Mattis: 'I'm saving money for bombs' instead of gratitude tokens

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill



BY JULIA MANCHESTER - 12/31/17 10:05 AM EST

Defense Secretary James Mattis said he does not carry gratitude tokens to hand out to U.S. troops and has instead opted for saving money for bombs.

Mattis told Breitbart News he was saving up for bombs after the reporter relayed a message from a U.S. Marine who asked whether the secretary was carrying the coins during a trip to an international terrorism conference in Jordan earlier this year.

Defense leaders often carry challenge coins and hand them out to servicemen and women as a sign of their gratitude. The anecdote comes as the Trump administration approaches its one year mark.

Mattis, who is known for his toughness, was overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate in a 98-1 vote earlier this year.



Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/defense/366913-mattis-im-saving-money-for-bombs-instead-of-gratitude-tokens

[WhiteTara]

1. I'm proud of that one no vote for Mad Dog Mattis

War Criminal of Fallujah.

[oberliner]

2. Kirsten Gillibrand

The lone voice standing up to Trump in this case.

[WhiteTara]

5. Well, that makes me like her!

[groundloop]

10. Nope, gonna' take a hell of a lot more than that to forgive what she did to Sen. Franken

[SunSeeker]

16. Yeah, that really changeed my feelings for her.

[alarimer]

3. Is everyone in this administration a garbage human?

Purely rhetorical question. We all know the answer is yes.

[yardwork]

4. It's kind of remarkable, actually. They found the worst of the worst.

[SunSeeker]

17. Of course. Who the fuck else would work for Shitler?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. Well, it's a fine thing to say, but ...

... I'd bet he carries them on trips when he's not asked about them.

[brush]

34. Hey...wait a minute. I know about foreshadowing and all that, but that hand is way too big.

Last edited Sun Dec 31, 2017, 11:42 PM - Edit history (1)

Only in trump's little mind are his hands that big.

[progree]

7. Mattis nixes holiday tradition of seeing troops in war zones

For only the second time since 9/11, America's defense secretary didn't visit U.S. troops in a war zone during December, breaking a long-standing tradition of personally and publicly thanking service members in combat who are separated from their families during the holiday season.

Pentagon boss Jim Mattis, who spent more than four decades in the Marine Corps and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, made a five-day trip through the Middle East in early December. He stopped in Kuwait and Pakistan — countries adjacent to Iraq and Afghanistan — but didn't cross the borders to see troops at war in either country. Last week, he visited troops in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and at military bases in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, wishing them holiday cheer.

It has been 15 years since a U.S. defense chief didn't travel to a war zone during the festive season. And the only time a holiday visit was skipped since Americans began fighting in Afghanistan was in December 2002. That year, then-Secretary Donald Rumsfeld went to a command post in Qatar that would be used a few months later to coordinate the launch of the Iraq war.

More: https://www.yahoo.com/news/mattis-nixes-holiday-tradition-seeing-153434749.html

[delisen]

19. Holing up to plan a war. nt

[shanny]

8. "...saving money for bombs" is he?

Gotta pinch pennies over at the Pentagon? Dig around in the couch cushions? Tighten belts, cut corners, scrimp, save and economize to make ends meet?

Pentagon budget not big enough for ya, you contemptible asshole? Fuck off.

[PatSeg]

9. Well

That must be great for soldiers' moral. These people can't even pretend to be human.

[Loserman1962]

11. Actually most soldiers prefer that attitude.

Having served for 6 years myself, I can personally attest that most I have ever served with prefer that attitude.

More than anything we preferred not having the dog and pony shows of politicians visiting.

[PatSeg]

14. That is a very good point

I remember that surprise visit GW paid to the troops in Iraq on Thanksgiving. It was an offensive photo op. I'm quite sure the soldiers realized that and probably would have preferred enjoying the meal without the cameras and showboating.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

22. The staged GWB Thanksgiving occurred at 4 a.m. Iraq time.

The troops were rousted out of bed for the mandatory photo op. And there are rumors the "turkey" he was photographed happily carrying was actually a prop.

[PatSeg]

24. Oh, I'd forgotten about the 4 a.m. part

The turkey was supposedly fake, but apparently it WAS real, but was more decorative. Bush was shameless with his photo ops - "Mission Accomplished" and that awful visit to New Orleans after Katrina. Trump is so bad, we forget the many low points of the Bush years.

[TeamPooka]

30. No, GWB was a real turkey. Very authentic turkey actually.

[Dr_Pretorius]

35. Having served 12 years in the infantry...

we loved it when VIPs visited. Usually meant hot chow and a day off. It was nice when they handed out coins, too.

Dog & pony show beats the shit out of dodging sniper fire.

[hack89]

21. Soldiers hate politicians. Mattis is not a politician

The military loves him.

[EX500rider]

12. He's a lifelong Marine hardass, what do you expect? Hugs and fluffy bunny slippers?

[SunSeeker]

18. I expect him not to enable a traitorous Putin puppet.

But I guess that's asking too much from a "lifelong Marine hardass."

[EX500rider]

38. He might have been worried who else Trump might have picked..

....and put in charge of his beloved Corp. (as SecDef)

[Dawson Leery]

25. Kirsten Gillirbrand was right about one thing.

She opposed EVERY nominee for the Cabinet.

[shadowmayor]

13. The butcher of Fallujah

Is a full-fledged asshole. What a horrible thing to say - "I'm saving my money for more bombs" - and I'll bet he still can't understand why they don't welcome us with open arms and throw flowers at our feet when we invade their countries.

[SunSeeker]

15. How about saving money for wounded veterans?

We seem to have plenty of bombs. Healthcare and housing for vets? Not so much.

[GoCubsGo]

20. Whelp. So much for him being the "sane" one.

It tells you a lot about how he really feels about servicepeople. Nothing but cannon fodder, apparently.

[Skittles]

27. I have to ask

what does the WHELP mean? I associate that word with PUPPIES.

[GoCubsGo]

32. Perhaps I should have spelled it "WELP."

I use the spellings interchangeably. Since you bring up that other definition, I will try to remember to leave out the "H" in the future.

[Skittles]

33. whatever happened to the word WELL?

I guess I just never hear the word WELP.

[GoCubsGo]

36. I use "well."

"Welp" has more of a feeling of resignation about it than "well" does.

[jmowreader]

23. It's not that...

They spent the entire budget on that disaster Trump passes out.

[Skittles]

26. what a sick fuck

my mum could have let him know what it was like to be a child, hearing bombs dropping

fucking sociopath

[onecaliberal]

28. What a complete fuck

[Eliot Rosewater]

29. Mattis doesnt give a shit about our troops, so it makes perfect sense he is a republican

[badhair77]

31. Money for bombs

I am at a loss for words. We are lost and I’m not sure if we can find our way.

[malthaussen]

37. Not the Onion...

... it's become so hard to tell, these days.

-- Mal