An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Aug. 27, 2018

Mattis: Guard integral to DoD effort to build lethality

By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON - Enhancing lethality and restoring readiness is at the heart of the National Security Strategy and the National Guard is an integral part of that strategy, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis told the National Guard Association of the United States.

The secretary spoke Saturday in New Orleans to the 140th General Conference of the group.

The secretary used his speech to describe how the National Guard fits into the strategy. Great power competition with China and Russia has replaced terrorism as the primary focus, he said, adding that the U.S. military continues the fight against terrorists.

'We're going to restore readiness'

Moving to this priority means restoring military readiness across the board, the secretary said.

"We're going to restore readiness … and we're going to build a more lethal force in the process," Mattis said. "Second, we are going to strengthen alliances with partners and allies and we're going to create new partners and allies."

He noted the American Revolution would have failed without help from allies like France.

The third line of effort is to reform and modernize DoD for greater performance, accountability and affordability, Mattis said. This strategy is key to gaining bipartisan support for the military on Capitol Hill, he said. He noted that 87 percent of Congress approved the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act.

But, he said, the key to the strategy is a lethal military force. "We Americans have no God-given right to victory on the battlefield. So we need you, my fine young National Guardsmen, at the top of your game," Mattis said. "Lethality begins when we are physically, mentally and spiritually fit to be evaluated by the most exacting auditor on Earth - and that auditor is war."

The secretary added, "Readiness is being most ready, when our country is least ready. And, readiness depends of preparation."

He pointed to the World War II battle for Bataan and the first months of the Korean War as examples of what happens when military readiness is lacking. Leaders must exemplify this readiness, Mattis said, and hold their personnel to the standards.

'We need you fit, deployable and team players'

"We need you fit, deployable and team players - never advantaging yourself at the expense of your comrades," he said.

The National Guard is uniquely prepared to help America build alliances, Mattis said. He praised the State Partnership Program. Mattis spoke about the state partnership between Argentina and Georgia, Chile and Texas, Colorado and Jordan and Alaska and Mongolia.

"This is not a one-time mission and the Guard is uniquely suited to sustain allied efforts over many years, thanks to the amount of corporate continuity you maintain in your ranks," he said.

Mattis said building alliances is a two-way street, and he urged Guard members to listen and learn from foreign military partners.

"Recognize that not all good ideas in warfare come from the nation with the most aircraft carriers," he said. "When the tough times come and the thin veneer of civilization is stripped away from us we are tempted to close ranks, interacting only with those who look like us, dress like us, speak like us and think like us. You must not fall into that trap."

Mattis said even the closest allies will disagree at times, and the United States has dealt with this in the past. He noted the disagreements that led to the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the discussions around deploying nuclear capabilities in Europe in the 1970s.

Those who believe today's disagreements are unprecedented have not read history, he said.

Even with disagreements, "we have always been able to fight together on the battlefield with like-minded nations," Mattis said. "There is nothing new under the sun."

 

 

Related Articles
Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, visits the 49th Missile Defense Battalion, Alaska National Guard, on Fort Greely, Alaska, April 28, 2025. Soldiers of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion operate and secure the ground-based midcourse defense system and are an integral piece of the homeland defense mission to protect the U.S. from intercontinental ballistic missiles using ground-based interceptors.
In Alaska, Nordhaus Sees National Guardsmen Defending the Homeland, Enabling Global Power Projection
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely | May 1, 2025
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – From within Alaska’s vast Interior, Alaska National Guardsmen defend the homeland from long-range missile attacks and enable global power projection.Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, the chief of...

Sgt. Jessica Shields, a water purification specialist with the 935th Aviation Support Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard, checks the chlorine levels of the water meant for cooking and cleaning laundry during TRADEWINDS 25 exercise at Teteron Bay, Trinidad and Tobago, April 27, 2025.
Missouri National Guard Water Purification Team Supports TRADEWINDS 25
By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Crane, | May 1, 2025
TETERON BAY, Trinidad – Few resources are more critical than clean water for sustaining troops in the field. From cooking meals to maintaining hygiene, a steady supply of safe water is essential to keeping Soldiers healthy,...

Group photo of Delta Company, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion Soldiers standing in front of the Seattle / King County Clinic.
Washington Guard Soldiers Support Clinic Through Language and Compassion
By Joseph Siemandel, | May 1, 2025
SEATTLE – A group of Soldiers from the Delta Company, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion, recently volunteered at a Seattle and King County medical clinic to provide language support for visitors receiving free medical,...