On December 1, 2016, President-elect Trump nominated retired General James N. Mattis to be the new Secretary of Defense. While normally a position by a civilian, the General is seen to be a great pick by both citizens and leaders alike. Below are ten things about the General you may not know.

1. Besides being an incredible leader, senior officials praise the General as a strategic thinker with encyclopedic knowledge of history. Mattis is a graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the National War College.
2. General Mattis’ USMC career started 44 years ago in 1969 when he enlisted. After later earning a B.A. in History from Central Washington University, he was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant through ROTC. He retired in May 2013 with the rank of General (Four stars). His official call sign is “Chaos.”
3. Federal law stipulates that the secretary of defense cannot have been on active duty for at least seven years, so, if Mattis is confirmed, he'll need Congress to issue him a waiver in order to take the position. However, it is a public fact, that both sides of Congress approve of the pick including Michele Flournoy, (who was the pick if Senator Clinton had won the election) stating "Gen. Mattis is a storied and much respected military leader. He's a student of history. He's a strategic thinker and he also real passion for the care of the men and women in the U.S. military and their families, so I think he would be an outstanding candidate.”
4. His last few command posts include: Supreme Allied Commander of Transformation (2007-2009); Commander of the US Joint Forces Command (2007-2010); Commander of the United States Central Command (2010-2013).
5. A lifelong bachelor with no children, he is sometimes referred to as the “Warrior Monk.” This also comes from his extensive reading library which is said to be over 6,000 books. He has also implemented a required reading list for all the marines under his command which include the history of the land, warfare in history and books on honor and virtue. "The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears. You are part of the world's most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon.”
6. Some of the General’s awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (with Valor), Meritorious Service Medal, and expert in both rifle and pistol.
7. He once relieved a Marine on duty and took over his post so that he could be at home with his family for Christmas. In 1998, then Commandant of the Marine Corps General Krulak was delivering cookies for the men around Washington and Quantico. When he arrived Marine Corps Combat Development Command Headquarters, the General asked who the Officer of the Day was. The young marine replied that it was General Mattis. Mattis has said about the situation “Sir, I looked at the duty roster for today and there was a young major who had it who is married and had a family; and so I’m a bachelor, I thought why should the major miss out on the fun of having Christmas with his family, and so I took the duty for him.”
8. General Mattis differs on certain views than the President elect, who has been filling the top ranks of his national security team with hard-liners. General Mattis believes, for instance, that the president-elect’s conciliatory statements toward Russia are ill informed. General Mattis views with alarm Moscow’s expansionist or bellicose policies in Syria, Ukraine and the Baltics. And he has told the president-elect that torture does not work.
9. At one point in time, the General was actually approached by conservative and independent leaders to make a run for the Presidency under an independent ticket. It has been said by the political leaders that he does not consider himself better than his subordinates or better than the political class that makes modern warfighting so difficult, as well as having a moral clarity and a love for the American way of life.
10. Mattis’ is very outspoken when it comes to his views as a leader in the defense field. He noted that potential U.S. allies around the world are ready to support the United States, but “we have not been clear about where we stand in defining or dealing with the growing violent Jihadi terrorist threat.” The general has also urged setting up a new security architecture and outline a counter-terrorism strategy for a more positive outcome.

“Hail Mattis, full of hate,

Our troops stand with thee.

Blessed art thou among the enlisted,

And blessed is the fruit of thy knife hand.

Holy Mattis, father of War,

pray for us heathen

Now and in the hour of our combat

Amen.”