United States

Defense Secretary Uses Disparaging Term to Praise Sailors

The Pentagon made a transcript of the Aug. 9 speech available earlier this week

Defense Secretary James Mattis praised Navy sailors for their service earlier this month and used an obscenity to make his point, NBC News reported.

Speaking at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state, Mattis said the sailors "will have some of the best days of your life and some of the worst days of your life in the U.S. Navy."

He added, “That means you're living. That means you're not some pussy sitting on the sidelines, you know what I mean, kind of sitting there saying, ‘Well, I should have done something with my life.’”

The Pentagon made a transcript of the Aug. 9 speech available earlier this week.

Mattis, a former Marine who went on to serve as the head of U.S. Central Command and picked up the nickname "Mad Dog," said he wished he was “young enough to go back out to sea.”

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