16 best quotes from the retiring Gen. James Mattis

h/t BH

16 best quotes from the retiring USMC Gen. James Mattis

 

16 best quotes from the retiring Gen. James Mattis

http://freebeacon.com/the-best-from-mad-dog-mattis/

BY: Washington Free Beacon Staff
March 18, 2013

Gen. James Mattis, known to his troops as “Mad Dog Mattis,” is retiring after 41 years of military service.

The Marine Corps Times is calling Mattis the “most revered Marine in a generation.”

Mattis has been commander of the United States Central Command since 2010 and led the 1st Marine Division into Iraq in 2003.

According to reports, President Barack Obama decided to force the Marine Corps legend out early because he rubbed civilian officials the wrong way, and forced them to answer tough questions regarding Iran.

Mattis was an inspirational leader of men and his powerful words will go down in history.

Here are some of the best words that the “Mad Dog” has had to offer:

1. “I don’t lose any sleep at night over the potential for failure. I cannot even spell the word.”

(San Diego Union Tribune)

AP

2. “The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some assholes in the world that just need to be shot.”

(Business Insider)

3. “I come in peace. 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.”

(San Diego Union Tribune)

4. “Find the enemy that wants to end this experiment (in American democracy) and kill every one of them until they’re so sick of the killing that they leave us and our freedoms intact.”

(San Diego Union Tribune)

Flickr

5. “Marines don’t know how to spell the word defeat.”

(Business Insider)

6. “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”

(San Diego Union Tribune)

7. “The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.”

(San Diego Union Tribune)

8. “You are part of the world’s most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon.”

(Mattis’ Letter To 1st Marine Division)

Gen. Mattis in 2006 / Flickr

9. “There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline, cunning, obedience and alertness, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim.”

(Business Insider)

10. “No war is over until the enemy says it’s over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote.”

(Defense News)

11. “There is nothing better than getting shot at and missed. It’s really great.”(AMEN!)

(San Diego Union Tribune)

12. “You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it’s going to be bad.”

(San Diego Union Tribune)

Gen. Mattis and Gen. Dempsey / Flickr

13. “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 quite fun to fight them, you know. It’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right up there with you. I like brawling.”

(CNN)

14. “I’m going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.”

(San Diego Union Tribune)

15. “Demonstrate to the world there is ‘No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy’ than a U.S. Marine.”

(Mattis’ Letter To 1st Marine Division)

16. “Fight with a happy heart and strong spirit”

(Mattis’ Letter To 1st Marine Division)

 

Nasty Fall

h/t JT

"Spinelss, Career Consumed, Perfumed Princes” in El Presidente’s Military

Written on Friday, August 10, 2012 by David L. Goetsch

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Because I served in the Marine Corps many years ago, people sometimes ask my opinion on military issues.  Lately friends have been asking me about the proper response of military officers to President Obama’s order that all military personnel be supportive of open homosexuality in the ranks.  How should high-ranking military officers who are responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of military units and for protecting the morale of the troops in these units respond to the president’s order?  I attempt to answer this difficult and complex question herein.

First, some background.  When I served in the Marine Corps many years ago, one of the first things we learned was our obligation to obey all “lawful” orders.  Disobeying a lawful order was not just frowned on, it was a court-martial offense.  But what happens when an order, though lawful, is unethical, unconscionable, or just ill-advised?  Should military personnel obediently carry out such orders? Should they try to speak up on behalf of what is right?  Should they simply refuse to obey? What is the right course of action? How high-ranking military officers answer this question depends on their priorities and convictions.

Military personnel who put their careers above all else will obediently fall into line and carry out orders, no matter how unethical or ill-advised they might be.  Further, they will punish those who do not immediately obey.  Colonel David Hackworth—a courageous warrior and a man of deep convictions—called these self-serving politicians in uniform “spineless, career consumed, perfumed princes.”  This is an apt description, and anyone who has ever served in the military is familiar with this type of officer.

The middle-ground position is for officers to speak up and try to influence a bad decision before it is made or reverse an ill-advised order that has already been given.  Officers who choose this option are better than the “spineless, career consumed, perfumed princes,” but in the long run—when push comes to shove—they typically opt for career over conscience and begrudgingly fall into line. Several of the military’s highest ranking officers chose this option when President Obama first announced his intentions to eliminate the military’s “don’t-ask-don’t-tell” policy.  They grumbled a little, but quickly fell into line.

The final option is to make a statement by disobeying the unconscionable order.  This option takes courage because it inevitably brings severe consequences, and those who choose this option must be willing to accept the consequences.  An example of an officer who chose conscience over carrying out an unethical order is Lt. Gordon J. Klingenschmitt, a Navy Chaplain.  Pressured by his superiors to offer generic, nonsectarian prayers during Navy ceremonies, the Chaplain stood his ground and said no.  Klingenschmitt knew there would be consequences, but he was willing to accept them to shine a light on the secularization of religion in the military.  He has a higher calling than the military and a higher purpose than getting the next promotion.

Lt. Klingenschmitt entered the Navy as an Episcopal minister, a Chaplain whose job it is to minister to sailors on the basis of the Word of God and to provide comfort to those who are suffering in the name of Jesus.  But with Barack Obama in office, “Christianity” has become a bad word and the “spineless, career consumed, perfumed princes” are falling obediently into line behind the president.  Further, the politicians in uniform are turning courageous officers who stand on principle—officers like Chaplain Klingenschmitt—into martyrs.  When backed into a corner by President Obama’s obedient minions, this dedicated Chaplain decided to stand up for what is right and take the consequences.  He has been court-martialed and fined, but he may get the last laugh yet. Chaplain Klingenschmitt plans to leave the Navy rather than submit to the secularization of religion.  His departure will be a loss for the Navy, but a gain for people of principle.

http://patriotupdate.com/articles/spinelss-career-consumed-perfumed-princes-in-obamas-military