oped:Sometimes Donald Trump leaves me scratching my head and mumbling to myself 'What is he thinking', in reference to some of his cabinet picks...General Mattis received his commission as a 2nd Lt from the ROTC program at Washington State University 1972...the Viet Nam war was still going on, albeit winding down...and I find it strange he never served in Viet Nam. Also his career as a Jr Officer up through Captain has no combat experience of any kind.. As a field grade officer ...Major and above... he was more of a arm chair commander without any on the actual battlefield experience...I rate him at best as a political General!
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. (No out of country deployments)
As a major, he commanded Recruiting Station Portland. As a lieutenant colonel, he commanded 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, one of Task Force Ripper's assault battalions in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. As a colonel, he commanded 7th Marines (Reinforced) and served as the Executive Secretary to the Department of Defense.
Upon becoming a brigadier general, he served as the Senior Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He commanded the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Task Force 58 during Operation Enduring Freedom in southern Afghanistan. As a major general, he commanded the 1st Marine Division during the initial attack and subsequent stability operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In his first tour as a lieutenant general, he commanded the Marine Corps Combat Development Command while serving as the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development. He next commanded the I Marine Expeditionary Force and served as the Commander of U.S. Marine Forces Central Command. He served as both NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from 2007-2009 and as Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command from 2007-2010. He was confirmed as the Commander of U.S. Central Command in August 2010 where he served until his departure in March 2013.
Upon
becoming a brigadier general, he served as the Senior Military
Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He commanded the 1st
Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Task Force 58 during Operation Enduring
Freedom in southern Afghanistan. As a major general, he commanded the
1st Marine Division during the initial attack and subsequent stability
operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In
his first tour as a lieutenant general, he commanded the Marine Corps
Combat Development Command while serving as the Deputy Commandant for
Combat Development. He next commanded the I Marine Expeditionary Force
and served as the Commander of U.S. Marine Forces Central Command. He
served as both NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from
2007-2009 and as Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command from 2007-2010. He
was confirmed as the Commander of U.S. Central Command in August 2010
where he served until his departure in March 2013.
By Nikita Vladimirov
A former Army Special Forces officer is blasting Donald Trump's pick for secretary of Defense, accusing retired Marine Corps. Gen. James Mattis of "leaving my men to die" more than a decade ago.
Jason Amerine says that when a team of Special Forces was hit by friendly fire in Afghanistan in December 2001, Mattis, who was in charge of a nearby group of Marines, hesitated to approve a rescue operation.
"Every element in Afghanistan tried to help us except the closest friendly unit, commanded by Mattis. Men were ready to drive to get us or send horses from the other side of the country if that was what it took," Amerine wrote in a Facebook post.
Sources involved in the operation told NBC News that Mattis, who was a brigadier general at the time, turned down repeated requests for assistance even though helicopters under his command were reportedly just 45 minutes away.
Mattis retired in 2013 after leading U.S. Central Command, meaning he would need a special waiver from Congress to serve atop the Pentagon, which requires former military officers be out of uniform for seven years before becoming Defense chief.
Mattis has not commented publicly on the incident, which NBC News noted was detailed in the 2011 book "The Only Thing Worth Dying For" by Eric Blehm. Neither Trump's transition team nor Mattis offered comment for the NBC report.
The former Special Forces officer wrote Friday that the long delay may have caused the deaths of several soldiers, but added that the incident was never properly investigated by officials.
"None of that was assessed properly because the [5th Special Forces Group] chose not to call for a formal investigation. 5th Group wanted to end the bad press associated with the friendly fire and the inaction by Mattis only made it worse so they buried my angry complaints and sought to shut me up about everything that happened that day," he wrote.
Amerine underscored his criticism of the former general by accusing him of being "indecisive" and "betray[ing] his duty."
"Maybe Mattis was a good general later in his career by whatever standard you want but it has been bizarre to suddenly see these facts up for debate. He was indecisive and betrayed his duty to us, leaving my men to die during the golden hour when he could have reached us," Amerine wrote.
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