soundoff (61 Responses)

1. Dave
   

   This is a quote from the general ,"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."
   I thought he should be the lead in Afghanistan.

   July 8, 2010 at 4:47 pm | Report abuse |
2. Brendan
   

   What a joke CNN has become. This is the best CNN can put together on the man named to oversea two wars? Really? I know Lindsay Lohan going to jail is important, but come on. I'm sure they could have dug up a file picture of General Mattis and given a sentence or two of his bio. I hope they will go back to reporting news soon.

   July 8, 2010 at 4:49 pm | Report abuse |
3. somebrains
   

   I agree with the last poster. Why would you put the cief of the smallest branch of the Armed Forces, that actually is not a branch but rather a subordinate unit of the U.S. Navy, in as chairmen. When you think about it, besides their public relations team, what other branch has demanded its own air force, army, navy, and coast guard becuse they are so special. Face it, we could role the Marine sinto the Amry and would not even see a buldge. They need to get back to what they were designed for, ground support for naval invasions and running the birg on a ship, and stop always demanding a piece of the action just to make them feel important.

   July 8, 2010 at 4:52 pm | Report abuse |
   • M
     

     Must be hard running the war from your couch nobrains. I'm sure you got a bunch of stories about how you were going to join the Marines but it was 39 cent cheesburger day at golden arches.

     Mattis is baddest warrior wearing stars right now

     July 8, 2010 at 5:21 pm | Report abuse |
   • Gordon Silliker
     

     Because as the world has developed the Marine Corps, which is capable of deploying a combined air-ground task force anywhere in the world in less than 10 days, is extremely relevant, despite its comparative size. Additionally, the extremely high reputation and screening that goes into recruiting or commissioning Marines has kept the force full of smart, capable people that have been able to win battles disproportionate to the Marines' size, when other services have failed. In simple terms, the Marine "work", which is extactly what the Afghanistan campaign needs now.

     July 8, 2010 at 9:35 pm | Report abuse |
   • Ouch
     

     Spelling errors:
     cief
     chairmen
     role
     becus
     sinto
     amry
     birg

     General Mattis is/was not the chief (I assume you mean Commandant) of the Marine Corps. He is a functional combatant commander of Joint Forces Command.

     The U.S. Marine Corps is one of four military services in the United States. It is not subordinate to the United States Navy. Both the Marine Corps and the Navy fall under the civilian administration organization called the Department of the Navy. The House of Representatives last month voted favorably for change to the name of this department to the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.

     General Mattis hasn't been nominated to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has been nominated to be the Commander of CENTCOM, which is a geographical combatant command. I would recommend that you go to Wikipedia to review his biography. You might note that he co-authored the modern counterinsurgency manual with General Petraeus. Both men reportedly have great respect for one another.

     The Marine Corps doesn't have its own Navy, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard. However, the Marine Corps operational forces are structured around the MAGTF or Marine Air/Ground Task Force, which is a key component to success in amphibious operations and in all other combat operations, particularly those involving combined arms integration.

     While there are service rivalries, I think most services, particularly the Army and the Marine Corps, have moved beyond name calling because of the hardships faced in combat. I would guess that the Army as a whole is pleased that the Marine Corps is shouldering some of the burden in joint operating areas in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. Due to manpower shortages and mismanagement of resources in some cases, the Army has had to push its deployments out to 15 months and don't offer much recovery time between deployments. If there was no Marine Corps to fill the gap, I think the Army would be stretched even thinner.

     July 8, 2010 at 9:47 pm | Report abuse |
4. rashid
   

   Get it done, or get out.

   July 8, 2010 at 5:31 pm | Report abuse |
5. oneStarman
   

   MATTIS FOR A CHANGE – This is the Chance for Secretary Gates to step up the conversion of more U.S. capabilities away from 'Boots and Boats' to 'Drones and Clones' General Mattis served as Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) and Commander, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. United States Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) in the United States Department of Defense, is focused on the transformation of U.S. military capabilitie; and at the 2002 Prague Summit, it was decided that NATO should change its military structures and equipment for the new millennium. NATO’s military command structure was reorganized focusing one strategic command, Allied Command Transformation (ACT), on transforming NATO, ACT is for military transformation of forces using new concepts and new doctrines for the New World Order.

   July 8, 2010 at 5:34 pm | Report abuse |
   • M
     

     Clones?

     July 9, 2010 at 1:35 pm | Report abuse |
6. Illuminati
   

   HELL YEAH!!!

   July 8, 2010 at 6:14 pm | Report abuse |
7. MM
   

   I like the photo. It looks like SNL Weekend Update with Sec Gates, starring Adm Mullen.

   July 8, 2010 at 6:53 pm | Report abuse |
8. mother nature
   

   This is really strange. US can welcome Netanyahu who only wants to take from America viz. money, security guarantees, technology, defense equipment, charity etc. but is estranged with Ahmedinejad who wants to give help and expertise to stop this spill that has turned into an environmental disaster threatening global ecology.

   May good sense prevail and US accept the help offer from Iran.

   July 9, 2010 at 2:18 am | Report abuse | Reply

   Gandalf

   US is so obsessed with Israel that it can see nothing beyond. Not even nations who want an opportunity to be friends of America.
   That be the case, Iran does not get any audience with the US government, media and planners.
   Otherwise, no wise government or nation would refuse Iranian help in containing this oil spill disaster.

   Iranians are willing to help. Are Americans willing to be friends?

   Look up http://www.presstv.ir

   July 9, 2010 at 5:38 am | Report abuse |
   • M
     

     Ahmedinejad?! Whats his plan stuff Jews down the pipe?

     Why don't we invite Kim Jong Il over to help clean up after Katrina?

     July 9, 2010 at 1:43 pm | Report abuse |
9. mother nature
   

   This is really strange. US can welcome Netanyahu who only wants to take from America viz. money, security guarantees, technology, defense equipment, charity etc. but is estranged with Ahmedinejad who wants to give help and expertise to stop this spill that has turned into an environmental disaster threatening global ecology.

   May good sense prevail and US accept the help offer from Iran.

   US is so obsessed with Israel that it can see nothing beyond. Not even nations who want an opportunity to be friends of America.
   That be the case, Iran does not get any audience with the US government, media and planners.
   Otherwise, no wise government or nation would refuse Iranian help in containing this oil spill disaster.

   Iranians are willing to help. Are Americans willing to be friends?

   Look up http://www.presstv.ir

   July 9, 2010 at 5:39 am | Report abuse |