U.S. Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis will be speaking at Washington Policy Center’s Young Professionals annual summer social event Aug. 2 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in Pasco.

The summer social event brings together like-minded young professionals for food, drinks and socializing. The event is for adults 18-45 years of age. Tickets includes a Young Professional membership level of your choice.

Secretary Mattis was born in Pullman and raised in Richland. He graduated from Columbia High School (now Richland High) and earned his bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University in Ellensburg.

He was appointed Secretary of Defense by President Trump in 2016. Previously, he served as commander of CENTCOM, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010. While commander, he was responsible for military operations involving more than 200,000 U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines in Afghanistan, Iraq, and 18 other countries in the Middle East and south-central Asia.

Tickets can be purchased at washingtonpolicy.org/events/detail/wpc-young-professionals-summer-social-pasco-wa.