Patrick Shanahan, acting defense secretary, succeeds James Mattis just 18 months after arrival - Washington Times

Patrick Shanahan, acting defense secretary, succeeds James Mattis just 18 months after arrival - Washington Times

Shanahan begins as Pentagon 'CEO': 'Doesn't have the moral and ethical constraints that Mattis has'

FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018 file photo, Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, speaks to reporters on the steps of the River entrance of the Pentagon. President Donald Trump says Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will leave his post ... more >

By Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times - Monday, December 31, 2018