Mattis: DOD leadership 'remains in the best possible hands'

Outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis urged Defense Department personnel to "keep the faith in our country" in a farewell note released today.

"Our Department's leadership, civilian and military, remains in the best possible hands," Mattis wrote in the note to all DOD employees. "I am confident that each of you remains undistracted from our sworn mission to support and defend the Constitution while protecting our way of life."

Today is Mattis’ last day as defense secretary. His deputy, Patrick Shanahan, will take over as acting defense secretary tomorrow.

"Our department is proven to be at its best when the times are most difficult," Mattis wrote in today’s letter. "So keep the faith in our country and hold fast, alongside our allies, aligned against our foes.”

Mattis resigned Dec. 20, acknowledging he and President Trump aren’t aligned on foreign policy. He had planned on staying through the end of February, but after his resignation letter critiquing the president was widely publicized, Trump decided to install Shanahan as acting defense secretary at the start of the new year instead.