Mattis
WEST POINT – US Secretary of Defense James Mattis will be the commencement
speaker for the U.S. Military Academy’s Class of 2017.
The ceremony is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, May 27.
Mattis enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at age 18 and was commissioned
a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps upon graduation from Central Washington
University in 1971.
During his more than 40 years in uniform, Mattis commanded Marines at
all levels.
Following his retirement from the Marines in 2013, he served as the Davies
Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford
University, specializing in the study of leadership, national security,
strategy, innovation, and the effective use of military force.
In 2016, he co-edited the book, Warriors & Citizens: American Views
of Our Military.
