after Trump sat him down and in his best Toby Keith asked Romney – “how do you like me now” asshole??
Mittens aint getting shit. The Don invited him over to be de-balled like the bitch he is.
???????
Mattis really should be president, but what the hell. He’s definitely the right man for this job, too, and I expect his first official act will be to publicly bitchslap Mabus.
The wailing and gnashing of hippie teeth will be downright musical!
Baby steps TOW, baby steps.. first SECDEF, then President…
SEMPER FUCK YOU libotards.
I’m hoping that the trickle-down effect results in a great improvement in the morale of our fighting forces. They need it.
In this case his recent military participation will be a feature and not a bug.
He has been a participant in the current military mission creep.
Who better to refocus on getting back to basics?
OMG!!!!
It’s going to be Gen James Amos instead!
we’re DOOOOOMED!!!
http://www.duffelblog.com/2016/11/trump-picks-legendary-marine-general-next-secretary-defense-james-amos/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=Duffel%20Blog&utm_content=Trump%20picks%20legendary%20Marine%20general%20for%20next%20Secretary%20of%20Defense:%20James%20Amos
(yea, it’s duffleblog, hope the link worked, it’s funny and scary at the same time).
Well, gee whiz, if a slacker like Amos can be considered, I should throw my hat into that ring. I could use the cash, too. My cats get hungry and pester me for food.
Has the respect of the troops and isn’t a ‘yes man’? I’m all for this.
If anyone can roll back the leftist social engineering rot that has enveloped the Pentagon in recent years, it’s Mad Dog.
I can already see him plowing into that like a Caterpillar D9 at full throttle!
I like that visual.
“I have the weirdest boner right now”
😀 😀 😀
Does this mean the next Sec Def will always been seen with two road guards and someone to count Cadence or will he also need a waiver for that?
Hell, yeah – Mattis for Sec Def. Or State. Or any other spot, including leading my personal security detail.
The reason there are ways to waive requirements built into the US systems of governance is so that occasional exceptions can be made to the rules when needed. Like now.
Let’s get on with draining the swamp. The survival of the nation may well depend upon it.
The lispy admirals and generals who have been the tip of the…wait for it………….spear (thought I was gonna say dick, didn’t ya?)in the transgender/queer movement are very nervous about now.
I hope their asses are the first ones Mattis kicks so hard they ricochet off the Moon!
Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked Gen Mattis in the face. His foot still hurts…
Civilians at the head of the DoD is what has been destroying the military. Hopefully the anti America party(Democrat Party) doesn’t put the brakes on this, but I suspect they are going to stomp their feet at every chance possible just like their criminal ilk on the streets.
All the naysayers, how is that double dose of crow tasting? You know who you are.
Civilian at the head of DoD is what has kept us from a military coup for 200+ years.
The Founding Fathers had very good reasons for what they did.
The DoD was formed in 1947 after WW II and specified a 10-year separation from the military for prospective DoD secretaries who were military. That has since been reduced to seven years. The waiver for George Marshall took the form of a law, passed by Congress and signed by the president (Truman) that allowed for Marshall to serve as DoD secretary despite lacking the requisite minimum 10 years of separation. Here’s the summary and vote c/o CQ. The same can be done for Mattis. As you will see, the vote for Marshall was along party lines, as it will be for Mattis. All legal, Constitutional, and proper.
https://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/document.php?id=cqal50-1374582#H2_1
I have said for over 10 years they should force the Democrat party to change its name to the Anti-America Party or Anti-U.S. Party. I say that because I think we need a little truth in advertising from them.
For grins, I’ll just leave this here:
http://www.duffelblog.com/2016/11/mattis-trump-secretary-of-defense/
“…a source familiar with the meeting said that Mattis was hopeful for the future president. At the end of the hour-long meeting, Mattis believed he was high on the list for Defense Secretary, though he issued a tearful warning to Trump and his staff before he left, saying, “if you fuck with me, I’ll kill you all. In an apparent act of goodwill, Mattis only killed three people who looked at him the wrong way in the elevator, a new career low for a retired military officer who averages at least 12 kills per day.”
Yea, I’m a little tearful myself. Those DB guys have been busy with this story. I posted a link from them somewhere here on TAH about Amos being selected instead. As a joke.
I, too, have great difficulty watching pols on TV. It’s much safer for me to read about the conversation the following day. My default mode when watching a pol’s lips move is to assume they are lying. I’ve never been able to watch o or wideload speak. I couldn’t even watch her concession speech or his ‘let’s come together as a nation since I screwed up stuff for the past eight years’ speech. I honestly find it very nearly impossible watching them. It’s not an exclusively Democrat issue, either. Many/most Republicans fall into the same category. My default mode with General Mad Dog Mattis is he is speaking the truth as he knows it to be, and he will be entirely honest with his troops and others to the extent he is able to do so, given the sensitivity of the subject. Obviously, some things he can’t reveal. I’m sure MSM will be all over his case the first time he isn’t entirely forthcoming. After all, everyone in the current administration has been a beacon of honesty and transparency and that has set the standard by which all other administrations will be judged. I believe Mattis to be an honorable man. I can’t say that about many politicians (which I DON’T consider him to be) or others in the public eye, which he will be. Trump seems to be off to a great start. He’s admitted he isn’t the SME on some issues, unlike many pols who know everything about everything, but he will surround himself with those who are. I want to see MSM crap their panties when they interview Mattis. Heaven forbid Trump should put in place experts who will take no prisoners. I can already see Mattis telling a reporter to eat shit and die. (Or words to that effect.) Mattis comes to the table already commanding great respect from many/most/nearly all within the military system. I’m thinking he will be less concerned with transgender ‘rights’ than kicking the shit out of our enemies. I’m also thinking if I were a marginal performer or someone dipping his… Read more »
VA Secretary? I’d nominate Gary Sinise.
My choice is Leroy Petry.
VA?
James Webb.
Along with his reputation, it’d be a bipartisan pick
I like Webb in this context.
LTC Allen West (Army, retired) would be an excellent choice as well.
I would like to see LTC West for Sec Army.
I’ll settle for anyone who isn’t light in the loafers and who isn’t butt sore all the time.
As a reporter, I can honestly say that covering a guy with a nickname of Mad Dog would be a lot of fun.
Great news for a crappy Monday.
Very impressed with the incoming Trump administration so far. Keep it up.
I’m not a praying man, but for this I will get down on my hands and knees and pray and pray this happens for America !
110+ cmts on a possible DoD pick. This surely reflects shareholder anger and frustration with current management of the company. Those for Mattis: All. Those against: None. Amazing.
My car is having difficulty starting. Does anyone think it might straighten up if GEN Mattis stared at it?
Either that or it will self destruct in shame.
Admiral Mike Phag: “Mattis? I’m phuked.”
General Suck Up: “Me too. I blew off his retirement party. Didn’t think it was politically smart to attend.”
Admiral Phag: “That all? Hell, I did attend but Mattis caught me standing in a shopping bag in a men’s room stall.”
General Suck Up: “Who was on the seat?”
Admiral Phag: “Eric. Eric Fanning.”
General Suck Up: “Shit. Well….bye.”
I used to have to brief him at CENTCOM. Thought I’d attend the big brief as an observer first. Smart move. Watched him roast a BG who didn’t have his shit together and tried to tap dance.
Made sure my brief was tight…with all the answers I could think of for possible second and third order effects. He still got me but could tell I was prepped for his battlefield. And all he did was make me smarter and better.
Thus endeth the lesson.
I always enjoyed working for men like that.
If you had it together to the best of your ability, no problem.
Heaven help you if you tried to BS your way through.
Always loved working for men like that.
For what it’s worth, a recent article quoting Mattis on “reading too much:”
http://www.aol.com/article/2016/11/22/general-james-mattis-viral-email-too-busy-to-read/21611453/
Here is a Christmas story on Mattis:
https://blog.usni.org/2010/12/17/a-general-mattis-christmas-story
I use to do the same thing when I was in – at the last command I was at, I did it for the OOD (usually a CPO or Junior Officer) so they could be at home with their kids. Some thought I was a little crazy for doing it.
Also, use to team up with the Director for Admin to pool some money for the junior Sailors in the command that were “just getting by” – should have seen their faces when they were called in to be “counseled” and found out that they had Christmas Dinner and gifts for the kids covered by the CPO’s and Officers in the Directorate. Ten families each year taken care of… and it was the right thing to do.
Never had any regrets for doing it… not one bit.