James Mattis

James N. Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who last served as the 11th commander of United States Central Command. Mattis is known for his military legacy, including implementing the COIN strategy. Having replaced David Petraeus on August 11, 2010, he previously commanded United States Joint Forces Command from November 9, 2007, to August 2010 and served concurrently as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from November 9, 2007, to September 8, 2009. Prior to that, he commanded I Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Forces Central Command, and 1st Marine Division during the Iraq War. General Mattis retired on May 22, 2013, after 44 years of service.

Early life and education

Mattis was born in Pullman, Washington on September 8, 1950. He graduated from Columbia High School, Richland, Washington, in 1968 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1969. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Central Washington University and was commissioned a second lieutenant through ROTC on January 1, 1972. Mattis during his service years was considered something of an intellectual among the upper ranks, with his personal library numbering more than a thousand volumes. Major General Robert H. Scales (ret.)(PhD), described him as "....one of the most urbane and polished men I have known." Reinforcing this intellectual persona was the fact that he carried on his person a copy of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius throughout his deployments.

Face the Nation

Face the Nation is an American Sunday morning political interview show broadcast on the CBS television network. Created by Frank Stanton in 1954, it is one of the longest-running news programs in the history of television. The current moderator is John Dickerson, who succeeded long-time moderator Bob Schieffer beginning with the June 7, 2015, broadcast.

Overview

Each Sunday, the program's moderator interviews newsmakers on the latest political and socioeconomic issues, and delivers a short topical commentary at the end of the broadcast. The program generally broadcasts from CBS News' bureau in Washington, D.C. Guests include government leaders, politicians, and international figures in the news. CBS News correspondents and other contributors often engage the guests in a roundtable discussion focusing on current topics. The program is broadcast live at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time/9:30 a.m. Central Time (immediately following CBS News Sunday Morning), although most CBS affiliates in the Pacific Time Zone air it at 8:30 a.m. local time. Local affiliates are free to air the show at the time of their choosing, usually before noon local time. A delayed audio broadcast of the program is also carried on a handful of radio affiliates through the CBS Radio Network.

United States Secretary of Defense

The Secretary of Defense (SecDef) is the leader and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense, an Executive Department of the Government of the United States of America. The Secretary of Defense's power over the United States military is second only to that of the President. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in many other countries. The Secretary of Defense is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, and is by custom a member of the Cabinet and by law a member of the National Security Council.

Secretary of Defense is a statutory office, and the general provision in 10 U.S.C. § 113 provides that the Secretary of Defense has "authority, direction and control over the Department of Defense", and is further designated by the same statute as "the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the Department of Defense." Ensuring civilian control of the military, an individual may not be appointed as Secretary of Defense within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular (i.e., non-reserve) component of an armed force.

United States House Committee on Armed Services

The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for funding and oversight of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the United States armed forces, as well as substantial portions of the Department of Energy.

History

The Armed Services Committee was created by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, which consolidated the functions of two predecessor committees: the Committee on Military Affairs and the Committee on Naval Affairs, which were established as standing committees in 1822. Another predecessor, the Committee on the Militia, was created in 1835 and existed until 1911 when it was abolished and its jurisdiction transferred to the Committee on Military Affairs. When Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 1994, the committee was renamed the Committee on National Security. It was later renamed the Committee on Armed Services.

Armed forces

The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external and internal aggressors. In broad usage, the terms "armed forces" and "military" are often treated synonymously, although in technical usage a distinction is sometimes made in which a country's armed forces may include both its military and other paramilitary forces. Armed force is the use of armed forces to achieve political objectives.

The study of the use of armed forces is called military science. Broadly speaking, this involves considering offense and defense at three "levels": strategy, operational art, and tactics. All three levels study the application of the use of force in order to achieve a desired objective.

Organization

In most countries the basis of the armed forces is the military, divided into basic military branches. However, armed forces can include other paramilitary structures.