Sharing this for benefit of my personal non-military friends. Y’all know I was #NeverTrump and think he is a buffoon. But I can’t tell you how unanimous the respect for Mattis is among my friends & colleagues who have served or are serving. Everyone, to a person, says he’s the real deal: not just extremely intelligent, but with an almost unnatural ability to understand and motivate those working with him. I try not to believe in heroes, but he seems like an excellent pick for Secretary of Defense. (And to my friend who have had actual experience with Gen. Mattis, I highly encourage you to chime in with your comments / opinions here – especially if there’s any that *don’t* agree with the consensus I’ve heard)