“Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”
That life tip comes to you courtesy of General “Mad Dog” Mattis. To be fair, he gave that advice to a group of Maries in Iraq, so he might not be recommending that the soccer moms of middle America make the same plans, but I guess being prepared isn’t ever a bad thing.
Mattis has earned a reputation as being quite a soldier. The four-star general gained respect from friends and enemies alike, and there was much rejoicing among the pro-military camp when the President nominated him to be the 26th United States Secretary of Defense.
According to NPR though, his road to confirmation wasn’t traditional:
Congress had to pass a special waiver to allow General James Mattis to become the defense secretary. The Pentagon is supposed to be led by a civilian. Mattis had only been out of the Marines for three years.
The BBC had this to say about the U.S. military legend:
Gen Mattis, who is dubbed “Mad Dog”, is known as much for his memorable turn of phrase as his uncompromising approach to America’s enemies.
The 66-year-old’s quotes, or #mattisisms, have been faithfully shared online by veterans who revere his candour and leadership, much of it served at the frontline of battle.
After meeting him in November, Mr Trump said Gen Mattis – who had a 44-year career with the Marine Corps – was “the real deal” and “a true General’s General”.
While rising through the ranks, Gen Mattis also earned the nickname “Warrior Monk” because he never married or had children.
He retired in 2013 after serving as head of US Central Command (Centcom), the American military’s wing in charge of all its Middle East forces.
The General lived up to his name. Within hours of being confirmed and taking his post, he had strikes on multiple known terrorist camps with multiple confirmed high-level leaders biting the hot desert sand at the impact of his orders. While Mattis may have been the exception in some ways, he’s also exactly what the United States needed in a time when our war on terror had been neglected for almost a decade.
So do you want to know what the head honcho over at the Pentagon thinks about war and how it should be fought? Oh good, because here it is. This is courtesy of the BBC, so thanks to those guys for staying on top of how things are going over here.
Gen James Mattis, in his own words:
“I don’t lose any sleep at night over the potential for failure. I cannot even spell the word.”
“The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some assholes in the world that just need to be shot.”
“I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you [expletive] with me, I’ll kill you all.”
“The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.”
“There is nothing better than getting shot at and missed. It’s really great.”
“I’m going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.”
(Source: San Diego Union Tribune)
I think we’re in good hands.