Mad Dog Mattis was going to be the savior of the military. In fact he is the worst Sec Def since Macnamara maybe even worse since Mac did not change the core of the military. Mad Dog is a running bad, very bad joke to those of us who have retired and are watching on the sidelines. This military is full still of Obama Generals and Admirals who couldnt care less about country or fighting ability, only their own sorry butts and their own sorry careers. And still Trump thinks throwing money at the military will fix it.
As far as gender issues, that is not a SECDEF issue. He can make recommendations, but it is Congress who needs to act, and that isn't going to happen when a sick, biblically illiterate citizenry keep voting idiots into office. So it is the whole nation's fault. Not one man.