Is a Former President Considered a Veteran?

[IDBillzFan]

President Obama was DIRECTLY responsible for taking bin Laden down.

 

So by your standards, you would agree, then, that he is also DIRECTLY responsible for the deaths of Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

 

Interesting.

[BringBackFergy]

Well technically the Marines are a Department of the Navy. Granted we are the mens department but...

I guess it depends if you are a "strict constructionist" or a "soft constructionist"

 

 

(Thanks for serving.)

[KD in CA]

Since the President is the Commander in Chief, it would make sense that he (or she) is "part of the military" since, as Commander in Chief, they head all military branches.

 

 

Don't be too hard on Slick Willy.

[Bullpen]

I say no. Wouldn't Reagan have earned a Purple Heart for the attempt on his life had he been considered an actual member of the military?

No, he shouldn't have for any number of reason. Chiefly, " The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of an Armed Force or any civilian national of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after 5 April 1917, has been wounded or killed, or who has died or may hereafter die after being wounded."

 

I don't think a president would have the hubris (a certain present leading candidate being the exception) to award the Purple Heart to himself in his own name.

 

The rest if you're interested: http://www.recognizethesacrifice.org/purple-heart-criteria.html

 

And no, I don't think he/she should be considered a veteran.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2016 by Bullpen

[K-9]

My understanding is the President is a veteran of the Army and Navy...but not for the other branches like the Marines, Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard or the Postal Service.

If a president was never an active member of a military branch, he cannot be considered a veteran. Commander in Chief is strictly a civilian role and does not qualify a president as an active member of the military.

[RevWarRifleman]

On what basis? He was never a member of the military. Ex-presidents like Eisenhower and Kennedy, for example, can be considered veterans because of their service as members of the military. Any president not a member of a military branch, simply doesn't qualify.

That's correct. When you enlist for military service, you pledge an oath that was written by the DOD. The president's oath is an entirely different oath.

 

I remember clearly taking my oath in Buffalo during the Vietnam War era. Everybody, whether you were going into the Marines, Navy, Air Force (like I did) or Navy & Coast Guard, took the same oath because it was from the DOD. There was about 50 of us all herded into a room. A Marine sergeant read us the oath. We AF guys could go home for a few hours because we didn't have to leave until 9PM out at the Buffalo airport headed for Randolph AFB, Texas. Ahhh the good old days.

[KD in CA]

 

Not true. He got grazed. Brady got shot. But Brady wasn't President, so it's irrelevant. Obama should get the honor.

 

Granted it wasn't sniper fire like Hillary had to "dodge", but he was actually stuck in the chest by a bullet.

 

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

 

I really don't want this to go to PPP, but GW put himself (and our troops/country) in harm's way voluntarily. President Obama was DIRECTLY responsible for taking bin Laden down.

 

 

the man doesn't even take coffee cups out of his hand to salute his marine guard coming off his helicopter

 

you do a disservice to veterans everywhere (myself included) by implying he should be one.

Edited March 3, 2016 by joesixpack

[Gugny]

 

 

the man doesn't even take coffee cups out of his hand to salute his marine guard coming off his helicopter

 

you do a disservice to veterans everywhere (myself included) by implying he should be one.

 

Yeah, I guess I wouldn't know.

[Chef Jim]

 

it's certainly not shot. I can get a punctured lung and internal bleeding falling off of a step ladder.

 

Ooooookay then.

[Gugny]

It's funny (not !@#$ing really) that people get behind a white ex-president who traded !@#$ing arms with our enemy over our black President who coordinated the effort to bring down the person responsible for 9/11.

 

This country will never close the gap between black and white. !@#$ing crazy.

[DC Tom]

I can't find the answer to this question. Now that we're headed into electing our 3rd consecutive president with no prior military service, it's got me wondering.

 

Since the President is the Commander in Chief, it would make sense that he (or she) is "part of the military" since, as Commander in Chief, they head all military branches.

 

I'm torn about this - mostly because one of our recent Presidents was a draft dodger. Calling him a veteran doesn't sit well with me.

 

This is a serious question to which I am in search of a definitive (link would be necessary) answer.

 

Prayerfully yours,

Gugny

 

No. He's CinC, but that's very specifically a civilian, not military. position. Much like the Secretary of Defense, who is theoretically in the chain of command, but a civilian as well.

 

The US military has what's pretty much a dual military-civilian command structure, where at a high level each senior military commander has a corresponding civilian commander (e.g. the Assistant Secretary of the Navy roughly parallels the Vice CNO.) The President is the only high level where that mirroring is combined into one person...but that has always been considered a civilian position, for the simple reason that our form of government has always specified civilian control of the military, rather than military control of the civilian government (which would be the case if the President were considered a member of the military.)

 

Ergo, the President cannot be considered a veteran just because he was President. (I.e. Kennedy was a veteran, for serving in WWII before he was President. But Clinton would not be a veteran, having never been part of the military otherwise.)

It's funny (not !@#$ing really) that people get behind a white ex-president who traded !@#$ing arms with our enemy over our black President who coordinated the effort to bring down the person responsible for 9/11.

 

This country will never close the gap between black and white. !@#$ing crazy.

 

"Coordinated the effort?" What happened to "DIRECTLY responsible?" You idiot.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

It's funny (not !@#$ing really) that people get behind a white ex-president who traded !@#$ing arms with our enemy over our black President who coordinated the effort to bring down the person responsible for 9/11.

 

This country will never close the gap between black and white. !@#$ing crazy.

 

Well, that black president also:

 

Sold out our Israeli allies in favor of Iran

Failed miserably in Syria

Was responsible for a massive gun-running scheme involving mexico

added about 5 trillion in debt

made health insurance available to everyone but affordable to no one

 

shall i go on?

 

But besides all that, the man simply is NOT a veteran. He's never served anyone but himself.

[boyst]

What if they're a doctor? Is it Dr president? Or is it president Dr? What about if their name is JohnPepper?

President Doctor pepper?

[LB3]

Somebody needs a Snickers.

[/dev/null]

It's funny (not !@#$ing really) that people get behind a white ex-president who traded !@#$ing arms with our enemy over our black President who coordinated the effort to bring down the person responsible for 9/11.

 

This country will never close the gap between black and white. !@#$ing crazy.

You're the one injecting race into the conversation

 

Keep this garbage to Tumblr where it belongs

[dib]

 

He barely got shot!

Is that like being "a little pregnant?"

[Azalin]

No, he shouldn't have for any number of reason. Chiefly, " The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of an Armed Force or any civilian national of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after 5 April 1917, has been wounded or killed, or who has died or may hereafter die after being wounded."

 

I don't think a president would have the hubris (a certain present leading candidate being the exception) to award the Purple Heart to himself in his own name.

 

The rest if you're interested: http://www.recognizethesacrifice.org/purple-heart-criteria.html

 

And no, I don't think he/she should be considered a veteran.

 

 

 

Thanks for the info. I meant my post to sound more tongue-in-cheek than it probably did.

[/dev/null]

okay now that it's moved to PPP

 

Put down the Kool Aid©

 

The world does not always share the same world view as you. And when somebody points out the inconsistency in your view by applying the same logic to another scenario (Obama vs Reagan), don't go off hinting at subtle Racism©

[IDBillzFan]

It's funny (not !@#$ing really) that people get behind a white ex-president who traded !@#$ing arms with our enemy over our black President who coordinated the effort to bring down the person responsible for 9/11.

 

This country will never close the gap between black and white. !@#$ing crazy.

 

Do you honestly believe that after TWICE electing a black man as president of the United States, that the reason people think Obama is a useless president is because of skin color?

 

Did electing a black president TWICE not close the gap? Really? I mean, REALLY?

 

Why do you insist that everyone see the color of his skin? Is it because you're completely unable to see his character as a thin-skinned ego-maniacal self-serving hyper-divisive uneducated golf enthusiast?