Some of his more popular nicknames are ‘the mad dog’ and ‘warrior monk.’ He has spent decades on the war front and is regarded one of the most effective military leaders ever. Today, he serves as Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense. Prior to his retirement, James Mattis served as the Commander of the United States Central Command, effectively meaning that he oversaw military operations in a number of vast regions including, but not limited to, the Middle East. His character, approach to leadership, and accomplishments make him stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other maverick generals before him, including Douglas MacArthur, George S. Patton, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. As much as he is tough-fighting and tough-talking, Mattis is also a charismatic military leader. He managed to inspire his troops towards the accomplishment of missions and did not shy away from ‘getting into the trenches’ and, thus effectively uplifting the morale of the marines. His ability to ‘descend’ to the level of his juniors and actively engage them earned him the ‘most revered Marine in a generation’ recognition by the Marine Corps Times (Fick, 2006). Mattis is also a quick and strategic thinker as was demonstrated during his 30 second deliberation on whether or not to strike a safe house in a small Iraqi village that appeared to house foreign fighters. Although the target in this particular attack ended up being a wedding ceremony, and led to the death of civilians, Mattis would later on explain that he had only 30 seconds to make a decision based on the Intel before him (Danielo, 2007). A strategic thinker, Mattis cautioned his troops against being hostile to harmless civilians – sensing that such hostility would be used by al-Qaeda to sow seeds of hatred and turn civilians against American Troops. A voracious reader, Mattis remains one of the greatest military leaders of all times
References
Danielo, D. (2007). Blood Stripes: The Grunt’s View of the War in Iraq. Mason, OH: Stackpole Books.
Fick, N.C. (2006). One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
General James Mattis who is commonly known as, “Mad Dog,” spent 40 years on the front lines before retiring and being appointed as the new Secretary of Defense. During his years in service, Mattis led combat troops in different missions including the battle in Fallujah, Iraq. Given his experience and actions, General Mattis has become a prominent figure in the military, particularly in the debate on how the military should
Abstract General James Mattis is one of the prominent military leaders and highly successful in his 40 years of service. This paper examines how General Mattis’ utilized strategies, styles, behaviors, and qualities that are comparable to those of past Maverick leaders. The analysis also demonstrates how General James Mattis adapted these strategies, styles, behaviors, and qualities to work in the contemporary operating environment. As part of this analysis, a discussion of
General James Mattis – Thesis & Outline General James Mattis who is commonly known as, “Mad Dog” spent 40 years on the front lines before retiring and appointed as the new Secretary of Defense. During his years of service, Mattis led combat troops in different missions including the battle in Fallujah, Iraq. Given his experience and actions, General Mattis has become a prominent figure in the military, particularly in the debate
General James Mattis led U.S. Marine Corps into war in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004 where he earned the nickname, “Mad Dog.” During the battle, members of the U.S. Marine Corps shot at ambulances and aid workers following General Mattis’ command. The Marine Corps cordoned off the city to prevent civilians from escaping and would pose for trophy pictures with individuals they murdered (Glantz, 2017). By the conclusion of the battle,
Arthur Wellesley who is also known as the Duke of Wellington is considered to be one of Great Britain's greatest military leaders. Wellesley was a conservative and careful general who managed to inspire loyalty and discipline among his troops and he frequently won battles in the most difficult of circumstances. It is because of these characters that Wellesley managed to emerge victorious in many battles, but his major victory was
Enemy of the U.S. Military The United States military is currently wrapping-up two full-scale wars in which its performance was tested in ways previously unforeseen. One particular aspect of the military's standard operating procedure which has become a problem is its dependence and use of PowerPoint presentations to organize information regarding battlefield operations. For instance, in the book Fiasco, by Thomas Ricks, a tale is recounted how the general who
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now