“Perhaps if you are in support functions waiting on the warfighters to spell out the specifics of what you are to do, you can avoid the consequences of not reading. Those who must adapt to overcoming an independent enemy's will are not allowed that luxury.”

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.