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President Trump’s Department of Defense Pick May Shake Up the Pentagon

, President Trump’s Department of Defense Pick May Shake Up the Pentagon

New Pick For DOD

A new administration always means a changing of the guard in key positions such as the Cabinet. Experts predict that Donald Trump’s appointment of James Mattis for Secretary of Defense will usher in a significantly different culture at the Pentagon.

Who Is James Mattis?

Mattis is a four-star general who served 44 years in the Marine Corps, leading troops in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2010, he took the reins at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), replacing General David Petraeus.

Mike Furlong, an Army combat vet and former intelligence officer, had the chance to observe the effect Mattis had during his time at CENTCOM. According to Furlong, Mattis made CENTCOM less political and worked hard to support the troops out in the battlefields.

While Furlong says Mattis is more of a deep thinker and less politically astute than Petraeus, Mattis’s strong personal principles enabled him to work successfully with NATO. Foreign counterparts such as Norwegian defense minister Ine Eriksen Soreide and Michael Fallon, the U.K. secretary of state for defense, have publicly welcomed the appointment of Mattis.

Well-Regarded by the Troops and His Peers

Troops on the front lines affectionately bestowed the nickname of “Mad Dog” on Mattis. Though he’s not especially fond of it, Mattis appreciates its source. Mattis is also known as an intellectual who has a personal library including more than 7,000 books about world and military history.

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