“In an interconnected age when opportunistic adversaries can work in tandem to destroy stability and prosperity, our country needs to regain its strategic footing. We need to bring the clarity to our efforts before we lose the confidence of the American people and the support of potential allies.”

American military officer

James Norman Mattis is an American military officer and retired Marine Corps four-star general, born in 1950. He served as the 26th United States secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. Mattis commanded forces in the Gulf War, the war in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War. He is known for a direct, disciplined public style shaped by a long military career and by remarks drawn from leadership, service, and national defense.