General James Mattis is now the Secretary of Defense. Though he may control the most powerful military in the world, comprised of more than 1.5 million, but by watching “Mad Dog” you will see he has a unique leadership style which sets him apart from the Washington, D.C. establishment.
When Mattis was spotted boarding an early flight to South Korea for an 18 1/2 hour flight, he was spotted doing something that’s hard to imagine anyone in his position doing: He carries his own bags.
As CBS News’ Mark Knoller noticed:
Carrying his own bags, DefSec James Mattis boarded E-4B Airborne Command Post for his first foreign trip: 18½ hours to South Korea. pic.twitter.com/pXwRTlfk9e
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 1, 2017
This is extraordinary!
People who know Mattis personally weren’t surprised. Here he is greeting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General James Dunford. Notice the bag:
Even in Afghanistan, Mattis carried his own bags. Here he is outside the Kandahar Airport in 2002:
As Breitbart reported, Mattis’ character is impeccable, and he is an excellent leader:
“The last eight years have seen a steady erosion of our military’s capabilities and readiness. Looking abroad, our enemies often don’t respect us and our allies don’t trust us. I welcome the nomination of James Mattis as our next Secretary of Defense,” he told Breitbart News, in a statement via e-mail. “A respected and admired Marine leader, I look forward to working with him to restore U.S. leadership across the globe.”
When asked to comment on Gen. Mattis’ appointment, Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK), a retired lieutenant colonel and Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, acknowledged that it was good step towards to prioritizing military readiness and the defense of the American homeland after years of putting it on the back burner.
“It appears that the president-elect’s national security team will be far more concerned about the readiness for our country’s defense than about political social agendas,” he told Breitbart News.
Mattis’s candidacy to be secretary of defense has also received positive responses from from Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“General Mattis has a clear understanding of the many challenges facing the Department of Defense, the U.S. military, and our national security,” said McCain, a Vietnam War veteran. “America will be fortunate to have General Mattis in its service once again.”
Trump’s choice for Pentagon chief breaks with about 65 years of history by appointing a retired senior military to the post.
About 65 years ago, Congress passed legislation saying it was “the sense” of lawmakers that “no additional appointments of military men to that office shall be approved.”
The last military man to serve as secretary of defense was five-star Army Gen. George C. Marshall under President Truman from 1950 to 1951.
Military Times described Gen. Mattis as “the most revered Marine general in at least a generation.” He is reportedly admired by both Pentagon civilians and military personnel.
What do you think about “Mad Dog” Mattis carrying his own bags? Please leave us a comment (below) and tell us.
