Book: Call Sign Chaos

These excerpts from General Jim Mattis's memoir, co-authored with Bing West, offer a glimpse into his leadership philosophy and experiences throughout his distinguished career in the Marine Corps, culminating in his time as Secretary of Defense. The passages highlight key themes such as the importance of duty and service, learning from mistakes, valuing allies, the principles of command and feedback over control, the power of commander's intent, adapting to changing circumstances, the significance of trust and initiative at all levels, and the complexities of leadership in war and peace.

Main Themes and Important Ideas/Facts:

1. Duty and Service:

• Mattis emphasizes a strong sense of duty, instilled by his "Greatest Generation" parents and his time in the Marine Corps.
• He recounts his decision to accept the role of Secretary of Defense, stating, "In my view, when the President asks you to do something, you don’t play Hamlet on the wall, wringing your hands. To quote a great American athletic company’s slogan, you ‘just do it.’ So long as you are prepared, you say yes."
• He views government service as both an "honor and duty."

2. Learning from Mistakes and Second Chances:

• Mattis candidly shares anecdotes of his youth, including being jailed for underage drinking and a fight in Montana.
• He highlights the lesson learned from a fellow inmate: "'From down here, I see stars in the night sky,' he said. ‘It’s your choice.'" This emphasizes the power of perspective and personal choice in how one views their circumstances.
• He advocates for giving individuals a second chance, as exemplified by his intervention to grant a waiver to a young man with a single cocaine use incident, drawing a parallel to his own youthful indiscretions: "The judge who sent me to jail as a nineteen-year-old taught me a lesson, but he didn’t ruin my future. There’s a huge difference between making a mistake and letting that mistake define you, carrying a bad attitude through life."

3. The Value of Allies:

• Throughout his early deployments, Mattis learned the "enormous value of allies."
• He provides examples of collaboration and learning from allied forces in Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, and Japan.
• This early exposure shaped his understanding of international cooperation.

4. Command Philosophy: "Command and Feedback" over "Command and Control":

• Mattis stresses the importance of shared ownership of the mission: "I had learned in the fleet that in harmonious, effective units, everyone owns the unit mission. If you as the commander define the mission as your responsibility, you have already failed. It was our mission, never my mission."
• He critiques the phrase "command and control" as inaccurate, favoring "command and feedback." This highlights the need for a continuous flow of information and understanding, rather than top-down control.

5. The Significance of the Battalion Level:

• Mattis describes the battalion as a crucial command level: "The battalion is the last command where the leader has a face-to-face, direct relationship with the troops... It is so small and tightly meshed that, like a football or soccer team, it develops a distinct personality. This is called the command climate, and it reflects the tone set by the battalion commander, the sergeant major, the company commanders, and their first sergeants."
• At this level, leaders have a deep understanding of their personnel's strengths and weaknesses.

6. Preparation and Proactive Leadership:

• Mattis emphasizes the leader's responsibility to be prepared and anticipate: "You cannot allow your unit to be caught flat-footed. Don’t be myopically focused on your organization’s internal workings. Leaders are expected to stay attuned to their higher headquarters’ requirements. In the military, we exist to be prepared."
• He recounts how another battalion commander, Nick Pratt, exemplified selfless support by sending his best personnel to fill gaps in Mattis's unit.

7. Commander's Intent and Decentralized Decision-Making:

• Mattis strongly advocates for leading through "commander's intent," providing a clear purpose and end state, while allowing subordinates the freedom to determine the "how."
• He learned from Viscount Slim's experience in World War II, where commanders acted "without orders, in anticipation of orders, or without waiting for approval yet always within the overall intention."
• He implemented this by removing boundary lines during an exercise, fostering collaboration and initiative among his lieutenant colonels.

8. The "Juliet" Officers: Focused Information Gathering:

• During the Gulf War, Mattis created a system of "Juliet" officers – trusted individuals who provided him with impartial and concise information, bypassing normal reporting channels.
• Their role was to "keep me informed while also putting a human face to my intent."
• This system provided him with multiple avenues of information and enhanced understanding of the battlefield.

9. Operational Tempo and Decisiveness:

• Mattis highlights the importance of maintaining a high "operational tempo" to overwhelm the enemy.
• He recounts the swift advance during the Gulf War, stating, "We were not slowing down. I gave few orders, letting the assault leaders make the decisions."
• The description of the battlefield as a "rout" emphasizes the effectiveness of their approach.

10. Adapting Doctrine and Taking Calculated Risks:

• While acknowledging the importance of doctrine, Mattis emphasizes the need to adapt based on the specific situation.
• He recounts his decision not to bring artillery in the initial assault waves in Afghanistan, judging that air support provided sufficient firepower. "While doctrine rightly points out that artillery ashore is key to promoting high-tempo round-the-clock operations, I judged that our helo insertion, enemy threat, and air support gave me license to adapt."
• His planning for the Afghanistan landing involved "calculated risk," balancing enthusiasm with capabilities.

11. Lean Staff and Shared Responsibility:

• For the initial deployment to Afghanistan (Task Force 58), Mattis utilized a drastically reduced staff, employing the "skip-echelon" technique to avoid unnecessary duplication.
• He fostered a culture of shared responsibility where everyone "filled sandbags," regardless of rank.

12. The Significance of Sea Power and Amphibious Capabilities:

• Mattis highlights the unique ability of the Marine Corps, as a naval force, to project power from the sea without relying on foreign bases.
• Admiral Moore's decision to place Navy ships under Marine command for Task Force 58 was a historic and significant demonstration of trust in this capability.

13. Unity of Effort and Collaboration:

• The success of the initial operations in Afghanistan was heavily reliant on collaboration with other special operations forces (TF SWORD), particularly Major General Dell Dailey.
• Mattis also secured the crucial support of Air Force Lieutenant General Michael Moseley for air cover.

14. The Complexities of Post-Conflict Leadership:

• Mattis expresses his frustration with the disbandment of the Iraqi Army by Bremer, highlighting the unintended negative consequences: "Demobilizing the Iraqi Army instead of depoliticizing it set the most capable group of men in the country on an adversarial course against us."
• His interactions with Iraqi sheiks demonstrate the challenges of navigating tribal dynamics and establishing security.
• He utilized strong, direct language as a tool in negotiations: "'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.'"

15. The Burden of Command and Loss:

• Mattis reflects on the sacrifices made by his troops, quoting Marcus Aurelius.
• He emphasizes his deep respect and connection with the Marines under his command: "I would happily storm hell in the company of those troops."

16. The Importance of Doctrine and Adaptation:

• Mattis views military doctrine as a "written guide" based on historical precedents but stresses the need to know when to deviate from it, comparing it to a jazz musician improvising.

17. Decentralized Decision-Making and Subordinate Initiative:

• He reiterates the importance of decentralizing decision-making to gain speed and initiative over the enemy.
• This requires a higher level of discipline and training among subordinate leaders, enabled by a clearly articulated commander's intent.

18. Leading as Secretary of Defense:

• Mattis notes the diverse issues faced by the Secretary of Defense and the speed of decision-making required.
• He recounts his decisive action to disband Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) to free up resources, demonstrating his willingness to take bold steps based on strategic assessment.

19. The Invaluable Role of Allies in Geopolitical Strategy:

• His experience at NATO and CENTCOM reinforced the "inestimable value of allies."
• He prioritized building relationships with foreign counterparts and understood the importance of reassuring them.

20. Navigating Political Complexities:

• Mattis expresses his concerns about the untrustworthiness of Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and the potential consequences of a premature withdrawal from Iraq, contrasting his views with those of Vice President Biden.

21. The Need for Independent Assessment and Strategic Thinking:

• As a commander, he sought independent perspectives to ensure a balanced risk assessment, echoing his earlier use of "Juliet" officers.
• He emphasized the importance of having a "rucksack full of plans" to provide the President with options in times of crisis.

22. Deterrence and Projecting Power:

• His decision to hold an international naval mine-clearing exercise in the Gulf served as a successful example of military action supporting foreign policy and deterring Iranian aggression.

23. The Essence of Good Generalship:

• He quotes Clausewitz on the "commander’s coup d’oeil," the ability to see things simply and identify with the whole of war, as essential for good leadership.

Conclusion: These excerpts from "Call Sign Chaos" provide valuable insights into Jim Mattis's leadership principles, shaped by his extensive experience in the Marine Corps. He emphasizes the importance of duty, learning from mistakes, empowering subordinates through clear intent and decentralized decision-making, valuing allies, adapting to dynamic environments, and maintaining a relentless focus on mission accomplishment. His reflections offer practical lessons for leaders at all levels, highlighting the critical balance between strategic vision, tactical execution, and the human element of command.

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