Which President has made the most impact of the military during your time in service?

2014-02-17T19:51:53-05:00

For those of us who have served during multiple presidents, I ask which one has impacted the service the most during your time.<div><br></div><div>Rule 1: try not to bash.</div><div><br></div><div>Rule 2: remember tact.</div><div><br></div><div>Mine is George W. Bush. His impact on me has forever changed my life with his response to 9/11, and the invasion in Iraq which I have taken part in multiple times.</div>

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 17 at 2014 7:57 PM

2014-02-17T19:57:54-05:00

I have to second George W. Bush.  I have served under two presidents (yay, Army baby!) and while I do appreciate the impact the Clinton years had on the Army that went to war in 2001; I didn't sign up until 2006.  The only reason I could sign up so easily was because demand for recruits was high and the surge was on.<br>Our entire GWOT allowed me to serve in exciting positions, gather experience, get promoted, and continue onto what I hope is a lifelong career.<br><br>Second?  Theodore Roosevelt.  We would not be where we are today without his early American Imperialism that ended up involving us in every major 20th century conflict and growing America into the sole remaining superpower.

Response by SSG Jeffrey Spencer made Apr 23 at 2014 9:52 PM

2014-04-23T21:52:30-04:00

I served under Carter and Reagan.  Can you find more polar opposites?

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 24 at 2014 1:18 AM

2014-04-24T01:18:54-04:00

<p>George W. </p><p> </p><p>He actually takes the time to talk to Service Members. I had a friend stationed at Walter Reed in 2003, and she met him at some White House dinner that she was chosen to attend. She said that as he walked by her table (which was nothing but E-4 and below) he stopped, grabbed an empty chair, sat down with them, and proceeded to have a 30 minute visit with them. I've had a few friends actually meet him and they've all said the same thing, that he's very down to Earth and has nothing but respect and gratitude towards everyone in uniform. You haven't heard a lot of that with our current administration.</p>

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 24 at 2014 1:38 AM

2014-04-24T01:38:48-04:00

There were five presidents during the Vietnam War: Dwight Eisenhower, JFK, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald Ford.

Three Presidents (Eisenhower, JFK, and LBJ) dug us deeper and deeper into the Vietnam war with increasingly heavier commitments of American Servicemen.

President Johnson, in particular, after promising us that "I'm not going to send American boys to do what Vietnamese boys ought to be doing!" sent 2,000,000 plus American boys to do what Vietnamese boys should have been doing.

Arguably, President Nixon, for all his other failings, successfully pursued Vietnamization of the war, and essentially pulled out all of our combat troops out by the end of 1973.

President Ford oversaw the disaster. What many fail to remember is the ARVN fought off an NVA offensive in 1974 that was substantially bigger than Tet in 1968. ARVN fought a mobile battle where air superiority not only stopped the attack cold, they took over a substantial amount of territory that had been held by the North prior to this massive NVA offensive.

Then the US Congress kicked the sticks out from under ARVN by terminating military aid in 1975. The NVA final offensive, supported by a massive influx of Russian and Chinese military aid, ended with ARVN fighting to the last bullet, throwing off their uniforms, and running.

The moral of the story is the only force that could defeat the US military was the US Congress.

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Apr 24 at 2014 7:44 AM

2014-04-24T07:44:19-04:00

I served under Presidents Reagan, Bush (1), Clinton, and Bush (2). I feel that of these four, the services were most positively impacted by Reagan who rebuild the Armed Forces from a nearly hollow force to a formidable one (although, admittedly, at a very high cost; but it needed to be done).

Response by SPC Les Dykema made Apr 24 at 2014 10:49 AM

2014-04-24T10:49:53-04:00

Richard Nixon, finally let our units into the NVA depots in Cambodia, used his air power to great affect.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Apr 25 at 2014 8:21 PM

2014-04-25T20:21:04-04:00

Toss up for me having served under 5 POTUS's...Reagan, Bush-41, Clinton, Bush-43 and Obama....Reagan for the build-up of equipment and pay and "Dubya" for the manner in which he always respected the military, and his commitment to stopping terrorism (yes I know people fault him for Iraq, but I believe we should have finished that under his dad any how).

Response by SSgt Tim Ricci made Jun 30 at 2014 12:51 PM

2014-06-30T12:51:48-04:00

President Reagan, the best pay raise in 82 or 83.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 30 at 2014 1:04 PM

2014-06-30T13:04:53-04:00

GW Bush! He was a firm believer and supporter of the military, and new how to use it when appropriate.

Response by SFC Harry (Billy) Tison made Jun 29 at 2017 12:53 PM

2017-06-29T12:53:18-04:00

I'm not bashing him, but if Reagan had not of made certain budget cuts, I would have never enjoyed my 28 years in the Army.