Secretary James Mattis

Recently appointed Secretary of Defense under the Trump Administration in an exception to policy not exercised since 1950, Secretary James Mattis retired from the United States Marine Corps as a General after 41 years of service in 2013, beloved and revered by his Marines.  He initially enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1969, and was commissioned a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps on January 1, 1972, upon graduating from Central Washington University. His grit and determination earned him the nickname “Mad Dog” and the call sign “Chaos.” Secretary Mattis has served as the commander of an infantry battalion the Persian Gulf and, as his career progressed, went on to lead joint commands in Iraq and Afghanistan to include NATO.