James Mattis

Infobox Military Person
name= James N. Mattis
born=
died=
placeofbirth= Pullman, Washington
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption= General James N. Mattis, USMC
nickname= "Chaos" "Warrior Monk" "Mad Dog Mattis"cite web
url=http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2006/03/1813950 |accessdate=2007-06-12
title=The Corps should look to its small-wars past
author= Boot, Max
work=Armed Forces Journal
month=March | year=2006]
allegiance=flag|United States of America
branch=United States Marine Corps
serviceyears= 1972 - present
rank= General
commands= 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
unit=
battles=Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom * 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"
laterwork=
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.

Marine Corps career

Mattis attended Central Washington University [United States Joint Forces Command Website] and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant January 1, 1972. [Reynolds "Basrah, Baghdad and Beyond", p. 4.] 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. [Reynolds "Basrah, Baghdad and Beyond", p. 5.] 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." [“General Urges Marines To Add A Friendly Wave To Their Arsenal,” Los Angeles Times, May 17, 2007. ]

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.cite news
first = Christian |last = Lowe
title = Popular commander to lead I MEF
work = Marine Corps Times
page = 24
date = June 12, 2006|accessdate = 2006-06-19]

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.cite news
url=http://www.starnewsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051228/NEWS/51227016&SearchID=73247366207350
title=Top 10 Stories of 2005: Pantano, roads, Olchowski are 10-7
date=December 28, 2005
work=Star News Online
accessdate=January 24
yearaccessed=2007] cite news
url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1032357-1,00.html
work=TIME
title=Did He Go Too Far?
date=February 28, 2005
author=Quinn-Judge, Paul
accessdate=January 24
yearaccessed=2007] cite news
date=April 26, 2005
url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7250029/
title=Marine charged with murders of Iraqis: Lieutenant claims self-defense in shooting of detainees
publisher=MSNBC
author=Phillips, Stone
accessdate=January 24
yearaccessed=2007] cite news
url=http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=33048
title=Marine acquitted in Iraqi shootings will publish a book
author=Jeff Schogol
work=Stars and Stripes
date= November 16, 2005
accessdate=January 24
yearaccessed=2007] cite news
url=http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/07/02/news/top_stories/22_22_057_1_06.txt
title=Pantano case has parallels to Hamdania incident
author=Walker, Mark
date= July 1, 2006
work=North County Times
accessdate=January 24
yearaccessed=2007] cite web
url=http://www.docstrangelove.com/2006/06/14/sending-a-message/
title=Sending A Message
date=June 14, 2006
author=Phillips, Phillips
accessdate=January 24
yearaccessed=2007] cite web
url=http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MonaCharen/2005/02/25/is_the_marine_corps_pc
title=Is the Marine Corps P.C.?
author=Charen, Mona
date=February 25, 2005
publisher=townhall.com
accessdate=January 24
yearaccessed=2007]

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.

In film

Lieutenant General James N. Mattis will be played by Harrison Ford in the upcoming film "", based on the book by Bing West.cite news|accessdate=2007-09-30
url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,12589,1375100,00.html
title=Harrison Ford signs for Iraq war film
date=December 16, 2004
work=Guardian Unlimited] He is portrayed by Robert John Burke in the HBO miniseries "Generation Kill".

Decorations and awards

ee also

*2003 Invasion of Iraq
*U.S. invasion of Afghanistan
*Operation Phantom Fury
*Operation Vigilant Resolve

References

:Marine Corps;Notes

;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
* [https://slsp.manpower.usmc.mil/gosa/biographies/rptBiography.asp?PERSON_ID=121&PERSON_TYPE=General Official Marine Corps biography]