Should A Former General Be In Charge Of The U.S. Defense Department?

Gen. James Mattis testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington July 27, 2010, on his nomination to be Commander of U.S. Central Command. Yuri Gripas/Reuters

Anna Mulrine Grobe, CSM: Enter the generals: Why Trump's cabinet picks give Pentagon pause

President-elect Trump's pick for secretary of Defense, retired Gen. James Mattis, is widely respected among military analysts. But he will need a congressional waiver to serve.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis will soon be named the new administration’s pick for Secretary of Defense.

“We’re not announcing it ’til next week, so don’t tell anyone,” Mr. Trump told a cheering crowd in Cincinnati Thursday evening, referring to the nominee by his nickname, “Mad Dog” and calling him “the closest thing we have to George Patton.”

It is what many former military officials consider a “good news, bad news” story for the Pentagon, which, despite its implicit focus on waging war, has a long – and necessary, analysts are quick to add – tradition of civilian, rather than military, leadership.

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WNU Editor: I must admit that I am a fan of Ret. General Mattis .... and I was also surprised that President-Elect Trump chose him to be the Secretary of the Defense Department. Is the General qualified .... probably. Will his tenure be a long term success story .... or short live and a failure .... it is far too early to make that prediction. But is selecting a former General to head the Department of Defense the right appointment .... on this I have my doubts. I am one of those who firmly believes that there must be a mix of both at the top .... but with a civilian being the top person. This appointment violates this rule .... and we are now entering unknown territory. I am still going to withhold judgement ..... and give the new Secretary of Defense the benefit of the doubt for the next six months. It is going to be during this time that we will quickly learn if he is going to be there for the long term .... or (like former Defense Secretary Hagel) be replaced within two years.