At a 'thank you' victory rally in Cincinnati Thursday evening, President-elect Donal Trump announced he would "appoint" former Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis as Secretary of Defense. (Dec. 3)
Mattis (born Sept. 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who last served as the 11th commander of United States Central Command from Aug. 11, 2010 to March 22, 2013.
Mattis is known for implementing the COIN strategy. Before President Obama appointed him to replace General Petraeus on August 11, 2010, he previously commanded United States Joint Forces Command from Nov. 9, 2007 to August 2010, and served concurrently as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from Nov. 9, 2007 to Sept. 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.
On Dec. 1, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced that Mattis would be nominated to serve as United States Secretary of Defense in the coming administration.
-- YouTube download of AP video / Henry Frederick, Headline Surfer