--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the Defense Department was…" description: "\"When the Defense Department was established after World War II, a law said that any defense secretary with military experience must have been out of th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/steve-inskeep-10882_defense_when-the-defense-department-was-establis_2280980.jpg" --- # When the Defense Department was established after World… ![“When the Defense Department was established after World War II, a law said that any defense secretary with military experience must have been out of the military at least seven years. General [James] Mattis doesn't meet that.” quote by Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/steve-inskeep-10882_defense_when-the-defense-department-was-establis_2280980.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/steve-inskeep-10882_defense_when-the-defense-department-was-establis_2280980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/steve-inskeep-10882_defense_when-the-defense-department-was-establis_2280980.jpg) > “When the Defense Department was established after World War II, a law said that any defense secretary with military experience must have been out of the military at least seven years. General \[James\] Mattis doesn't meet that.” [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A rule requires former military leaders to be out of service for seven years before becoming defense secretary, which Mattis does not satisfy. **In simple terms:** Defense leadership rules need a waiting period after service. Key Takeaway Consider the impact of experience gaps on policy. Themes leadership policy military service Mood critical analytical Type policy informative When to use this quote - appointment vetting - defense strategy - public accountability Key Concepts civil-military relations government ethics Questions to Reflect On - Should experience outweigh time-out requirements? - How does this affect defense readiness? A Different Perspective The rule may limit qualified candidates with recent experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense/) [Defense Department](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-department-633220/) [Defense Secretary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-secretary-2060025/) [Department](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/department/) [General james mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-james-mattis/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/james-mattis/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Military experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-experience/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Secretary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secretary/) [Secretary Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secretary-military-5323989/) [Seven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seven/) [Seven years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seven-years/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [World war i](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-i/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [ We've learned something about President-elect \[Donald\] Trump's choice for secretary of defense. 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He's - has a personal library of about 10,000 books and he's read most of them on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-a-very-talented-individual-he-s-has-a-personal/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [The thing that strikes me, from looking at the names so far in the Donald Trump's Cabinet on the foreign policy side, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/the-thing-that-strikes-me-from-looking-at-the-names-so-far-in-the/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [ \[ General James Mattis\] is a Marine's Marine who has served in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-is-a-marine-s-marine-who-has-served-in-combat-in/) [Peter R. 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His choice for defense secretary views Russia as America's number one threat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/president-elect-trump-has-said-he-would-like-to-improve-relations/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) ## More by Steve Inskeep > [India may be overtaking China as the world's most polluted country. Even now, which country is worse depends on the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/india-may-be-overtaking-china-as-the-world-s-most-polluted-country/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [ As we have seen after every other \[Donald\] Trump controversy, this one only increased their enthusiasm for him. 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His choice for defense secretary views Russia as America's number one threat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/president-elect-trump-has-said-he-would-like-to-improve-relations/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [Researchers have been asking a basic question of young people. Should men be allowed to beat their wives? How you answer that question may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/researchers-have-been-asking-a-basic-question-of-young-people-should/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [Karachi captures all of those rifts between ancient and modern, communal and individual. You see them playing out in people's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/karachi-captures-all-of-those-rifts-between-ancient-and-modern/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [We have 31 Republican governors in this country. We have roughly the same number of Republican legislatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/we-have-31-republican-governors-in-this-country-we-have-roughly-the/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [In this country tonight, PBS shows one of the most talked about tributes of the year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/in-this-country-tonight-pbs-shows-one-of-the-most-talked-about/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [I belong to a bowling team with black and Latino coworkers. And when we get together and we talk about politics - I'm almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/i-belong-to-a-bowling-team-with-black-and-latino-coworkers-and-when/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [People don't know where they stand and what they're going to lose, and that makes things uncertain. 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They lost the White House this year \[2016\], which would not matter as much as it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/many-democrats-are-in-a-reflective-mood-they-lost-the-white-house/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) [Explore all 63 Steve Inskeep quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) ## More Defense quotes > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [On the McLaughlin Report, August 26, 1990: 'There are only two groups that are beating the drums for war in the middle East, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/on-the-mclaughlin-report-august-26-1990-there-are-only-two-groups/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [My last defense / Is the present tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/my-last-defense-is-the-present-tense/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [Football is not just all about throwing the ball. You got to run the ball, too. Defense has to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-jefferson/football-is-not-just-all-about-throwing-the-ball-you-got-to-run-the/) [Justin Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-jefferson/) > [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-is-the-collective-organization-of-the-individual-s-right-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/witness-for-the-defense-albus-percival-wulfric-brian-dumbledore/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You say I have a bad attitude. But have you ever stopped to check yours?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasha-marie/you-say-i-have-a-bad-attitude-but-have-you-ever-stopped-to-check-yours/) [Tasha Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasha-marie/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. 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Take the hit for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kristol/he-should-release-the-tax-returns-tomorrow-it-s-crazy-you-ve-got-to/) [William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kristol/) > [Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/defense-is-a-definite-part-of-the-game-and-a-great-part-of-defense-is/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [When you shoot someone who is fleeing, it's not self-defense. It's an execution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-shoot-someone-who-is-fleeing-it-s-not-self-defense-it-s-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species- back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/virtually-every-major-technological-advance-in-the-history-of-the/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) [Browse all 2,426 Defense quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When the Defense Department was established after World War II, a law said that any defense secretary with military experience must have been out of the military at least seven years. 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