Gen. Mattis has been referred to as a warrior monk" consumed with the study of bat- tle tactics and a leader whose own battle plans in lraq were considered brilliant Gen. Mattis saw speed as integral to success in the early days of the raqi war pushing for regiments to quickly to accomplish a mission despite significant risks For Col Dowdy. some risks seemed too high, and he made decisions that delayed his mission but better protected h marines. Col. Dowdy was beloved by his followers because he was deeply concerned about their welfare, paid attention to them as individuals, and treated them as equals, going so far as to decline certain privileges that were available only to officers.