James Mattis
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| James N. Mattis | |
|---|---|
 General James N. Mattis |
|
| Nickname | "Warrior Monk" "Mad Dog Mattis"[1] |
| Place of birth | Pullman, Washington |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1972 - present |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | U.S. Joint Forces Command Supreme Allied Commander Transformation I Marine Expeditionary Force U.S. Marine Forces Central Command Marine Corps Combat Development Command 1st Marine Division 7th Marine Regiment 1st Battalion, 7th Marines |
| Battles/wars | Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom *2001 invasion of Afghanistan Operation Iraqi Freedom *2003 invasion of Iraq *Operation Vigilant Resolve |
| Awards | Defense Distinguished Service Medal (2) Navy Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star with "V" |
General James N. Mattis, USMC is the current Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) and Supreme Allied Commander Transformation for NATO. He previously served as Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force and Commander, U.S. Marine Forces Central Command. He assumed his current assignment on November 9, 2007.
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[edit] Marine Corps career
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.
He is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the National War College.
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 at a forum in San Diego, apparently 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.
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." [5]
The Pentagon announced on May 31, 2006 that LtGen Mattis had been chosen to take command of the I Marine Expeditionary Force based out of Camp Pendleton, California.[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.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
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.
[edit] In film
Lieutenant General James N. Mattis will be played by Harrison Ford in the upcoming film No True Glory: The Battle for Fallujah, based on the book by Bing West.[14]
[edit] Decorations and awards
[edit] See also
- 2003 Invasion of Iraq
- U.S. invasion of Afghanistan
- Operation Phantom Fury
- Operation Vigilant Resolve
[edit] References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.- Notes
- ^ Boot, Max (March 2006). The Corps should look to its small-wars past. Armed Forces Journal. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
- ^ United States Joint Forces Command Website
- ^ Reynolds Basrah, Baghdad and Beyond, p. 4.
- ^ Reynolds Basrah, Baghdad and Beyond, p. 5.
- ^ “General Urges Marines To Add A Friendly Wave To Their Arsenal,” Los Angeles Times, May 17, 2007.
- ^ Lowe, Christian. "Popular commander to lead I MEF", Marine Corps Times, June 12, 2006, p. 24. Retrieved on 2006-06-19.
- ^ "Top 10 Stories of 2005: Pantano, roads, Olchowski are 10-7", Star News Online, December 28, 2005.
- ^ Quinn-Judge, Paul. "Did He Go Too Far?", TIME, February 28, 2005.
- ^ Phillips, Stone. "Marine charged with murders of Iraqis: Lieutenant claims self-defense in shooting of detainees", MSNBC, April 26, 2005.
- ^ Jeff Schogol. "Marine acquitted in Iraqi shootings will publish a book", Stars and Stripes, Wednesday, November 16, 2005.
- ^ Walker, Mark. "Pantano case has parallels to Hamdania incident", North County Times, Saturday, July 1, 2006.
- ^ Phillips, Phillips (June 14, 2006). Sending A Message.
- ^ Charen, Mona (February 25, 2005). Is the Marine Corps P.C.?. townhall.com.
- ^ "Harrison Ford signs for Iraq war film", Guardian Unlimited, December 16, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
- Bibliography
- Reynolds, Nicholas E. (2005). ‘’Basrah, Baghdad and Beyond - The U.S. Marine Corps in the Second Iraq War.’’p. 5. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-717-4
- Web
