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 . 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 more than 41 years of service . Early life and education . Mattis was born in Pullman , Washington on September 8 , 1950 . He graduated from Richland High School in 1968 , and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1969 . He attended Central Washington University and was commissioned a second lieutenant on January 1 , 1972 . Career . As a lieutenant , Mattis served as a rifle and weapons platoon commander in the 3rd Marine Division . As a captain , he commanded a rifle company and a weapons company in the 1st Marine Regiment , then Recruiting Station Portland , Oregon , as a major . Persian Gulf War . Upon promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel , Mattis commanded 1st Battalion , 7th Marines , which was one of Task Force Ripper ' s assault battalions during the Persian Gulf War . War in Afghanistan . As a colonel , Mattis commanded 7th Marine Regiment , then 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Task Force 58 during the War in Afghanistan in the southern part of the country . Later being promoted to the rank of Brigadier General , he was the commander of TF - 58 , and became the first U . S . Marine officer to ever command a Naval Task Force in combat . Iraq War . As a major general , Mattis commanded the 1st Marine Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq , and subsequent stability operations during the Iraq War . Mattis played a key role in the April 2004 battle of Fallujah , Operation Vigilant Resolve , by negotiating with the insurgent command inside of the city , as well as playing an important part in planning the subsequent Operation Phantom Fury in November . Following a U . S . Department of Defense survey that showed only 55 % of American soldiers and 40 % of U . S . Marines would report a colleague for abusing civilians , Mattis told U . S . Marines in May 2007 , that , " Whenever you show anger or disgust toward civilians , it ' s a victory for al - Qaeda and other insurgents . " Reflecting an understanding of the need for restraint in war as key to defeating an insurgency , he added that , " Every time you wave at an Iraqi civilian , al - Qaeda rolls over in its grave . " Mattis popularized the 1st marine division ' s motto , " " no better friend , no worse enemy " " ( A paraphrase of the famous self - made epitaph for the Roman dictator Sulla ) , in his open letter to all men within the division for their return to Iraq . This phrase later became widely publicized during the investigation into the conduct of Lieutenant Ilario Pantano , a platoon commander serving under General Mattis . Combat Development Command . After being promoted to lieutenant general , Mattis took command of Marine Corps Combat Development Command . On February 1 , 2005 , speaking ad libitum at a forum in San Diego , he said " You go into Afghanistan , you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn ' t wear a veil . You know , guys like that ain ' t got no manhood left anyway . So it ' s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them . Actually , it ' s a lot of fun to fight . You know , it ' s a hell of a hoot . It ' s fun to shoot some people . I ' ll be right upfront with you , I like brawling . " Mattis ' s remarks sparked controversy and General Michael Hagee , Commandant of the Marine Corps , issued a statement suggesting that Mattis should have chosen his words more carefully , but would not be disciplined . U . S . Joint Forces Command . The Pentagon announced on May 31 , 2006 that Lieutenant General Mattis was chosen to take command of I Marine Expeditionary Force , based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton . On 11 September 2007 , Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that President George W . Bush had nominated Mattis for appointment to the rank of general to command U . S . Joint Forces Command in Norfolk , Virginia . NATO agreed to appoint Mattis as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation . On 28 September 2007 , the United States Senate confirmed Mattis ' s nomination , and he relinquished command of I MEF on 5 November 2007 to Lieutenant General Samuel Helland . Mattis was promoted to four - star general and took control of JFCOM / SACT on 9 November 2007 . He transferred the job of SACT to French General Stéphane Abrial on 9 September 2009 , but continued in command of JFCOM . U . S . Central Command . In early 2010 , Mattis was reported to be on the list of U . S . Marine generals being considered for selection to replace James T . Conway as the Commandant of the U . S . Marine Corps . In July , he was recommended by Defense Secretary Robert Gates for nomination to replace David Petraeus as commander of United States Central Command , and formally nominated by President Barack Obama on July 21 . His confirmation by the Senate Armed Services Committee on August 5 marks the first time that Marines have held billets as commander and deputy commander of a Unified Combatant Command . He took command at a ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base on August 11 . Mattis has stepped down as head of Central Command , which oversaw wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and was responsible for a region that includes Syria , Iran , Yemen . Personal life . Mattis is a graduate of the U . S . Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School , U . S . Marine Corps Command and Staff College , and the National War College . Mattis is also noted for his intellectualism and interest in military history , with a personal library that once included over 7 , 000 volumes , and a penchant for publishing required reading lists for Marines under his command . Awards and decorations . Mattis holds four expert rifle badges and two expert pistol badges .