Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019 | 2 a.m.
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Many of us who served in the Gulf War remember how we formed into various detachments for that war. One of these units became known as Task Force Ripper. An integral element of this combat team was the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, commanded by then-Lt. Col. James Mattis. His call sign was CHAOS — Colonel Has Another Outstanding Solution.
That same year, Playboy interviewed Donald Trump abouthis wealth, greatness, vision and intelligence. During the interview, he dismissed any goal of running for president.
In November 2001, then-Brig. Gen. Mattis led Task Force 58 in establishing a combat presence in Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. His team’s tactical brilliance caused the enemy to flee into Pakistan. At the time, Trump bogusly claimed he had hundreds of “his” workers clearing the rubble of the fallen Twin Towers.
In March 2003, in the early stages of the Iraq War, then-Maj. Gen. Mattis led the longest sustained overland advance against the enemy in Marine Corps history. Trump has speciously claimed he was against the Iraq war “since 2003.”
These are just a few of many heroic missions and assignments accomplished by our legendary defense secretary in service to our country. He has resigned and is now unbelievably heaved out of office two months earlier than necessary, in essence, because the commander in chief continues to think he “knows more than his generals.”
