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General James N. Mattis

General Mattis serves as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation and Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command. Both headquarters are located in Norfolk, Virginia.

As Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, Mattis leads the transformation of NATO's military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines to improve interoperability and military effectiveness of the Alliance and its partner nations.  As commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, he is responsible for maximizing present and future military capabilities of the United States by leading the transformation of joint forces in the areas of providing joint forces to combatant commanders, joint training, joint interoperability, and joint innovation and experimentation.

Gen Mattis graduated from Central Washington State University and entered the Marine Corps in 1972.

Gen Mattis has commanded at multiple levels. As a lieutenant, he 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 Brigade.

As a major, he commanded Recruiting Station Portland.  As a lieutenant colonel, he commanded 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, one of Task Force Ripper's assault battalions in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  As a colonel, he commanded 7th Marines (Reinforced).

Upon becoming a general officer, he commanded first the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and then Task Force 58, during Operation Enduring Freedom in southern Afghanistan.  As a major general, he commanded the 1st Marine Division during the initial attack and subsequent stability operations in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In his first tour as a lieutenant general, he commanded the Marine Corps Combat Development Command and served as the deputy commandant for combat development.  Most recently, he commanded the I Marine Expeditionary Force and served as the commander of U.S. Marine Forces Central Command.

He is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the National War College.