Outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis delivered a Christmas message to U.S. troops across the world on Monday.
In the video Mattis thanks the men and women under his watch for “keeping the faith” even when they are abroad and away from their families over the holidays.
“Since Washington crossed the Delaware at Christmas of 1776, American troops have missed holidays at home to defend our experiment in democracy. To all you lads and lasses holding the line in 2018 on land, at sea, or in the air, thanks for keeping the faith,” Mattis said in the video released on Christmas Eve. “Merry Christmas and may God hold you safe.”
The brief video message was recorded a day before Mattis resigned from the Trump administration on Thursday in protest of the president’s abrupt announcement to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria, according to CNN.
Defense Sec Mattis taped a XMAS message to troops the day before he resigned. Here it is: https://t.co/aWyHA0ImU5
— Barbara Starr (@barbarastarrcnn) December 24, 2018
Mattis also wrote a holiday letter to the troops, which was shared by the Defense Department’s official Twitter account.
#SecDef Mattis’s Holiday Letter to the Troops pic.twitter.com/xiwcpMpC4q
— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) December 25, 2018
Mattis had said in his letter his last day would be on Feb. 28 to ensure a smooth transition to his successor, but President Trump announced Sunday that Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will take over in an acting capacity starting next week.
Mattis, 68, is a retired Marine Corps general who became the 26th secretary of defense on Jan. 20, the day of Trump’s inauguration.
