Posted on Jul 27, 2014
Should the Commander in Chief have military experience?
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This is just a question and not meant to disrespect anybody.
While I was in the Military (1980-88) I served under the Presidents unquestionably.
As a Veteran I often sit and think.
Being Commander in Chief and asking our soldiers to put their life on the line. Shouldn't you have served before asking our Military to do something you never have?
With all due respect. I just believe we should have a Military Requirement before you can be Commander in Chief.
What do you think?
While I was in the Military (1980-88) I served under the Presidents unquestionably.
As a Veteran I often sit and think.
Being Commander in Chief and asking our soldiers to put their life on the line. Shouldn't you have served before asking our Military to do something you never have?
With all due respect. I just believe we should have a Military Requirement before you can be Commander in Chief.
What do you think?
Posted in these groups: 
Command
Office of the President (POTUS)
Command Office of the President (POTUS)
Posted 10 y ago
This is a duplicate discussion. Click below to see more on this topic.
I feel it should be law that all political office members from president on down should have to have served in the military before they can be voted into office. If these people are going to have the power to decide who and when we go to war they should know what it is like to lead in the military. Far too many of our leaders have never served, and neither have their children yet they vote to send ours to war. <div>I recall at the height of the war in 2006 when politicians were considering a draft or mandatory conscription service. However they were silent when asked if their own children would be subject to the requirements of such a requirement.</div><div>A doctor must go to med school before they can legally practice medicine so the president should have to be a veteran before they can be commander in chief.</div>
Responses: 76
Cpl Christopher Bishop
Ideally yes....although these days Id just be happy if he was an American Citizen.
Yes who ever it is setting in that office should !!! they are making decisions that arent their own, but someone is counseling them on what to do and what not to do, this takes time and time may or may not be of the essence in any given situation so they need to know their stuff. Just a thought.....
After my service I thought about this and have to agree with you. Having experience in the military is a lot better than just reading or observing. Especially if you are suppose to be Commander-in-Chief.
hell fucking yes.......................................................that means you got to swear to uphold and defend the constitution of the united states...
I absolutely agree with you SrA Schwenk Jr.! If you are going to command the entire armed forces, shouldn't you have at least some sort of working knowledge on how the military is run and how it operates? It's just like any other job......I wouldn't ask some else to do anything that I either haven't done or am not willing to do! I do feel I have a right to ask something of someone if I have at one time or still am doing the very thing that I am requesting the individual to do.....that means in civilian life or especially in the armed forces! I think that overall, the best commanders-in-chief have been those who have at least some military experience or have the common sense to listen to their senior military officers who have been in battle!
Should they be required to have military service I don't think so. That is way you surround your self with knowledge by those you appoint. No one has all the answers but the people that surround you might know a few between them. But on the flip side if every abled American served at least two years in one of the services it would end that conundrum of should or should not. If they can't serve in the military then maybe their community the peace corps or something similar. In stead of sitting on their butt expecting something for nothing. I do believe that individuals seeking to be President should have at least two full terms in the House, a term in the Senate or as a Governor before being considered at the minimum. Unfortunately inexperience has showed in a few administrations including our current administration.
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I've always had more respect for those CEO's that started at the bottom and worked their way up, It ensures that they understand all aspects of the company that they run. As a CIC, If you haven't served in something that required leadership, discipline, morals, ethics, integrity to be apart of what you do. Then how can you expect others to do the same thing.
The Commander in Chief also is the President of course, so should he or she also be required to have experience with other 14 executive departments in his or her cabinet? The DoD is just one aspect of the job. If we were to insist that the president have military experience to lead the military, shouldn't he also have agricultural experience, housing, education, transportation, etc.? It's just not a meaningful metric to gauge one's ability to be (or not be) the President. There was absolutely nothing about any tour of duty I ever served that prepared me to give orders to Generals and Admirals.
I like that idea that the Commander in Chief would have experience in the military, but I don't think it should be a requirement. on the other hand I think that the Defense Secretary should be required to have served. and to boot, the Service Secretaries as well.
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