Jim Mattis
Jim Mattis, the retired Marine general who became the 26th United States secretary of defense, once corrected a president-elect about his own nickname. Donald Trump asked whether he was really called Mad Dog. Mattis replied, "No, sir," and said his actual nickname was "Chaos." That exchange took place in 2016.
James Norman Mattis served as defense secretary from 2017 to 2019. Before that he wore four stars and commanded forces in the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.
His career raises a puzzle. How does an officer admired as a scholar-soldier also end up with a call sign built on chaos? What did his orders cost on the ground? And why did a defense secretary who arrived with overwhelming Senate support leave office with a presidential insult trailing behind him?
Pullman, Washington, is where Mattis was born on the 8th of September 1950. His father, John West Mattis, was a merchant mariner who moved to Richland, Washington, to work at a plant supplying fissile material to the Manhattan Project. His mother, Lucille, had come from Canada as an infant and had worked in Army Intelligence in South Africa during the Second World War. The household was bookish and owned no television.
Richland High School graduated him in 1968, and he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1969. In 1971 he earned a bachelor's degree in history from Central Washington University. He was commissioned a second lieutenant through the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps on the 1st of January 1972. In 1994 the National War College of National Defense University awarded him a master's degree in international security affairs.
A personal library of more than 7,000 volumes once filled his shelves. He published required reading lists for the Marines under his command and expected them to know the culture and history of the regions where they deployed. He has named Marcus Aurelius's Meditations as the one book every American should read.
Robert H. Scales, a retired Army major general, called him "one of the most urbane and polished men I have known." Senior officers considered him an "intellectual" among the upper ranks of the Corps.
The nickname "The Warrior Monk" grew out of his bachelorhood and his lifelong devotion to the study of war. He once proposed to a woman, but the wedding was called off three days before it was to occur. Colleagues had talked him out of leaving the Marine Corps for her. He stayed single through his whole professional career and married the physicist and business executive Christina Lomasney in June 2022. He has no children.
During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Mattis often prayed on Sundays with General John F. Kelly. Mattis is a Catholic, described as devout and committed, though he has declined to discuss his faith with reporters. The Trump transition team's formal biography later called him "the living embodiment of the Marine Corps motto, Semper Fidelis."
As a lieutenant in the 3rd Marine Division, Mattis led a rifle and weapons platoon. As a captain he served as battalion officer at the Naval Academy Preparatory School and commanded rifle and weapons companies in the 1st Marine Regiment. As a major he served at Recruiting Station Portland, Oregon.
The Gulf War found him a lieutenant colonel leading 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, one of the assault battalions of Task Force Ripper. From the 28th of June 1994 to the 14th of June 1996, he commanded the whole 7th Marine Regiment as a colonel.
It was as a regimental commander that he earned the call sign "CHAOS," an acronym for "Colonel Has Another Outstanding Solution." The joke was initially somewhat tongue in cheek. A 2004 article in the Los Angeles Times traced the separate nickname "Mad Dog" to his concern for enlisted Marines, along with his energy and enthusiasm.
In November 2001, Mattis began leading Task Force 58 in southern Afghanistan. That made him the first Marine Corps officer to command a Naval Task Force in combat. He described his aim as making sure the enemy had no safe haven, isolating Kandahar from its lines of communication, and moving against the city.
December 2001 brought the episode that would follow him for years. A B-52 bomber mistakenly struck a position held by US special operations troops and Afghan militiamen in Uruzgan Province. Many men were wounded. Mattis repeatedly refused to send helicopters from nearby Camp Rhino, citing operational safety. An Air Force helicopter flew in from Uzbekistan instead.
Captain Jason Amerine blamed that delay for the deaths of several men. He wrote, "Every element in Afghanistan tried to help us except the closest friendly unit, commanded by Mattis." Amerine also noted that the 5th Special Forces Group chose not to request a formal investigation. Opponents raised the episode when Mattis was nominated for defense secretary in 2016.
Nathaniel Fick, then a young Marine officer, saw another side of the general. Fick wrote that Mattis, by then a brigadier general leading the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, was "out on the lines with his Marines" in the middle of a freezing night. Fick contrasted this with the private room and the aide a general could have claimed. Mattis was known for what observers called real leadership.
In 2003 the same Marine would take an entire division into Iraq.
Before the 1st Marine Division shipped out for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Mattis summoned "experts on the Middle East" to give the troops "cultural sensitivity training." He toured the battlefield telling stories of Marines who showed "discretion in moments of high pressure." He even encouraged his Marines to grow moustaches so they would look more like the people they worked beside.
A chaplain's suggestion gave him a favorite story. Mattis told a 2003 PBS interviewer that Marines handed out chilled bottled water among protesters in 120-degree heat. In his telling, it was hard to throw a rock at someone who had just given you a cold drink.
The division's motto, "no better friend, no worse enemy," became his signature. It paraphrases an epitaph the Roman dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla wrote for himself. Mattis popularized it in an open letter to the division before its return to Iraq. The phrase later drew wide attention during the investigation of Lieutenant Ilario Pantano, a platoon commander under him.
During the push to Baghdad, Mattis relieved Colonel Joe D. Dowdy, who led Regimental Combat Team-1. Such firings were so rare in the modern military that the story reached newspaper front pages. Mattis said only that officer relief was alive, or at least "we are doing it in the Marines." Later interviews with Dowdy's men suggested a wartime tension between men and mission. Dowdy favored his men, while Mattis demanded a swift seizure of Baghdad.
In April 2004, during Operation Vigilant Resolve, Mattis negotiated with the insurgent command inside Fallujah. He also took part in planning the follow-up, Operation Phantom Fury, in November.
In May 2004 he ordered a 3 a.m. bombing of a suspected enemy safe house near the Syrian border, based on his intelligence section's report. Later accounts said the target was a wedding party. Allegedly 42 civilians died, including 11 women and 14 children. Mattis said the decision took him 30 seconds.
He called the idea of a wedding implausible. "How many people go to the middle of the desert to hold a wedding 80 mi from the nearest civilization?" he asked. He added, "These were more than two dozen military-age males. Let's not be naive." Military officials disputed that a wedding took place. Yet the Associated Press obtained video of a wedding party, and a video the next day showed musical instruments and party decoration among the remains.
Asked about Arabic television footage of a child's body lowered into a grave, he said, "I have not seen the pictures but bad things happen in wars." He added, "I don't have to apologize for the conduct of my men."
A Department of Defense survey later found that only 55% of US soldiers and 40% of Marines would report a colleague for abusing civilians. In May 2007, Mattis answered by telling Marines that "every time you wave at an Iraqi civilian, al-Qaeda rolls over in its grave."
At a San Diego forum in February 2005, Lieutenant General Mattis, then leading the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, said, "Actually it's quite fun to fight them." He called it "a hell of a hoot" and said he liked brawling. He aimed the remarks at Afghan men he accused of abusing women. General Michael Hagee, the Marine commandant, issued a statement suggesting Mattis should have chosen his words more carefully. Mattis was not disciplined.
The Pentagon announced on the 31st of May 2006 that Mattis would lead the I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton. On the 11th of September 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that President George W. Bush had nominated him for four-star rank and for command of US Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. NATO also agreed to name him Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.
The Senate confirmed him on the 28th of September 2007. He handed the Marine force to Lieutenant General Samuel Helland on the 5th of November and took the joint command on the 9th. French Air Force General Stéphane Abrial became NATO's transformation commander on the 9th of September 2009. Mattis led Joint Forces Command until September 2010.
Early 2010 brought talk that he might replace James T. Conway as Marine commandant. Instead, in July, Gates recommended him to succeed David Petraeus at Central Command. President Obama formally nominated him on the 21st of July. Mattis took command at MacDill Air Force Base on the 11th of August.
Central Command put him over the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and a region that included Syria, Iran, and Yemen. He lobbied the Obama administration for a tougher response to Iran, including more covert operations and efforts to disrupt Iranian arms shipments to Syria and Yemen. In 2011 an Iranian jet attacked a US drone over the Persian Gulf in international airspace. Mattis asked for permission to shoot down any Iranian aircraft attacking American drones, and the administration refused.
Leon Panetta said the Obama team did not trust Mattis much because it saw him as too eager for confrontation with Iran. Panetta added that some of that mistrust was unjustified and came from inexperienced staff. Still, the account concludes that "ultimately, Mattis's advocacy and aggressive style alienated the White House and the president he was serving."
Mattis retired in March 2013, and the Defense Department nominated General Lloyd Austin to succeed him. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan then asked Mattis to serve as a military advisor on the Yemen war. During Mattis's later time as defense secretary, his consultation with the United Arab Emirates was left out of the public record and his financial disclosure. A speech in Abu Dhabi, first set to pay $100,000, was later clarified as unpaid.
Canada honored him in 2013 with its Meritorious Service Cross. The citation credited him with helping shape Canadian counter-insurgency doctrine through his work between 2001 and 2012.
From 2013 to 2017, Mattis sat on the board of General Dynamics and made more than $900,000 in compensation, including company stock. He also worked for FWA Consultants. In August 2013 the Hoover Institution appointed him an Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow, and in 2016 he became its Davies Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow.
In December 2015, Mattis joined the advisory board of Spirit of America, a nonprofit that supports the safety and success of American service personnel and the local people they try to help. In August 2016 he published a book he co-edited, Warriors & Citizens: American Views of Our Military.
His most surprising board seat was at Theranos, where he served from 2013 to January 2017. The health technology company claimed to have devised blood tests using very small amounts of blood. The US Securities and Exchange Commission later determined the claim was fraudulent.
The trail starts in mid-2012. A Department of Defense official evaluating the company's technology for the military opened a formal inquiry with the Food and Drug Administration. The question was whether Theranos intended to distribute its tests without FDA clearance.
In August 2012, Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes asked Mattis for help. He had expressed interest in testing the technology in combat areas. Within hours he forwarded his email exchange with Holmes to military officials, asking "how do we overcome this new obstacle."
In July 2013, the Department of Defense let Mattis join the Theranos board on one condition. He could not represent the company on the blood-testing device or its possible acquisition by the Departments of the Navy or Defense.
In 2019 his autobiography, Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead, came out. It doubles as an argument for an internationalist foreign policy. On the 7th of August 2019, General Dynamics re-elected him to its board.
Bedminster, New Jersey, hosted the meeting on the 20th of November 2016 where Trump spent a little over an hour with Mattis. Trump then wrote on Twitter that "General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis" had been "very impressive" and called him "A true General's General!" On the 1st of December 2016, Trump announced at a rally in Cincinnati that he would nominate Mattis.
The National Security Act of 1947 requires a seven-year wait before a retired military officer can lead the Pentagon. Mattis was the first to need a waiver since George Marshall in 1950. The waiver passed 81-17 in the Senate and 268-151 in the House. On the 20th of January 2017, the Senate confirmed him 98-1. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand cast the lone no vote, saying she opposed the waiver on principle.
On the 2nd of February 2017, Mattis began a two-day visit to South Korea, his first official trip abroad. He warned that any attack on the United States or its allies would be defeated and that any use of nuclear weapons would meet an "effective and overwhelming" response. By the 12th of June he was calling North Korea the "most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security." On the 15th of June he said the US would win a war with North Korea, but "at great cost."
One week after being sworn in, Mattis visited Japan. He told Prime Minister Shinzō Abe that the United States stood "100 percent, shoulder to shoulder" with Japan. He also said the US would defend the disputed Senkaku Islands, which Japan controls but China and Taiwan also claim.
On the 22nd of March 2017, Mattis told senators he supported keeping US troops in Iraq after the Battle of Mosul. Critics said the Trump administration had loosened engagement rules after coalition airstrikes in Mosul killed civilians. Mattis replied that the military went out of its way to do everything humanly possible to protect innocent people. Airwars estimated the US-led coalition killed as many as 6,000 civilians in Iraq and Syria in 2017.
After the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack, Mattis called it "a heinous act" on the 5th of April 2017. A few days later he warned the Syrian government of a "very, very stiff price" for using chemical weapons again. According to journalist Bob Woodward, Trump ordered Mattis to assassinate Assad, and Mattis refused. On the 13th of April 2018, he briefed reporters on strikes by France, the United Kingdom, and the United States on Syria's chemical weapons infrastructure.
On the 13th of June 2017, Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee that US forces were "not winning" in Afghanistan. He promised a new strategy by mid-July. On the 20th of April 2017, a week after the Nangarhar airstrike, he had said the US would not assess the number of people killed.
In January 2018, after Turkey invaded northern Syria to oust US-backed Syrian Kurds from Afrin, Mattis said Turkey had "legitimate security concerns." He also backed the Saudi-led campaign against Yemen's Shiite rebels and asked Trump to lift limits on US support for Saudi Arabia.
His worldview was long established. At a 2015 conference sponsored by The Heritage Foundation, Mattis said Vladimir Putin's intent was "to break NATO apart." He saw Iran as the region's principal threat, ahead of al-Qaeda and ISIL. He called the Iran nuclear deal "a nuclear pause, not a nuclear halt." On China, he said "the international waters are international waters." In 2017 he told senators that climate change was affecting stability where American troops operated. He supports a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.
In November 2018, the CIA assessed with "high confidence" that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. In a rare closed Senate briefing, Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo disputed that conclusion and said there was no direct evidence linking the crown prince to it.
In September 2018, Mattis recommended Air Force Chief of Staff General David L. Goldfein to succeed General Joseph Dunford as chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Trump chose Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley instead. Mattis had separately recommended Milley for Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
The break came on the 19th of December 2018, when Trump announced an immediate withdrawal from Syria over his advisers' objections. Mattis had recently said the US would stay after ISIL's defeat to keep it from regrouping. The next day he submitted his resignation, effective the 28th of February 2019.
His letter praised NATO and the 79-nation anti-ISIL coalition, both of which Trump had criticized or decided to leave. Mattis urged "treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors." He described Russia and China as authoritarian models rivaling American interests. He also wrote that Trump had the right to a defense secretary whose views were better aligned with his own.
Three days later, angered by the implicit criticism, Trump moved Mattis's departure up to the 1st of January. On the 2nd of January 2019, Trump criticized Mattis's performance and said he had "essentially fired him." Chief of staff John F. Kelly denied Mattis was fired or asked to resign, saying, "Jim Mattis is an honorable man." Mattis returned to his post at the Hoover Institution.
Former NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg recalls a line Mattis once told him. "I have a strange job," Mattis said. "I get up in the morning. I read the newspaper, and if it doesn't say that I've been fired, then I go to the office."
At the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner on the 17th of October 2019, Mattis answered Trump's jibes with humor. Trump had called Meryl Streep an overrated actress, so Mattis said, "I guess I'm the Meryl Streep of generals." He added that he had earned his spurs on the battlefield, while "Donald Trump earned his spurs in a letter from a doctor."
His reputation has also become an Internet meme, "Saint Mattis of Quantico, Patron Saint of Chaos." The military satire site Duffel Blog regularly reports on him being fired. Robert John Burke portrays him in the 2008 HBO miniseries Generation Kill, set during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Guy Snodgrass's 2019 book Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis takes him as its main subject.
For a time he kept quiet. "If you leave an administration, you owe some silence," he said. That changed after the 1st of June 2020, when peaceful protesters near the White House were treated violently so Trump could pose for a photo at a church across Lafayette Square. Mattis said he became "angry and appalled." Trump replied on Twitter that he was "Glad he is gone!"
On the 3rd of June 2020, Mattis gave The Atlantic a statement on the George Floyd protests. He called Trump "the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people." He said the country was seeing "three years without mature leadership." He warned that militarizing the response would damage trust between the armed services and civilians.
In January 2021, Mattis and all the other living former defense secretaries, ten in total, signed a Washington Post op-ed. It urged Trump not to involve the military in deciding the 2020 election outcome. On the 1st of July 2022, Mattis described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "immoral" and "strategically foolish."
In 2024, after Milley called Trump "fascist to the core," Bob Woodward said Mattis had emailed him to second that assessment.
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Common questions
Who is Jim Mattis?
Jim Mattis, born James Norman Mattis on the 8th of September 1950, is a retired Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 26th United States secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. He commanded forces in the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.
Why is Jim Mattis nicknamed Chaos?
Jim Mattis earned the call sign CHAOS as a regimental commander, an acronym for "Colonel Has Another Outstanding Solution." It began as a joke, and in 2016 he told Donald Trump his actual nickname was Chaos rather than Mad Dog.
Why did Jim Mattis resign as secretary of defense?
Jim Mattis resigned on the 20th of December 2018 after failing to persuade Donald Trump to reconsider withdrawing all American troops from Syria. Trump then moved his departure date from the 28th of February 2019 up to the 1st of January 2019.
What was Jim Mattis's role at Theranos?
Jim Mattis served on the Theranos board of directors from 2013 to January 2017. The US Securities and Exchange Commission later determined the company's blood-testing claims were fraudulent.
How was Jim Mattis confirmed as secretary of defense?
The Senate confirmed Jim Mattis 98-1 on the 20th of January 2017, after Congress passed a waiver of the seven-year waiting period required for retired military officers. The waiver passed 81-17 in the Senate and 268-151 in the House.
What military commands did Jim Mattis hold?
Jim Mattis commanded the 7th Marine Regiment, the 1st Marine Division in Iraq, US Joint Forces Command, and US Central Command. He also served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from 2007 to 2009.
What is the Warrior Monk nickname for Jim Mattis?
The Warrior Monk is a nickname given to Jim Mattis because of his long bachelorhood and lifelong devotion to the study of war. He owns a private library of about 7,000 books and married Christina Lomasney in June 2022.
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196 references cited across the entry
- 1'Mr. Secretary, Are You a Democrat?'Tara Copp — October 17, 2018
- 2Just don't call him Mad DogGretel C. Kovach — January 19, 2013
- 3The Corps should look to its small-wars pastMax Boot — March 2006
- 4Did Trump Give Mattis the Nickname 'Mad Dog'?Dan Evon — Snopes — June 4, 2020
- 5Marines' 'Mad Dog Mattis' Battles for Iraqis' SupportTony Perry — April 16, 2004
- 6James Mattis is linked to a massive corporate fraud and nobody wants to talk about itMatthew Yglesias — March 16, 2018
- 7NewsJames Mattis, in South Korea, Tries to Reassure an AllyFebruary 2, 2017
- 8NewsUS warns North Korea against nuclear attackAl Jazeera English — February 3, 2017
- 9NewsMattis: US not ready to collaborate militarily with RussiaLolita Baldor — ABC News — February 16, 2017
- 10Donald Trump disputes departing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis over Russia, ChinaDavid Jackson — December 21, 2018
- 11NewsMattis: Iran is the biggest threat to Mideast peaceJamie McIntyre — April 22, 2016
- 12Defense Secretary Mattis Resigns Amid Syria And Afghanistan TensionPhilip Ewing — NPR — December 20, 2018
- 13Secretary of Defense James Mattis: The Lone Climate Change Soldier in this Administration's CabinetUnion of Concerned Scientists — 2017
- 14NewsClimate change, extreme weather already threaten 50% of U.S. military sitesJanuary 31, 2018
- 15Trump says he wanted to take out Syria's Assad but Mattis opposed itIan Swanson — September 15, 2020
- 16NewsTrump Says Mattis Resignation Was 'Essentially' a Firing, Escalating His New Front Against Military CriticsMaggie Haberman — January 2, 2019
- 17Nominations before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Second Session, 111th CongressUS Government Printing Office
- 20James Mattis Fast FactsCNN Library — December 26, 2016
- 21Reflections with General James Mattis – Conversations with HistoryUniversity Of California Television — June 5, 2014
- 24NewsJames Mattis, a Warrior in WashingtonMay 29, 2017
- 25NewsGen. Mattis, Trump's possible defense chief, fulfills Benton County jury dutyKristin M. Kraemer — November 22, 2016
- 26James MattisMichael Ray — December 2, 2016
- 27NewsTrump to nominate retired Gen. James Mattis to lead PentagonLolita C. Baldor — December 2, 2016
- 29James N. Mattis – Donald Trump AdministrationOffice of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office
- 30VideoGeneral James Mattis, "In the Midst of the Storm: A US Commander's View of the Changing Middle East"Dartmouth College — September 25, 2013
- 31BookBasrah, Baghdad and BeyondNicholas E. Reynolds — US Naval Institute Press — 2005
- 32JournalFiascoThomas E. Ricks — August 1, 2006
- 33James Mattis: No Better Friend, No Worse EnemyJim Proser — August 15, 2017
- 34NewsOp-ed: General James N. Mattis – A Marine for the History BooksRichard Lowry — December 9, 2016
- 36LtGen James Mattis' Reading ListJune 5, 2007
- 37BookFiasco: The American Military Adventure in IraqRicks
- 38Woodward, Bob. Rage. Simon & Schuster. 2020, p. 4.
- 39NewsMattis to assume command of I MEFMark Walker — June 2, 2006
- 40NewsThe origin of Mattis' call sign, 'Chaos'McKenzie Wolf — September 21, 2017
- 41NewsGeneral Mattis: A warrior diplomatGal Perl Finkel — December 12, 2016
- 42Book102 Days of War: How Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda & the Taliban Survived 2001Yaniv Barzilai — Potomac Books, Inc. — January 31, 2014
- 43Retired Green Beret says Mattis left 'my men to die' in AfghanistanTravis J. Tritten — December 2, 2016
- 44Former Special Forces officer: Mattis 'betrayed his duty to us'Nikita Vladimirov — December 2, 2016
- 45Men Left 'to Die': Gen. James Mattis' Controversial Wartime DecisionJames Gordon Meek et al. — ABC News — December 6, 2016
- 46A SecDef nominee at war?: What I wrote about General Mattis in 'The Generals'Thomas E. Ricks — 2016-11-22
- 47BookThe Generals: American Military Command from World War II to TodayThomas E. Ricks — Penguin Press — 2012
- 48BookFiasco: The American Military Adventure in IraqThomas E. Ricks — Penguin Press — 2006
- 49News19 unforgettable quotes from legendary Marine Gen. James 'Mad Dog' MattisPaul Szoldra — December 1, 2006
- 50BookThe Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in IraqBing West — Random House — 2008
- 51NewsIraq Wedding-Party Video Backs Survivors' ClaimsMay 24, 2004
- 52NewsUS soldiers started to shoot us, one by oneMay 20, 2004
- 53NewsGeneral Urges Marines To Add A Friendly Wave To Their ArsenalTony Perry — May 17, 2007
- 54BookHeroes of History: A Brief History of Civilization from Ancient Times to the Dawn of the Modern AgeWill Durant — Simon & Schuster — 2001
- 55NewsTop 10 Stories of 2005: Pantano, roads, Olchowski are 10–7December 28, 2005
- 56NewsDid He Go Too Far?February 28, 2005
- 57NewsMarine charged with murders of Iraqis: Lieutenant claims self-defense in shooting of detaineesNBC News — April 26, 2005
- 58NewsMarine acquitted in Iraqi shootings will publish a bookJeff Schogol — November 16, 2005
- 59NewsPantano case has parallels to Hamdania incidentJuly 1, 2006
- 60NewsA Marine General at WarJohn Dickerson — April 22, 2010
- 61How a Marine Lost His Command In Race to BaghdadApril 5, 2004
- 63Breaking the Warrior CodeFebruary 11, 2005
- 64NewsPopular commander to lead I MEFChristian Lowe — June 12, 2006
- 65Gen James N. MattisMilitary Hall of Honor
- 66NewsGates announces nomination of Amos for CMCAnne Gearan — June 22, 2010
- 67NewsPentagon picks Mattis to take over CENTCOMGina Cavallaro — July 8, 2010
- 68NewsObama backs Mattis nomination for CENTCOMJuly 22, 2010
- 69NewsMattis takes over Central Command, vows to work with Mideast allies in Afghanistan, IraqFox News — August 11, 2010
- 70NewsMattis takes over as CentCom chiefRobbyn Mitchell — August 12, 2010
- 71Mattis assumes command of CENTCOMUS Central Command — August 11, 2010
- 72NewsMattis interview: Syria would fall without Iran's helpApril 12, 2013
- 73NewsWhy the chaos in Yemen could force Obama to take a harder line with IranGreg Jaffe et al. — March 28, 2015
- 74BookThe Cost of Chaos: The Trump Administration and the WorldPeter Bergen — Penguin — 17 May 2022
- 75BookWorthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and PeaceLeon Panetta — Penguin Group
- 76NewsAs a general, Mattis urged action against Iran. As a defense secretary, he may be a voice of caution.Greg Jaffe et al. — January 8, 2017
- 78NewsMattis secretly advised Arab monarch on Yemen war, records showCraig Whitlock et al. — 2024-02-06
- 79About General James MattisFWA Consultants
- 80Donald Trump Pentagon Pick Mattis Made Nearly $1,000,000 On Board Of Defense ContractorAvi Asher-Schapiro — December 2, 2016
- 81General James Mattis, Annenberg Distinguished Visiting FellowHoover Institution
- 83Why I'm Joining Spirit of AmericaJames Mattis — Spirit of America — December 9, 2015
- 84BookWarriors and Citizens: American Views of Our MilitaryHoover Institution — August 2016
- 85Theranos, CEO Holmes, and Former President Balwani Charged With Massive FraudSecurities and Exchange Commission
- 86BookBad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley StartupJohn Carreyrou — Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group — May 21, 2018
- 87NewsThe Blood Unicorn Theranos Was Just a Fairy TaleMatt Levine — March 14, 2018
- 88NewsTrump Defense Nominee James Mattis Resigns From Theranos BoardChristopher Weaver — January 5, 2017
- 89A singular board at TheranosJune 12, 2014
- 90NewsE-mails reveal concerns about Theranos's FDA compliance date back yearsCarolyn Y. Johnson — December 2, 2015
- 91NewsJim Mattis Tells His Life StoryRisa Brooks — August 30, 2019
- 93General Dynamics Elects Jim Mattis to Board of DirectorsGeneral Dynamics
- 94NewsTrump: 'Mad Dog' Mattis is a 'very impressive' candidate for defense secretaryPhil Mattingly — CNN — November 20, 2016
- 95General James "Mad Dog" Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General's General!Donald J. Trump — November 20, 2016
- 96NewsTrump has chosen retired Marine Gen. James Mattis for secretary of defenseDan Lamothe — December 1, 2016
- 97NewsHow Trump picking Mattis as Pentagon chief breaks with 65 years of U.S. historyDan Lamothe — December 1, 2016
- 99Senate Confirms James Mattis as Defense SecretaryKristina Peterson et al. — January 20, 2017
- 100NewsGillibrand says she won't vote for Mattis waiverElana Schor — January 20, 2017
- 101Readout of Secretary Mattis' Call with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin SalmanUS Department of Defense — January 31, 2017
- 102NewsDefense Sec. James Mattis: North Korea 'Has Got to Be Stopped'Alexander Smith et al. — NBC News — March 31, 2017
- 104NewsDefense Secretary Mattis turns up heat on North Korea and ChinaPhil Stewart et al. — CBS News — June 3, 2017
- 105NewsNorth Korea 'most urgent' threat to security: MattisIdrees Ali et al. — Reuters — June 13, 2017
- 106NewsDefense Secretary Mattis explains what war with North Korea would look likeAlex Lockie — June 16, 2017
- 107NewsMattis: Expect U.S. troops in Iraq even after ISIS fallsLeo Shane III — March 22, 2017
- 108NewsAfter civilians killed in Mosul, Pentagon denies loosening rulesReuters — March 27, 2017
- 109NewsCivilian casualties are up and Congress is AWOLMicah Zenko — April 11, 2017
- 110NewsCivilian deaths tripled in U.S.-led campaign against ISIS in 2017, watchdog allegesMissy Ryan — January 18, 2018
- 111NewsDefense Secretary Mattis condemns 'heinous' chemical attack in Syria, DoD mulls responseCarlos Muñoz — April 5, 2017
- 112Press releaseStatement by Secretary of Defense James Mattis on the U.S. Military Response to the Syrian Government's Use of Chemical WeaponsUnited States Department of Defense — April 10, 2017
- 113NewsMattis: U.S. Syria policy is still to defeat ISISJacqueline Klimas — April 11, 2017
- 114NewsUS Defense Sec'y Mattis: Syria still has chemical weaponsRobert Burns — ABC News — April 21, 2017
- 116NewsMattis: Questions unanswered on Syria cease-fire planEllen Mitchell — May 8, 2017
- 117NewsPentagon Weighs More Support for Saudi-led War in YemenMarch 26, 2017
- 118NewsTrump administration weighs deeper involvement in Yemen warKaren DeYoung et al. — March 26, 2017
- 119NewsMattis: U.S. won't dig into 'mother of all bombs' damage in AfghanistanJacqueline Klimas — April 20, 2017
- 120NewsUS Defense Secretary Mattis visits AfghanistanSusannah Cullinane et al. — CNN — March 27, 2017
- 121NewsMattis: 'We are not winning in Afghanistan'Connor O'Brien — June 13, 2017
- 122NewsMattis says US 'may have pulled our troops out too rapidly' in AfghanistanFox News — June 29, 2017
- 123NewsTurkish Forces Bomb Key U.S. Ally In Fight Against ISIS In SyriaZachary Fryer-Biggs — January 22, 2018
- 124NewsTurkey has legitimate security concerns: MattisJanuary 22, 2018
- 125NewsTurkey to US: Stop YPG support or face 'confrontation'Al Jazeera English — January 25, 2018
- 126Briefing by Secretary Mattis on U.S. Strikes in SyriaDepartment of Defense — April 13, 2018
- 127White House Digs Itself in Deeper on KhashoggiMichael Hirsh et al. — December 4, 2018
- 128Trump administration defends close Saudi ties as Senate moves to end US support for Yemen warCNBC — November 28, 2018
- 129How Security Cooperation Advanced US InterestsBrookings Institution — June 4, 2019
- 130NewsMattis Quits Over Differences With TrumpMichael Hirsh — December 20, 2018
- 131NewsGen. David Goldfein, bypassed to be Trump's top military adviser, retiresDan Lamothe — August 5, 2020
- 133White House Orders Pentagon To Pull U.S. Troops From SyriaLaurel Wamsley — NPR — December 19, 2018
- 134Jim Mattis Resigns, Rebuking Trump's WorldviewHelene Cooper — December 20, 2018
- 136'A sad day for America': Washington fears a Trump unchecked by MattisGreg Jaffe et al. — December 20, 2018
- 137Mattis Resignation Spreads Alarm in Washington and AbroadDemetri Sevastopulo — December 21, 2018
- 138NewsJames Mattis' resignation letter in fullBBC News — December 21, 2018
- 140Trump, Angry Over Mattis's Rebuke, Removes Him 2 Months EarlyHelene Cooper — December 23, 2018
- 142News'Stunning,' 'powerful,' 'overdue': Romney, Murkowski praise Mattis' stinging Trump rebukeDareh Gregorian et al. — CBS News — June 5, 2020
- 144How James Mattis and Donald Trump's relationship has changed since the Secretary of Defense left his postZachary Cohen — CNN — August 29, 2019
- 145NewsEsper Flipflops and Leaves Troops in DC as Trump Spars With MattisJeffery Martin — June 4, 2020
- 146Mattis joining Cohen Group as senior counselorRebecca Klar — September 8, 2019
- 147Mattis Joins Advisory Group Run by Former Defense SecretaryRichard Sisk — September 9, 2019
- 148Mattis failed to disclose role with global consultant tied to China in bombshell columnRowan Scarborough — November 25, 2020
- 150BookPå min vakt – å lede Nato i krigstidJens Stoltenberg — Gyldendal Norsk Forlag — 2025
- 153NewsJim Mattis fires back at President Trump for "overrated" insultGrace Segers — CBS News — October 18, 2019
- 154NewsMattis Mocks Trump's Bone Spurs and Love of Fast FoodChristine Hauser — October 17, 2019
- 155Defense Secretary Mattis: 'I've never registered for any political party'Amanda Macias — CNBC — October 16, 2018
- 156NewsMattis Told Woodward He Agreed Trump Was a Uniquely Dangerous ThreatTim Miller — October 17, 2024
- 157NewsTrump's top Pentagon pick said settlements were creating 'apartheid'Eric Cortellessa — November 20, 2016
- 158NewsEx-US general: We pay a price for backing IsraelLazar Berman — July 25, 2013
- 159NewsGeneral Mattis wants Iran to be a top focus for the next president (whoever it is)Leo Shane III — April 22, 2016
- 160NewsMattis Praises America's Security Partnership With IsraelTerri Moon Cronk — April 21, 2017
- 161NewsMattis, Israeli Counterpart Discuss Mutual Security ConcernsTerri Moon Cronk — April 26, 2018
- 162NewsMattis: 'I Don't Understand' Speculation about Presidential RunHope Hodge Seck — April 22, 2016
- 163NewsMattis: U.S. Suffering 'Strategic Atrophy'John Grady — US Naval Institute — May 14, 2015
- 164NewsJames Mattis, retired Marine general, says Iran nuclear deal 'fell short'Carlo Muñoz — April 22, 2016
- 165NewsMilitary's Mideast Chief Sounds Ready to Aid Syria's RebelsSpencer Ackerman — March 6, 2012
- 166NewsJames Mattis Says U.S. Is 'Shoulder to Shoulder' With JapanMichael R. Gordon et al. — February 3, 2017
- 167NewsChina accuses US of putting regional stability at risk over backing of Japan in island disputeRebecca Flood — February 4, 2017
- 168NewsGeneral stating Russian aggression in Ukraine "much more severe" than U.S. treats it may become Defense SecretaryUNIAN — November 19, 2016
- 169NewsJames Mattis, Outspoken Retired Marine, Is Trump's Choice as Defense SecretaryMichael R. Gordon et al. — December 1, 2016
- 170Stenographic Transcript Before the Committee on Armed Services United States Senate to Conduct a Confirmation Hearing On The Expected Nomination Of Mr. James N. Mattis To Be Secretary Of DefenseSenate Armed Services Committee — January 12, 2017
- 172News"We're watching Russia wither before our eyes," former US defense chief saysCNN — July 1, 2022
- 173NewsChinese state media slams Tillerson over South China SeaKatie Hunt — CNN Politics — January 13, 2017
- 175Ness, Erik "The Cost of Skepticism", Brown Alumni Monthly, March/April 2018, p.16
- 176NewsJames Mattis Denounces President Trump, Describes Him as a Threat to the ConstitutionJeffrey Goldberg — June 3, 2020
- 178NewsREAD: Former Defense Secretary Mattis' statement on Trump and protestsCNN — June 3, 2020
- 179NewsJim Mattis blasts Trump in message that defends protesters, says president 'tries to divide us'Dan Lamothe — June 4, 2020
- 181Tech vet and physicist Christina Lomasney marries James Mattis, retired general and ex-defense chiefKurt Schlosser — 2022-06-28
- 182James Mattis just got married in the most Marine way possibleJeff Schogol — 2022-06-28
- 183NewsGen. Mattis: The Warrior MonkJuly 9, 2010
- 184Bob Woodward, Fear: Trump in the White House, Simon and Schuster, 2019, p. 50
- 185NewsMattis says every American should read this one bookPaul Szoldra — September 26, 2018
- 186NewsIn John Kelly, Trump gets a plain-spoken disciplinarian as his chief of staffGreg Jaffe et al. — July 28, 2017
- 187NewsTrump's Catholic Warriors
- 188Mattis Shows How to Handle a Reporter's Question About His Religious BeliefsDecember 4, 2017
- 189French general assumes command of Allied Command TransformationAllied Command Transformation Public Affairs Office, NATO — September 18, 2009
- 190Meritorious Service DecorationsCanada Gazette — April 27, 2013
- 191Convocation Will Honor Marine General James MattisWashington College
- 192WPC's 2016 'Champion of Freedom' named Secretary of DefenseWashington Policy Center
- 193New MembersAmerican Academy of Arts & Sciences
- 195BookHolding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary MattisGuy Snodgrass — Penguin — 2019
- 197NewsThe Facebook page for Marine Special Ops posted a picture of 'Mad Dog' Mattis as a saintPaul Szoldra — December 2, 2016
- 198Mattis says he's 'absolutely not' leaving Pentagon while carrying cardboard box out to his carPaul Sharpe — September 24, 2018
- 199'We're winning this arms race,' Mattis says during workout at Kremlin gymCat Astronaut — March 2, 2017
- 200General Mattis Crosses Potomac With 100,000 Troops; President, Senate Flee CityDick Scuttlebutt — December 24, 2013
- 201The extraordinary reading habits of Defense Secretary James MattisAmanda Macias — CNBC — September 15, 2018