Trump's Defense Secretary Pick Gen. 'Mad Dog' Mattis Has a Way With Words: Here Are 5 Incredible Quotes

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor
Saturday, December 03, 2016

Chairman of NATO Military Committee Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola (L), operations commander General John Craddock (C) and General James Mattis (R) chat during an informal meeting in Budapest October 9, 2008. NATO allies face calls on Thursday to send more troops to fight Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan and boost military spending, despite the prospect of budget cuts due to the global financial crisis. — Chairman of NATO Military Committee Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola (L), operations commander General John Craddock (C) and General James Mattis (R) chat during an informal meeting in Budapest October 9, 2008. NATO allies face calls on Thursday to send more troops to fight Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan and boost military spending, despite the prospect of budget cuts due to the global financial crisis. | (Photo: Reuters/Karoly Arvai)

1. "The problem with being too busy to read is that you learn by experience (or by your men's experience), i.e. the hard way. By reading, you learn through others' experiences, generally a better way to do business, especially in our line of work where the consequences of incompetence are so final for young men."

Mattis wrote this in a letter to a colleague in late 2003, after he was asked about the importance of reading and military history for the officer.

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