After shaking the hands of all 984 Air Force Academy graduates under a blazing sun Wednesday, James Mattis looked tired. His white shirt had lost its starch and his gray hair was mussed. His voice was gravelly from what he admitted was "too much talking." But as he sat down with The Gazette to talk about the Defense Department he runs, Mattis' passion and fire remained obvious. He's 18 months into the job of running the most powerful military on the planet and he still carries his own luggage, shocking bellboys at the DoubleTree off South Circle Drive where he took a modest room for his Colorado Springs stay. He's pushing for rapid modernization, but holds values that date to the days of knights on horseback. Read more on Colorado Springs Gazette