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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2019)
BOOKMONGER SEMPER FI ‘Call Sign Chaos’ is a refl ection on a lifetime of military service Lessons from a military career astern Washington native Jim Mat- tis, with assistance from colleague Bing West, has written this forthright account of his career. The story follows him from Marine recruit to four-star general to Secretary of Defense and recounts the bat- tle-tested lessons gained along the way. Mattis makes clear, however, that as much as he values learning by doing, he also has great respect for the lessons that history pro- vides. A keen student of military history, he closely read the strategies of warriors across the millennia. In 2003, in advance of his deployment to E Iraq, Mattis’ penchant for books was made clear when a colleague noted that other offi - cers were “too busy to read.” In a response that went viral, Mattis rejoined, “By reading, you learn through oth- ers’ experiences, generally a better way to do business, especially in our line of work where the consequences of incompetence are so fi nal for young men.” Reading, he continued, “doesn’t give me all the answers, but it lights what is often a dark path ahead.” And now with this book, Mattis meticu- lously shares his own experiences so future warriors may learn from him. While attending Central Washington State College, Mattis spent summers in offi - cer candidate training. After graduating with a degree in history in 1971, he was commis- sioned as a second lieutenant in the Marines. In his fi rst 12 years he was deployed to 13 different countries, where he learned “the irreplaceable benefi t” of allies. In those early years, Mattis honed the fun- damentals of good leadership, which he sums up as “the three Cs”: competence (“be bril- liant in the basics”), caring and conviction. He was a colonel when he acquired his call sign, “CHAOS.” His management objec- tive was to keep his battalions nimble by decentralizing authority and encouraging ini- tiative on the battlefi eld. Despite the proven effectiveness of this approach, it didn’t keep his irreverent operations offi cer from asking, “Does the Colonel Have Another Outstand- ing Solution?” In 1990, when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, Mattis and his battalion were sent to the Middle East. Their fi rst mission, defend Saudi Arabia, was later revised to forcing Hussein out of Kuwait. In response to the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, Mattis was instrumental in the design and execution of This Week’s Book: “Call Sign Chaos” – By Jim Mattis and Bing West Random House – 320 pp — $28 an audacious amphibious invasion of Marines into Afghanistan to go after Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. During his career, Mattis served loyally under both Democratic and Republican pres- idents. But in this book, with specifi city, he reveals frustration with policymakers who had unclear objectives or waffl ed in the mid- dle of a military campaign. Mattis refrains from criticizing Presi- dent Trump (“I don’t write about sitting Pres- idents”), but does share his letter of resig- nation as Trump’s Secretary of Defense, in which he writes, “While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alli- ances and showing respect to those allies.” The Bookmonger is Barbara Lloyd McMi- chael, who writes this weekly column focus- ing on the books, authors and publishers of the Pacifi c Northwest. Contact her at bkmon- ger@nwlink.com F E S T I VA L O F L I G H T S CEREMONY • MUSIC DANCING • REFRESHMENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC $1 PER PERSON • $5 PER FAMILY SPONSORED BY SCANDINAVIAN MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION SANKTA LUCIA ‘Call Sing Chaos’ by Jim Mattis and Bing West m NOVEMBER 29, 2019 7p FR I. FESTIVAL ASTORIA HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 // 23
