Gen. Mattis is a warrior. What I appreciate about Gen. Mattis is he understands the principle that if you go to war, you go to war to win.

Nicknamed 'Mad-Dog Mattis' by his men, he was a command warrior in the old George Patton mode. He wasn't an armchair general by any definition of that much-maligned term. If a Marine re-upped at a location where he was present, he would personally go to that Marine and thank him or her for rejoining.

Technology certainly is going faster. Dynamics on the battlefield are faster. And so, I think you do need, you know, a warrior that is adept in technology, you know, certainly skilled.

The right rules of engagement means giving our forward commanders the authority and flexibility to take the initiative and win. Trust our forward deployed warriors to do their job. Political appointees running the war from Washington is just wrong.

Too many of Montana's own have fallen in the line of duty fighting radical Islamic terrorists, like 31-year-old husband and father of four, Blackfeet warrior Army Corporal Tony 'Many Hides' of Great Falls.

Having too many layers of approval in a dynamic battlefield environment delays our ability to fight and win, especially when troops are engaged in combat.