U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general who was recognized as a stabilizing force in President Donald Trump's Cabinet, will quit his job at the end of February.

Mattis stated in his resignation letter that he was stepping down so Pres Trump could have a defense chief whose views align more strongly with his own. In a tweet, Trump stated, " General Jim Mattis will be retiring, with distinction, at the end of February, after having served my Administration as Secretary of Defense for the past two years. During Jim's tenure, tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase of new fighting equipment. General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations. A new Secretary of Defense will be named shortly. I greatly thank Jim for his service! ".

Mattis' exit had been anticipated since US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he was moving back U.S. troops from Syria in spite of opposition from U.S. allies and top U.S. military officials.

Mattis joins a long list of former Trump administration senior figures who have either give up or been removed, some brutally like Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who Trump fired via Twitter in March.