TODAY'S MOTO PHOTO - GENERAL MATTIS

GENERAL JAMES N. MATTIS

1972 - Present

Commander, US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM)

With nicknames like "Chao," "Warrior Monk" and "Mad Dog Mattis," it's no secret that this Marine General pulls no punches.  He has constantly been criticized for his choice of words - the following are some famous quotes  that echo deep in the minds of today's Marines. 

Small, slight and bespectacled, Mattis didn't fit the Hollywood image of the fire-breathing Marine commander. But retired Marine Col. Gary Anderson, himself a widely respected officer, commented, "I think he's the finest combat leader we've produced since Korea." Mattis genuinely seemed to thrive on the noise and confusion of battle. He adopted "Chaos" as his call sign when he took the Marines into southern Afghanistan in the fall of 2001 and kept it when he led the Marine part of the invasion force for Iraq in the spring of 2003. After the invasion he sent home his tanks and artillery pieces and went to Iraqi military leaders in each area his troops were in. "I come in peace," Mattis recalled telling them.  "I didn't bring artillery.  But I'm pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: if you fuck with me, I'll kill you all." 

February 1, 2005, Lieutenant General Mattis, speaking at a forum in San Diego, 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.

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.

A letter written by General Mattis and distributed to every member of the 1st Marine Division a day before the beginning of the 2003 Iraq war.