Trump announced the appointment of a general nicknamed "Mad Dog" head of the Pentagon (video). The Pentagon will lead the "Mad Dog", he is - "Warrior Monk" General James Mattis Mad Dog

Head of the United States Central Command

Head of US Central Command since August 2010, four-star general in the Marine Corps. In 2007-2010 he was the commander of the US Interservice Command, at the same time in 2007-2009 he was the supreme commander for the transformation of the NATO combined forces. Prior to that, since 1972, he served in various units of the Marine Corps.

James Mattis (James N. Mattis) was born on September 8, 1950 in the city of Pullman, (according to other sources - in the city of Richland), Washington state. In 1968 he graduated from high school in Richland, in 1971, - Central Washington State College,,.

Experts noted that Mattis never sought to reveal the details of his biography in interviews or articles, and official information is rather concise and contains a minimum of data, and not always correct (for example, the name of the university and the year of graduation from it,,). It is known that on January 1, 1972, Mattis entered the United States Marine Corps (MCC) and later received the rank of lieutenant,. He acquired a military education, graduating from the Amphibious Warfare School, the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the National War College, the latter being an officer in 1996. , .

It is known that Mattis served as an infantry and rifle platoon leader in the 3rd Marine Corps Division. Having risen to the rank of captain, he commanded a rifle and infantry company in the 1st brigade of the ILC. As a major, he ran a recruiting office in Portland, Oregon.

Having received the rank of lieutenant colonel Mattis, he commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Corps, taking part in operations to ensure the security of Saudi Arabia ("Desert Shield", 1990) and to liberate Kuwait during the wars in the Persian Gulf ( "Desert Storm", 1991). While Mattis later wrote, he was actively studying the experience of military leaders of the past, reading books by Bruce Catton, Erwin Rommel, and Bernard Law Montgomery to better understand how to wage war in difficult natural conditions, especially in deserts. From June 1994 to July 1996, he led the 7th regiment of the KMP with the rank of colonel,,.

The rank of Brigadier General Mattis received in 1998. Commanding the 1st Expeditionary Brigade of the ILC, and later the US Navy Task Force 58, he took part in Operation Enduring Freedom in southern Afghanistan, launched against the Taliban and terrorists from Al-Qaeda after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. It was noted that Mattis became the first commander from the Marine Corps to lead a naval task force during the war.

In August 2002, Mattis led the 1st Division of the Marine Corps and since 2003, already in the rank of major general, he took an active part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the purpose of which was to overthrow the government of Saddam Hussein in Iraq,. During this operation, 20 thousand soldiers under his leadership made a 500-mile march of the Marine Corps, a record for that time, in 17 days. In April 2004, the ILC division led by Matisse fought the insurgents to regain control of the Iraqi city of Fallujah, which was in fact the center of the insurgent resistance in Iraq,. After the first assault, he negotiated with the elders, the truce lasted all summer, and ended with the second assault on the city. The suppression of the uprising in Fallujah was brutal, with more than 300,000 people displaced, buildings in ruins, and the US military being criticized by the press for using white phosphorus, which many experts call a chemical weapon.

In May 2004, Mattis was promoted to lieutenant general, and in this capacity led the Marine Corps Combat Development Command,. During this period, he wrote a manual on the tactics of the Marine Corps, initiated the creation of a special simulator-simulator with an area of ​​​​3 thousand square meters for training soldiers, simulating the conditions of the war in Iraq, as well as a training center in which soldiers are given an idea of ​​the cultural differences of peoples and basic language skills . In 2006, Mattis began commanding the 1st Expeditionary Group of the ILC, then he was appointed acting commander of the Central Command of the Naval Forces, to which the ILC is subordinate. In August 2007, Mattis made the decision to prosecute the Marines involved in the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians in 2005,. The charges against seven soldiers were dropped, and as of early 2011, one was still awaiting trial.

From 2007-2010, Mattis served as Commander of the U.S. Joint Forces Command as a full (four-star) General from 2007-2010 and simultaneously served as Supreme Commander for NATO Transformation from 2007-2009. In August 2010, the US Senate appointed Mattis by secret ballot to head the US Central Command (USCENTCOM): according to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the general received this position for "strategic intuition and independence of thought." This appointment was due to a general personnel reshuffle in the armed forces. Before Mattis, the post of head of Central Command was held by General David Petraeus, who was sent to lead the allied forces in Afghanistan in place of Stanley McChrystal, who was removed from his post after his controversial interview with Rolling Stone magazine,,.

Mattis's public statements were widely cited by the media, which resonated and was controversially received at the Pentagon. So, at the beginning of the war in Afghanistan in 2001, Mattis said: "The navy has landed, and now we have a piece of Afghanistan." The Pentagon called his statement "tactless," emphasizing that US military forces are liberating Afghanistan from tyranny, not seizing land. In 2005, at a San Diego forum, Mattis said that it was "fucking fun for the military to shoot" guys in Afghanistan who beat women for not wearing a veil, after which the officer received an official reprimand, and in the media he was even called "psychopathic killer" and "war machine". At the same time, the commander of the ILC, General Michael Hagee (Mike Hagee) stood up for James Mattis, calling him "one of the most courageous and experienced commanders."

Meanwhile, people who knew Mattis, on the contrary, claimed that he was a big fan of philosophy and, moving from place to place, transports a library of six thousand books with him, forgetting to take his personal belongings (in his speeches, the general really often quoted sayings classics and turned to historical military experience,,,). The straightforwardness of Mattis, according to his supporters, was due to the fact that he acted in accordance with the saying of Aristotle: know who you are talking to. According to their testimonies, the general spoke with the marines and the military command in different languages ​​that were understandable to a specific audience.

Mattis has a number of awards, including the Bronze Star Medal, two US Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medals, and the Legion of Merit. The media mentioned that Mattis has the nickname Chaos (Chaos), and it was noted that he himself used such a call sign in Afghanistan for two years and preferred that this was the name of his operational tactical group. He is also called a warrior monk (Warrior Monk), probably because Mattis is not married and prefers to spend family holidays in the service,.

Used materials

General James N. Mattis, Commander. - United States Central Command (www.centcom.mil), 17.03.2011

On December 2, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate retired Marine General James Mattis.

The Washington Post believes that this choice is related to the main US security problem - "political Islam", and The Wall Street Journal noted that this appointment may come as an unpleasant surprise for Russia, because Mattis is "an ardent opponent of Putin's policies."

James Mattis led combat missions in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. Received the nickname "Mad Dog" during the battle for the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004 (commanded one of the four strike brigades of the Marine Corps). Colleagues also call him "Warrior Monk" (Mattis is not married).

The four-star general's last duty station in 2010-2013 was US Central Command in charge of the Middle East and Central Asia.

The candidacy of General Mattis suggests that US economic interests and a long-term strategy of "extended deterrence" will not allow the US president to significantly change the military-political foundations of American power.

"A very straight forward person"

Key milestones in his biography make it clear why James Mattis has a reputation as one of the most influential military leaders of his generation.

Of the 66 years, he gave two-thirds to military service, which developed brilliantly. Mattis is known as a strategist and one of the most influential military leaders of his generation.

He is highly respected in the Pentagon as a scientist and "very straightforward person", who is only occasionally reproached for being too aggressive in rhetoric.

Born September 8, 1950 in Pullman, Washington. After high school (1968) and Central Washington State College (1971), he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps (1972) and was promoted to lieutenant.

Military education: Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College and National Military College. He went through all the steps of the career ladder, starting with the command of a platoon. Mattis was promoted to Brigadier General in 1998.

Participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in southern Afghanistan against the Taliban and al-Qaeda terrorists after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

In 2003, he distinguished himself in Operation Iraqi Freedom (the overthrow of the government of Saddam Hussein in Iraq) - 20,000 Marines under his command made a record march of 500 miles in 17 days.

In 2004, Mattis was promoted to lieutenant general and led the Marine Corps Combat Development Command.

In 2007-2010, already a four-star general, he headed the U.S. Joint Forces Command and at the same time led the transformation of NATO.

He wrote a manual on the tactics of the marines, initiated the creation of a special simulator with an area of ​​​​3 thousand square meters, simulating the conditions of the war in Iraq. A great admirer of philosophy (when changing his place of residence, he always carries with him a library of six thousand volumes).

Since retiring in 2013, he has served as a consultant and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution (a think tank at Stanford University).

True, in order for the Senate to approve Mattis' candidacy, Congress will have to amend a federal law, according to which, by the time of appointment to the post of Secretary of Defense, a soldier must be retired for at least seven years.

A similar situation in US history occurred in 1950 with the appointment of General George C. Marshall.

© AP Photo / Matt Dunham

© AP Photo / Matt Dunham

He prefers a tougher stance against US adversaries, especially Iran. He openly criticized the nuclear deal. Claimed that the next president would "inherit the mess" because the Obama administration's signed nuclear deal could slow Iran's arms ambitions, but not stop them.

In 2015, during a speech at The Heritage Foundation, he called Russia's actions in Ukraine "the most dangerous situation with crisis potential for the entire region."

James Mattis considers Russian President Vladimir Putin's goal to split NATO: "Putin goes to bed knowing that he can break all the rules, and the West will still try to play by the rules ... This is a very dangerous dichotomy."

The general noted: "Russia does not consider the neighborhood with democratic countries a positive thing. It wants to guarantee security for itself, sowing instability around." However, the same can be said about the US.

Mattis in quotes

Here are some more well-known examples of the military-political thinking of the future US Secretary of Defense:

"People are asking if Putin is mad or has he lost his mind? In my opinion, the problem is not only with Putin, but with Russia in general. They say that once Putin leaves, things will get better. I think these are dreams."

"I urge you not to cross our path. Otherwise, those who survive will talk about what we have done to you for another 10,000 years."

"Be polite, be professional, but have a plan ready to kill everyone you meet."

"No war is over until the enemy himself declares it. We can assume that the war is over, and we can even declare it, but in fact it is our enemy who has a say in this matter."

"Find the enemies who want to end this experiment (democracy) and kill every single one of them until they get sick of death and leave us and our freedoms alone."

"In Afghanistan, we are confronted by guys who have been beating women for five years because they do not wear a veil. You know, these guys clearly have no courage left. Therefore, shooting them is doubly fun."

Did not return from the war

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said he looks forward to James Mattis coming to the Pentagon in the new year because he "has a clear understanding of many of the challenges facing the US Department of Defense."

I believe that James Mattis, who has not fully returned from the war, will find a common language with the new head of the CIA, Mike Pompeo, a consistent critic of Moscow, and with National Security Adviser General Michael Flynn, who also fought in Afghanistan and Iraq.

On December 2, Donald Trump announced that the United States would abandon the practice of overthrowing objectionable regimes in other countries. And yet, the development of the armed forces, the development and implementation of strategies are determined by the economic base, serve the economic interests of the state, so the Pentagon, the operational space and thinking of the "hawks" will remain the priority tools of the United States.

But General Mattis will need Senate approval to take over.

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced the appointment of 66-year-old retired Marine Corps General James "Mad Dog" Mattis as his secretary of defense. Speaking in the city of Cincinnati, where he began his re-tour of the country, Trump said: “We are going to appoint “Mad Dog” Mattis as our secretary of defense. But we won't announce it until Monday (December 5). So don't tell anyone about this." The crowd of thousands greeted these words with laughter and applause. Later, in a serious tone, Trump explained: “They say that he is most similar to General George Patton. And it's time for him." (General Patton is a hero of the Second World War. He was distinguished by strategic thinking and personal courage - M.S.).

So, General Mattis is part of the US National Security Team, which already has retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn as the President's national security adviser, and Congressman Mike Pompeo as the director of the CIA.

Why was the four-star general dubbed "Mad Dog"? The fact is that in 2004 he commanded the US Marines in one of the bloodiest battles in Iraq - the battle for Fallujah.

Gen. Mattis led US Central Command, which is responsible for military operations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, from 2010 to 2013. He was then eliminated by President Obama for his hawkish stance on Iran. This is what made Mattis attractive in Trump's eyes. The general commented venomously on Obama's attempts to fight the "Islamic State" (IS, a terrorist group banned in the Russian Federation) in Iraq and Syria.

Already retired, the general, speaking on Capitol Hill, said: “The policies of the current administration in the Middle East have led to an increase in extremism in the region. The US must get out of the response spiral and take a strong strategic position to protect our values.”

But it would be a mistake to think of General Mattis as a doppelgänger of Trump, who sticks mostly "hawks" into his national security policy. The exception so far is Russia. But the general is sure that Trump's position on Russia is the result of his lack of information. The general is ringing the bell about the “Kremlin expansionism” and its policies in Syria, Ukraine and the Baltic countries, and he attributed the desire to “tear NATO apart” to Putin. By the way, Mattis, unlike Trump, is an ardent supporter of the North Atlantic Alliance. He not only believes that NATO should be preserved, but also repeatedly criticized Obama for insufficient support for the United States' NATO allies.

It is curious that the “mad dog” is also against interrogations with prejudice, that is, torture, which he told Trump about. It took place in New Jersey at the Trump Golf Club. When the president-elect announced his intention to revive waterboarding (torture in which a person thinks they want to drown him), the general objected to him: “I never considered waterboarding useful. I have always believed that it is much better to use a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers than torture. (It's not about the general's humanity, but about his approach - M.S.). After that, Trump clarified his position in an interview with The New York Times: “I am by no means claiming that Mattis changed my thinking. We are dealing with people who cut off heads and drown prisoners in steel cages, and we are not even allowed to waterboard. But still, the general's answer made an impression on me.

The general's position on Iran is somewhat more ambivalent. On the one hand, he is a supporter of a tough policy in this direction. But, on the other hand, he believes that Washington's rejection of the nuclear agreement with Tehran will hurt the United States itself. His advice is to work closely with allies to force Iran to scrupulously comply with all the requirements of the agreement.

General Mattis, whose call sign was "Chaos" at the time of the invasion of Iraq, took part in the most famous operations of the Pentagon. At the head of the Marines and as a brigadier general, he was the first to invade Afghanistan after the 2001 9/11 attacks and established the Reno base near Kandahar.

The general, not embarrassed in expressions, more than once got into trouble for this. Here is one such statement by Mattis, dated 2005: “You end up in Afghanistan, where men beat women for five years for not wearing a veil. Therefore, shooting such men is great fun.”

The general is a bachelor. He does not keep a TV set at home, and another of his nicknames is “warrior monk”: he loves to read and has amassed a huge collection of books on military history. “Thanks to reading, I didn’t slip in any situation,” the general boasts. “It gives me all the answers and illuminates a path that often looks very dark.”

Mattis, if approved, would be the first military man to serve as secretary of defense since General George Marshall in 1950-51. But for that to happen, he would need special congressional approval. He retired in 2013, and federal law requires the Pentagon chief to be "out of uniform" for at least seven years.

However, in Congress, the general enjoys strong support. He is guarded by powerful Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Just recently, in a telephone conversation with Trump, McCain insisted on the candidacy of Mattis.

The selection of General Mattis as secretary of defense will mean strengthening the position of the Marine Corps in the military hierarchy. Once confirmed by the Senate, he will work hand in hand with General Joseph Dunford, who is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A somewhat strange situation is created, for in the past General Mattis was General Dunford's superior. The latter commanded the regiment and was subordinate to Mattis.

It is worth noting that they also tried to push Mattis to fight for the White House - this was advocated by the publisher of the conservative magazine The Weekly Standard and one of the main theorists of Republicanism, William Kristol, who is a consistent opponent of Trump.

By the way, during the election race this year, trying to use the high authority of the general, both Clinton and Trump turned to Mattis with requests to speak at the congresses of their parties. Both were rejected.

In his recent book, Warriors and Citizens, written in collaboration with Corey Shake, a Hoover Institution fellow who served in the Bush administration, Mattis laments how politicians rely too heavily on the military to get their point across.

As examples of this dependency, Mattis cites the following: “President Bush left General David Petraeus in charge of fending off congressional opposition to criticism of the 2006 invasion of Iraq… And President Obama has been essentially silent on the war in Afghanistan since 2009. of the year. Basically, the military had to protect the continued presence of US military forces in Afghanistan.”

This is the "flexible philosophy" of General Mattis, the "mad dog" who will try to bite Shoigu.

Malor Sturua, Minneapolis.

EXPERT OPINION

Alexey ARBATOV, Head of the Center for International Security, IMEMO RAS:

“If the Senate amends the law and approves them, then Mattis will be able to become the head of the Pentagon. Otherwise, we will be dealing with an unprecedented fact. Trump may not have been aware of the seven-year limitation. If this is the case, then this only confirms the image of Trump that has developed in Russia and in the world as a whole - the image of an extremely inexperienced person, operating with completely simplified categories: if the Department of Defense, then the military should be in charge, if the State Department, in theory, be a diplomat. But in the USA there is a sacramental principle of civilian control over the military organization. Trump may not have heard of him. As for Mattis himself, he is known for his attitude towards Islam, towards Islamic radicalism. In this respect, I believe, he will adhere to an extremely hard line. However, here he has a competitor - Trump's security adviser Michael Flynn. As for relations with Russia, Mattis does not have the necessary experience: he has not dealt with either strategic weapons or NATO. Therefore, he will have a lot to learn if he is still approved by the Senate.”

Donald Trump is preparing to take over as president of the United States, and it is not surprising that he is selecting future members of his team. On December 2, it became known that he was nominating 66-year-old retired Marine Corps General James N. Mattis for the post of Secretary of Defense, a well-known person in America and, perhaps, in some respects as bright as his future boss. What is he famous for and why is he called "Mad Dog"?

Career

Three-star General Mattis has a serious track record. He led USJFCOM for three years, combining part of this period with holding a responsible post in NATO. Previously, he led the First Expeditionary Force of the US Marine Corps, then fighting in Iraq, as well as the Central Command of the Navy. But this is all in recent times, but in general James Mattis has been in the military for 44 years. And all this length of service falls on the Marine Corps, considered the elite of the fleet. The dream of service, obviously, was childish, otherwise it is difficult to explain admission to a special school that trains "sailors" (mariners) at the age of sixteen. Then there was training at the MP Command College, and later at the National War College and Central Washington University. So with the education of Mattis, everything is in order. And he went through all the stages of his military career, from a marine cadet to a general.

If it seemed to someone that after the victory, Trump would recruit a team of like-minded people and begin to implement a revolution in US foreign policy, then he simply does not know American realities. Appointing an elected king's entourage is an extremely complex and multifaceted process, and the king cannot afford to give the main posts only to whom he wants (like National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and Attorney General Jeff Sessions). Sometimes it is necessary to appoint those who are necessary to responsible positions.

Firstly, the favorites of the party establishment, so that the same Republicans do not sabotage Trump's policy in Congress. It is no coincidence that the process of appointing the Secretary of State has dragged on so long - the establishment is moving its man Mitt Romney to this position, while the Trump team, and the elected president himself (whose campaign Romney openly sabotaged) are opposed. Secondly, people with different views and approaches to solving existing problems should always be present in the administration. Discussions within the administration (unless, of course, they spill over into the open) positively influence the decision-making process, as they illuminate all facets of the problem and allow the president to hear different points of view before choosing the right option. General Mattis, whom Trump wants to appoint to the position of Secretary of Defense, is in accordance with the principle of appointing "who is needed." He enjoys great prestige in the Republican establishment and is ready to oppose the president.

In general, it is difficult not to be an authoritative military man with such a track record as a general. General Mattis served 40 years in the Marine Corps, devoting his whole life to the Corps, including his personal one (he never started a family). The general worked on the ground - he commanded the Marines in Afghanistan and Iraq - and in the headquarters (occupying senior positions in NATO and the Pentagon). Among his subordinates, he received the nickname "Mad Dog" for his politically incorrect statements. For example, he opposed the release of Guantanamo prisoners, arguing that "if you are captured, you must remain there until the end of the war."

Scientist Warrior

However, James Mattis's military views are held in high esteem (not only in terms of a return to refusing to accept transgender and openly gay men in the military, but also in the field of military strategy), and the general is highly respected in the Department of Defense. After all, Mad Dog can not only kill (“shooting people is so fun,” he once said), but also think. Thus, the general stands for keeping the Iranian nuclear deal in force. Yes, he argues that this deal only slowed down the implementation of Iranian nuclear ambitions, and did not eliminate them, but he is inclined to believe that "without a clear ongoing violation of the deal" by Iran, the Americans should not denounce it unilaterally. Simply because, in his opinion, in this situation, the allies are unlikely to support new sanctions against the Islamic Republic, and without allies, these sanctions will not have much impact on the situation.

“He is a warrior, a scientist and shoots straight at the target - both figuratively and literally. He tells the truth to everyone and will not dissemble his new commander in chief,” writes The Washington Post. Conservative politicians are of the same opinion. "General Mattis will be an excellent leader of the Department of Defense, and President-elect Trump will find his advice invaluable," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has no particular fondness for Trump.

Even the liberal media, predicting the Trumpocalypse for America, are pleased with the potential Secretary of Defense. "General Mattis could be the voice of reason in a White House that has fallen dangerously under the control of an ignorant president with little interest in alternative viewpoints," The New York Times wrote in an editorial.

For them all, Mattis is the epitome of "traditional America" ​​and an important stopper for Trump's "crazy neo-isolationist" plans. So, Mattis stands for the preservation of American "leadership" in the world. “The international order requires America to look after it. America, which wisely leads the rest, stands firmly for the freedoms that we, sitting in this room, share, ”the general said during one of his congressional hearings.

General is not here

There are, of course, those who are dissatisfied. In the United States, there is a tradition that a civilian should be at the head of the Pentagon. Since the Second World War, only once has a general headed the Department of Defense - George Marshall in 1950-1951. And for this he received special permission from Congress (according to the law, a retired officer can head the Pentagon only 7 years after leaving the service). James Mattis, who retired only in 2013, also needs such permission, and some members of the Senate have already spoken out against it. Among them, in particular, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (leader of the Democratic group of senators in the subcommittee on personnel of the Senate Armed Services Committee). “I have great respect for the merits of General Mattis, however I do not support his appointment. Civilian control of the military is a core tenet of American democracy, and I will not vote for an exception to that rule,” she said.

However, with a high degree of probability, we can say that Mad Dog will still lead the Pentagon. The US hopes that one of his favorite phrases - "You are part of the most feared and most trusted forces in the world, so turn on your brains before you take up arms" will become the leitmotif of the US military under the Trump administration.